Georgia Tech listed as dark horse to reach College Football Playoff

Paul Johnson and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have been receiving a bit of extra attention this week. With a 5-0 record that happens to lead the ACC, it is not difficult to find the reasoning behind the spotlight, but with Justin Thomas playing out of his mind and a relatively manageable schedule on the horizon, there is real optimism surrounding the Jackets. In that vein, Heather Dinish of ESPN penned a feature on “dark horse” teams that could make the College Football Playoff, and Georgia Tech made the cut.

Here is what Dinich had to say about the Jackets:

"Paul Johnson had never beaten Virginia Tech and Miami in the same season. Until now. There are 10 undefeated teams left in the country, and the ACC has two of them — defending national champ Florida State and Coastal Division leader Georgia Tech. Saturday’s win over the Canes marked the first time in six years the Yellow Jackets beat Miami. They’ve earned some consideration, but they would likely have to win the ACC title to have a serious shot. The good news? They look like they’re on the fast track to Charlotte, North Carolina.Georgia Tech’s spread-option offense ranks No. 1 in the nation in third-down conversions (58.1 percent); tied for No. 6 in the nation in turnovers (four); and No. 14 in the nation in time of possession (average 33 minutes). Equally as important is the fact there’s nobody else in the Coastal Division who looks like they’re gonna put up a fight. Pitt has given up 394 yards rushing in the past two games, and North Carolina has simply been abysmal. The Jackets don’t have to play FSU this year, but they do have Clemson and the regular-season finale at Georgia. To think Georgia Tech will finish undefeated is a stretch, but a spot in the ACC title game is looking more realistic."

The last sentence is incredibly important, as it would be difficult to find anyone who believes that Tech can run the table to finish the season undefeated, but the fan base can dream. The Jackets do have the benefit of missing Florida State, but the season-ending game against Georgia is never an easy hurdle to overcome, and simply getting to that point undefeated would be the only conceivable way for the Jackets to make the playoff.

This all seems crazy, but until Georgia Tech drops a game, pieces like this will continue to surface.