How ACC Standings Shook Up During Duke Football Bye Week

The Blue Devils sat out this weekend, but other ACC contenders took the field.

Sep 19, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz runs onto the field before the start of the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Duke football program enjoyed its bye week this week after starting the 2026 season with a 4-0 record.

The Blue Devils have become one of the bigger early surprises of the 2026 college football season and look like a real threat in the ACC once again. Duke's expectations at the start of the season compared to where they are now are vastly different.

Sep 26, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz reacts during the first quarter against the William & Mary Tribe at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At this point, it would probably be a disappointment if the Blue Devils were not at least competitive at the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference for the remainder of the year, a reality most fans probably didn't expect after all the offseason drama the program went through.

With Duke on its bye, let's take a look at how the ACC standings shifted around the Blue Devils this weekend.

Sep 26, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarter back Walker Eget (2) looks to pass during the first quarter against the William & Mary Tribe at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Duke Still at the Top of the League Standings

I'm no genius, but Duke not playing a game this weekend means it did not take a win or a loss. However, several other ACC squads around it at the top of the conference standings faced off this weekend.

At the beginning of the week, four ACC teams sat with 4-0 records. After Pitt defeated Virginia Tech in Blacksburg this weekend, that number dropped to three. Now, Duke, Miami, and Pittsburgh are the only remaining undefeated ACC squads. However, the Panthers lost starting quarterback Mason Heintschel to a torn ACL, which is a major blow for the remainder of their 2026 season.

Sep 19, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) scores a touchdown on his run against the Stanford Cardinal during the first half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Miami sits at the top of the standings with a 5-0 overall record and a 3-0 record in league play. Pitt follows the Hurricanes at 5-0 overall and 2-0 in ACC action. The Blue Devils have only played one conference game so far, a 35-7 victory over Stanford, but their ACC schedule ramps up on the other end of the bye week.

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

What's Next for the Blue Devils?

Over the next two weeks, Duke will take on Georgia Tech in Atlanta (Oct. 10), and then it will host North Carolina at Wallace Wade Stadium (Oct. 17). Both games are ones the Blue Devils should win.

With how the conference standings currently look, Duke will only meet five of the top 10 teams in the ACC (Miami, Clemson, Wake Forest, Virginia, NC State). Head coach Manny Diaz and his program have a favorable schedule ahead, and there's real reason to believe that Duke can be a true contender going forward.