Many Eyes Will Be on Duke in ACC Title Game

Who would have had the Duke Blue Devils in the ACC Title game at the start of the season? Who would have picked them to make the ACC Championship game a couple of weeks ago? The correct answer is nobody.

The only people who believed that they could be in this position to win the ACC were themselves. They believed they could be here at the beginning of the season. And when everyone thought they were out of it when they lost to Virginia a few weeks ago, they believed still.

A lot of things had to go Duke's way over the last few weeks. Head coach Manny Diaz was only thinking about his team and handling their business. He let the other things play out, and whatever happened, we wanted to make sure he put his team in the best position to be successful.

Last week, it all worked out in favor of the Blue Devils. They handed their business against Wake Forest, and the other result made it possible for them to find themselves playing for the ACC Championship.

dww — Nov 29, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the fourth quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Duke on Close Watch in ACC Title Game

Many eyes will be on the ACC Title game, and teams in the mix for the College Football Playoff will be rooting for Duke to win. With a win, Duke would not likely get into the playoffs, leaving room for any team to get in. It is going to be interesting to see what happens and what teams get in if Duke wins the conference title.

"Five-loss Duke can win the ACC. Three of the four power conferences will have championship games that feature rematches (and Alabama might have to beat Georgia a second time to stay in the field)," said Senior College Football Insider Heather Dinich. "If both BYU and Texas Tech are in from the Big 12, someone currently in the top 10 is out."

fwee — Nov 29, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Anderson Castle (4) celebrates a touchdown during the third quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Would be in: TBD. The ACC championship game will feature Virginia and Duke, and if five-loss Duke wins, it's possible the ACC is excluded from the playoff. If Virginia wins, it will represent the league in the playoff, as the two-loss Cavaliers are ranked in the top 20.

And no, Miami did not play Duke or Virginia during the regular season. Duke lost to Tulane, which is the top Group of 5 playoff contender and will reach the playoff if it wins the American. Duke also lost to UConn. And it has already lost to Virginia 34-17 on Nov. 15.

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