Three Must-Win Games For Georgia Tech This Fall

Navigating Georgia Tech’s 2015 Football Schedule is not an easy feat for Paul Johnson’s team.  The Yellow Jackets draw Notre Dame along with Georgia, of course, in the non-conference.  Georgia Tech will have to play Florida State and Clemson out of the Atlantic Division this fall.  The ACC as a whole is definitely on the upswing with its conference strength.  Should the Jackets go 10-2 during the regular season, it might be hard to keep them out of the New Year’s Six Bowl discussion when the Selection Committee discusses the 2015 College Football Playoff.  Here are three games the Jackets cannot afford to lose if they want to get back to an Orange Bowl in 2015.

Oct 11, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Zach Laskey (37) runs the ball against the Duke Blue Devils in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

September 26th @ Duke

Paul Johnson will need to win a revenge game against David Cutcliffe in Durham this fall to get a leg up on Duke in the Coastal Division standings.  Duke has been bowl eligible each of the last three seasons under Coach Cut.  This ACC basketball powerhouse is now a football school, too.  Losing to Duke last year at home gave the Blue Devils control of the Coastal until faltering against arch rival North Carolina in the last Saturday of the regular season.

Georgia Tech won’t want to lose its opening ACC game to a team definitely capable of winning the division.  Holding the tiebreaker over Duke could be crucial in getting the Jackets to the ACC Championship for the second year in a row.  Also beating Duke in Wallace Wade Stadium might be a more quality to the committee since it would be a moderately tough road game for Tech.

October 10th @ Clemson

The Yellow Jackets defeated rival Clemson at Bobby Dodd Stadium last year.  Clemson is Tech’s permanent interdivisional rival and Dabo Swinney’s Tigers win 10 games almost annually.  Going into Death Valley and stealing a game against Clemson will look very impressive on a CFP resume for anybody.  Of the four toughest games GT will have to play in 2015 (Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, and Notre Dame), this one could do the most to get Tech into the Playoff picture.

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As much as the Yellow Jackets want to beat rivals UGA and Notre Dame, neither game will factor in getting GT to the ACC Championship Game.  Florida State is still an elite program even without Jameis Winston at quarterback.  The Seminoles have lost just once the last two seasons.  An ACC team hasn’t beaten the ‘Noles since 2012 when NC State won in Raleigh on October 6th.  Though the GT-Clemson game is in Memorial Stadium, this is a game that Tech must win if they want to have the chance of getting back to the Orange Bowl, this time as ACC Champions.

Sep 20, 2014; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver DeAndre Smelter (15) scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter against Virginia Tech Hokies safety Detrick Bonner (8) during the fourth quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

November 12th Vs. Virginia Tech

The Battle of the Techs will be on a primetime ESPN Thursday night national telecast.  There will be many eyes on this game being played at Bobby Dodd in mid-November.  These Coastal Division foes are perennial bowl teams and are always in contention for a division title because of this.  What makes this game so crucial for Georgia Tech it’s that if they were to lose to the Hokies, everyone would see it and the Committee would have a hard time forgetting such a high-profile loss.  I feel like Tech has more to lose in this game than they have to gain.

Georgia Tech has its hands full with this season’s slate of games.  Should they win either major non-conference game against UGA or Notre Dame and finish with a 9-3 (6-2 ACC) record, Tech will have an outside chance at a New Year’s Six Bowl Game. Their schedule is brutal anyway you slice it.  But should the Jackets play like they did in 2014, you’re looking at a team that could make the 2015 College Football Playoff.  This is the toughest schedule I’ve seen Tech have in years.  They would deserve a playoff spot no doubt if they run through this gauntlet in 2015.