Ranking Duke Football's 3 Toughest Remaining Opponents

Sep 5, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on during the second half against the Tulane Green Wave at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ranking Duke Football's 3 Toughest Remaining Opponents

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Hugh Straine | Last updated Oct 5, 2026 8:00 AM ET

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There's lots of green grass ahead for the Duke football program.

The Atlantic Coast Conference still feels pretty wide open after this weekend, and the Blue Devils still look like one of the best teams in the league. Several presumed contenders in the ACC have looked fairly volatile over the first several weeks of the regular season, but Duke has been consistent and has done its job.

Following the bye week, Duke's league schedule fully gets underway, and Duke will have a legitimate chance to win just about every remaining game on its schedule. Let's break down the Blue Devils' three toughest opponents on their remaining conference slate.

3. Virginia

Much remains to be seen with this Virginia squad. After demolishing NC State 34-8 in Week 0, the Cavaliers looked like a club that could make a push for that second spot in the ACC Championship game with Miami. However, they've been a bit up and down this season.

Over the weekend, UVA was crushed 38-7 at Florida State, falling to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in league play. Virginia's other defeat was to West Virginia, 38-27.

The Hoos making this list is more about how weak the Blue Devils' remaining schedule looks. Duke will face Virginia on Oct. 23 in Charlottesville.

2. Wake Forest

Wake Forest hasn't exactly looked like an elite team in 2026, but it has looked like a real threat over the last couple of weeks and should be an opponent Duke fans monitor.

The Demon Deacons are 4-1 after defeating Stanford 57-3 this weekend, following a 30-27 win over Louisville.

As the regular season progresses, it's tough to tell whether the ACC has a slew of real contenders or if the league as a whole is fairly weak. Duke's remaining schedule isn't overly daunting, but Wake is riding momentum as we reach the midway point of the year.

The Blue Devils will face Wake Forest in Winston-Salem in their final regular-season game on Nov. 28.

1. Miami

Miami is by far and away the best team in the ACC, but Duke could legitimately be the second-best team in the conference. It's fairly reasonable to expect the Blue Devils to be favored in all of their remaining games besides a road bout with the Canes on Nov. 14.

Mario Cristobal has two Heisman Trophy contenders on his team with quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney, but Duke has one of its own in running back Nate Sheppard. The gap in difficulty between this game and the next one up for Duke is pretty massive, which is a good sign for Duke's hopes this season as it faces several favorable contests.

This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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