In 2024, Georgia Tech is set to field one of their best teams in quite some time and they have a chance to make some noise in the ACC and across the country. The thing that might be standing in their way would be the schedule, which is one of the toughest in the entire country. While most expect Georgia Tech to be a better team than they were a year ago, a year in which they went 7-6 and won their first bowl game since 2016, some wonder if their record will be improved due to the schedule. Their projected win total is at 5.5 to start the year, but 247Sports Analyst Grant Hughes has the Yellow Jackets going over that win total and finishing with a 7-5 record and finishing in 9th place in the ACC.
Wins: Georgia State, VMI, Duke, at Louisville, UNC, at Syracuse, at Virginia Tech
Losses: Florida State, Notre Dame, at Georgia, Miami, North Carolina State
"This is one of the best Georgia Tech teams in years, but it faces an uphill battle for bowl eligibility against an absolute gauntlet in 2024. The Yellow Jackets project to win toss-ups against Louisville, UNC and Virginia Tech. However, Brent Key's crew faces CFP contenders in the first five weeks and hits several ACC title contenders in Miami and NC State shortly after. Georgia Tech is the only ACC team in our toughest overall schedule ranking, and it ranks No. 6 overall."
I think that is fair analysis and going 7-5 against this schedule should be considered a win in my opinion. 11 of Georgia Tech's 12 opponents made bowl games last year and I think as many as seven of their opponents could start the year in top 25.
While the schedule is very tough, I don't think the Yellow Jackets are getting enough recognition for the upcoming season.
Last season there were a number of first-year head coaches around the sport and despite leading his program to a bowl game for the first time since 2018 and a bowl win for the first time since 2016, Brent Key did not get the kind of attention that coaches like Deion Sanders did at Colorado and Matt Rhule did at Nebraska. They both fell short of a bowl game and did not have any notable wins to speak of. Key took down Miami, North Carolina, played Georgia tougher than almost anyone else did, and then beat UCF in the bowl game. He took over a program that had turned into an afterthought under former head coach Geoff Collins (now at North Carolina) and made them competitive during his first season. I would bet that most don't realize that if Georgia Tech had not blown a double-digit lead against Louisville in the season opener, the Yellow Jackets could have made the ACC Championship.
Yeah, that almost happened. The Yellow Jackets finished in 4th place in the ACC behind Florida State, Louisville, and NC State. A couple of games go the Yellow Jackets way and they would have faced the Seminoles in Charlotte for a shot at the ACC crown.
That fact has gotten lost on people when talking about the ACC race this year and other ACC teams, Virginia Tech in particular, are getting more love in early top 25 rankings this offseason despite not beating quality opponents like Georgia Tech did last year and returning the offensive firepower they do.
On a recent episode of the Late Kick, Pate called the Yellow Jackets one of the nation's most underrated teams going into the year:
"Georgia Tech I could also call a little bit underrated. The difference with Georgia Tech is the schedule is pretty stiff, I am not going to lie and they have Georgia every year. They were 7-5 last year and their win total is at 5.5, I think due in large part to how tough it is. Haynes King is still there, that is their quarterback, their offense is top ten in returning production this year, a deep wide receiver room. The defense was bad last year, 123rd in yards allowed last year I believe, but they overhauled their defensive staff, they overhauled their roster on the defensive side. They are the inverse of Nebraska in the sense that if I get C+ or B- defensive play, that should be good to get over 5.5 wins"
Georgia Tech is by no means a perfect team, but the progress they have made under Key and the amount of talent they return this season are not getting talked about nearly enough. It might not take long for the Yellow Jackets to make their presence felt this season. They have a nationally televised game on ESPN against Florida State in week zero and the entire country will be watching. It could be an opportunity to show why they are one of the nation's most underrated teams going into 2024.
JACKSON CAUDELL
Jackson Caudell covers Georgia Tech Athletics and the Atlanta Hawks for FanNation
Follow @jacksoncaudell
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