Freddie & Brian’s Duke Football Bowl Projections: The Road Ahead - Week 4

We are back with Week 4 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 

Another week, and another gritty win by your Duke Blue Devils football team.  I am not going to lie, I let my guard down, and thought this past weekend's game against UCONN was going to be a Sunday drive.  Boy was I wrong.  Just when things looked in hand, UCONN scored on a fluke pick 6, and turned the tide until the 4th quarter.  Luckily, Duke was able to calm down, rebound, and get their 3rd straight win of the season to move to 3-0.

Now Duke heads to the land of BBQ, Cowboy boots and country music, as they take on a Middle Tennessee defense who has had many a struggle so far this year.  I don't see that changing, and am looking for Duke to go 4-0 heading into rivalry week against CHC.  Not trying to look too far ahead, because as the first 3 weeks have shown fans anything is possible on the gridiron. 

As far as my bowl projection goes, I have the team staying put in Charlotte, and playing in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.  If the coming weeks play out in Duke's favor, the destination will most certainly be changing for me.

Freddie Hodges of Duke Report 

Duke entered last Saturday's game against UConn as the heavy favorite, and for a moment, it looked like the Blue Devils would cruise to victory.  However, the tides quickly turned when UConn went on a stunning 21-0 run, taking a 21-17 lead into the fourth quarter.  Duke fans watched nervously as the game slipped into dangerous territory, but the Blue Devils made a comeback to secure a 26-21 victory.  While the win keeps Duke undefeated at 3-0,  it was far from a comfortable win.  

Once again, Duke football found a way to prevail, but consistency will be key as they head on the road to face Middle Tennessee State this Saturday.

The ACC, even without divisions, is delivering its usual dose of "Coastal Chaos."  Florida State has stumbled to an 0-3 start.  One could jokingly ask: Is FSU holding out on winning until the ACC lets them out of their conference contract?  But in all seriousness, the Seminoles might want to focus on climbing out of the basement of the ACC standings before worrying about their exit strategy.

Duke’s schedule is filled with other teams underperforming so far, including NC State and Virginia Tech. Preseason predictions I once marked as losses for Duke are now up in the air.  Yet, with ACC play around the corner, Duke must find consistency on offense to navigate a progressively tougher schedule.

Since Week 1, my bowl projection for Duke has remained steady.  Even if Duke had lost to UConn, I would still have predicted them in a bowl game — likely the Boca Raton Bowl in Florida.  Had Duke won more decisively, I might have upgraded them to a later bowl game.  However, with their comeback victory, my current projection still sends the Blue Devils south to Tampa for the Gasparilla Bowl.
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​That said, a convincing performance against Middle Tennessee State this weekend could start to shift that outlook.

Be sure to check back here at Blue Devils Blog every week for our latest bowl projections.  With the next two games on the schedule (vs. Middle Tennessee State and rival UNC), there’s plenty of potential for these projections to shift.  We’ll keep you updated as the season unfolds!