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Michigan State football: Power ranking head coaching candidates after Week 5

By Connor Muldowney

Sep 30, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman meet just before the game at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman meet just before the game at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 9, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko looks on before the game against the Lafayette Leopards at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 9, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko looks on before the game against the Lafayette Leopards at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports /

I moved Mike Elko down one spot on this list simply because this is how power rankings work. If you lose, you’re likely to take a small dip down, but I’m going to take the rest of Duke’s season with a grain of salt after the Blue Devils lost their starting quarterback, Riley Leonard, to an ankle injury (later revealed to be a high ankle sprain) at the end of the Notre Dame loss.

Losing Leonard is undoubtedly going to hurt the Blue Devils’ chances to compete in the ACC, but he should be back later in October, according to reports.

For the time being, we’re going to see what Elko is really made of. Can he keep the ACC title-contending season in tact without his fearless leader at quarterback? The schedule won’t be getting much easier over the next few weeks, but fortunately the Blue Devils have a bye in Week 6.

Coming out of the bye, they’ll face NC State at home before going to Florida State and then to Louisville to finish off the month. A 2-1 record in those three games will sell me even more on Elko.

Duke was one late touchdown drive away from beating Notre Dame after storming back from a 13-0 deficit, so moving Elko down a spot feels wrong, but here we are.

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