Freddie and Brian's Duke Football Bowl Projections: The Road Ahead - Week 8

Yeah, we took Week 7 off from bowl projections since Duke was on a bye, but we’re back with Week 8 Duke Football Bowl Projections from Brian of Duke Football Talk and Freddie of Duke Report. Check out where we think Duke Football is headed as the season progresses!

Brian Kennedy of Duke Football Talk

Well Duke fans, it has been a relaxing BYE week.  However, the thought of Duke losing to Georgia Tech is still on my mind.  Without a doubt, Georgia Tech was the most balanced team that Duke has faced so far this year.  We all knew that first loss was coming, we just hoped it had been after Duke won its 6th game of the year.

The ACC is also starting to show that it is full of bowl worthy, No not you FSU, teams.  7 teams already have 5 wins or more at the halfway mark of the season.  Virginia, Louisville and Boston College have 4 wins, and State, CHC, Virginia Tech and Cal have 3 wins.  How crazy would it be to have 12-14 teams all bowl eligible.

​Speaking of bowls, Duke is relocating after the loss to the Yellow Jackets.  I might have jinxed the Blue Devils by saying I saw them in Orlando.  Sorry, I am just excited at the prospect of heading down to the land of microwavable pastries.  This week, I have Duke back in Charlotte for the Duke's Mayo Bowl.  If you are in the area this Friday night, try your hardest to make it to Wallace Wade to cheer on Duke as they could potentially get the monkey off their back and finally defeat Florida State.

Freddie Hodges of Duke Report 

Welcome back!  We took last week off with Duke on a bye. In my preseason projections, I had Duke going 6-0, but even with their first loss of the season, this Georgia Tech team was the most complete opponent Duke has faced so far.  Still, I’m thrilled to see Duke starting 5-1—something many media outlets didn’t expect.  Now, Duke is still just one win away from bowl eligibility.

"Coastal Chaos" is alive and well—only now, it spans the entire ACC.  As Brian mentioned, "Seven teams already have five wins or more at the halfway mark of the season."   Virginia has been the surprise of the conference, boasting a 4-2 overall record and 2-1 in ACC play.  With this momentum, it’s increasingly likely that double-digit ACC teams could be bowl-eligible this season.

I never thought I’d say this, but I’m rooting for Notre Dame to make the playoff—just so they aren't given a top-tier bowl from the ACC.  With so many ACC teams potentially going bowling, we might see some interesting shakeups, with teams landing in bowls you wouldn’t normally expect.
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Despite the loss to Georgia Tech, I’m sticking with my previous projection: Duke still heading to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte.  However, if Duke pulls off a win against Florida State this Friday night, I just might have to shake up that prediction.

Be sure to check back here at Blue Devils Blog every week for our latest bowl projections.  With the season at its halfway point, there’s still plenty of room for these predictions to evolve.  We’ll keep you updated as the season unfolds!