Duke Blue Devils ranking: 51/134
[Check out RJ Young’s ultimate 134 college football rankings here]
Conference ranking: 5th in Atlantic Coast (+20000 to win conference)
Teams ahead of them: Troy (50), UTSA (49), Brigham Young (48), Texas Christian (47), North Carolina (46)
Teams behind them: Fresno State (52), Georgia Tech (53), Central Florida (54), Texas State (55), Arizona State (56)
[Duke 2024 schedule]
RJ’s take: After a successful stint as a defensive coordinator in the Big Ten, Manny Diaz returns to the Atlantic Coast Conference, where he previously coached Miami with a record of 21-15. At Duke, he faces a unique challenge; only three coaches have managed to secure eight wins in a season: David Cutcliffe, Steve Spurrier, and Mike Elko, who recently moved on to Texas A&M after a commendable tenure.
The Blue Devils’ schedule appears manageable, featuring Florida State at home and Miami away as their only preseason top 25 matchups. Maalik Murphy stands out as a physically talented quarterback, giving Duke a potential edge. If Diaz can replicate Elko’s defensive strategies, Duke has a strong chance of achieving back-to-back bowl appearances, a feat they have accomplished only once before in their history.
Duke Blue Devils Win Total Odds: Over 5.5 (+130) Under 5.5 (-150)
