We are playing one of our toughest schedules this year. We are coming off of a year of almosts. While we were competitive in many games we had a losing record for the first time in awhile. On paper this looks to be a rough year.
For perspective Duke is right in the middle of the top 130 sitting at 63
First four:
NCCU: This game should be a walk for us. A good game to work out the kinks and get geared up for. the rest of the season. 1-0
NORTHWESTERN (38): We play them at home this year. They are suppossed to be good but they have lost some critical pieces. Plus Jones our QB will not be a newbie this year. I like us in this game though we have not had a good run against Northwestern as of late. I am picking this year to be the year Duke pulls off the win against Northwestern. 2-0
BAYLOR (27 or 47): Our third home game in a row and the toughest according to one set of rankings of our first four games. There are wildly different projections for this team depending on where you look. They have lost alot including a coach. It is our last home game before Carolina. I hope we are not looking to far forward and take care of business here. 3-0
UNC (37): We smacked a good Carolina Team in the mouth last year. It will be tough to do so again despite having lost lots of pieces from last year. No denying Fedora is a good coach. We win this game and are already 3-0 we could be kissing the top 25. UNC has also won 19 games in the last 2 seasons. They are definitely up right now. Closing out this four game stretch with retaining the bell would be great. I canot pick against Duke when we play Carolina no matter what. (4-0)
The first stretch is full of some solid teams and it will be difficult. But I pick us at 4-0 in first stretch.
The next stretch of four is HELL!
MIAMI (18): It was a Dark and Stormy night... Okay it was a pretty day at least until the Officials cheated us out of a Halloween Victory over Miami. On October 31, 2015 the last time we played Miami we lost on a rugby style play with multiple uncalled issues despite an almost 10 minute hiatus looking at the replay. Officials were suspended and Duke slipped to a 7 win regular season. Had to think it affected our post Miami play as well. I want revenge and unfortunately I think we take a loss on this one. Our hope IMO, is to limit their offense because that is what their defense will do to us. (4-1)
VIRGINIA (87): It is an away game. Last year Virginia was 2-10. One of their wins was against us. It was by far our worst loss of the season and Jones was killed by the opposing defense throwing interceptions away like it was cheap candy. I do not see him on being anything but focused this time around. I do not see that VA will be a loss this year. We are going in there with vengenance on our mind. (5-1)
FSU (3): You have to play the games. While I am picking FSU looking at their schedule this could be a trap game, or they could end up more broken up than us, and they do have to travel. We play them right before they play Louisville. (5-2)
PITT (36): I am worried about this game. I think Pitt is like us in the sense they are better than their ranking. The advantage we have by this time will be experience. Their schedule's heavyweights are after they play us. They end with a hard stretch. They will certainly want to be in good position and will be a tough team. I still am going to be optimistic though. (6-2)
(2-2) in this stretch is fair IMO. Pitt is my biggest question mark of my picks in this group, and I would also like to see us take it to Miami.
Last stretch:
VIRGINIA TECH (21): They desperately want to be relevant again and a 10 win season last year primes them for it. A stingy defense with a lot of returners is going to be tough. But, their offense is up in the air at this point. Lot to like (or dislike form our perspective) about this team. At VT I just do not think we overcome this hurdle. (6-3)
ARMY (107): After the grueling stretch that we have been through I like us to win. The week previous is a bye week so we should be rested and able to play well. Also a good game to get back in the swing of things before hitting what looks to be a good GT. (7-3)
GEORGIA TECH (28): We are going to have to be able to stop the running game to contain GT. I hope we are up to it, but this will be a tough team ready to take it to us. (7-4)
WAKE FOREST (67): I do not like that it is an away game but other than that I like us in this game. I think we take this one. (8-4)
2-2 in the last stretch. Hopefully we can stretch it to 3-1 with a victory over VT or GT.
I would love to see a 9-3 record and would collapse in surprise at 10-2. However, the Coastal has been on a general upswing and I would not be surprised at 7-5 or 6-6. I would be surprised at a losing season though.
For perspective Duke is right in the middle of the top 130 sitting at 63
First four:
NCCU: This game should be a walk for us. A good game to work out the kinks and get geared up for. the rest of the season. 1-0
NORTHWESTERN (38): We play them at home this year. They are suppossed to be good but they have lost some critical pieces. Plus Jones our QB will not be a newbie this year. I like us in this game though we have not had a good run against Northwestern as of late. I am picking this year to be the year Duke pulls off the win against Northwestern. 2-0
BAYLOR (27 or 47): Our third home game in a row and the toughest according to one set of rankings of our first four games. There are wildly different projections for this team depending on where you look. They have lost alot including a coach. It is our last home game before Carolina. I hope we are not looking to far forward and take care of business here. 3-0
UNC (37): We smacked a good Carolina Team in the mouth last year. It will be tough to do so again despite having lost lots of pieces from last year. No denying Fedora is a good coach. We win this game and are already 3-0 we could be kissing the top 25. UNC has also won 19 games in the last 2 seasons. They are definitely up right now. Closing out this four game stretch with retaining the bell would be great. I canot pick against Duke when we play Carolina no matter what. (4-0)
The first stretch is full of some solid teams and it will be difficult. But I pick us at 4-0 in first stretch.
The next stretch of four is HELL!
MIAMI (18): It was a Dark and Stormy night... Okay it was a pretty day at least until the Officials cheated us out of a Halloween Victory over Miami. On October 31, 2015 the last time we played Miami we lost on a rugby style play with multiple uncalled issues despite an almost 10 minute hiatus looking at the replay. Officials were suspended and Duke slipped to a 7 win regular season. Had to think it affected our post Miami play as well. I want revenge and unfortunately I think we take a loss on this one. Our hope IMO, is to limit their offense because that is what their defense will do to us. (4-1)
VIRGINIA (87): It is an away game. Last year Virginia was 2-10. One of their wins was against us. It was by far our worst loss of the season and Jones was killed by the opposing defense throwing interceptions away like it was cheap candy. I do not see him on being anything but focused this time around. I do not see that VA will be a loss this year. We are going in there with vengenance on our mind. (5-1)
FSU (3): You have to play the games. While I am picking FSU looking at their schedule this could be a trap game, or they could end up more broken up than us, and they do have to travel. We play them right before they play Louisville. (5-2)
PITT (36): I am worried about this game. I think Pitt is like us in the sense they are better than their ranking. The advantage we have by this time will be experience. Their schedule's heavyweights are after they play us. They end with a hard stretch. They will certainly want to be in good position and will be a tough team. I still am going to be optimistic though. (6-2)
(2-2) in this stretch is fair IMO. Pitt is my biggest question mark of my picks in this group, and I would also like to see us take it to Miami.
Last stretch:
VIRGINIA TECH (21): They desperately want to be relevant again and a 10 win season last year primes them for it. A stingy defense with a lot of returners is going to be tough. But, their offense is up in the air at this point. Lot to like (or dislike form our perspective) about this team. At VT I just do not think we overcome this hurdle. (6-3)
ARMY (107): After the grueling stretch that we have been through I like us to win. The week previous is a bye week so we should be rested and able to play well. Also a good game to get back in the swing of things before hitting what looks to be a good GT. (7-3)
GEORGIA TECH (28): We are going to have to be able to stop the running game to contain GT. I hope we are up to it, but this will be a tough team ready to take it to us. (7-4)
WAKE FOREST (67): I do not like that it is an away game but other than that I like us in this game. I think we take this one. (8-4)
2-2 in the last stretch. Hopefully we can stretch it to 3-1 with a victory over VT or GT.
I would love to see a 9-3 record and would collapse in surprise at 10-2. However, the Coastal has been on a general upswing and I would not be surprised at 7-5 or 6-6. I would be surprised at a losing season though.
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