Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz runs out before the first half of the game against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Duke Football on the Outside Looking In Entering Week 10

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Duke Blue Devils are looking to bounce back this week as they will be faced with the challenge of going down to Death Valley and facing another ACC rival, this time in the Clemson Tigers. The Blue Devils will be the favorites to win this game, but it is not going to be an easy one.

They have to go down to Death Valley, where it is going to be rocking, and that place is never easy to play in. Head coach Manny Diaz is looking to give his team the best preparation for this game and to be successful.

Heading into this game, the Blue Devils are on the outside looking in at a spot in the ACC Title game, but that will be on the back of their mind for this one. They know what they need to do this week, and that is to win to keep the pressure on the other teams.

Diaz knows the team he has and when they are playing their best football, they could beat any team. That is what they will be focusing on this week against Clemson. Playing their best football on the road will be key to this victory.

If the College playoff were today

Per ESPN:

Would be in: Georgia Tech, Miami

On the cusp: Virginia

Work to do: Louisville

Would be out: Cal, Duke, Pitt, SMU, Wake Forest

The Cardinals are going to be haunted all season by their three-point overtime loss to Virginia, but the 24-21 win at Miami on Oct. 17 was the best possible rebound they could ask for. The rest of Louisville's schedule isn't easy -- most difficult trip Nov. 22 at SMU -- but the Cardinals still have a 20.8% chance to reach the ACC championship game and a 12.5% chance to reach the playoff. ESPN Analytics gives Louisville less than a 50% chance to win at SMU, which affects its chances.

The one thing that the ACC cannot do is help this Duke team find themselves back in the mix to play in the title game. That will have the Duke team ready to dominate. It is going to be interesting to see how it all plays out at the end, but for now, Duke is going to focus on the games they have left and control what they can, and this week, it is winning in Death Valley.

As always, make sure you stay up to date with all Duke content by following us on Facebook, by clicking HERE, and following us on X (formerly Twitter)HERE

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

More must-reads: