3 Reasons Georgia Tech Bowl Hopes Just Crumbled After Loss
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Bowl Projections Shift Hard
Georgia Tech is now on the outside looking in for a bowl game after a heartbreaking loss to Colorado. The Yellow Jackets started the season 0-2 after losses to Colorado and Tennessee. Sports Illustrated reported that the preseason win total of 6.5 has already sunk to 5.5. If the team wants to make its fourth straight postseason appearance, they must play better immediately or face a historic miss. CBS Sports dropped the Jackets from their projections entirely, while ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura did the same. Only one national analyst, Mark Schlabach, still has them in the picture, sending them to the Gasparilla Bowl to face Tulane. That is a tall order for a team that just lost in Atlanta.
The loss to the Buffaloes was ugly in the trenches. Colorado rushed for 183 yards while holding Georgia Tech to just 51. The Yellow Jackets averaged only 1.7 yards per carry, which allowed the visitors to control the line of scrimmage. With 42 seconds remaining, Julian Lewis orchestrated the decisive drive and linked up with Charlie Williams for the go-ahead score. Boo Carter blocked the field goal as time expired, thwarting Georgia Tech’s attempt to win. After the Colorado loss, Georgia Tech was projected as an underdog against Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Clemson and Georgia. .
The Schedule Is Brutal
Coming into the year, the Jackets were favored in six games and underdogs in six. That balance is gone. They are now double-digit underdogs this Saturday against Tennessee. Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Clemson, and Georgia will also present underdog matchups for them.Mercer is up next for Georgia Tech on Sept. 19, while Boston College comes later on Oct. 24. The team needs to stop the bleeding now. The loss to Colorado exposed a lack of size that the Buffaloes exploited all afternoon. Deion Sanders’ squad entered as a 6.5-point underdog but left with a victory that stunned the local crowd.
The defense did get some individual recognition despite the loss. Lamont Lester Jr earned the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week honor. He recorded five tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks in the game. No Colorado player since 2003 recorded more sacks in a debut game than those three. It is the fourth time since 2004 that a Colorado player has earned this specific honor. Chauncey Gooden earned Outland Trophy National Player of the Week recognition for his dual-line performance. He started at guard but played defensive tackle late in the game. The Football Writers Association of America bestowed this award due to his two-way contributions. Per reports, Gooden excelled in the running game on an offensive line rated 91.5 in pass protection and 84.5 in run blocking.
Can They Bounce Back?
The rankings took a hit, but the real damage is in the win column. Four points went to Georgia Tech in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll. After traveling to Atlanta and defeating the Yellow Jackets, Colorado received only three points in the subsequent rankings. The US LBM Coaches Poll offered even less enthusiasm, awarding the Buffaloes a single vote. Finishing 3–9 the prior season left Coach Prime’s squad with no votes initially, yet they escaped Atlanta victorious. Questions regarding size, physicality, and recovery from the previous year surrounded the Buffaloes, who were predicted to finish near the Big 12 bottom. They answered those questions with a dominant ground game.
To secure their fourth straight bowl appearance under Brent Key, Georgia Tech must start performing much better. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, the sole national analyst keeping the Yellow Jackets in postseason contention, projected them to the Gasparilla Bowl against Tulane. Having defeated UCF in the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl, the Yellow Jackets are familiar with their opponent. But the path to get there is now a mountain climb. Six games favored them and six favored opponents as they entered the year. Now, the odds are stacked against them. The team must fix the run defense or the season will end before it truly begins.
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