The James Madison Dukes are about to play in one of the toughest tests that they’ve encountered (quite possibly ever as a program). On the road (all the way across the country) against the Oregon Ducks in the opening round of the College Football Playoff.
That’s a pretty big deal. It would be monumental in so many ways if the Dukes could go to Eugene and find a way to beat the Ducks. Not only would this be a G5 program going on the road to face a much tougher foe, this is a former FCS program trying to compete for a spot in the FBS national championship game.
That’s huge.
What do Texas Tech fans need to know about the James Madison Dukes ahead of their CFP opening round matchup with the Oregon Ducks?
Here’s some basic things to know about the Dukes prior to their matchup with the Ducks in Eugene to get the College Football Playoff started:
- Record: 12-1 overall, 8-0 Sun Belt
- Conference: Sun Belt (yes, they’re in the Sun Belt, which is one of my absolute favorite college football conferences, it produces some absolutely fantastic football)
- Head coach: Bob Chesney (who will soon be leaving the Dukes for the UCLA Bruins)
- Stadium: Bridgeforth Stadium
- Location: Harrisonburg, Virginia
It is so absolutely, truly, fully bizarre to think about just how far the Dukes have come as a program. I mean, it wasn’t that long ago that they made the move from the FCS to the FBS in 2022. This is a team that thrived at the FCS level and now they’re thriving in the Sun Belt and competing in the College Football Playoff.
And it’s not like the Dukes have just barely won a few games here and there. They’re 12-1, scoring 37.3 points per game, holding opponents to 15.8 points per game, and really showing up in some truly impressive ways. James Madison’s offense is gaining 448.3 total yards of offense per game while the defense is limiting teams to 247.6 yards of offense per game.
James Madison’s only loss on the season came on the road against the Louisville Cardinals back in September. Which, it is worth noting that that is a notable loss for a team that is about to go on the road and try to beat a team that is much better than Louisville. Should the Dukes get a win against the Ducks, they’ll then face off against Texas Tech.