The Associated Press released its initial top 25 teams from the College Football Poll on Monday, and the Duke Blue Devils received no votes.
The Blue Devils won 17 games over the last two seasons, reaching as high as 16th in last year’s AP Poll. However, head coach Mike Elko and quarterback Riley Leonard both departed for different programs, and the voters clearly think that Manny Diaz, Maalik Murphy, and Grayson Loftis must prove the trajectory remains positive in Durham.
The Georgia Bulldogs, winners of two of the last three national championships, finished first in the voting. Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, and Alabama rounded out the top five.
Four ACC teams did make the preseason rankings. Florida State, last year’s conference champions after a 13-0 regular season, finished as the top team in the league at 10th.
Clemson (14th), Miami (19th), and NC State (24th) also made the preseason rankings. Duke plays the Seminoles, Hurricanes, and Wolfpack this season in a four-game span.
Louisville, Virginia Tech, and SMU all finished in the receiving votes category, and the Blue Devils also have the Hokies and Mustangs on their 2024 schedule.
Georgia is No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll and Ohio State is No. 2 as expanded SEC and Big Ten flex their muscles. https://t.co/WFd8N9NFmD
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 12, 2024
Duke gets the season underway against Elon at home on August 30.