The 2024 college football season is less than three months away and the season is going to get started with an overseas matchup against the defending ACC champion Florida State Seminoles (12:00 p.m. EST, ESPN). College Gameday is going to be there for the game and it will be a great way to open the season. Next week, Georgia Tech will host in-state program Georgia State, where there are several interesting layers to that game. The game time for the next three games for Georgia Tech are going to be revealed this Thursday and it will be another sign that the season is getting closer.
Georgia Tech is going to be facing one of the nation's toughest schedules in 2024 and that starts with the Seminoles in week zero. According to new odds on Caesar's Sportsbook, Georgia Tech is going to be a 13.5-point underdog against the Seminoles.
That is going to be a huge test for Georgia Tech next fall. The Yellow Jackets might be up for the challenge though thanks to their offense. Quarterback Haynes King, running back Jamal Haynes, and wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr will headline what should be an electric Georgia Tech offense.
Florida State was close to making the college football playoff this season and though they will be losing some key pieces from this year's team, Mike Norvell has done a great job of recruiting and in the portal and will have another ACC contender next year.
I do think that Georgia Tech has a much better chance of winning this game than most realize. Florida State is the more talented team on paper, but there are areas where the Yellow Jackets might have the advantage. I think Haynes King is going to be the best quarterback in this game and having an advantage with the most important position on field is always huge. Georgia Tech's offense is bringing most of its starters back from last season and should be able to hit the ground running in week zero and pick up where they left off when the 2023 season ended.
I think the big question in this game is going to be whether Georgia Tech's defense is going to be able to slow down Florida State's rushing attack. I have question about Florida State's passing attack, but you can count on Norvell having a strong running game on his teams. Georgia Tech was one of the worst teams in the country when it came to stopping the run and if they can't do it in week zero, it is going to be a long afternoon.
Florida State's defense could also pose problems, even for an offense as good as Georgia Tech's. Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones Jr could be the ACC's best pair of pass rushers and FSU might have the ACC's best secondary. It is safe to say that Florida State is a near two-touchdown favorite in this game, but the Yellow Jackets are capable of pulling the upset.
Looking to the next week, it is a different story. Georgia Tech is a 20.5 point favorite on Caesars against the Panthers. This is going to be an interesting matchup, with first-year head coach Dell McGee (formerly the running backs coach at Georgia) taking over the program. Will the Panthers be ready to challenge the Yellow Jackets in this game? We'll see, but I think Georgia Tech is much better on paper and the offense should score plenty of points. The thing I would be interested to see is how Georgia Tech plays after the game in Ireland, whether they win or lose. If they win, can they handle the success of beating Florida State and focus the next week? If they lose, can they put the loss behind them and focus on beating Georgia State? This program did lose to Bowling Green as a big favorite last year so they need to prove they can handle being a big favorite.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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JACKSON CAUDELL
Jackson Caudell covers Georgia Tech Athletics and the Atlanta Hawks for FanNation
Follow @jacksoncaudell
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