At the season’s start, Georgia Tech football was playing lights out. They opened against ACC rivals FSU in Dublin, Ireland. They defeated FSU 24-21, setting the college football scene on fire. The Yellow Jackets seemed to be making a statement. The Noles had gone undefeated until losing star QB Jordan Travis. They were wiped out of the playoffs because of those circumstances. Meanwhile, the Georgia Bulldogs let their season crumble before our eyes. The Yellow Jackets showed promise by making and winning a bowl game. There was some buzz, but nothing like after defeating the Noles.
Now, Georgia Tech is sitting 8th in the ACC. They’ve slowly become quiet and were knocked out of the AP Poll Top 25. No one seems to be checking for them. But just because they haven’t been checked for doesn’t mean their season has been a disaster. They did beat Georgia State, but are we really checking for Georgia State? Not really. Then they faced Syracuse and lost in a thriller. The Orange were simply the better team that day.
You’ve heard me rave about Hayes King and Jamal Haynes. They are still factors, but they aren’t as brilliant. Moving on to their game against VMI, it was a clear blowout. They had a chip on their shoulders, but it was VMI—no one is checking for them. The real competition comes against strong ACC and SEC teams, like Louisville. They completely fell apart against Louisville, losing 31-19. It was puzzling because they shouldn’t have lost that badly. They should have figured out a good game plan.
But have no fear! We’ve seen this before. The next two games were important as they faced Duke and UNC Chapel Hill. To be fair, these teams aren’t as dominant as before. We saw UNC get cooked by JMU early in the season. Duke hasn’t been a topic of discussion for ages. However, they are competitive teams, and the Yellow Jackets held it down, finishing on top of both.
The hardest test of the season is the number 12-ranked Notre Dame. They’ve been a top contender the past few seasons. They have met expectations so far. It’s game time, and Tech looked okay to start. Sometimes it takes time to adjust. However, Tech struggled to settle in. They went the entire second and third quarters without scoring. They only put up 6 points in the fourth and a touchdown in the first. That’s not a way to win against Notre Dame.
Although the Fighting Irish failed to score in the first quarter, they dominated the rest of the game. This leads me to question: What has happened to Georgia Tech? Are they still in this? Will they face the same offensive struggles against 4-3 Virginia Tech next week? Many questions remain. Tech sits at 5-3, close to being bowl eligible. There’s still time left in the season, so we shall see!
