Team Capsule: Georgia Tech

Presbyterian

Boston College

Utah State

App State

Team: Georgia Tech

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Total Enrollment: 26,839

Conference: ACC

Home Stadium: Bobby Dodd Stadium(55,000)

Head Coach: Paul Johnson, 9th season as coach, 70-48(42-30)

2016 Record: 9-4(4-4)

PPG: 28.2 (70th nationally)

PAPG: 25 (47th nationally)

Best Win: If you ask a Tech fan, they’ll definitely say the 28-27 come for behind victory against Georgia between the hedges. It was an instant classic headlined by Qua Searcy’s 6 yard run for a touchdown on a play that looked dead in the water with 30 seconds left. It’d be rude though to not put their 30-20 victory (on the road again) against then #14 Virginia Tech, WHILE HAVING TO PLAY THEIR BACKUP QB AND CENTER.

Worst Loss: Giving up a late fourth quarter lead to Pitt for a 37-34 loss tops this list as Tech made it a habit of making games close when they shouldn’t have been but this time it bit them. Also couldn’t leave off the thumping Clemson put on them at home

Vegas Over/Under: 6.5 wins (Over -115)

If you’ve read the article where we expressed how we became a Wake Forest football fan, or if you know me in general, Georgia Tech was my first love and will always have a piece of my heart being from Atlanta.

Looking at this team, this is one of two teams (Miami) that I honestly think could throw a wrench into everything the ACC has as a whole. They return Dedrick Mils, their leading rusher, 3 starters on the offensive line, Clinton Lynch who is a threat from anywhere on the field, and QB Matthew Jordan should be the starter, but TaQuon Marshall lurks as a dynamic playmaker.

Defensively, they aren’t really that dominant but rely very heavily on havoc plays. Headlines by the Austin twins at DB, Lawrence and Austin, and Senior end KeShun Freeman, they have been looking to inspire a spark defensively.

A few questions will have to be answered for this team though:

1: They lost their second leading rusher and starting left tackle to transfer, a starting linebacker in PJ davis to the NFL, and their punter and kicker to graduation. How are they going to fill these holes?

2: Can they stop people on third down (126th in the nation by allowing peopel to convert 49%!!! of the time) and get first downs? Time management is key for the triple option and they finished 111th last year in first downs.

3: Their schedule. Wake Forest got the luck of the draw by getting a bye week (needed after a stretch of @App State, Vs FSU, @ Clemson) before going to Atlanta to take on the Yellow Jackets. If you thought Wake’s was brutal, which it is trust me you show anyone Wake’s schedule and they’d look as if they’ve seen a ghost, take a gander at GT: Begins the season in the Georgia dome vs a pretty good Tennessee team, goes to UCF two weeks later, and from then on out plays UNC, @Miami, Home vs Wake, @ Clemson, @UVA, home vs VT, @ Duke, and home vs UGA with the only bye coming in between UNC and Miami.

Wake, UVA, and Duke aren’t scary, but telling someone they have 5 out of 8 brutual games to end the year is not all peaches and roses. If GT can come out the gate firing against Tennesee then the schedule could be workable, but that game can set the tone for the season for them. If the Jackets aren’t careful they could get caught coming off a 2 game slide via UNC and Miami and be very wounded and not take Wake seriously looking forward to Clemson the next week.

Should be a good game, I plan on going, and Tech could be a really good team or in the cellar that’s kinda how this schedule and this team looks at the moment but we will see!

What are your thoughts on this game and Tech?