Georgia Tech Not Included In Preseason College Football AP Top 25 Release

Nov 29, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key reacts after a call during the game against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

College football season is getting closer, and there is no better indicator of that then the AP Preseason Top 25 being released. While the College Football Playoff Rankings are what matter most, the AP Poll is an interesting look at who the voters think are the best 25 teams as we enter the season.

Georgia Tech was not among them, however. The Yellow Jackets, who were also not ranked in the Coaches Poll when it was released, will start the season unranked and hope to prove the voters wrong with two early-season games against Colorado and Clemson. The Yellow Jackets came in at No. 31 and received 63 votes, behind BYU, Utah, Baylor, Louisville, and USC.

Georgia Tech will face No. 4 Clemson (Sept. 13th) and No. 5 Georgia (Nov. 28th), both in Atlanta.

BREAKING: Preseason College Football AP Poll🚨https://t.co/O9s1jHORyn pic.twitter.com/reBHuc3tL8

— On3 (@On3sports) August 11, 2025

Despite the Yellow Jackets not being ranked in the initial AP Top 25, they have their fair share of believers that they can contend in the ACC and perhaps much more.

Nov 29, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes (11) reacts with wide receiver Malik Rutherford (8) after scoring a touchdown quarterback Haynes King (10) reacts with against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Is Georgia Tech A CFP Contender?

It is no secret that college football analyst Josh Pate, arguably the top voice in the sport, thinks Georgia Tech is going to be a good football team in 2025. He has named them a potential first time playoff team earlier in the offseason and on his show Sunday night, he was back with more praise for Brent Key's program, calling them a sleeper to make the college football playoff:

“The ACC is open. You got Clemson and what, Clemson and whomst, if you will? Well, Georgia Tech — they’re not a mystery to me,” Pate said. “If you look up and down the schedule here, question: where else are they a point-spread underdog? … Georgia Tech could be favored in ten of twelve, and the two that they’re not favored in are both in Atlanta. I like them a lot. … So, yeah, I couldn’t be any higher on them.”

On a much earlier episode of Josh Pate's College Football show, Pate was breaking down potential first-time playoff teams, and after talking about Texas A&M, he talked about why it could be Georgia Tech:

"You know another one that I have on my radar? I hinted at this earlier tonight but its Georgia Tech. I think Georgia Tech is a legitimate contender in the ACC. They have the 5th best odds in the ACC and I have already bet on them, I have backed this up with my own money. Haynes King is there again, they have excellent program identity, they are 26th in returning production and look at the schedule. They get Clemson at home early in the year and then they get Georgia late in the year. If they split those games? Look at the rest of it. None of those are gimmes because Georgia Tech talent roster is not going to be at the point where they could just roll the helmet out there on the field and think they are going to win a game, but they don't play Miami, they don't play Louisville, and they don't play SMU. If they were to get that Clemson game early, then everyone will start buying this, I am just trying to buy it before then. They could lose the Clemson game and still make it honestly if they just win out"

Georgia Tech Will Have Early Chance to Show Its Contender Status

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the sideline against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech is going to get an early shot at facing the preseason favorite in the conference. Clemson comes to Georgia Tech in week three, and if the Yellow Jackets can pull the upset, they will set themselves up well for the rest of the conference slate. Georgia Tech avoids Miami, SMU, Louisville, and Florida State this season, giving them their most favorable ACC slate on paper in some time. Can they take advantage of it?

As ESPN's David Hale has pointed out, as many notable wins as Key and the Yellow Jackets have managed to pull out during his tenure, they have not been the most consistent team. Between the two biggest games of the year (Clemson and Georgia), Georgia Tech is going to face Temple, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Duke, Syracuse, NC State, Boston College, and Pittsburgh. They might be favored in all of those games (at Duke and NC State are questionable), but they won't be large favorites. How they navigate those games, plus the opener at Colorado, could be just as telling of this team as their performances against the Tigers and the Bulldogs.