As the college football season continues on, fans get closer and closer to bowl season. As a result, CBS Sports analyst Jerry Palm updated his 2024 bowl predictions once again on Sunday.
Palm put the Blue Devils in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines, last year’s national champions. The game would take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on January 3.
The Wolverines, now led by former offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, are off to a 5-3 start in their title defense with losses to the Texas Longhorns, Illinois Fighting Illini, and Washington Huskies. Michigan will play the Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Indiana Hoosiers before the end of the season.
The Duke’s Mayo Bowl saw the West Virginia Mountaineers bully the North Carolina Tar Heels for a 30-10 victory last year. Duke beat the Troy Trojans in the Birmingham Bowl, securing the Blue Devils’ fifth postseason win in a row.
If this matchup came to fruition, Duke would have the advantage at quarterback. Michigan has struggled all season to find someone who can replace 2023 starter JJ McCarthy, and three different Wolverines have thrown at least 40 passes.
Additionally, Duke’s defense would match up well against the struggling aerial attack after allowing 5.4 yards per pass attempt through Week 9, the fifth-best mark in the FBS.