Freddie and Brian's Duke Football Bowl Projections: The Road Ahead - Week 13

After taking Week 12 off due to Duke Football's bye, we're back with fresh bowl projections as the Blue Devils gear up for their final stretch of games. Duke hosts Virginia Tech this Saturday night at Wallace Wade Stadium and wraps up the regular season with a short trip to Winston-Salem for an early afternoon matchup against Wake Forest. Here’s where Brian and I see Duke football heading as the postseason looms.

Brian Kennedy of Duke Football Talk

Duke fans, we are down to the nitty gritty of the ACC season, and things are quickly heating up. First things first, how about Duke going to Raleigh two weeks ago and handling business against NC State. That is exactly what this team needed heading into the BYE week to prepare for this week's game against Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech comes into this weekend's game 5-5, and still need 1 win to become bowl eligible, so they will be hungry Saturday night.

As I take a step back and look at the ACC and all the competition near Duke, things are slowly starting to fall in place, but there are still a lot of unknowns. Will SMU find a way into the 12-team playoff? Will Pitt continue to free fall? Will CHC win out and go 8-4? So many scenarios, so little time to figure things out.

With all that being said, Duke is in control of its own destiny. As I stated earlier, Virginia Tech comes in in survival mode, and will look to get their 6th win. If Duke can get past VT this weekend, things are looking really good for the Blue Devils to win out and finish the season 9-3. Based off everything I have seen so far this year, I don't see any reason why it will not happen, and because of that Duke is on the move. I have had the Blue Devils in Charlotte the past couple of weeks waiting for the ACC dust to settle. Now that things are becoming clear, I truly believe Duke will be in Florida in the land of microwavable pastries. Duke will be in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando.

​Duke fans, please show up and show out for this team and all the seniors that will be honored on Saturday night for Senior Day.

Freddie Hodges of Duke Report

Welcome back! With Duke’s bye behind us, let’s quickly revisit their November 9 victory over NC State, a 29-19 statement win that underscored Duke's dominance in the Triangle this season. The Blue Devils came out firing in the first quarter with what my friend called a "Manny Diaz hat trick," scoring a safety, a field goal, and a touchdown to jump out to a 12-0 lead. From there, Duke controlled the game in Raleigh and solidified their claim as the top team in the region this season.

Now, the Blue Devils face a 5-5 Virginia Tech team on Saturday night. The Hokies are fighting to secure bowl eligibility and have had a rollercoaster season, boasting impressive moments like a win over Georgia Tech and a narrow four-point loss to Miami. Coming into this game, oddsmakers have Virginia Tech as slight favorites (-3), making it clear that Duke will need to bring their A-game to get the win.


With two games left in the season, the Coastal... I mean "ACC Chaos" remains unpredictable. Some burning questions include:

• Can Duke close out their home slate with a win over a desperate Virginia Tech team?
• Will the ACC manage to get two teams into the College Football Playoff?
• Could Notre Dame stumble against Army and end up snagging a top-tier ACC bowl slot?
• How will Clemson fare in their rivalry clash with South Carolina?
• Who will come out on top in an interesting Pitt vs. Louisville matchup?

The final stretch promises plenty of intrigue as ACC teams jockey for postseason positioning.

Two weeks ago, after Duke’s tough loss to Miami, I had the Blue Devils slotted for the Pinstripe Bowl. But with their victory over NC State and a bye week to regroup, my projection now shifts to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte. (Extra mayo on your cheeseburger, anyone?)

As Brian mentioned earlier, if you can, show up for Duke’s last home game at Wallace Wade. Also if you're able to make the short trip to Winston-Salem, join the Blue Devils’ faithful in supporting the team in their season finale at Wake Forest.

Stay tuned to the Blue Devils Blog for weekly updates on bowl projections as the season comes to a close. With just two games left, there's still potential for plenty of movement depending on Duke’s results. Let’s see how this exciting season wraps up!