Dookie Surprise: Blue Devil Football Is Relevant!

I know, right? It blew me away when I checked the ACC scoreboard.

Duke Football is 8-2?

I had to double-check that record just to make sure what I was seeing wasn't a typo. My skepticism was proven false. The Duke Blue Devils are in control of their own destiny in the ACC Coastal Division with a chance to play the mighty Florida State Seminoles in the ACC Championship game.

Historically, Georgia Tech and/or Virginia Tech have owned the Coastal Division. As a true ACC advocate, I was completely caught off-guard when I saw what Duke did to Miami. They completely controlled the second half of that game and are now two wins away from representing the Duke Blue Devil Nation in the ACC championship game.

This year, Duke seemed to be flying under the radar.

Well, until now.

Duke is 25th in the country, according to the Associated Press poll that was just released today. With two more away games against mediocre ACC opponents, the Blue Devils can make even more of a statement as a true contender in the ACC. With a seemingly suffocating defense -- although they were exposed several times against Miami on Saturday -- Duke has the opportunity to finally do something special with its football program.

Well, at least in my lifetime. I haven't seen Duke be anywhere close to this victorious.

The Cameron Crazies have now, for the moment, turned into the Wallace Wade Crazies. Durham is ecstatic with this newfound sense of football related success. Hopefully, their winning ways continue, because this is truly becoming the cinderella story of the ACC if not a national narrative.

With only an underachieving-to-date North Carolina and a shaky Wake Forest remaining on the Blue Devil schedule, two victories in which Duke will likely be favored are all that remain between it and the Florida State Seminoles.

Never hope for negativity, but if the current investigation in Tallahassee keeps its legs -- and where does the court's attorney get off using a perjorative term like "interesting progress" in a public statement? -- the Noles may have to take on the Dookies without Jameis Winston.

One wouldn't think that would make too much of a difference on the Seminole juggernaut. But then again, one wouldn't think the Blue Devils have the inside track to meet them for the ACC title, either.

Well, until now.