How Duke is Impacted by NC State’s Georgia Tech Upset

It was a wildly productive weekend for the Duke Blue Devils, who kept their season alive with a monumental 46-45 win over the Clemson Tigers.

In addition to their victory, the Blue Devils also made up ground in the ACC after the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets fell to the North Carolina State in a major upset. The result ended Georgia Tech's undefeated season, while also opening up the second spot in the ACC Championship game.

Nov 1, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) controls the ball against North Carolina State Wolfpack saftey Tristan Teasdell (19) during the fourth quarter at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Here is how North Carolina's upset win over the Yellow Jackets changes the complexity of the Blue Devils' season in the final few weeks.

What it Means for Duke

Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) warms up Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, ahead of the NCAA football game against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This was the most impactful result for the Blue Devils, as an additional spot opened up in the race for the top two positions in the ACC. Before Saturday, it seemed that there were 5-6 teams battling for one spot, as the Yellow Jackets were firmly in control of the first seed. However, Georgia Tech now finds itself within a group of five teams with one in-conference loss.

The Virginia Cavaliers are now at the top of the conference standings with a 5-0 record against ACC opponents. However, if the programs with a shot to win the conference took a vote on who they would rather have undefeated at this point of the season between Virginia and Georgia Tech, it would be a unanimous decision to pick Virginia.

Nov 1, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarter back CJ Bailey (11) runs the ball against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Kelvin Hill (16) during the fourth quarter at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech is more talented, better at quarterback, and before Week 10, was ranked inside the top 10.

With all that being said, the Blue Devils can now chase both spots. Before this past weekend, the overall thought was that the Yellow Jackets were virtually locked in as one of the teams. Now, that is not the case.

One thing to note, Georgia Tech owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Duke, which requires the Yellow Jackets to lose at least one more game for the Blue Devils to earn the inside track.

Nov 1, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Nonetheless, it does not appear as unlikely as it once was for the Blue Devils to sneak into one of the top two spots in the ACC after what transpired this past weekend.

If Duke wins out and, based on the other contenders' remaining schedules, the Blue Devils have a viable shot at sneaking into the conference title game. A lot of that had to do with Georgia Tech suffering an inconceivable loss on the road to North Carolina State, who were 1-3 in conference play before Saturday.

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