Duke was inactive for Week 12 of the college football season, letting the Blue Devils rest up on their bye week. However, that didn’t mean they couldn’t move in the Week 13 edition of the USA TODAY Sports ACC power rankings.
Ehsan Kassim put the Blue Devils sixth out of the conference’s 17 teams, one spot higher than last week this week.
Following a 5-0 start, Duke had lost three of four before their 29-19 victory over the NC State Wolfpack in Raleigh. Simply put, they needed the bye.
The teams ranked ahead of the Blue Devils are, in order, the SMU Mustangs, Miami Hurricanes, Clemson Tigers, Syracuse Orange, and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Louisville, who was ranked No. 4 last week, dropped below Duke after a stunning road loss to Stanford.
The Blue Devils will host Virginia Tech on Saturday. It will be a big-time test for Duke, as the Hokies bring one of the ACC’s top rushing offenses.
Duke’s strength lies in their passing defense, but their rushing defense can be a weakness at times. It is worth noting, though, that Duke led the country in tackles for loss for most of the season.