Freddie & Brian’s Duke Football Bowl Projections: The Road Ahead - Week 5

We are back with Week 5 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 

Duke fans, we have arrived!  It is rivalry week.  Duke is coming off a convincing win against Middle Tennessee, while CHC looked down right ugly against James Madison.  With the win, Duke has moved to 4-0, and has gone undefeated in Non-Conference play for the first time since 2018.  You want to know what else happened in 2018?  That was the last time that Duke had possession of the Victory Bell after Daniel Jones ran all over the Tar Heels in convincing fashion.  The way things are lining up, I feel this is the year that the Bell stays in Durham. 

As far as my bowl prediction goes, I am holding steady with Duke staying in Charlotte for the Dukes Mayo Bowl the time being.  Also, shoutout to Brett McMurphy of Action Network, who clearly reads this article weekly as he also had the Blue Devils playing in Charlotte.

The ACC continues to ooze "Coastal Chaos" and Duke is within reach of being within the top 5.  A win this upcoming weekend, and things get a lot more interesting.  First things first though, Duke needs to handle business this Saturday afternoon, raise hell and RING THAT BELL!

Freddie Hodges of Duke Report 

Duke continued its impressive start to the season with a decisive 45-17 victory over Middle Tennessee State, finishing non-conference play undefeated at 4-0.  The Blue Devils are now just two wins away from securing bowl eligibility.

The long-awaited rivalry week has arrived as North Carolina comes to Durham to battle Duke for the coveted Victory Bell.  The last time the Blue Devils held the Bell was in 2018, but there’s a strong sense that this year could finally see it return to Durham.  Duke enters the game with momentum after a commanding win, while UNC is reeling from a blowout loss to James Madison.  However, if the past two rivalry games have taught us anything, it’s that anything can happen when these teams meet.

The ACC’s infamous "Coastal Chaos" is alive and well.  Florida State finally won a game—who would've thought lol?  Meanwhile, Virginia Tech, a team I had high hopes for, continues to falter, now sitting at 2-2.  With so many twists and turns, predicting the outcome of this unpredictable conference remains a challenge.

Since Week 1, I’ve projected Duke to play in the Gasparilla Bowl, but after their convincing performance against Middle Tennessee State, I’m moving them up the bowl calendar.  I now see Duke heading north to play in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl.

​Of course, a strong showing against North Carolina this weekend, followed by a solid start to ACC play, could have me rethinking my projection again soon.

Be sure to check back here at Blue Devils Blog every week for our latest bowl projections.  With ACC play starting up there’s plenty of potential for these projections to shift.  We’ll keep you updated as the season unfolds!