The Duke Blue Devils cemented their second nine-win season since 2022 on Saturday with a 14-point comeback against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, cementing a season sweep of the state with a last-second touchdown catch from star wideout Jordan Moore.
While the Blue Devils capped off a 9-3 regular-season campaign with three straight wins, the ESPN Football Power Index continued to keep Duke on the outside of its upper echelon.
As of Sunday morning, the Blue Devils are just 54th in the FPI rankings, a single spot higher than they were last week.
As has been the case all season, Duke remained below teams with losing records and even a team it defeated. The Virginia Tech Hokies, who beat Virginia on Saturday to reach six wins, stuck at 35th despite a loss to the Blue Devils in Week 13. The Auburn Tigers (29th), Kansas Jayhawks (34th), UCF Knights (43rd), Utah Utes (46th), Wisconsin Badgers (48th), and Kentucky Wildcats (49th) ended up above the Blue Devils despite failing to clinch bowl eligibility.
No ACC teams cracked the top 10 of the national rankings after Miami’s loss to Syracuse, but the Hurricanes (11th), SMU Mustangs (12th), Louisville Cardinals (13th), and Clemson Tigers (15th) all sit just on the outside.