Where Could Justin Thomas Have His Heisman Moment?

Georgia Tech’s dual-threat QB Justin Thomas is a dark horse contender for the 2015 Heisman Trophy. His on-field leadership, mastery of Paul Johnson’s triple option, and being arguably the face of a Yellow Jackets team that has serious hopes for a Playoff run, Thomas definitely can contend for a Heisman Trophy. Thomas beat last year’s most discussed dark horse candidate Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott in the Orange Bowl. JT might be Tech’s best QB since Joe Hamilton, who finished second to Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne for the Heisman in 1998. Many eyes will be on Tech in 2015 and Justin Thomas is high-profile enough to start building a strong campaign. Where could Thomas’ Heisman moment occur?

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After looking of Georgia Tech’s schedule for 2015, it’s a gauntlet for sure. Though I see Tech as the front-runner for the Coastal in 2015, the Jackets have some great games out of the division: @ Notre Dame, @ Clemson, Florida State, and Georgia. So winning a few of those games plus dominating in intra-divisional play could get Thomas wanted attention much like how Prescott rose to the top of the conversation for a while in 2014.

I feel that Justin Thomas has five games this fall that his Heisman moment could occur if it were to happen: @ Clemson, Florida State, Virginia Tech, @ Miami (FL), and Georgia. Notre Dame, Duke, and North Carolina all happen a bit too early for Heisman voters to notice. Even between the five most likely games for Thomas’ turn to shine, they’re not all weighted the same.

Clemson is an earlier game for Tech (October 10th), but playing a major rival on the road could help legitimize Thomas’ performance should he have a good one. Clemson under Dabo Swinney is nearly a guarantee to win 10+ games each fall, so a Tech victory over the Tigers will be a big deal. Plus, Clemson’s Sophomore QB Deshaun Watson is a serious Heisman contender, too. I like this game, but it has to live up to the hype for this to stand as Thomas’ Heisman moment.

Nov 8, 2014; Raleigh, NC, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Justin Thomas (5) runs in for a touchdown against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Liz Condo-USA TODAY Sports

The Florida State game at Bobby Dodd Stadium is a rematch of the 2014 ACC Championship. Nobody in the ACC has beaten FSU since NC State did it in early 2012. So defeating Florida State is a huge deal. That being said, this is a different Seminoles team in 2015 as Heisman Trophy winning QB Jameis Winston now plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League. The probable starter for FSU at QB is likely Notre Dame transfer Everett Golson. So Florida State is not a guaranteed 12 win team in 2015. The ‘Noles could just as easily get back into the Playoff as they could finish 8-4 during the regular season. We’ll have to check back on this game’s significance when it arrives (October 24th).

Miami is an intriguing matchup for the Jackets as both teams have great quarterbacks. If Justin Thomas bests Brad Kaaya in Sun Life Stadium on November 21st, he could find himself in New York for the Presentation. The late November match between the Yellow Jackets and the Hurricanes is the last ACC regular season game for Paul Johnson’s Georgia Tech team. Obviously this game’s importance for Thomas rides on how GT performs in the season’s first ten games.

But I think the two games that give Justin Thomas best the opportunity for a Heisman moment come against Virginia Tech and arch rival Georgia. Both happen in November and at Bobby Dodd. Virginia Tech’s game is a primetime game on ESPN Thursday night, so it stands as the lone game of the evening. Many, many eyes will be on this nationally televised game November 12th. And of course, if GT beats Georgia at home, Thomas will be a major reason for that. Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate might be one of the most Playoff significant in-state rivalry games of 2015 as both the Jackets and Dawgs want to get into the College Football Playoff.

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