Duke football ranked No. 19 in AP Poll, highest since 1994

The Blue Devils have proved they are in clear control of the ACC Coastal Division. The AP poll voters have proved they are taking notice.

Duke comes in at No. 19 in the Week 11 Associated Press Top 25, making it the Blue Devils' highest ranking since 1994. With upcoming games against Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Wake Forest—who are a combined 3-12 in conference matchups—the road back to Charlotte for the ACC Championship seems to be smoother than it was a year ago.

Last season, Duke cracked the top 25 for the first time in 20 years, finishing the year at No. 24 after a harrowing shootout loss to Texas A&M in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

After going unranked for the first eight weeks of the 2014 season, the Blue Devils finally cracked the top 25 coming off their second bye week of the season in Week 9. This was one week removed from Duke's upset of then-No. 23 Georgia Tech on the road.

The Blue Devils are now 8-1 and coming off a 27-10 victory at Syracuse in which they piled on 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, spurred by senior Jamison Crowder's 52-yard punt return for a touchdown. Duke will end the season with a three-game home stand, as it will turn its attention to the Hokies, who will make the trip to Durham to face the Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium at noon Nov. 15.

With three very winnable games coming up for Duke, look for the Blue Devils to continue their climb through the rankings and be a possible top-15 squad should they win out and face No. 2 Florida State in Charlotte Dec. 6.