Georgia Tech enters polls at No. 21

The voters have deemed Georgia Tech poll worthy.

A day after defeating Clemson on the road for their fourth consecutive win, the Jackets debuted in the top 25 of the Associated Press (writers) and USA Today (coaches) polls at No. 21. Georgia Tech also came in ranked No. 18 in the first BCS poll released Sunday.

It’s the Jackets’ first time in the poll since the Sept. 9 poll of last season, when they were No. 15 after starting the season 2-0. They dropped out the following week after losing 24-10 to Boston College.

Tech had been accumulating votes in prior weeks this season, but not enough to reach the top 25. At 6-1, the Jackets are actually the highest-ranking ACC team in both polls.

Tech benefited from losses by top 25 teams Virginia Tech (No. 17 in the AP poll), North Carolina (No. 18), Michigan State (No. 20), Wake Forest (No. 21), Vanderbilt (No. 22) and California (No. 25). The Jackets jumped past those teams.

In the AP poll, Tech actually leapfrogged Tulsa, which hammered UTEP 77-35 to improve to 7-0, Minnesota, which was idle, and Florida State, which beat N.C. State 26-17. Florida State entered the poll at No. 24 and Minnesota at No. 25.

According to pollspeak.com, which tracks AP voters’ ballots, Tech was ranked as high as 14th (Craig James of ABC Sports) and 15th by five other voters.