From Wallace Wade to Wherever: Duke's Bowl Watch - Preseason/Week 1

From Wallace Wade to Wherever: Duke’s Bowl Watch – Preseason / Week 1

College football is finally back, and you know what that means… it’s officially Way-Too-Early Bowl Projection season from Brian Kennedy of Duke Football Talk and myself Freddie of Duke Report.

Now, I know these things are polarizing—some folks love them, some roll their eyes—but whether you’re a fan or a skeptic, the projections are here to stay. And let’s be honest: if we could actually predict every bowl matchup with 100% accuracy, we  wouldn’t be writing this blog— but Brian and I  would be living it up in Vegas cashing tickets at the sportsbook.

Freddie Hodges - Duke Report 

After spending time at ACC Kickoff in Charlotte this July, reworking (and reworking again) my preseason ACC order of finish, and studying Duke’s schedule more times than I care to admit, I’m ready to make my first call of the season.

Drum roll, please…

I’ve got Duke heading to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte on Friday, January 2nd.

Here’s my reasoning: In my season prediction post, I had the Blue Devils finishing 9–3. In my ACC projections, I placed them 5th overall. I’ve also got two ACC teams making the College Football Playoff, with two more finishing 10–2. That leaves Duke and Louisville both at 9–3, and Charlotte feels like a natural fit for the Blue Devils in this scenario.

Of course, bowl projections are fluid—especially this early. I fully expect Duke to take care of business against Elon in Thursday night’s opener, but if Week 1 delivers some upsets elsewhere in the ACC, we could see my projection shaken up before Duke’s huge Week 2 showdown with Illinois.

Brian Kennedy - Duke Football Talk 

Duke fans...We have arrived! Football season is back. It was hard going through the slow period of the sports year (IE Summer), but it was worth it as Duke/Elon is upon us. While the Gator Bowl still somewhat stings, the outlook for this 2025 team is quickly making those memories fade away.

In comes highly touted Quarterback Darian Mensah, who has shown already, he is ready to lead the Blue Devils on the field. Along with Mensah, the "Stable" of running backs means anyone from Jaquez Moore, to Nate Shephard could be called to run the ball. The wide receiving room is the question mark of the team, as star receivers Jordan Moore and Eli Pancol have moved on to pursue their NFL dreams. Taking their place is Cooper Barkate from Harvard, and Andrel Anthony from Michigan, both of which have already impressed in fall ball. Throw in returning receivers Queso Brown and Samir Hagans, and Mensah has weapons to throw to.

I could continue on and on about this team, but that is not why I am here. Freddie has asked me to come back to give my bowl projections for Duke thoughout the season, and I am happy to oblige. Bowl projections are my love, and if you have followed me on twitter, you will know that I have correctly picked Duke's Bowl destination the last 3 years (Along with most other ACC schools) on bowl selection Sunday.

With that being said, let's get this season long party started. Barring any setbacks or injuries to this team, you would have to guess that Duke will be putting on their bowling shoes once again. Even with tough hurdles such as Illinois, and a trip to death valley and Clemson, I see this team winning anywhere from 8-10 games, depending on how the chips fall.

The first game of the season against Elon is a small tuneup to get ready for the following week, but it will be a good game to see how things are progressing.

​As far as where I see this team, if all goes right I am going all out and saying Duke FINALLY finds a way to go to the land of the microwavable toaster pastries in Orlando, and the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Buckle up. The first chapter of the season starts now, and I’ll be updating the bowl projections from Brian and myself weekly here at Blue Devils Blog. Week 1 already has plenty of intrigue, and if history tells us anything, there will be twists and turns ahead. Stay tuned!