1. This season is historical.
Did you know this is the first season that Duke has won 9 games since 1941? Putting that in perspective, the US hadn’t entered WWII yet when we last won this many games. Did you know a win over UNC Saturday would be the first time we have EVER won ten games in one season? Duke has been setting all kinds of new personal records. The amazing win over Virginia Tech was the first time Duke has beat a nationally ranked team on the road since Mike Krzyzewski was in the ARMY in 1971. Not to mention, all this winning has gotten them a spot in the top twenty-five. At the Wake game last Saturday, I heard a fan of the opposing team exclaim “DUKE IS RANKED?!” and I swelled with pride. Yes, yes we are. We are one of the top twenty five teams in the nation, and we have earned it!
2. We’ve got a shot at awesome postseason play.
By beating Virginia Tech, we became BCS bowl eligible for the second year in the row. However, since we’ve kept on kicking butt and taking names we’ve gone up and beyond the prospects of returning to the Belk Bowl. According to Sport Illustrated, they think they’ll see us in the Chickfila Bowl in Atlanta come New Year’s Eve. This is because if we win next week over UNC, we will secure our spot in the ACC CHAMPIONSHIP! This means we will be playing Florida State, the number two team in the country, making us head of our division of the ACC. We haven’t won the ACC Football Championship since 1989, and that title we had to share with Virginia. It’s time for us to get back in the ACC Football game, and this team has the talent to do it.
3. We have one regular game left… against UNC.
You know what a great Thanksgiving present would be? Beating Carolina. What better way to go into finals week than knowing we beat Chapel Hill in yet another sport? The next chance you’ll get to see us beat Carolina on national television won’t be till March, and who wants to wait that long?! And besides, beating them in basketball is the best but it’s always fun to get a surprise attack on them and beat them at something they think they can hold over our heads. You think Duke is an easy football win? Think again.
4. Our team doesn’t get a break.
While you’re on break enjoying your turkey and mashed potatoes, our boys will be practicing and preparing for the bowl game they’ve got coming up. That gives you all the more reason to support them. If our football team is going to spend all their extra time and breaks preparing for games so they can win and make our school look good, we should at least be there to support them when they’re on the field.
5. This isn’t just a lucky year.
Coach Cutcliffe is the man, and not only is he having a great year with his team but he is building a football program. He’s known as a great coach and he even trained the Manning brothers; now he’s working his magic on Duke Football. We’re losing quite a few seniors this year and they will be missed, but there will still be a lot of great talent on the team. This year’s success has been a collective effort from men of all years, not just seniors. The fact that we will retain a lot of talent and the continued efforts to recruit better players all lead to years of good football, not just one. The better we do, the better players we get. Not to mention that Wallace Wade is in for a face lift that is sure to draw even more attention and make games more enjoyable.
Duke football is a budding asset at our school and we should all show our support. Everyone should make time to come out for the game this Saturday at UNC. Chapel Hill is going to be out for blood since we have the bell; and doesn’t it look pretty in dark blue! We can’t let Kenan Stadium be covered in that obnoxious light blue. Everyone knows Duke Basketball is incredible, but we should start tenting for football games too; our team deserves it!