College football is a game that, for many, is defined more by pageantry, tradition and spirit than star power. You would never, for instance, expect the NFL's Lions to upset the Steelers in a playoff game, yet somehow a mediocre Ole Miss team took down eventual national champion Florida.
Duke, similarly, is not the most talented team in the ACC this season, or even one of the top six or seven. But after head coach David Cutcliffe's first year in Durham, it appears the Blue Devils are finally headed in the right direction.
So call me an optimist, a homer or a lunatic, but in Cutcliffe's second year at the helm there is no reason to believe the Blue Devils' renaissance will not continue and their win total will not improve. Duke will get to five wins, and possibly more.
With senior leaders at critical positions, an influx of young playmakers, a year of experience in Cutcliffe's system, a rejuvenated fanbase and maybe a little luck, the Blue Devils should have the intangibles that make college football upsets possible to make a run at a bowl birth.
That invaluable senior leadership will be most prevalent on the offensive side of the ball, where Thaddeus Lewis should be one of the top quarterbacks in the ACC and Re'quan Boyette's return from injury should help shepherd a young backfield.
Meanwhile, promising youngsters like running backs Jay Hollingsworth and Desmond Scott and receivers Johnny Williams and Donovan Varner should be able fill the voids left by Clifford Harris, Tony Jackson and Eron Riley.
Defensively, the loss of All-ACC linebacker Michael Tauiliili will be more difficult to overcome, but senior Vincent Rey should step into the leadership position and improve on his 109 tackles last season.
An star on the defensive line should be able to do the rest, thanks to senior Vince Oghobaase's decision to use a fifth season of eligibility and the addition of 315-lb. recruit John Drew to the middle of the line.
The schedule makers have also been kind to Duke this season. Home games versus FCS teams Richmond and N.C. Central should be easy victories, and the Blue Devils should be favored when they face Army in West Point.
Duke's conference schedule is similarly fortuitous, as the Blue Devils face ACC contenders Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech all in Wallace Wade Stadium, where an improved atmosphere could push the Blue Devils to an upset.
Furthermore, Duke avoids playing perennial conference powers Florida State and Clemson this season, but will face Maryland, one of the worst teams in the Atlantic division, at home.
So yes, the Blue Devils did lose arguably their two best players from last season's team in Riley and Tauiliili. But Cutcliffe has his players, the fans and at least this writer believing that Duke Football is returning to competitiveness. In a sport where coaching, experience and home-field advantage often topple superior talent, the Blue Devils appear to have finally found the intangibles necessary to continue on the long road to respectability.
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