The Duke football team might have won each of its first five games to start the 2024 season, but Saturday’s loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets was enough for The Athletic’s Chris Vannini.
Vannini released his Week 7 rankings of the 134 FBS teams on Monday, and the Blue Devils dropped five spots to 51st after the 24-14 defeat.
The Duke offense keeps putting the defense in tough situations, falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter on Saturday just one week after the North Carolina Tar Heels opened up a 20-0 lead on the Blue Devils in Durham.
However, the Duke defense hasn’t allowed a fourth-quarter touchdown in its five victories, and the secondary’s 4.9 yards allowed per pass attempt is the fifth-best mark in the country.
The slide also knocked Duke out of Vannini’s top 10 teams in the ACC. The undefeated Miami Hurricanes (seventh) and the Clemson Tigers (10th) both look primed for a College Football Playoff appearance, and the California Golden Bears (45th), Yellow Jackets (47th), Virginia Cavaliers (48th), and Boston College Eagles (49th) all barely remained ahead of the Blue Devils.
If Duke fans want a silver lining, however, UNC remains in free fall after a third straight loss. The Tar Heels’ 34-24 loss to Pittsburgh dropped head coach Mack Brown and his team to 66th in Vannini’s rankings.