Georgia Tech Football: Yellow Jackets Open As Favorites vs Vanderbilt In Birmingham Bowl

Can Georgia Tech win their second consecutive bowl game and beat Vanderbilt?

Nov 29, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) throws a pass against the Georgia Bulldogs in the third quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech was selected to play in the Birmingham Bowl this post season and they are going to be facing Vanderbilt on December 27th. This has the makings of a fun matchup, as both teams are similar in playstyle and have pulled big upsets this season. Vanderbilt started their year by knocking off Virginia Tech as a two touchdown underdog and then later beat Alabama, their first ever win over a No. 1 team. Brent Key's team also started the year by beating Florida State in Ireland and then later upsetting No. 4 Miami and keeping them out of the College Football Playoff.

One thing to watch leading up to this game is who is actually on the roster for both teams. The transfer portal opened yesterday and the Yellow Jackets have had some impact players such as Eric Singleton Jr and Taye Seymore hit the portal. Will more join them? That is a big thing when it comes to bowl games.

The transfer portal does not stop sportsbooks from releasing lines for the games though. At Fanduel Sportsbook, the Yellow Jackets have opened up as a 2.5-point favorite against Vanderbilt and the total is set at 52.5.

This is a matchup that has some history. Georgia Tech leads the all-time series with Vandy 20-15 and has won six in a row in the series and 12 of the last 13. The last meeting between the schools was in 2016 in Atlanta, a 38-7 win for Georgia Tech. Vanderbilt has not beaten the Yellow Jackets since 1941. The two teams tied 10-10 in a matchup in Nashville in 1965. This will give Georgia Tech to add to its success against Vanderbilt, who has had a really good season under Clark Lea. The Commodores started the season off with a big upset over Virginia Tech and of course, the signature win was against No.1 Alabama (one week after the Crimson Tide had beaten Georgia). Vandy also picked up wins vs Kentucky and Auburn, as well as having close losses to Texas and LSU.

Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt were conference-mates for 48 years – in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1916-21), Southern Conference (1922-32) and Southeastern Conference (1933-63). Their rivalry spawned a traveling trophy – a cow bell – that has been awarded to the winning team since 1924. Tech has had possession of the bell since its 13-0 win over Vandy in 1948

This season, Tech and Vanderbilt are among the 14 unranked teams that have knocked off top-10 opponents, with the Jackets beating No. 10 Florida State on Aug. 24 and No. 4 Miami (Fla.) on Nov. 9, and the Commodores taking down No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 5.

The bowl appearance is Georgia Tech’s 47th, which is tied for 15th all-time. The Yellow Jackets are 26-20 in bowl games, with the 26 victories tied for 11th all-time and the .565 winning percentage also ranking 11th among teams with a minimum of 15 bowl wins.

The Yellow Jackets are playing in a bowl game for the second consecutive season, the first time that has happened since 2013-2014. They faced UCF in last year's Gasparilla Bowl and won 30-17 in Tampa Bay. This year, Georgia Tech has played one of the toughest schedules in the entire country to get to seven wins got victories over No. 10 Florida State, and No. 4 Miami, and took eventual SEC champion Georgia to eight overtimes in the last game of the season. Brent Key is 18-15 heading into his second bowl game and it is another chance for him to get a big victory over an SEC opponent and continue to elevate his program.

Additional Links

Georgia Tech Football: Yellow Jackets Safety Taye Seymore Becomes Latest Player To Enter The Transfer Portal

Georgia Tech Football: Yellow Jackets Sends Out Offers to Several Players On First Day Transfer Portal Opens

Georgia Tech Football: Eric Singleton Jr Will Reportedly Take Transfer Vist to Rival Georgia