Will Duke/Manny Diaz make ANY noise in ACC this year? Do they need to? l College Football Podcast

can Duke make any noise in the ACC that's an interesting question I know that the uh thinking popular belief about Manny Diaz is well he was fired from Miami he must not be a very good coach I don't know go look at his record he never had a losing record in conference play just going to let that sit with you for a moment what conference was he in this conference this conference that he's coaching in at Duke right now never had a losing record maybe that changes maybe it doesn't Vegas doesn't like him though Vegas doesn't like Duke at all now when I see a win total of 5 and a half for a somewhat veteran and moderately experienced well should we say lightly seasoned quarterback in Malik Murphy you think there might be you know some kind of a floor I don't dislike that combo I'm not enthralled with it though the acc's got some good quarterbacks to go up against and in the two games that Malik Murphy started last year for Texas he completed 56% of his passes 209 yards a game three touchdowns and three picks so he's got the ability to be kind of a game manager sort of guy like capable serviceable solid he's won power four games not going to be his first time seeing legitimate football or real action that that's all really really good but he's going to carry your team to those wins no you have to have a team around him insert Manny Diaz and what should be a good defensive scheme it was really good at Penn State and just for a little little bit of encouragement on that side of the ball for the Blue Devils their defense actually won their spring game 21 to 16 they'd set up a system where it's offense against defense and then you get points for doing things on defense and the defense won the game I think that unit is probably going to be sharper than Duke's offense so they also uh are expected to pick up according to Matt Zena it's a 247 sports star Thomas from New Mexico state now he's a guy who had over 600 yards rushing with uh with the agies a year ago over 5 yards a carry he spent the last two seasons playing for New Mexico state at the independent and then Conference USA level so one thing that I'll look for offensively is is that someone they're bringing in as a depth piece or is that somebody that they're bringing in to be a starting caliber running back at the very least he's going to be a solid piece for them to utilize he can also make an impact in the passing game as can Jordan Moore that might be the top connection highlighted on this Duke offense this year is Malik Murphy to Jordan Moore how prolific of a tandem can that be how good can that offense be I think that remains to be seen I I I think that's where the questions come in you bring in a head coach who's a former defense coordinator you expect that side of the ball to be taken care of first but what are they actually going to get on the offensive side we'll see we'll we'll we'll we'll see with Duke Vegas doesn't love him though so their win total on FanDuel is five and a half and this is a back loaded schedule so Blue Devils fans listening to are watching the show out there uh just know that early in the year you may enjoy a solid level of success and then it's going to get very very difficult and there is not going to be a lot of success that's how Vegas sees you anyway because uh Duke is just a two and a half Point favorite at Wake Forest and um do you expect Wake Forest to be great this year you know yeah anyway North Carolina is favored at Duke now that's a little disrespectful I I you want an early bet that I'd go for Duke plus one and a half at home against North Carolina North Carolina had a better team and better quarterback last year the game was in Chapel Hill and Duke took him to overtime granted there was a different head coach on the sideline for the Blue Devils but there isn't an incompetent one stepping in in Manny Diaz so I think the Blue Devils could very well win that game I don't think North Carolina should be favored going to Duke in what you know is going to be a great environment like yeah it's basketball school basketball rivalry it's still going to be a great environment I I fully anticipate that but it's the rest of Duke's schedule that uh gives me a good amount of pause so they open with Elon I pray they win that game I think they will then they go at Northwestern don't sleep on that game remember David Brawn executed one of the greatest college football turnaround seasons in recent memory he came in after a 1 in11 campaign at Northwestern and Northwestern that North Western went 8 and5 last year they won a bowl game against Kyle Whittingham in Utah and the pig farmer Bryson Barnes a quarterback those are things that happened that's an eight and5 Northwestern team don't don't sleep on that game don't look at Northwestern and see that purple n and just think oh yeah no we got we we got them blue d purple n no it's all about the Devils B don't overlook that game then they come back home they host Yukon that's a very winnable game at middle tenis don't know why they're traveling to a Conference USA Stadium but all right then they host North Carolina then they go at Georgia Tech those games are all winnable I could reasonably pick Duke to win any of those six games I could pick them to win one of their final five if I were in the right mood and still being reasonable because their next six games oh boy oh boy poor Duke poor Duke th this this is why I my my take here is they're going to struggle to make noise in the ACC I I don't think they're a bottom of the bottom of the conference team I just don't see him getting to the top I think Vegas knows something setting that win total at five and a half just trying to be a bold team I think that's a reasonable goal establish a culture set a baseline expectation of success if you're Manny Diaz and then work to elevate from there because the back half for the schedule just isn't going to do you any favors Florida State at home SMU at home okay if you win one of those games you're doing great doing great SMU clearly the more winnable of the two but Rett Lashley and Company they're not going to be a bunch of slouches they just aren't so I would watch out for SMU in that game then it's two consecutive Road games at Miami that's kind of spicy that's kind of that's kind of spicy Manny Diaz coaching against the the school that fired it can you imagine just picture this in your mind for a moment Manny Diaz in his first year goes into Coral Gables and at Hard Rock stadium beats the third-year head coach that was picked to replace him can you imagine how that would feel for Miami fans not good not good that's one of those games pressure squarely on Miami shoulders in a big big way then they go NC State I don't think they're winning that game I really don't then they host Virginia Tech who's got higher expectations this year that'd be Virginia Tech and then they go at Wake Forest so three of their final four games are on the road and the back half includes two teams that are in the top three of conference title odds in the ACC and also NC State and Virginia Tech with SMU sprinkled in and Wake Forest on the road those instate match matchups North Carolina you never know they can get crazy so I do not have high expectations for Duke and Manny Diaz this year I think bringing in Malik Murphy was a smart Savvy move because he can help you establish a culture of success winning professionalism just just be solid just be solid I think I think of Duke a little bit like Michigan State don't have incredibly high expectations I think Dukes are a little bit higher and understandably so and understand that this is year one of a multi-year process I do not believe Duke is a place in which you just come in and all of a sudden you're going to win8 to 10 games every single year I don't think you do that at Duke can you win 8 to 10 games every year certainly especially Florida State and Clemson end up bolting the league that would help their case considerably to win games in the ACC turns out Stanford Cal and SMU are not as hard to up against as FSU and Clemson but missing Clemson on the schedule yeah let break but you get FSU Miami and NC State and Virginia Tech Virginia Tech NC State wouldn't surprise me if either of those teams play for an ACC Championship this year I can see it I can see it that's all I I I can see it I can see Brent pry making a run there I can see Dave Doran putting it all together for the wolf pack so those are really really tough teams so Duke I don't know what I'd predict for the record right now but I think that win total of 5 and a half is pretty telling as to how Vegas feels about him the back half of the schedule is brutal get all your wins out in the first half of the year it is going to be a struggle in the second half that's where Duke sits right now in the ACC not going to be a bottom dweller but I don't see him getting to the top this episode is brought to you by our friends at 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