Bowl Discussion/ACC Power Rankings

[Bob Green]

Where will we be bowling? The state of Florida is the desired destination for the Orange Bowl, Citrus Bowl or Russell Athletic Bowl. We have moved up in the ACC Power Rankings to #3:

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/ ... s-week-8-5

After an abysmal showing at Miami to open the conference season, the Blue Devils now have impressive wins against Georgia Tech and Virginia. The schedule is soft -- they avoid Clemson, Florida State and Louisville -- so Duke has an easy road back to Charlotte.

Pitt, on the road in two weeks, will be a formidable foe; however, I believe we have already played the toughest teams on our schedule in Miami, GT and Virginia. Beat Pitt and we have a realistic opportunity to go 11-1 in the regular season. Yeah, VT and UNC will be tough games, but we are better than both the CHokies and the Cheaters. Wake Forest is sad--we will have to avoid a letdown.

[CameronBornAndBred]

In the latest bowl projections (released Sunday nights), ESPN's ACC blog team has us going to the Russell Athletic Bowl.
http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/7 ... s-week-8-4

[devildeac]

In the latest bowl projections (released Sunday nights), ESPN's ACC blog team has us going to the Russell Athletic Bowl.
http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/7 ... s-week-8-4

Three obvious omissions from that list:

Wake, Syracuse and........



the cheaters!

Would have loved to see GT recover and throw a large shovel of dirt on their season .

Hope that holds true.

[DevilWearsPrada2.0]

Just awesome to be bowl eligible again, 3 years in a row!!!!!

Need to finish Strong in November!!!!!!!!!

[Bob Green]

Phil Steele projects Duke vs. Texas A&M in the Music City Bowl. Jerry Palm projects Duke vs. Baylor in the Russell Athletic Bowl. All we have to do is keep winning.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Want to read a very cool stat? This is from an article on ESPN talking about how being simply bowl eligible is no longer our goal.

The Blue Devils have lost only one of their past 15 regular-season conference games.

http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/7 ... al-at-duke

[devildeac]

Want to read a very cool stat? This is from an article on ESPN talking about how being simply bowl eligible is no longer our goal.

The Blue Devils have lost only one of their past 15 regular-season conference games.

http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/7 ... al-at-duke

Not quite. One loss this year and two last year (regular season) and too many in November, 2012.

[Bob Green]

Phil Steele projects Duke vs. Texas A&M in the Music City Bowl. Jerry Palm projects Duke vs. Baylor in the Russell Athletic Bowl. All we have to do is keep winning.

ESPN's updated projections have Duke in the Russell Athletic Bowl against either Oklahoma or West Virginia.

[DevilWearsPrada2.0]

Want to read a very cool stat? This is from an article on ESPN talking about how being simply bowl eligible is no longer our goal.

The Blue Devils have lost only one of their past 15 regular-season conference games.

http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/7 ... al-at-duke

Duke Football has come along way!!!!!

[Bob Green]

I'm going to lump the ACC Championship Game discussion into this Bowl Discussion thread. There are a couple of good posts at DBR and the The Devils Den breaking down the path back to Charlotte to face FSU (most likely). In a nutshell, we need to go 4-1 over the final five games including wins over Pitt and UNC. The situation will change week to week, but that is how it stands right now.

This week's trip to Pitt is a big game (aren't they all?).

[wolfpackdevil]

I'm going to lump the ACC Championship Game discussion into this Bowl Discussion thread. There are a couple of good posts at DBR and the The Devils Den breaking down the path back to Charlotte to face FSU (most likely). In a nutshell, we need to go 4-1 over the final five games including wins over Pitt and UNC. The situation will change week to week, but that is how it stands right now.

This week's trip to Pitt is a big game (aren't they all?).

I'm starting to think that UNC might be the toughest game left on our schedule. I would not have said that three weeks ago, but they beat GT and UVA in similar fashion to us.

This week's game is huge. At the beginning of the season I picked us to lose this game, but now I see differently. Pittsburgh looked awful on Saturday at home against GT. We are finally 100% healthy again, coming off of an open week, and have a lot of momentum. I see this game as one that we should win.

[Bob Green]

I'm starting to think that UNC might be the toughest game left on our schedule.

Carolina's offense has serious explosive play capability. Fedora deserves credit for the onsides kick strategy, at the end of the Virginia game, as my Carolina grad/co-worker commented today, if Carolina kicks it deep, Virginia probably marches straight down the field and kicks a FG for the win. Fedora gambled and won.

[devildeac]

I'm starting to think that UNC might be the toughest game left on our schedule.

Carolina's offense has serious explosive play capability. Fedora deserves credit for the onsides kick strategy, at the end of the Virginia game, as my Carolina grad/co-worker commented today, if Carolina kicks it deep, Virginia probably marches straight down the field and kicks a FG for the win. Fedora gambled and won.

They must have cheated somehow.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm starting to think that UNC might be the toughest game left on our schedule.

Carolina's offense has serious explosive play capability. Fedora deserves credit for the onsides kick strategy, at the end of the Virginia game, as my Carolina grad/co-worker commented today, if Carolina kicks it deep, Virginia probably marches straight down the field and kicks a FG for the win. Fedora gambled and won.

UNC's defense sucks though, and our D is much better than any ACC team they have faced yet. I think we should win by a 2 TD margin at least.

[Bob Green]

Bowl predictions (based on the premise Duke beats Wake Forest):

1. Florida State - College Football Play-off
2. Georgia Tech - Orange Bowl
3. Clemson - Russell Athletic Bowl
4. Miami - Taxslayer Bowl or Music City Bowl
5. Louisville - Belk Bowl
6. Duke - Sun Bowl
7. Notre Dame - Pinstripe Bowl

I really desire to see the ACC do good so I'm pulling for Georgia Tech, Clemson and Florida State to beat Georgia, South Carolina and Florida respectively. Notre Dame will fall below Duke because they have two tough games left on their schedule.

We are El Paso bound!

[CameronBornAndBred]

My dad was telling me last night that he listening to a few guys in front of him with NYC accents. After a bit, he asked them their interest in Duke, and then he said "ahhh, you must be from the Pinstripe bowl". They acknowledged that they were. Unlike some other reps we've met, these folks were basically incognito. Dad asked them what they thought. "We don't really like Duke's style of play", was the answer.
Dad couldn't really tell me what they meant by that. (Although I don't like our style of play right now either, it equals losses and close games that shouldn't be close.)

[Bob Green]

Jerry Palm at CBS Sports projects us in the Pinstripe Bowl against Penn State:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... redictions

I've no problem with that bowl game or opponent, but I remain convinced El Paso (Sun Bowl) is in our future. Palm currently projects North Carolina vs Utah in the Sun Bowl. The Sun Bowl is one of the old bowls so in my mind it is prestigious. Personally, I remain ecstatic we are bowl eligible for the third consecutive season so I am not picky about where we end up. Following the projections and discussing the various possibilities is entertaining.

[Bob Green]

Phil Steele's updated projections have us in the Belk Bowl against LSU.

https://www.philsteele.com/bowls/14-15/ ... tions.html

A win over LSU in talent rich Charlotte could provide a boost to 2016 recruiting.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Phil Steele's updated projections have us in the Belk Bowl against LSU.

https://www.philsteele.com/bowls/14-15/ ... tions.html

A win over LSU in talent rich Charlotte could provide a boost to 2016 recruiting.

Belk is my preference for tons of greedy reasons.

[devildeac]

Phil Steele's updated projections have us in the Belk Bowl against LSU.

https://www.philsteele.com/bowls/14-15/ ... tions.html

A win over LSU in talent rich Charlotte could provide a boost to 2016 recruiting.

Belk is my preference for tons of greedy reasons.

I'll take it!