The Duke Blue Devils couldn’t quite crack the top 25 of the AP Poll on Sunday, but head coach Manny Diaz and his squad received six votes in the updated rankings after Week 13.
The Blue Devils defeated Virginia Tech 31-28 on Saturday night thanks to a 188-yard, three-touchdown performance from fifth-year wideout [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag]. Quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] finished with a career-high 332 yards, and his third connection with Pancol gave him 25 passing touchdowns for the season, a new school record.
Between its record and its performance against the top teams on its schedule, Duke’s absence from the top 25 remains curious. The Blue Devils came within a 2-point conversion from beating the SMU Mustangs in Week 9 before building an 11-point lead over the Miami Hurricanes in Week 10.
The Hurricanes (No. 8) and Mustangs (No. 9) look destined for a clash in the conference title game. SMU already punched its ticket to Charlotte thanks to its 7-0 record against ACC opponents, and the Hurricanes would join them with a win over Syracuse next Saturday.
The Clemson Tigers (No. 12) are the only other ACC team within the top 25, and they’d face SMU if the Orange find a way to upset Miami. Duke’s six votes leave them unofficially in 31st.