Can Georgia Tech make a statement Thursday night against Clemson?

Can the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets pull off an upset Thursday night against the Clemson Tigers and make a statement to College Football in prime time? 

Does anyone remember when Justin Thomas and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Capital One Orange Bowl? That was just 2 years ago and it seems everyone keeps forgetting just how good Georgia Tech was. That year, not only did they beat Mississippi State, they also beat Clemson, Georgia, Miami, and had a very close game with Florida State in the ACC Championship.

This year, Georgia Tech is quick to a 3-0 record and are playing great football so far. The main problem with this is the fact that Georgia Tech haven’t played anyone worth a flip this whole year. The best team they have played was Vanderbilt. They came to town this week and the Jackets completely dismantled the Commodores, 38-7.

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This week, is really the only week Tech can prove themselves other than against the traditional Georgia-Georgia Tech game on November 26. Not only does this gravitate the value of this game much higher, but the game is also a prime time game, seen as it’s on Thursday Night. This would be a huge win because not only are the typical college football fans watching, but so is the Committee.

As seen with Wisconsin moving all the way to No. 10 after upsetting LSU in a close battle, one quality win can catapult you in the rankings. The last time Georgia Tech beat Clemson, Tech showed off just how deadly the triple option offense is, especially with coach Paul Johnson and Justin Thomas manning the helm.

A look at Clemson this year…

The difference in this game is Clemson’s much improved defense. Due to the defense, this match-up will be much different this time around. Coach Johnson went as far as to saying “We’ve got to see if we can line up and play with them. We didn’t a year ago, two years ago we did. I don’t think we’ll be afraid, but we’ve got to play.”

We’ve got to see if we can line up and play with them. We didn’t a year ago, two years ago we did. I don’t think we’ll be afraid, but we’ve got to play.

Deshaun Watson is a different animal than in 2014. Georgia Tech will have to prove to the nation that they can defend passes and stop    the run.  Clemson, who struggled in their first two outings, completely destroyed South Carolina State 59-0. Everything was clicking      for the Tigers on offense and defense, which should concern Georgia Tech if they continue      to dominate.

What’s one of the most interesting aspects of this game is that the game is being held at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The last time the Tigers have beaten the Yellow Jackets here, the date was 2003. Deshaun had his terrible ACL injury here just two years ago when Tech beat Clemson, 28-6. To pull out a win, the Jackets will have to shine on both ends of the field as well as shut down Deshaun Watson, who appears to be turning back to the Heisman Trophy contender he was last year.

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It will be a tough game with loads of challenges but if the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets can pull out the victory, they can capture the eyes of the committee and make strides towards being the Orange Bowl winners of 2014 yet again.