Freddie & Brian’s Duke Football Bowl Projections: The Road Ahead - Week 2

We are back with Week 2 Duke Football Bowl Projections from Brian of Duke Football Talk and Freddie of Duke Report.  Check out where we think Duke Football is headed.  

Brian Kennedy of Duke Football Talk 

Week 1 is in the books, and Duke football is off and running. What a wild and crazy week 1 it was for college football.  The ACC for the most part handled business (No, not you FSU) going 14-3 this past weekend.  That included Duke, who had a somewhat slow start to the game, but came on in the end to defeat Elon 26-3.  Now the real challenge begins as Duke heads north to Evanston, IL to take on a Northwestern team who had their struggles as well against Miami, OH.

This is going to be the first of many tests this Blue Devil team takes on in the next month, but I see this game as a momentum builder for the rest of September.  The only wild cards that could arise are teams who many thought to be better not being as good (FSU, now you can raise your hand) as well as sleeper teams making noise when no one saw them coming.  Remember folks, had Virginia Tech not come on so strong at the end of last season, Trooper Taylor probably would have had a vat of mayonnaise poured all over him in Charlotte.

Even with all this, I still have this Duke team bowling and still heading up to Boston for the Fenway Bowl. As the season progresses, the destination could most certainly change, but only time will tell.

Freddie Hodges of Duke Report 

The college football season is officially underway, and Duke Football kicked off Labor Day weekend with a Friday night victory.  The Blue Devils secured a decisive 26-3 victory over Elon, marking their third consecutive season-opening win and the first under the new leadership of Manny Diaz.  While the team started off slow, they found their rhythm and powered through to victory, setting the tone for what could be an exciting season ahead.

Before diving back into my Duke bowl projection, let’s take a quick look at the rest of the ACC.  My preseason predictions had Florida State and Virginia Tech as strong contenders for the College Football Playoff, but after Week 1, both teams are shockingly sitting at 0-3.  The ACC’s top spot is suddenly up for grabs, with Miami looking like the team to beat—well at least for now.  But don’t count out Virginia Tech just yet; despite a brutal non-conference loss, they still have a shot to run the table and make a playoff push.  It's still early, and anything can happen.  Now, Florida State?   Yeah, they’re going to need a miracle! 😅

Now, back to Duke.  The Blue Devils may have started slow, but a win is a win, and they’re just five victories away from bowl eligibility.  Next up, they hit the road to face Northwestern in another Friday night showdown.  As of this writing, Duke is a slight underdog, with a -2.5 spread for the 9 PM kickoff (better get your caffeine ready!).  This game is shaping up to be a crucial early-season test for Duke, and it could set the tone for the rest of their season.

​Speaking of bowl projections, I'm holding steady with my prediction: Duke heading south to sunny Tampa for the Gasparilla Bowl.  But a strong performance against Northwestern could start shifting those expectations.

As an interesting side note, I’m particularly excited to watch this game at Northwestern’s temporary lakeside field, perched right next to Lake Michigan.  Imagine the drama of a field goal going wide and splashing into the water!  Maybe that won’t happen, but the picturesque views of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan during game breaks should make for some stunning visuals. 

​Make sure to check back here at Blue Devils Blog every week for our latest bowl projections. We’ll keep you updated as the season unfolds!