Blue Devils Storm Into Top Four As Tigers Hold Firm

The Tigers sit alone at No. 1 with a 17-2 record, holding the pole position for the second straight poll and fending off a Fighting Irish squad that climbed from third to second at 13-3. What the poll really says, though, is that May belongs to the Blue Devils — Duke rocketed from 13th all the way to fourth at 11-5, the single biggest jump in the Top 25 and a signal that this team is peaking at exactly the right moment.

If the Blue Devils are the story, the Cavaliers are the cautionary tale. Virginia slid from fourth to eleventh, a seven-spot free fall that mirrors the Big Red's drop from fifth to tenth and underscores how thin the margin is inside the top ten. The Orange, meanwhile, leapt from seventh to third behind a 13-6 campaign, turning the race for the top four into a genuine scramble.

The Spiders' descent from second to seventh stings, but Richmond's 14-2 record still demands respect. And down at No. 20, the Red Foxes crashed the party from unranked — a reminder that this poll still has room for a late arrival.