Duke’s November surge has changed the look of the ACC race in a hurry.
After hammering NC State, the Blue Devils have now outscored their last two league opponents by a combined 88-5. That kind of stretch gets attention fast, and it has Manny Diaz’s team sitting at 7-2 and very much in the mix for a return trip to Charlotte and the ACC Championship Game.
The climb shows up clearly in this week’s ACC Power Rankings, where Duke jumps into the top three behind Miami and Wake Forest. The Blue Devils had stumbled earlier with losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina, but they’ve steadied themselves with three straight wins over Virginia, Boston College, and NC State. Now comes a major test: a trip to Coral Gables to face Miami, with the Hurricanes coming off their first loss of the season and possibly dealing with the absence of star WR Malachi Toney, who will likely miss next week’s game against Duke, too.
Miami remains No. 1 despite the setback, since the loss came on the road in a non-conference game at Notre Dame and was by a touchdown. Wake Forest holds at No. 2 after a 77-0 rout of an FCS opponent, and the Demon Deacons now head to SMU for a game that could reshape the ACC race.
SMU sits right behind Duke at No. 5 after rebounding from its road loss to Syracuse with a 51-28 win over Virginia Tech. Louisville, meanwhile, continues to push upward after winning four straight and beating Georgia Tech 44-17 in Atlanta. The Cardinals are still being treated as a darkhorse in the ACC Championship picture, and even the CFP conversation is in play.
Virginia Tech drops to No. 6 after getting handled by SMU, while Clemson stays in the top half despite another ugly win. The Tigers needed a defensive touchdown to escape Syracuse 18-13, but they’re still alive in the ACC race, with a road trip to Duke in two weeks looming as a potentially decisive game.
North Carolina checks in at No. 8 after snapping a two-game skid with a 38-21 road win over UConn. Pitt sits ninth after a bye, and Florida State moves up to No. 10 after ending a three-game losing streak with a road win at Boston College - its first post-Mike Norvell victory.
The middle and lower half of the rankings tell the rest of the story. Syracuse fell to No. 11 after coming close against Clemson, but the Orange likely need to win back-to-back road games at NC State and Boston College to stay on track for bowl eligibility, especially with Notre Dame still ahead at home.
Boston College is down to No. 12 after following a 45-point loss to Duke with another defeat, this time to Florida State. NC State drops to No. 13 after Duke’s blowout left the Wolfpack needing a win over Syracuse to keep bowl hopes alive.
Stanford is 14th after a bye, Virginia sits 15th after a week off following three straight losses, and California is 16th after its bye. Georgia Tech remains last after a fourth straight double-digit loss, leaving Brent Key’s team at 2-7 with only three games left to play.
In Other News...
Duke Just Turned One Rival Rout Into A Massive Miami Test
Dukes lopsided win over NC State did more than pad the record, it reinforced just how complete this team can look when the defense sets the tone and the run game takes over. Nate Sheppard was the centerpiece of that performance, piling up 217 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a statement outing that put him squarely in the conversation for bigger individual honors while giving the Blue Devils another weapon to lean on as the schedule tightens.
Now the challenge gets sharper with Miami coming next, and that matchup will say plenty about whether Dukes recent surge is built to travel against a higher-end opponent. The Blue Devils have shown enough on both sides of the ball to make the ACC race interesting, but this is the kind of test that can clarify whether they are merely rolling through a good stretch or truly positioning themselves for a run at the championship picture. [Read more 🡒]
Nate Sheppard Is Turning Dukes Miami Test Into Something Bigger
Dukes 41-3 win over NC State did more than pad the record. It pushed the Blue Devils to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in ACC play, and it came with one of the most complete performances they have put together this season. Nate Sheppard was at the center of it, leading the way with 217 rushing yards and three touchdowns while the defense kept NC State off the board in the end zone and held the Wolfpack to 217 total yards.
For a Duke team trying to keep building momentum, the timing matters as much as the margin. The Blue Devils have found a rhythm on both sides of the ball, and Sheppards breakout night gave the offense a clear identity while the defense backed it up with a suffocating effort. The bigger question now is how much of this can carry over as the schedule tightens and the stakes keep rising. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Scheyer Sends Encouraging Early Message On Duke Freshman Joaquim Boumtje
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje is already drawing attention in Durham, and not just because he arrived at Duke as the youngest player in program history. The 17-year-old freshman has flashed real promise early in the season, even if the adjustment has come with the usual bumps, including a modest outing against Coastal Carolina. For a team that is always under a microscope, his early minutes have become one of the more interesting development stories on the roster.
Jon Scheyer has been encouraged by what he has seen so far, pointing to Boumtje Boumtjes coachability and the progress he has made in a short time. The Duke coach said the freshman is ahead of schedule in his development and already providing impactful minutes, which matters for a player still learning the pace and physical demands of college basketball. The next step is the one every young player faces: turning that early promise into consistency as the season keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]