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Georgia Tech Picked to Win Coastal at ACC Kickoff

By John Buhler

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The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team met with the media at ACC Kickoff today in Pinehurst, North Carolina.  The media voted and believed that GT will again win the Coastal Division but fall to rival Clemson, the Atlantic Division winner in the ACC Championship in Charlotte.

-= Related: How Many Wins For GT This Season? =-

Quarterback Justin Thomas finished third in the preseason ACC Player of the Year voting, trailing only Clemson QB DeShaun Watson and Pittsburgh RB James Conner.  Even with a brutal 2015 slate of games for the Jackets, drawing Clemson and Florida State from the Atlantic and having both UGA and Notre Dame in the non-conference, Georgia Tech should still have a great 2015 Season as a College Football Playoff contender.

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Georgia Tech, like arch rival Georgia in the SEC, was the third most likely team to win its conference.  GT only trailed Clemson and Florida State.  Paul Johnson’s Yellow Jackets edge out Frank Beamer’s Virginia Tech Hokies, Al Golden’s Miami Hurricanes, and David Cutcliffe’s Duke Blue Devils in an improved Coastal Division.

When asked about the difficult schedule that his team has to navigate this fall, HC Paul Johnson said it’s the “hardest we’ve had since I’ve been here.”  There is no doubt in my mind that this is the toughest slate of games for the Jackets in well over a decade.  No knock on previous seasons, but Tech should make the Playoff as possibly a two-seed with an 11-1 (7-1) ACC Championship Season.  Beating Florida State or Clemson twice is an unbelievable season in the ACC.

Given the ACC media voters inability to accurately predict the Coastal the last few season, Coach Johnson had some words about being picked to win the division this fall.  “Media hasn’t gotten it right lately, but I hope they’re right this year.”

I noticed something very intriguing that ESPN’s Brett McMurphy said about the Paul Johnson Era in Atlanta.

I might be a Dawg but I can definitely respect Paul Johnson’s ability to outperform expectations.  He may not have the recruiting chops comparable to other top-flight Power 5 schools, but he can sure coach these Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.  He’s kind of similar to Mizzou’s Gary Pinkel and K-State’s Bill Snyder in that regard.  All three programs are capable of ten plus win seasons without a bevy of ESPN Top 300 High School Recruits.

Good times seem very likely for the Ramblin’ Wreck this fall.  I’m looking forward to both Tech and UGA being in the Top 10 for this year’s version of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.  With a star player like Justin Thomas, a great coach in Paul Johnson, and a daunting schedule, this will be a very exciting and action-packed season for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Next: Paul Johnson: Best Coach in the ACC?

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