ESPN simulation gives Duke extremely low chance of repeating ACC title
ESPN's Bill Connelly ran a million simulations of the 2026 college football season, and Duke came out with low odds to repeat as ACC champions.
Despite last season's national title run by Indiana, the narrative in college football was largely centered around Manny Diaz's Duke team clinching its first outright ACC title since 1962. The Blue Devils clinched the conference title with a five-way tie for second place, triumphing over Virginia 27-20 in overtime. However, recent transfers of star players Darian Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate, along with the departure of several key defensive players, have left analysts with a very dim outlook for the 2026 season.
ESPN's Bill Connelly ran a million simulations of the upcoming season and found Duke's chances of retaining the ACC title to be an extremely low 2.0 percent. Interestingly, Duke's closest rival, North Carolina, which came off a 4-8 campaign, actually has slightly improved odds at 3.2 percent. Notably, Connelly's simulations did not even include Duke's odds of making the College Football Playoff due to their perceived slim chances.
The preseason has seen Duke entering the 2026 season with low expectations, and the team will aim to prove doubters wrong when they kick off their campaign against Tulane on Saturday. For the latest Duke news and insights, follow @DukeWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like their Facebook page. Brian Stultz can be found on X at @brianjstultz.
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