DURHAM — Duke's schedule was designed to fit as many "manageable" non-conference games against "like-minded schools" as possible.
That doesn't say much for Duke's non-conference opponents, except like Duke, those opponents are better in 2008. Duke's opponents outside the ACC are 13-3 four weeks into the season.
After scuttling that Louisville series, set to include matchups in 2008 and 2009, Duke got non-conference games against Division I-AA James Madison, Northwestern (not usually a Big Ten power), Navy (one of the better football-playing academies, but still an academy with limitations) and Vanderbilt (not usually an SEC power).
Part of what former Duke coach Ted Roof meant when he said that Duke had a shot to be bowl eligible (six wins) in 2008 was that 2008 would be the first season in awhile the program had an appropriately doable schedule.
Except, JMU is 3-1 and beat three-time defending I-AA champs Appalachian State on Saturday.
Northwestern is 4-0 heading into its Big Ten opener against Iowa with wins over Syracuse, Duke, Southern Illinois and Ohio.
Navy beat recent BCS darlings Rutgers to even its record to 2-2, a win that would have looked huge a year or two ago.
And Vanderbilt is leading the SEC East, with wins over South Carolina and Ole Miss, at 4-0 with Auburn up next.
