Winning Orange Bowl could be just the start

By Doug Roberson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

FORT LAUDERDALE -- This year, the Orange Bowl.

Next year, the BCS National Championship game?

Georgia Tech players say that if they can defeat Iowa in Tuesday night's Orange Bowl, with an improved work ethic and a little bit of luck, the team's next goal will be the 2010 BCS national championship in Phoenix.

"You can't look at this in terms of a final destination," senior center Sean Bedford said. "This is a jumping-off point. This is a building block for where we want to take the program."

The long-term effect of winning the Orange Bowl is two-pronged: it could improve recruiting and it could improve Tech's national profile, which could affect its spot in the polls.

No team has won the BCS title without first landing one of the top six spots of the BCS initial rankings. And intrinsic to placing highly when the first BCS rankings appear in mid-October is where a team is ranked early on in the AP, USA Today or Harris polls, the latter two of which factor into the BCS's formula.

Tech comes into the Orange Bowl ranked No. 9 in the BCS. A win could move the Jackets into the top five of the final poll, which would position it for a top-10 preseason ranking. Over the past 10 seasons, only two teams that won the Orange Bowl failed to crack the top 10 the following preseason.

"Every game is important but this one is the last one," Tech coach Paul Johnson said. "You put a finish on this season and get a jump-start on next year. You go in there and play well, it'll give you a jump as to where you're ranked next year when you start."

Johnson has made no secret that he accepted the job at Georgia Tech because he thought he could win a national championship to go with the two Division I-AA titles he won while coaching at Georgia Southern in 1999 and 2000.

Tech is seemingly on its way. The Yellow Jackets have already won 20 games Johnson's first two seasons as well as the ACC championship, competing primarily with players signed by Johnson's predecessor, Chan Gailey, for a pro-style offense. The offense improved by an average of 70 yards and 11 points per game between Johnson's first two years. The defense, for all its issues, slipped by 43.5 yards and a relatively modest 4 points per game.

Tech appears well-positioned for a 2010 run. It is a relatively young team that will lose just six scholarship seniors, only of three of whom were starters this season. Three of the five starters on the offensive line return, as will all of the starters at the skill positions on offense. On defense, only linebacker Sedric Griffin will graduate.

However, there are four key juniors who could leave early for the NFL. Each has said he hasn't made a decision because he is focused on the Orange Bowl. Tech's last Orange Bowl win came in the 1952 game, giving the Jackets a 11-0-1 record. The following season, the Jackets opened the year ranked No. 3 and wound up winning the national championship.

These Jackets know how winning could impact the program.

"Gives us the opportunity to give us a high standard, gives us a great slate to be a national championship contender by going and winning," said B-back Jonathan Dwyer, one of the juniors who could leave for the NFL. "But we need to worry about ourselves and win our game and see where we finish [with] our ranking."

The recruiting benefits are undeniable. Playing in an Orange Bowl could help open doors to high school prospects who may not have had an interest in Tech before, according to recruiting coordinator Giff Smith.

"[Tech is] tops academically and tops athletically," Smith said. "That's one of the things we sell here at Tech. You get the best of both worlds. Best degree in the country and you can play for a national championship."

Last but perhaps not least, a win could finally silence those who doubt if Johnson's run-oriented "high-school" offense can succeed at the highest levels of college football.

"I think everyone's still on the fence about Georgia Tech, at least as far as I can tell, reading the Internet and articles," guard Joseph Gilbert said. "A good solid win in the Orange Bowl would legitimize us in a lot of people's eyes.

"But the main thing would be motivation for next year. A big win in the Orange Bowl would hopefully result in a top-five finish this year and a shot at the real thing next year."

The Orange Bowl Factor

Where teams that won the Orange Bowl debuted in the preseason polls the following year:

2000 Michigan 35, Alabama 34 (OT)  Wolverines were No. 6

2001 Oklahoma 13, Florida State 2  Sooners were No. 3

2002 Florida 56, Maryland 23  Gators were No. 6

2003 USC 38, Iowa 17  Trojans were No. 8

2004 Miami 16, Florida State 14  Hurricanes were No. 6

2005 USC 55, Oklahoma 19  Trojans were No. 1

2006 Penn State 26, Florida State 23 (3 OT)  Nittany Lions were No. 19

2007 Louisville 24, Wake Forest 13  Cardinals were No. 10

2008 Kansas 24, Virginia Tech 21  Jayhawks were No. 14

2009 Virginia Tech 20, Cincinnati 7  Hokies were No. 7