Duke football on cusp of top 25 in latest US LBM Coaches Poll
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Duke started the 2026 college football season with six total votes in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
Three weeks and three wins later, the Blue Devils are on the cusp of the top 25 after receiving 70 votes on Sunday, putting them at No. 28 in the poll.
Manny Diaz’s squad used yet another massive game from running back Nate Sheppard (154 rushing yards, three total touchdowns) and a great defensive effort to route Stanford 35-7 in Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday.
With an upcoming game against FCS member William & Mary followed by a bye week, there’s a chance that the Blue Devils will be ranked when they travel to Atlanta to battle Georgia Tech on Oct. 10. The last time Duke was in the top 25 of the Coaches Poll was in October of the 2023 season.
Here is the complete US LBM Coaches Poll:
| Rank | Team | Record | PTS | 1st | Prev | Chg | Hi/Lo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Longhorns | 3-0 | 1807 | 46 | 1 | – | 1/4 |
| 2 | Georgia Bulldogs | 3-0 | 1742 | 16 | 2 | – | 2/3 |
| 3 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 3-0 | 1636 | 2 | 3 | – | 3/5 |
| 4 | Indiana Hoosiers | 3-0 | 1613 | 9 | 4 | – | 4/6 |
| 5 | Miami (FL) Hurricanes | 3-0 | 1552 | 1 | 5 | – | 5/7 |
| 6 | Ole Miss Rebels | 3-0 | 1501 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 6/11 |
| 7 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 2-1 | 1473 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1/7 |
| 8 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 3-0 | 1309 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 8/12 |
| 9 | BYU Cougars | 3-0 | 1089 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 9/15 |
| 10 | Texas Tech Red Raiders | 3-0 | 1079 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 10/13 |
| 11 | LSU Tigers | 2-1 | 1067 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 7/13 |
| 12 | USC Trojans | 4-0 | 1057 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 11/14 |
| 13 | Tennessee Volunteers | 3-0 | 833 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 13/18 |
| 14 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 3-0 | 814 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 14/17 |
| 15 | Utah Utes | 3-0 | 743 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 15/21 |
| 16 | Oregon Ducks | 2-1 | 594 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 2/18 |
| 17 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 3-0 | 580 | 0 | 20 | 3 | 17/22 |
| 18 | Michigan Wolverines | 3-0 | 545 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 16/24 |
| 19 | Louisville Cardinals | 2-1 | 519 | 0 | NR | 8 | 19/NR |
| 20 | Texas A&M Aggies | 2-1 | 447 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 8/20 |
| 21 | Missouri Tigers | 3-0 | 382 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 21/25 |
| 22 | Florida Gators | 3-0 | 370 | 0 | NR | 4 | 22/NR |
| 23 | Washington Huskies | 3-0 | 251 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 19/24 |
| 24 | Oklahoma Sooners | 2-1 | 213 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 9/24 |
| 25 | SMU Mustangs | 2-1 | 162 | 0 | 16 | 9 | 16/25 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 23 Houston; No. 25 Virginia;
Others Receiving Votes
Houston 116; Mississippi State 114; Duke 70; West Virginia 55; Kentucky 54; Oklahoma State 36; Pittsburgh 35; Virginia Tech 30; Vanderbilt 29; Boise State 29; Tulsa 20; UCLA 18; Kansas State 18; Western Michigan 17; Nebraska 11; North Dakota State 8; Northwestern 4; Clemson 3; Massachusetts 2; James Madison 2; Arizona 1;
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This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Duke football on cusp of top 25 in latest US LBM Coaches Poll
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