Georgia Tech's Season Opener vs Deion Sanders & Colorado Named One Of The Best Non-Conference Games of 2025

The 2024 college football season wrapped up Monday night with Ohio State defeating Notre Dame for the national championship and now the countdown begins for the 2025 season. When looking ahead to the 2025 season, week one has a lot of big-time games to look forward to. One of the biggest games that weekend is going to be Georgia Tech's road trip to Colorado to face Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes. It is going to be the first meeting between the two programs and FootballScoop's Zach Barnett ranked it as one of the best non-conference games of the 2025 season:

12. Georgia Tech at Colorado (Aug. 30): "In the 35th anniversary of the Yellow Jackets and Buffaloes' split national championship, it's the beginning of a new era for Colorado football in one way or the other. Either it's Game 1 of Coach Prime 2.0 as Deion Sanders coaches without Shedeur Sanders for the first time ever, or it's Game 1 of Coach TBD if Deion actually does take the Cowboy's job."

This will be an interesting test for the Yellow Jackets to open the season. Georgia Tech has been listed among various way-too-early top 25 rankings for the 2025 season and while that does not have any real bearing on how the season will play out, it shows that the Yellow Jackets are getting some respect for how the 2024 season played out and for the returning talent that they have.

Georgia Tech QB Haynes Kin — Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King (10) throws a pass during the first half of a NCAA college football game against Georgia Tech in Athens, Ga., on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Coming into the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Georgia Tech has not had to face high pre-season expectations. The win totals in Vegas had them falling short of a bowl game in each of Brent Key's first two seasons as the head coach of his alma mater, but the Yellow Jackets exceeded expectations both times and ended up in a bowl game. Georgia Tech has played the underdog role pretty well, but with talented players returning, one of the program's best recruiting classes getting on campus, and a pretty solid transfer portal class, the Yellow Jackets could enter the 2025 season ranked in the top 25.

There is still plenty of time between now and August, but there is certainly a case for Georgia Tech to be ranked in the preseason top 25. Quarterback Haynes King is returning, running back Jamal Haynes is also back, joined by Penn transfer Malachi Hosley, a talented receiving corps, an offensive line that returns All-ACC guard Keylan Rutledge, and talent from a defense that was much better in 2024 than 2023. The most important retentions might be on the coaching staff. Coordinators Buster Faulkner and Tyler Santucci are slated to be back, as well the rest of the coaching staff. Georgia Tech has one of the best coaching staffs in the ACC and being able to retain them is huge for next season.

The pieces are in place for a potential special season in 2025 and while Georgia Tech always plays a tough schedule, next year's schedule is not as tough as years past. Yes, they play Georgia and Clemson, but no other team on their schedule is likely to start the year ranked. That is not to say that it will be a cakewalk, but Notre Dame is not on the schedule, nor is Miami or SMU. The trip to Colorado to start the year could be tough, but the Buffaloes are losing likely top-10 picks Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. As far as schedules go, next year's looks to be breaking in favor of Georgia Tech being able to contend in the ACC.

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