Miami self-imposes, Tech headed to ACC title game
It took a second-half resurgence, the fallout of a booster gone wild and Virginia Tech’s worst season since 1992, but Georgia Tech is going to the ACC championship game.
A day after most expected the decision to be made public, Miami announced Monday morning that it will self-impose a postseason bowl ban in anticipation of NCAA sanctions in the wake of an investigation into allegations that Hurricanes booster Nevin Shapiro provided players with thousands of impermissible benefits with the knowledge of coaches. The ACC does not allow bowl-ineligible teams to compete for the ACC championship. As a result, Tech will play Florida State for its third ACC title Dec. 1 in Charlotte. Kickoff will either be 7:45 or 8 p.m., depending on the broadcast outlet, either ABC or ESPN.
The Yellow Jackets’ 42-24 win over Duke Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium turned out to be the clincher. Tech’s 5-3 league record cannot be matched by any bowl-eligible team in the Coastal Division.
It is a stunning turn of events. Oct. 6, Tech fell to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC with its third consecutive loss, to Clemson by a 47-31 score. It was the third consecutive game in which the Jackets had allowed 40-plus points, a first in the team’s history. The dismissal of defensive coordinator Al Groh followed two days later.
With division losses at that point already to the Hokies and Hurricanes, Tech’s shot at Charlotte was still mathematically alive, but that seemed about it. For Tech to reach the ACC title game would likely require Virginia Tech to lose four conference games, something the Hokies hadn’t done since joining the ACC in 2004. It would seem to have also required the Hurricanes, whose possible bowl ban had yet to surface, to do likewise.
The Hokies lost to North Carolina to drop to 1-1 that day, and then after beating Duke Oct. 13, lost three consecutive games to drop to 2-4 in the league to give the Yellow Jackets a second chance. Virginia Tech has not had a three-game since 2002. Tech has since remained perfect in the league, defeating Boston College, Maryland, North Carolina and Duke with a loss to BYU mixed in.
It is coach Paul Johnson’s second appearance in the ACC title game in his five years at Tech. Were the Jackets to defeat Florida State – Tech will almost certainly be a heavy underdog to the 10-1 Seminoles – Johnson would become the only coach in school history to win two ACC titles. (The first, in 2009, was vacated by the NCAA as a result of impermissible benefits violations.)
The news sets up an interesting week in the state of Georgia. For the first time, both Georgia and Tech will be playing in their respective conference championship games in the same season. While the game carries heavy meaning, both teams will be playing for more in a week’s time. The Bulldogs may be playing for a spot in the national championship game. Tech will have a spot in the Orange Bowl on the line, a remarkable prize for a season that started so auspiciously.
Johnson may have to make a decision on A-back Orwin Smith, who suffered an ankle injury in the second half of Saturday’s game. After the game, Johnson said he didn’t know if Smith would be available for the Georgia game.
The Tech ticket office will likely make information available soon. Tickets are also available at the ACC’s championship game site here.
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485 comments Add your comment
UGA = Yawn
November 19th, 2012
10:37 am
And the UGA fans talking that we will go to some crumb-dumb bowl aren’t too bright. With Miami and UNC out, we are, at worst, the #3 ACC team in terms of bowls. The #3 ACC team goes to a quite nice bowl and some project it to be against South Carolina! I’m sure we’ll do better against them than the dawgs did.
hahahaha
November 19th, 2012
10:37 am
Yes, they have a chance in fantasy land.
Buddy Landel
November 19th, 2012
10:37 am
I don’t understan why Dwag fans are so pi$$ed.
twilight
November 19th, 2012
10:38 am
alabama lost to a big 12 team. lmao. and sec fans talk smack. you have 2 teams 0-7 in the eastern side of the sec. talk about a weak conference. and bama won’t lose twice in a month. would be funny as hell for uga to lose 2 in a row.
What????
November 19th, 2012
10:39 am
Is this an April Fools Day joke?
Danny Ford
November 19th, 2012
10:41 am
Congratulations to the Georgia Tech football team! You did it without shrubbery on the field & very little ink from the AJC.
Coastal Champs
November 19th, 2012
10:43 am
Mark Bradley’s prediction came true.
yellowfever
November 19th, 2012
10:43 am
So, if Notre Dame loses to USC and UGA beats Tech and Alabama, then UGA will be playing FL. for the NC. You got to be freaking kidding me. Not even the two best teams in their conference. Only in America baby.
Mike
November 19th, 2012
10:44 am
Congrads Tech for yall chance for Championship, but since Maryland is going to B1G, do yall want to go there as well. Just curious about it.
ugastudent
November 19th, 2012
10:45 am
lol tech iz SO BAD their gonna loose
swimdawg68
November 19th, 2012
10:46 am
Hey Tech 90, we played and beat then ranked #2 Florida. Please inform me, has Tech defeated anyone in the top 25? Florida is also ranked in the top 5 in the BCS today, #4. So by saying we played no one is a joke. I would have thought since you were in the class of 90 at Tech you would have become a little brighter over the last 22 years. Quite frankly I’m not surprised.
By the way, Tech will lose by a minimum of 4 TD’s this Sat. Do you really think we are going to let you beat us in Sanford Stadium this Sat? You and your ilk are delusional. You could’t even beat Middle Tenn. on your own field. You gave up 49 points to them, what do you think our offense will do to that WEAK defense of yours? It will be over by the half.
Coastal Champs
November 19th, 2012
10:47 am
Georgia Tech has a lot to play for, knocking off #3 and #10.
Buddy Landel
November 19th, 2012
10:48 am
A lot of assumptions that UF beats FSU on Saturday. UF upset LSU, but other than that, have they really impressed?
Coastal Champs
November 19th, 2012
10:49 am
Deep down, the Dawgs are worried about their next game.
SansWorld
November 19th, 2012
10:49 am
Good for the Jackets.
When face with embarrassing loses, they overcame to make Lemonade out O Lemons I suppose.
They showed character and improvement when many would have given up. They won three in a row to become bowl eligible, when most thought that would be highly unlikely.
In contrast, look at a team like Arkansas (where I live), and WVU, who when faced with adversity, fold.
That said, this team is not a great team, and have played very poorly at points this year. Saying that does not deny that they have acknowledged their failings and improved. Jackets should be unashamedly proud.
Buddy Landel
November 19th, 2012
10:51 am
SEC East “contenders”: UGA defeated Florida, USCe demolished UGA, UF defeated LSU. That’s the season in a nutshell, and since you play in the SEC that gets you in the top 10.
Dawg48
November 19th, 2012
10:52 am
Maryland just joind the B1G.
http://maryland.247sports.com/
AJGT2K
November 19th, 2012
10:53 am
Why don’t all you trolling dwag fans just shut it and be happy that the great state of GA is sending 2 teams to their respective conference championship games this year.
Buzzette
November 19th, 2012
10:53 am
I never understand why UGA fans post on GT articles. And vice versa.
don
November 19th, 2012
10:54 am
just because fla is ranked where they are doesn’t mean they are that good. fsu will beat them by 3 tds.
Born2Buzz
November 19th, 2012
10:54 am
Let’s ruin the Doggies season, then ruin the Noles too, and head to South Beach!
It could happen!!! Wow, never did I think it was possible after the MTSU game. But what the hell.
Consider this...
November 19th, 2012
10:54 am
I think the game this week between my Dawgs and Tech will be closer than most of my fellow Dawg fans expect due to the style of Tech’s offense, but I still think UGA will pull away by 2 or 3 TDs at the end. For you Tech fans, all the talk about Tech’s offense should be tempered by the fact that UGA got a scrimmage against the same style (although not as effective) of offense Tech runs and the Dawgs have won 10 of the last 11. As for the folks saying Tech and/or UGA are “backing into” championships, that’s just dumb. These players go out there and play hard and win ball games, so who cares if some things happen to help them out? A championship is a championship is a championship. I’m proud of the football programs in the state of Georgia, and I wouldn’t mind seeing a 6-6 Tech team beat FSU and leave the BCS heads spinning.
Techie
November 19th, 2012
10:54 am
Gotta love how all the Dawg fans just can’t seem to stay off our articles. You worry about your pounce from Alabama, we’ll worry about ours.
North Ave Killer Beez
November 19th, 2012
10:54 am
Nothing would be sweeter than to beat the dawgs and ruin UGA’s shot at a national title. Far as the ACC Championship goes, they should just let Clemson and FSU go at it again.
GA Tech alum From 1997
November 19th, 2012
10:55 am
Guys,
I love my school, but to go Bonkers over going to the ACC champ game while holding a current 6-5 record is going overboard. We are not even close to being in the Top 45.
AJGT2K
November 19th, 2012
10:55 am
@Buddy… Name a team in the SEC with a more impressive record than UF?
They beat LSU, USCe, and aTm…. There’s 2 top 10 teams in there plus #12 USCe
BuzzKiller
November 19th, 2012
10:55 am
ramblingbuzz 8:50AM….Who woulda thunk it. Those saying GT should decline to play are obviously UGA trolls. I can’t see the Dwags turning down an SEC title game invite with a similar record.
——————————————————————————–
You are right….because they would not be in the game…..SEC will NEVER have a 3 loss team play in championship game……
macrotech
November 19th, 2012
10:56 am
Way to go Tech!!! Props to our players and coaches that never gave up on the season….it hasn’t been pretty, but it’s been one HECK of a ride!!! Let’s go trim some shrubs in Athens this Saturday!!! Go Tech!!!
realistic fan
November 19th, 2012
10:56 am
All 500 Tech fans who actually go to Charlotte should BACK all the way up there on I85. Here is the real senario. You lose to Georgia and FSU and go to a minor bowl with a 6-7 LOSUBG recird. Deal with that.
Buddy Landel
November 19th, 2012
10:56 am
Dwag fans despise it when any team other than theirs gets any “ink”.
Rick James
November 19th, 2012
10:56 am
Funny how backing into a championship game is ok as long as its not Georgia..I hope you win the title game and have to bear the shame of being a 6 and 6 team playing in the Orange Bowl.Best of luck.Hopefully you wont get 70 points hung on you like Clemson last year
Coastal Champs
November 19th, 2012
10:58 am
Georgia Tech 39
Georgia 37
realistic fan
November 19th, 2012
10:58 am
All 500 Tech fans who actually go to Charlotte should BACK all the way up there on I85. This is a embarrassment to the ACC. Here is the real senario. You lose to Georgia and FSU and go to a minor bowl with a 6-7 losing Record. Deal with that.
Rick James
November 19th, 2012
10:58 am
This is why Notre Dame joined the ACC
GA Tech alum From 1997
November 19th, 2012
10:59 am
@North Ave Killer Beez,
I agree.
Buddy Landel
November 19th, 2012
10:59 am
AJGT2K- Agreed, you have played a tougher schedule than UGA, but the fact is they beat UF. How good is UF? Who knows? Are they the 4th best team in college football? No.
BuzzKiller
November 19th, 2012
11:00 am
Coastal Champs
November 19th, 2012 10:49 am
Deep down, the Dawgs are worried about their next game.
——————————————————————–
Yes…..Alabama does worry us….but we have a practice game to prepare
Rhettt
November 19th, 2012
11:01 am
I’ll take “ugly” success over pretty “runnerup” anyday! And, when something is almost a certain, then strange things happen. No one expected Alabama, Oregon and Kansas State to lose games. Beware of Saturday bullpups. Bullpups because Georgia avoided Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M all the same year. Georgia’s record would be different if they had played those three teams.
White&Gold
November 19th, 2012
11:02 am
realistic fan, you mad bro? LOL! All of you Georgia trolls are making this all the more sweeter showing that this bothers you.
5150 UOAD
November 19th, 2012
11:02 am
What is Maryland Thinking? The Under Armor guy is crazy. The ACC should be all over PENN ST.
ATL
November 19th, 2012
11:02 am
@Dawg4Life…Least GT people have a life. All Dawg fans care about is football and getting back to collecting garbage on Monday morning.
Wreck Tech
November 19th, 2012
11:03 am
@Rhett,
LOL! “ugly” is the correct term for Tech’s season. You hit the nail on the head
Coastal Champs
November 19th, 2012
11:04 am
GT is peaking at the right time, UGA and FSU are going down.
Gold Colored Bee Boy
November 19th, 2012
11:05 am
I love my Bees, but not going to Charlotte to watch that game.
BuzzKiller
November 19th, 2012
11:05 am
North ave. faithful
November 19th, 2012 10:33 am
This koolaid klan actually think they are the 3rd best team in the country, you gotta love it!
=========================================================================
No….the voters do…you know ….people like coaches and writers that follow teams much closer than you
5150 UOAD
November 19th, 2012
11:05 am
Rick James
November 19th, 2012
10:56 am
Funny how backing into a championship game is ok as long as its not Georgia.
============================================
How is TECH Backing into the ACC CG? Now if Miami beats Duke then yes TECH was given a gift, but if Duke wins then Tech would be going no matter what Miami did.
GTDog
November 19th, 2012
11:06 am
@Buzzette…..I stopped trying to figure that one out a loooong time ago. Honestly? I’d like to see Tech and UGA both at 11-0 when they play each year. For some odd reason (I never attended UGA, graduated from Tech) I’ve just ALWAYS been a Bulldog fan? Go figure…
Dawg48
November 19th, 2012
11:06 am
5150, call me
Orlando Dawg
November 19th, 2012
11:08 am
Congratulations GT…always want the home state guys to do good! Hope you win out after this Sat. in Athens…
Coastal Champs
November 19th, 2012
11:08 am
An ACC sweep
over UGA, Florida and South Carolina will shut some people up.