Why Not Duke? Duke Gets AP Top 25 Vote

RECORD-SETTER CONNER VERNON (Chris Seward/Raleigh News & Observer)

For the first time since 1994, Duke’s football team received a vote in this week's AP Football poll.

According the to the Raleigh News & Observer, the vote was cast by John Silver (surely his nickname is “Long”) of the Journal Inquirer (somewhere in Connecticut).

Silver told the N&O:   

  

"Looking at the AP poll it was very hard this week to find teams 20-25. There's a glut of two loss teams and I didn't want to just blindly follow conventional wisdom.

I knew that there was little chance of Duke being ranked -- schedule strength -- and when I looked at Duke vs. Michigan and or TCU, I just felt that maybe we should add another team in the mix. At 5-1, it's a good start for Duke, though the schedule isn't tough outside of the 50-13 loss to Stanford.

The Blue Devils are scoring more than 40 points a game, are 2-0 in the ACC and have scored 76 points in wins over Wake and Virginia. That profile is one of a team that should get consideration in my opinion. If Duke wins at Va Tech , they would be 6-1 and 3-0 and certainly ranked. I think Duke should be on the radar with its kind of start.

I try to use those last couple of spots, when there are no obvious teams, to maybe highlight a rising team. I have put Ohio in the Top 25 for several weeks as I have done the same with La Tech. I think I have been proven right.

To me, it's trying to find teams to get in the mix and not only blindly following the polls of a week prior.

It came down to Iowa State or Duke for a spot and I felt, why not Duke?"

N.C. State was also part of the “Others Receiving Votes” category.

Florida State slipped to #12 and Clemson inched up to #16.