Which Games on Georgia Tech's Schedule Could Shape The ACC Race?

College football is getting closer and closer.

Georgia Tech is going to enter the season as one of the most interesting teams in the ACC and in the country. While Brent Key is still the head coach of the program, entering his fourth season, Georgia Tech feels like it is entering a new era. After having so much continuity on last year's team, including lots of players who had been there since Key's first season, there is a lot of change on The Flats this season.

New coordinators, new quarterback, and new faces abound for the Yellow Jackets, but they still have their identity as a program and should be in the thick of the ACC race yet again.

When you look at Georgia Tech's schedule, which conference games are most likely going to impact the ACC race this season?

At Virginia Tech (Oct. 17)

Heading into this matchup, there is a chance that both teams don't have an ACC loss yet. Georgia Tech faces Stanford and Duke before heading to Blacksburg and the Hokies face Boston College, Pitt, and Cal.

Aside from Miami, there might not be a more talked-about ACC team nationally than Virginia Tech. After hiring former Penn State head coach James Franklin in the offseason, expectations have been raised. While the Hokies might not be ready to win the ACC yet, they brought in a talented transfer portal class and should be one of the most improved teams in the country.

Back in the days of the ACC Coastal, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech had plenty of meaningful matchups that were important in the ACC. I think they are going to get back to that, possibly as soon as 2026.

At Pittsburgh (Oct. 31st)

I don't need to remind Yellow Jackets fans what happened when these two teams faced each other in November and Georgia Tech is going to be looking for payback in that game.

Aside from that, this should be a matchup of two teams hoping to get to Charlotte in December.

Pitt did have some key transfer portal losses, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but Mason Heintschel is going to be one of the best quarterbacks in the conference this season and the Panthers are always a dangerous team under Pat Narduzzi.

This will be a tough road test for Georgia Tech, but they may need it if they want to get to the ACC Championship game.

vs Louisville (Nov. 7th)

Right after they face Pittsburgh on the road, Georgia Tech is going to come home and face Louisville at home. The Cardinals are seen as perhaps the biggest challenger to Miami in the ACC this season and this matchup in Atlanta could be pivotal to see who gets to Charlotte.

Brent Key has had a lot of success in the ACC in his three seasons as the head coach at Georgia Tech, but he is 0-2 against Jeff Brohm. Both the losses in 2023 and 2024 were close though and this might be the most consequential matchup between the two programs in recent memory.

At Clemson (Nov. 14th)

As you can see, these four games all happen in the span of a month and we will know where Georgia Tech stands in the ACC race after this stretch.

The Yellow Jackets finally got over the hump last season, beating Clemson for the first time since 2014 and it was one of the biggest victories of the Key era. The Tigers lost a lot of talent to the NFL and there is uncertainity about whether this is still one of the elite programs in the conference, but Death Valley is still a tough place to play and Clemson still has NFL level players on their roster.

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