The Duke Blue Devils have never exactly fit the mold as favorites on the football field, but the expert panel at USA TODAY Sports seems especially pessimistic about their chances against Ole Miss.
All six writers picked the Rebels to dispatch Duke on Friday, one of just 12 sweeps among the 39 listed matchups.
The Blue Devils ended the regular season with nine wins, the same number as Ole Miss, but their SEC counterparts spent the entire year in College Football Playoff contention. If not for an overtime loss to the LSU Tigers or a Week 13 upset at the hands of the Florida Gators, both away from home, Lane Kiffin could very well have his team in the postseason bracket.
On top of that, Duke starting quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] announced his decision to enter the transfer portal on Monday with backup Grayson Loftis making the same choice one day later. Murphy threw for a program-record 26 passing touchdowns this season, and while Tulane’s Darian Mensah has already committed in his place, he won’t be eligible for the game.
Duke’s bowl battle kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on January 2.
