Will Georgia Tech Make the College Football Playoffs Before UGA?

Nov 29, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Deon Hill (31) tries to escape a tackle by safety Quincy Mauger (20) during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia Tech defeated Georgia 30-24 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Mark Richt has absolutely dominated Georgia Tech on the football field going 12-2 during his tenure in Athens. The Yellow Jackets have been an afterthought within the state of Georgia for most of that time, but the 2014 season may have been reason to believe Tech is catching up, and may even make the College Football Playoffs before the Bulldogs do.

The Yellow Jackets finished the year 11-3 which included winning the ACC Coastal Division, an Orange Bowl win, and a victory over the Bulldogs. It was a resurgent year for Tech after averaging only seven wins per year from 2010-2013.

While UGA has done nothing to scoff at, they haven’t been to a BCS/NY6 bowl since 2007 and seem stuck in the same up and down pattern that produces double-digit win seasons on a pretty regular basis but not much in the way of conference or national titles.

The standards for football success are pretty high in the state of Georgia. Both Tech and UGA have been to a bowl game each year since 1997 – a remarkable feat for one school let alone two in-state programs. But with the Peach state being as rich in talent as it is (generally regarded as the 4th best behind TX, CA and FL) there’s really no reason why both shouldn’t be constantly hovering around the top 10.

Georgia Tech hasn’t really cashed in on their fertile recruiting grounds. They are consistently in the 40s and 50s of national rankings, but most of that is attributed to Paul Johnson’s unique triple option offense. Georgia, however, is in the top 10 annually.

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You’d figure Georgia would have a major leg up on GT, and for the most part they do. After all, they have won 12 of 14. Yet we could see the Yellow Jackets bypass Georgia this year on their way to bigger and better things.

They have a ton of momentum after beating their hated rival on the road and picking up a major bowl game win over another SEC team (Mississippi State) that spent five weeks #1. Things are looking bright on the Flats with 14 returning starters from that team.

QB Justin Thomas returns, as does 40 of the 53 men who played in the Orange Bowl. They’ll face an ACC schedule that will be tough, but doable. The toughest games (at Notre Dame, at Clemson, vs. Florida State, vs. UGA) are all spread out through the year with at least two weeks between them.

If Tech can improve on their 2014 success they should be able to knock off a few of those teams, and could even find themselves in the hunt for the College Football Playoffs in 2015.

Georgia seems like the same team as usual. Right in the thick of the national conversation due to the size and scope of their overall talent, but will they still be in the discussion in late November? Can the Dawgs avoid the bad loss – and can they win the SEC? I could tell you about how they are poised to do so, but we hear that story every spring and summer.

Georgia Tech’s road to the CFB Playoffs will always be a little bit easier considering they don’t have as many landmines to avoid as Georgia does. But they’ve been able to bounce back from average seasons and are now looking like a top team in 2015. While the Bulldogs get all the press nationally, it may be the Yellow Jackets who are competing for a national championship first, and it could be this year.

Over the long haul, UGA has the better shot at making the Playoffs. During Mark Richt’s tenure, they would have most likely made it in 2002, 2007 and 2012 – but alas, there were no playoffs.

Clean Old Fashioned Hate should be a great game this year, and could have some major national implications. It will be interesting to see if Georgia Tech can hang around the top 10 and compete for a championship. This could be the year Tech fans have been waiting for.