Matchup Preview and Final Score Prediction For No. 23 Georgia Tech vs No. 4 Georgia

Who wins on Friday between Georgia Tech and Georgia?

Nov 29, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) runs for a touchdown against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

One of the biggest games of the weekend is nearly 24 hours away. One year after their epic eight overtime clash, Georgia Tech and Georgia finally meet again and both teams enter this matchup ranked.

This is a matchup between two teams that are seemingly headed in opposite directions. Georgia Tech entered the month of November 8-0 and hopes of making the ACC Championship game and the College Football Playoff, but they have not played their best football. They lost by double digits on the road to NC State, they nearly lost to 1-10 Boston College, and then with everything on the line, they fell behind 28-0 to Pitt at home and lost 42-28.

The defense could not be playing much worse (knock on wood) and last week saw the offense struggle for pretty much the first time all season. They need a miracle to get back into the ACC Championship race and even if they beat the Bulldogs

Georgia on the other hand seems to be trending up. Aside from Ohio State and maybe Oregon, there is not a team playing better than the Bulldogs right now. They started the year playing a lot of close games, but recent blowouts of Mississippi State and Texas have shown what this team is capable of.

Despite that, Brent Key has had this program close to finally ending the losing streak to the Bulldogs and everyone knows that his teams play well as the underdog. What does he have in store for this edition of Clean Old Fashioned Hate?

Georgia Tech Offense vs Georgia Defense

Nov 29, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) runs the ball past Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker (11) in the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

While they took far too long to get going last week (and never really did anything consistent), this is still one of the best offenses in the country and Buster Faulkner has given Kirby Smart and Glen Schumann fits over the past two seasons.

The Yellow Jackets come into this game ranked 20th in PPG, 17th in rushing yards per game, 25th in passing yards per game, and 5th in total yards per game.

Georgia's defense of course is one of the best units in the country, but they have a couple of flaws that Georgia Tech will look to exploit. The Bulldogs are 12th in PPG allowed, 5th in rushing yards allowed per game, 49th in passing yards allowed per game, and 14th in total yards per game.

Last week, Pittsburgh showed the blueprint to slow down the Georgia Tech offense and you can bet Smart and Schumann are going to try and duplicate it. The Panthers slowed down Georgia Tech's rushing attack and forced King to try and beat them from the pocket. It resulted in the worst game of the season from King, as he threw two interceptions that resulted in 14 points for the Panthers, the margin that Georgia Tech lost by.

Georgia has an elite rush defense that is going to be tough to go against, but in games this season, they have given up big plays through the air and they are not very good at pressuring the quarterback. Georgia Tech has a pretty good passing game, but can they take advantage of some potential big plays that might be there? It could be a big opportunity for Eric Rivers this week.

Can Georgia Tech adjust after being slowed down by the Panthers?

Georgia Tech Defense vs Georgia Offense

Nov 22, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) passes against the Charlotte 49ers during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

After three straight games of poor play on the defense side of the football, what can Georgia Tech do to slow down one of the best offenses in the country and one that is playing better and better?

The numbers are not good for Georgia Tech's defense. They are 77th in PPG allowed, 95th in rushing yards per game allowed, 103rd in passing yards per game allowed, and 106th in total yards per game allowed. Georgia Tech is 130th in turnovers gained this season and 53rd in sacks.

While unlikely, did Georgia Tech find anything in the second half of last week's game vs the Panthers? They blitzed early and often and held the Panthers to seven points on offense in the second half. They also ended the game with six sacks.

Georgia is 26th in points per game, 29th in rushing yards per game, 57th in passing yards per game, and 29th in total yards per game. They have a Heisman contender in quarterback Gunner Stockton and a much better receiving corps than the one the Yellow Jackets saw last season.

I think that Georgia is going to run early and often with Nate Frazier and the rest of the backfield they have, not to mention that Stockton is a running threat at QB.

It is hard to see Georgia Tech being able to get many, if any, stops in this game unless Georgia beats themselves. Georgia Tech needs to force Stockton into some mistakes and give their offense some short fields. Can they make Stockton turn the ball and can they limit the Bulldogs ground game?

Prediction

It is foolish to say that Georgia Tech has no chance to win this game. Brent Key does well against ranked teams and has been close in each of the last two games against Georgia. This team should be highly motivated considering they have not beaten Georgia since 2016 and how last year's game ended, but given how they have played over the past few weeks, it is fair to wonder whether or not Brent Key's team has enough in the tank to win this game. I have hard time seeing Georgia Tech being able to get enough stops to win this game and while it will be competitive early, the Bulldogs pull away and win their eighth straight game in the rivalry.

Final Score: Georgia 45. Georgia Tech 20