A 10-win season, ACC Coastal Division championship and an exciting New Year's Eve shootout with Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M helped catapult the Blue Devils into the national spotlight in 2013. But despite all the progress, Duke will begin the 2014 season the same way it has begun so many others—unranked.
The Blue Devils were left off the USA Today preseason coaches poll, which was released Thursday. Duke garnered 41 points from the pool of voting coaches, 101 points shy of No. 25 Washington.
Reigning national champion Florida State topped the poll, amassing 1,543 points and 56 of 62 first-place votes. Beyond the Seminoles, the ACC was represented in the poll by No. 16 Clemson and No. 23 North Carolina. Notre Dame, which joined the conference in all sports except football last year but will play between four and six games against ACC opponents beginning this season, was ranked No. 17.
The Tar Heels are the only opponent on Duke's 2014 regular-season schedule voted into the top 25 by the coaches. Several other ACC programs also received votes, including Miami (45), Louisville (32), Virginia Tech (12) and Georgia Tech (2).
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