Duke falls in latest US LBM Coaches Poll
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Duke football fell in the US LBM Coaches Poll following Week 5 of the 2026 season, coming in at No. 23 this week.
The Blue Devils had a bye this weekend after a 4-0 start, including a massive non-conference win over Illinois in Week 2. Nate Sheppard has been the breakout star for Manny Diaz’s squad, as the running back has rushed for 644 yards and six touchdowns while also catching three touchdown passes.
Jonathan Patke’s defense has been stellar outside of the first half of the game against the Fighting Illini, holding opponents to 11.0 points per game, good for sixth in the FBS.
The Blue Devils travel to Atlanta to battle Georgia Tech on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Here is the complete US LBM Coaches Poll:
| Rank | Team | Record | PTS | 1st | Prev | Chg | Hi/Lo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Longhorns | 4-0 | 1806 | 45 | 1 | – | 1/4 |
| 2 | Georgia Bulldogs | 5-0 | 1760 | 20 | 2 | – | 2/3 |
| 3 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 5-0 | 1630 | 1 | 3 | – | 3/5 |
| 4 | Miami (FL) Hurricanes | 5-0 | 1622 | 0 | 4 | – | 4/7 |
| 5 | Indiana Hoosiers | 5-0 | 1556 | 8 | 5 | – | 4/6 |
| 6 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 4-1 | 1514 | 0 | 6 | – | 1/7 |
| 7 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 5-0 | 1483 | 0 | 7 | – | 7/12 |
| 8 | BYU Cougars | 4-0 | 1214 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 8/15 |
| 9 | Texas Tech Red Raiders | 5-0 | 1169 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 9/13 |
| 10 | LSU Tigers | 4-1 | 1136 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 7/13 |
| 11 | Ole Miss Rebels | 3-1 | 1059 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 6/12 |
| 12 | Utah Utes | 4-0 | 1015 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 12/21 |
| 13 | Oregon Ducks | 3-1 | 948 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 2/18 |
| 14 | Tennessee Volunteers | 4-1 | 768 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 13/18 |
| 15 | Florida Gators | 4-1 | 672 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 8/NR |
| 16 | Missouri Tigers | 4-1 | 646 | 0 | 25 | 9 | 16/25 |
| 17 | USC Trojans | 5-1 | 643 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 11/18 |
| 18 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 4-1 | 457 | 0 | 14 | 4 | 14/22 |
| 19 | Houston Cougars | 4-1 | 391 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 19/NR |
| 20 | Mississippi State Bulldogs | 4-1 | 355 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 16/NR |
| 21 | SMU Mustangs | 4-1 | 354 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 16/25 |
| 22 | UCLA Bruins | 4-0 | 318 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 22/NR |
| 23 | Duke Blue Devils | 4-0 | 274 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 21/NR |
| 24 | Pittsburgh Panthers | 5-0 | 242 | 0 | NR | 5 | 24/NR |
| 25 | Kentucky Wildcats | 4-1 | 210 | 0 | NR | 2 | 25/NR |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 22 Penn State; No. 24 Michigan;
Others Receiving Votes
Oklahoma State 187; Boise State 161; Nebraska 117; Wake Forest 87; Northwestern 70; Wisconsin 47; James Madison 42; Minnesota 40; North Dakota State 29; Arizona 15; New Mexico 7; Baylor 3; Virginia Tech 1; Texas A&M 1; Kansas State 1;
This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Duke falls in latest US LBM Coaches Poll
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