There are many ways to predict how a football season will go for a college football team. Some go the record route, predicting how many games the team will win and lose.
Others try to figure out where a team might land in the postseason, whether that's an early bowl game or a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
For Duke and head coach Manny Diaz, predictions for this season have been on the downside despite the Blue Devils returning as the ACC champions. The college football analysts at The Athletic recently reviewed all 138 teams to determine whether each team would do better, worse or the same as last season.
The outcome for the Blue Devils? Worse.
It’s understandable, as Duke lost its starting quarterback and top three receivers from
last season, along with some key playmakers on the defensive line. But The Athletic isn’t exactly keen on Diaz and the Blue Devils repeating as ACC champs, giving them a 0.5 percent chance of that happening.
Interestingly enough, Duke's chances of reaching the CFP are a bit higher at 1.7 percent.
Duke will have its chance to prove the doubters wrong starting on Sept. 5, when the Blue Devils host Tulane in Wallace Wade Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Duke given little chance to repeat as ACC champs by The Athletic
