While The Schedule Is Tough, Georgia Tech Football Has An Opportunity For Fast Start Before A Brutal Final Stretch

There is not an easy part of the schedule for Georgia Tech Football entering the 2024 season.

The Yellow Jackets come into the season with one of the toughest schedules in the whole country and arguably the toughest in the ACC. They have matchups with Georgia, Notre Dame, Florida State, Miami, NC State, Louisville, and Virginia Tech, teams that will likely start the year in the top 25. The Yellow Jackets are bringing back one of the league's top offenses and are hoping that an overhauled defensive staff and transfer portal class will improve one of the nation's worst defenses and make this team a darkhorse ACC contender.

I have writted that the toughest part of the schedule for the Yellow Jackets is the final five weeks, when they have a neutral site game vs Notre Dame, travel to Virginia Tech, host Miami and NC State, and travel to Athens to play Georgia. While that might be the toughest stretch on their schedule, the early portion of the schedule is the on the Yellow Jackets need to take advantage of. Problem is, it is still full of challenges.

Let's dive into it.

Georgia Tech is starting the season off with the premier game in the country in week zero, a matchup with defending ACC champion Florida State. The Seminoles are losing a ton of talent from last year's championship team, but Mike Norvell has shown he can reload through the transfer portal time and again.

According to odds on Caesar's Sportsbook, Georgia Tech is going to be a 13.5-point underdog against the Seminoles.

That is going to be a huge test for Georgia Tech next fall. The Yellow Jackets might be up for the challenge though thanks to their offense. Quarterback Haynes King, running back Jamal Haynes, and wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr will headline what should be an electric Georgia Tech offense.

I do think that Georgia Tech has a much better chance of winning this game than most realize. Florida State is the more talented team on paper, but there are areas where the Yellow Jackets might have the advantage. I think Haynes King is going to be the best quarterback in this game and having an advantage with the most important position on field is always huge. Georgia Tech's offense is bringing most of its starters back from last season and should be able to hit the ground running in week zero and pick up where they left off when the 2023 season ended.

Tech's defense is going to have to be able to slow down Florida State's rushing attack. I have questions about Florida State's passing attack, but you can count on Norvell having a strong running game on his teams. Georgia Tech was one of the worst teams in the country when it came to stopping the run and if they can't do it in week zero, it is going to be a long afternoon.

Florida State's defense could also pose problems, even for an offense as good as Georgia Tech's. Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones Jr could be the ACC's best pair of pass rushers and FSU might have the ACC's best secondary.

I still think facing the Seminoles in week zero at a neutral site helps Georgia Tech. FSU has a lot of new pieces coming together across the board, while Georgia Tech's offense should be able to hit the ground running. I don't know if I will pick Georgia Tech to win, but they can keep this game close.

After Florida State, Georgia Tech is going to come home to face Georgia State, the first matchup between the two schools.

Georgia Tech is a 20.5-point favorite on Caesars against the Panthers. This is going to be an interesting matchup, with first-year head coach Dell McGee (formerly the running backs coach at Georgia) taking over the program. Will the Panthers be ready to challenge the Yellow Jackets in this game? We'll see, but I think Georgia Tech is much better on paper and the offense should score plenty of points. The thing I would be interested in seeing is how Georgia Tech plays after the game in Ireland, whether they win or lose. If they win, can they handle the success of beating Florida State and focus the next week? If they lose, can they put the loss behind them and focus on beating Georgia State? This program did lose to Bowling Green as a big favorite last year so they need to prove they can handle being a big favorite. It is safe to say that Georgia Tech needs to win this game.

The next week will be a road test for Georgia Tech in Syracuse. The Yellow Jackets defeated the Orange to clinch a spot in a bowl game last year, but Syracuse has a whole new look to them. They hired Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown and have done a good job of retooling this roster in the portal, getting Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord and other impactful players. Playing Syracuse early in the season is a plus because with a new head coach, a new staff, and a new roster, it could take them time to gel. Playing them on the road is tough, but playing them in week two is better than later in the season. Georgia Tech needs to be able to win this game.

The next week is a home game vs VMI, their easiest game of the season. Georgia Tech should cruise here.

After a matchup with VMI, Georgia Tech heads back on the road to face Louisville. This is going to be the Cardinal's first real challenge of the year when Georgia Tech rolls into town. Jeff Brohm is a fantastic coach, but this team has a lot of turnover going into the season. They lost some of their key transfer portal additions in the spring and Tyler Shough is taking over for Jake Plummer at quarterback, which I don't think is a huge upgrade. Still, the game is on the road, Brohm is an offensive genius, and the Cardinal's defense should be really good. Georgia Tech let this game slip away from them last year and I am sure that will be on their mind.

After a bye week, Georgia Tech hosts Duke and then travels to North Carolina. Both of those games are very winnable. Duke is now led by former Miami head coach Manny Diaz and while the Blue Devils have been a tough team under former coach Mike Elko, they have serious roster questions and because the game is at home, this is a must win for Georgia Tech.

North Carolina is a bit of a mystery going into 2024. They lose quarterback Drake Maye to the NFL and he is likely going to be replaced by former LSU and Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson, which is a big downgrade. The headliner in this game of course will be former Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins being the defensive coordinator for the Tarheels. The game is on the road, but North Carolina might be headed for a slide without an elite quarterback under center for the first time since Mack Brown returned.

Those are the games before the tough stretch of the season begins and there is a chance for a fast start. Games against Georgia State, VMI, Duke, Syracuse, and North Carolina are all very winnable. I am not guaranteeing a win by any means in those games (except VMI), but I think Georgia Tech is better than all of those teams. Can they find a way to split the games against Louisville and Florida State? It is possible. I think Georgia Tech could walk into the game against Notre Dame with a 6-1 or 5-2 record, which would be huge. The final five games of the schedule are brutal, but there is the opportunity for a fast start in the first 5-6 games before things get really tough. Can Georgia Tech take advantage of that?