Alright, so Duke football just dropped to No. 23 in the US LBM Coaches Poll this week. It feels like a gut punch, right? Especially when you consider what this team has been doing out there. They had a bye weekend, chilling after a blazing 4-0 start, but the voters still decided to knock them down.
Sheppard’s Electric Start Deserved Better
Let’s talk about what Duke *did* before the bye, because it’s been straight fire. We’re talking a massive non-conference win over Illinois back in Week 2, which was a huge statement game. And the breakout star, no question, is running back Nate Sheppard. This dude has been an absolute beast, rushing for 644 yards and six touchdowns. Not only that, he’s a dual threat, snagging three touchdown passes too. How do you have a guy putting up numbers like that and fall in the rankings? It just doesn’t make sense. And don’t even get me started on Manny Diaz’s squad’s defense, led by Jonathan Patke. These guys have been stellar, holding opponents to an insane 11.0 points per game, which is good for sixth in the entire FBS. Seriously, outside of a rough first half against Illinois, that defense has been lights out.
The Polls Don’t Tell the Whole Story
So, they’re 4-0, coming off a strong win streak, bye week, and boom: No. 23. It’s tough to swallow. You’d think a perfect record and those kinds of individual and team stats would mean a climb, or at least holding steady. But nope, the Coaches Poll clearly had other ideas, bumping them down a couple of spots. It just goes to show you that sometimes, a bye week can hurt more than it helps when it comes to perception and voter momentum. They were sitting higher, but now have to fight their way back up the ladder after doing everything right on the field.
Next up, Duke is traveling to Atlanta to battle Georgia Tech on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET. You know this team is going to be fired up to prove that poll drop was a mistake. They need to show everyone why they were 4-0 to start the season and deserve to be climbing, not falling. Let’s see them come out swinging.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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