Ed Note: FP'd. Fun read, thanks! Also, Happy Fathers' Day to all those who plan to dress their daughters in white & gold and teach their sons to yell "To HELL With georgie" like their daddies used to do!
I feel as if every year the ACC predictions are always the same. Virginia Tech takes the coastal even though they lose a stable of players, and FSU takes the whole thing because its always "their year".
Looks like the all of the blogs about the ACC forgot one simple thing, and that thing is Georgia Tech. Yeah last year they might of had their up and down(s), but if you look at Tech's players you'll see a few things that most teams don't have. One of those things are synthetic pot smokers. Tech actually has all of their starters for the first 6 games, and that my friends is why Georgia Tech (remember reading this) will be the dark horses of the BCS title game run. I have methods to my madness. Here are my 2012 Georgia Tech predictions.
@ Virginia Tech 9/3 - Most people look at this game in the off season as an automatic butt kicking of Georgia Tech based off of last year's outcome. One minor detail there...yeah...that was last year. But if they want to look at history on Virginia Tech's first games of the year they will notice something that Va Tech is notorious for doing. That my fellow Americans, is losing. James Madison, ECU, BSU, Bama, etc. And another thing...if you think history is a big part of this...remember in Lane Stadium in 2010 when Georgia Tech was one broken bone away from a victory...I believe the score was 14-7 on their 10 yard line with 2:00 left in the 2nd? Then Tevin came in as a back-up and almost threatened an overtime game in Blacksburg? With Georgia Tech's outstanding and very experienced offense, I believe Paul Johnson will be sure to outsmart Beamer in the first quarter and take jackets down the field on 2, painful to watch if you're a VT fan, touchdown drives. One that takes 45 seconds and one that takes 10:25 minutes. Al Groh has a very talented defense this year, and I think they will get 2 nice stops in the first. This probably wont go as it did in the first, as VT will gain some back in the 2nd. From then on out it's one touchdown and one stop on defense that will do the trick for Georgia Tech as they will slowly start to pull away to upset the Hokies on Labor day, in Blacksburg, 35-21.
vs Presbyterian 9/8 - Well you think this will be a blowout, don't you? Just remember that the Jackets have a shortened week of rest time for this game. Tech's offense will start of slow but will begin to pull away in the second half, leading Tech to a trumping of the young and inexperienced Blue Hose, 55-10.
Rest of the season after the jump!
vs UVA 9/15 - Remember in 2010 when Kansas upset Georgia Tech in Kansas to take away Tech's confidence in their last year with Nesbit? Remember in 2011 when Georgia Tech put up a record breaking 600+ rushing yards on the Jayhawks in revenge? I'm expecting the same thing here against UVA. The Cavs' upset the Jackets in 2011 and basically wrecked what Georgia Tech fans had been calling "the year". The Jackets will be home again for the 2nd week in a row coming off a trumping of the Blue Hose, now sitting at 2-0, will draw a nice rowdy crowd at 3:30 and will embarrass the Cavilers on ESPNU 49-14.
vs Miami 9/22 - For some reason all Tech fans think that this will be a payback game every year, and every year it's always the same result. Lose in an embarrassing fashion home or away. I feel like this is always THAT game Tech loses but at the end of the day Tech fans always say, "it's okay because Miami is very good..." in reality though, that "very talented" Miami team ends up 6-7 or 7-5 every year they lose to them. The only way Tech will win this game is if they score often on very long drives, and not letting Miami get the big play. The big play against Tech is the annoying 25 yard passes over the hash marks, and those 55 yard rushes following the 25 yd pass. Tech wont struggle on defense though in this because of the very athletic and smart defense led by Jemea Thomas and Louis Young. This game will go one of the two ways: Tech stomps Miami, or Miami stomps Tech. Tech will win this one 42-21.
vs MTSU 9/29 - Wait Tech is playing them again? Tech wrecks MTSU in this one in last year's formation by early scoring, or by 2010's formation by making Tech fans start thinking about a Sportscenter highlight of MTSU upsetting Georgia Tech at halftime because Tech is tied 14-14 at half. But then by the end of the 3rd quarter you look up and realize Tech is up 35-14. Whatever way you want it, Tech will wrap up the 3 game series with MTSU in a "get the hell off of my field" fashion 55-14.
@ Clemson 10/6 - I'm going to start off this one by saying this: If this is a night game on ABC and hosted by ESPN'S College Gameday earlier that day, Tech will get trounced in an unimaginable way. Now if this is a 3:30 start time on ESPN 2, Tech will turn some heads. We know what Tech has done to Clemson in the past few years just isn't fair, and I think if Tech can come into this one undefeated and Clemson can start off early with it's disappointing season at 2-2, it's a good possibility that Tech will go into death valley just like in 2004-2012 and make Clemson fans cry. Tech will need Clemson to be coming off of a heartbreaking loss to win this one...and if they do (which I think will happen) Tech will win 21-17. If Clemson comes in at 4-0, Tech will lose 42-7. Tech will catch Clemson while they're vulnerable and make them look dumb like last year, winning 21-17.
vs Boston College 10/20 - I'm guessing Matt Ryan will show up to this one and stand on the sidelines to watch his former team get embarrassed by Tech 31-7. Tech's offense will just be too experienced for the inexperienced and very young Eagles.
vs BYU 10/27 - Honestly I would love to come up with a way that BYU could beat Georgia Tech in this one, but then I realized that I can't. BYU won't be able to stop the option and Tech will trample BYU just like Tech trampled Kansas last year. Tech wins 66-17 and improves to 8-0.
@ Maryland 11/3 - Okay I know it's surprising you that Tech is 8-0 in my books and will be 9-0 after this section, but this is a trap game for the Jackets. If Tech goes into this night game on ESPNU (ESPN and Maryland will put this as a night game on ESPNU to try and draw a rowdy primetime crowd so that they can maybe get Tech to trip up) all cocky and such, the Jackets will get a run for their money and get down early in this game. At the end of the half, Tech will pull themselves together and pull it out in the end because they realized who they are losing to, and win it 31-21.
@ UNC 11/10 - North Carolina will be a team that will struggle in these big games in 2012 due to their new coaching struggles but will be a fair 6-3 coming into this game. Georgia Tech will take advantage of this new coaching and Tevin Washington and the crew will win this one in a "close but understandable" fashion 31-17. If Tech isn't careful though, they could drop this one in a disappointing way, reminding us all of the 2011 game against UVA.
vs Duke 11/17 - Georgia Tech will come into this one worrying about the task of the week after this one. Because of that, the Jackets will struggle early on defense against the very talented QB Sean Renfree. Vad Lee will get some playing time late in this game though because Senior QB Tevin Washington will get the job done in the 3rd, making Tech win it's 11th game 45-21.
@ UGA 11/24 - Well, crazy me somehow has Tech being 11-0 coming into this game. Funny thing is- I have UGA coming into this one 11-0. So yes, this in my books is a battle of the undefeated and leaves lots of pressure on both teams. Honestly, if it were to come down to this, it would be a toss-up. Here's why: As most Georgia fans would say "Tech is only 11-0 because of their weak ACC crap scheduling.." funny thing is, Tech fans can say the same exact things about UGA's scheduling. But in reality, Georgia Tech has a much harder road to 11-0 than UGA. Now here's where my crazy mind makes strategic predictions: UGA plays against less talent than Georgia Tech will in 2012, and will probably blow every team they face (besides South Carolina and Florida) out of the water prior to the Georgia Tech game. The only way Georgia Tech will be able to do something that nobody can even imagine Georgia Tech doing (going 12-0 and beating UGA) the Bulldogs will have to come into this one thinking they will run all over Georgia Tech, because if they do, Tech will run all over them. Other than that scenario, UGA will leave this game 12-0. Georgia Tech's triple option will be stopped very often causing Georgia Tech to give up plenty of points to the very talented offense of UGA led by Junior quarterback Aaron Murray, Running back Isaiah Crowell, and receiving core that is led by wide-out who will have a breakout year, Michael Bennett. Tech will drop this game in a nauseating fashion for a Tech fan 38-30.
The next week Georgia Tech will play Florida State. If it is FSU, that means the Noles are 12-0, if it's not, FSU went 8-4 and Tech will play a dark horse of the Atlantic Division NC State. If Tech did wind-up facing the Noles, Tech will win this one in a very dramatic, overtime game 42-39. If Tech plays NC State, Georgia Tech will take out NC State in the ACC Championship game 31-17.
In a logical and understandable scenario in the 2012 season, Tech will wind up going 9-3, losing games to Virginia Tech, Clemson, and UGA.