Latest bowl projection has Duke facing SEC power

At 4-0, and with the season in a conference that has turned into Miami and everyone else, Duke’s hopes of reaching the conference title game for the second year and getting a chance to repeat are improving every week.

And while a spot in the College Football Playoff is still an outside chance, Manny Diaz is two wins away from leading the Blue Devils to a fifth straight bowl game for the first time in program history.

SI.com’s Bryan Fischer released his latest bowl projections and has Duke in an interesting matchup against SEC powerhouse Tennessee in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 30 in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Volunteers are 4-1, with their only loss coming to top-ranked Texas. For an SEC schedule, Tennessee has it pretty good heading into the second half of the season, facing only two ranked opponents in Alabama and LSU. The Vols have been stingy on defense but have struggled to find consistent quarterback play.

Duke and Tennessee have met 19 times previously, with the Vols holding a slim 14-13-2 lead. 

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This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Latest bowl projection has Duke facing SEC power