Making the case for Georgia Tech’s season being a success doesn’t require much effort.
After being predicted to finish fourth in the ACC’s Coastal Division, the Yellow Jackets have exceeded most expectations with eight wins. They’ll finish no worse than third in the division. Tech set an NCAA record for yards per carry in a game when it obliterated Kansas by averaging 12.1 yards per rush. The Jackets climbed as high as No. 12 in both polls and were in contention for the ACC title until two weeks ago.
Tell that, though, to the Tech fan whose co-worker has a dog named Herschel and a barking ringtone.
The Jackets’ mission is far from complete.
“They’ve won, what, nine out of the last 10, and they’re coming in our home,” cornerback Louis Young said. “We don’t like to lose at home. We’ve got a lot riding on it.”
A victory for the No. 23 Jackets would extend their goal of a 10-win season — which would be Tech’s fourth since 1956 — into their bowl game. It would level coach Paul Johnson’s record against Georgia coach Mark Richt at 2-2. It would pop the balloon that is the No. 13 Bulldogs’ nine-game winning streak and launch the Jackets into contention for a Chick-fil-A Bowl berth.
And, simply, it would be a win over Georgia, which has won five games in a row at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The 9-1 record that Richt has authored is the most one-sided 10-year period of Bulldogs dominance in the rivalry’s history.
“I think it’s a big deal to the players, but it’s a bigger deal to the alumni and the fans, because it gives you taunting privileges for a whole year, and in this day and age, that seems to be big,” Johnson said.
There’s no telling what another loss would do to Johnson. In his 15 seasons as a head coach, only three schools — Notre Dame, Rutgers and Miami — have managed to beat him three years in a row, the first two at Navy and Miami at Tech. A Tech loss would welcome the Bulldogs into Johnson’s inner ring of torment. It further aggravates Johnson that Tech had opportunities to win in 2009 and 2010, losing the two by a combined 14 points.
“Through the years, we’ve won a ton of big games, but you always kind of remember — I do — I remember the ones that you feel like you let get away,” Johnson said.
Bowl officials from the Chick-fil-A, Champs Sports and Sun bowls are scheduled to be in attendance. Sun Bowl executive director Bernie Olivas and football chairman John Folmer will be at Bobby Dodd Stadium to represent their Dec. 31 game in El Paso, Texas. The Chick-fil-A and Champs Sports bowls will send lower-rung officials.
Said Olivas, whose bowl has the third pick of ACC teams after the BCS bowls, “We just know it’s an important game for us to be at.”
Chick-fil-A Bowl president Gary Stokan, who has first pick of ACC teams after the BCS bowls, said that Tech needs to beat Georgia to be considered for the New Year’s Eve game at the Georgia Dome. The Jackets are in the mix with Clemson, Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Tigers losing to South Carolina and to the Hokies in the ACC title game would improve Tech’s chance greatly.
From the SEC side, the bowl is looking at South Carolina, Florida, Auburn and possibly Georgia.
“You’ve got to consider Georgia Tech strongly,” Stokan said.
The Champs Sports Bowl, on Dec. 29 in Orlando, isn’t considering a win over Georgia mandatory, but “it would help, certainly,” bowl CEO Steve Hogan said. Virginia, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Florida State and Wake Forest also are under consideration.
“I think they’re right in the middle of the picture,” Hogan said.
For now, bowls are secondary. Tech’s ability to hold on to the ball and run through the likes of Georgia nose guard John Jenkins and outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, as well as to find answers for quarterback Aaron Murray and tight end Orson Charles will determine those matters. The likely Tech victory scenario involves heavy ball possession mixed in with four or five big plays, scoring efficiency, a couple of forced turnovers and clean special-teams play.
A failure in any of these areas could mean another year of barking.
“They’re big, they’re fast, they’re strong, and it’s going to be a challenge for us,” A-back Roddy Jones said.
In recent years, the prologue has rarely changed, nor has the outcome. Jones and his teammates have 60 minutes to create a more favorable ending.
About the Author
