Duke 3-0 but ESPN Ranks Blue Devils Just 26th Among Unbeaten Teams
The short version
- Duke is 3-0 entering Saturday's home game vs. William & Mary in Durham
- ESPN's Bill Connelly ranked Duke 26th of 35 unbeaten teams
- Duke sits 46th in SP+ and 35th in ESPN's FPI
- ESPN gives Duke a 1.1% chance to finish 12-0
- Bowl projections: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Northwestern or Military Bowl vs. Navy
Duke enters Week 4 unbeaten, yet ESPN's Bill Connelly slots the Blue Devils at No. 26 of 35 remaining undefeated teams.
Duke football takes a 3-0 record into its Week 4 home game against William & Mary in Durham. The unbeaten start includes two non-conference wins and a victory in the Blue Devils' first ACC contest, with a bye week following Saturday's game.
Despite the perfect record, ESPN's Bill Connelly ranked Duke just 26th among the 35 unbeaten teams in college football this week. The network's analytics are similarly lukewarm, with the Blue Devils sitting 46th in SP+ and 35th in FPI.
Connelly's reasoning, according to the report, centers on an offense he does not fully trust because it leans heavily on running back Nate Sheppard, one of the top rushers in the country. He did credit improved recent play from quarterback Walker Eget as a positive sign.
ESPN gives Duke a 1.1 percent chance of finishing the regular season 12-0. Miami is the only currently ranked opponent left on the schedule, though matchups with North Carolina and a road game at NC State are also seen as potential tests.
In updated bowl projections, ESPN's Kyle Bonagura slots Duke against Northwestern in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on December 26, while Mark Schlabach projects a Duke-Navy matchup in the Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl on December 28.