Tech will grace a BCS game, but not THE BCS game
The good news: Georgia Tech should — not could, should — play in the Orange Bowl as the ACC champion. The less-good news: Georgia Tech cannot reasonably aspire to anything better than the Orange Bowl, and there is one game better. It will be played in Pasadena, and it’s for the BCS title.
Tech was ranked No. 11 in the BCS standings announced yesterday, and to play for the BCS title a team must be no lower than No. 2. It sounds overly simplistic to say that for Tech to climb nine spots nine teams would have to lose, but that’s essentially how it is. With the Jackets’ schedule, they aren’t apt to jump anybody ahead of them so long as those teams keep winning.
A few of those teams must lose. Alabama and LSU will meet, and the winner of that game will surely play Florida for the SEC championship. And Southern Cal and Oregon face off this weekend. So that’s three teams ranked above Tech that are guaranteed having one more loss than they do today. But only three.
It’s unlikely Boise State or TCU will lose. (Cincinnati could, though: The Bearcats have West Virginia and Pittsburgh remaining.) And if the current standings suggest anything, it’s that an unbeaten team from a non-BCS league figures to trump a once-beaten team from the ACC.
The Jackets have four games remaining in their regular season. They’ll be favored in each. The cumulative record of those four teams is 14-16. Not one is ranked. Nothing Tech does in those four games is going to impress anyone the way, say, Oregon beating Southern Cal or LSU beating Alabama would. The meat of Tech’s schedule is behind it, and even the ACC title game in Tampa figures to offer no heavyweight opposition. Every Atlantic Division team holds at least three losses.
Put simply, a once-beaten conference champion from the Big 12 — say Texas loses to Oklahoma State this Saturday but then wins out — or the Pac-10 would surely shade Tech in the final rankings. The ACC has lost cachet by the carload these past few seasons, and history teaches that the teams extended the benefit of the BCS doubt are those that have already caught someone’s eye. (Think LSU in 2007, which was ranked No. 1 twice only to lose and still wound up the national champ.)
For all its splendid work, Tech isn’t yet in the top 10. The guess here is that it will be somewhere around No. 5 come Dec. 6, the day the final BCS standings are revealed, and that in the grand scheme is really good. (The obvious assumption is that Tech won’t lose again this calendar year, which it shouldn’t.) But the BCS will never be a truly grand creation simply because different teams and different leagues are held to different standards.
Were Tech still in the SEC with its one loss, it would stand a fighting chance to reach Pasadena. Because it plays in a conference that has lost whatever sheen it once possessed, it has next to no chance. Sad but true.
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378 comments Add your comment
Tech Fan
October 29th, 2009
3:52 pm
If I were UGA fans I would be a little more concerned about winning and less concerned about GT. UGA needs more wins just to become bowl eligible. If they are not careful they could do something that GT has not done in a long time and that is not make it to a bowl game. Something to think about.
UGADAWG
October 29th, 2009
5:28 pm
Tech Fan, I wouldn’t call 2 Humanitarian Bowls, an Emerald Nut Bowl and a Seattle Bowl real bowl games would you? Has Tech ever made a BCS Bowl game. The closet they came was going to the Gator and Chick Fil A bowls and got they tails kicked by W. Virginia and LSU. UGA might not go to a bowl this year, and if they do it might be the Music City or Liberty, but I will take the 3 Sugar Bowls, 2 Capital One Bowls, 2 Outback Bowls any day over the Silcon Valley Classic. Oh, and the last time UGA went to the Musica City Bowl, 2001, the next year, SEC Champs a Sugar Bowl win over that once proud FSU team and a #3 National ranking.
KJ
October 29th, 2009
9:02 pm
I would love to see Alabama or Florida get GT in a BCS bowl. GT would suffer another total beatdown and humiliation in front of the whole country. The ACC is a total joke this year. What other conference in America has an entire division of teams with 3 losses or more.
GT all the way
October 29th, 2009
9:40 pm
UGA fans love to live in the past but dont see the future ahead of them. I keep reading stories about how UGA football players keep getting arrested for dumb violations. I believe the jackets have a opportunity to prove themselves and as the running story has been this year GT has been defying history ever since they beat them DAWGs in Athens last year. I dont really care what happened in the last 8 years but as of right now UGA is weak in comparison to the ‘mighty’ SEC conference. The SEC conference cant even keep a time clock running throughout all of the games and the refs are so bias that they already know who is gonna win before the game starts. Either it is the beginning of the end for UGA or the end of the GT trash talking from the UGAy fans.
THWG!!
Nate
October 29th, 2009
11:06 pm
atl xmen – You need to get a life and get off the Tech boards. Loved your little prediction about Tech falling apart in the next couple years, how about you just go shove it and go screw yourself. GT is up, why can’t you grow up (and grow a pair while you’re at it) and just congratulate Tech on having a great year. I have some friends that are UGA students and I personally have nothing against the pups, but it’s people like you that make it hard for the rest of us.
GT General Leonard Wood
October 29th, 2009
11:12 pm
The guy that talks about Tech winning 12 times in 45 games. Its all about today. Just like your boss “What have you done for me lately?” People dont remember the past, just the presnt and what will happen in the future. Go Jackets!!
Foster M.D.
October 30th, 2009
11:38 am
OK you Dawg fans.. Who has won more National Championships? UGA or GT.. Thats right GT.. Not only have we won more, but we were the last one of the two, to win one.. And we won one both as an ACC team, And an SEC team… Get back on the porch, and lick your wounds.. Your gonna need to be healed before your next encounter with the Jackets..
GT Orange Bowl Bound
October 30th, 2009
10:45 pm
The history of the teams has nothing to with Tech going to a BCS Bowl while UGA ends up in the Toilet Bowl. But if we’re talking about history:
UGA has 2 National Championships, TECH HAS 4!!
MarkTheTech Fan
October 30th, 2009
11:01 pm
As usual, the dawg {sic} fans continue to live in the past. Herschel is dot in the past. NOW is all that matters…..TECH IS THE SUPERIOR TEAM.
On_the_move
October 31st, 2009
11:58 am
GO JACKETS!
On_the_move
October 31st, 2009
12:01 pm
Mark B is a DOUCHE!
GTFan
November 1st, 2009
9:14 am
I love these comments from UGA fans….especially about “someone has to keep the press honest”. Are you kidding me? UGA gets more press in this state than anyone. Why??? Most of the “Journalists” in the state majored in “Journalism” at UGA. *DING*! Whatever. At any rate…I think most Jacket fans would agree that GT will not be playing in the NC this year. For GT to climb the ladder to the Orange Bowl would simply be a phenomenal year! Why does the AJC (Based in Atlanta I might add..right next door to GT)…feel it is necessary to write a column that basically says…GOOD JOB TECH…but not quite good enough.
Quotes:
‘The good news: Georgia Tech should — not could, should — play in the Orange Bowl as the ACC champion. The less-good news: Georgia Tech cannot reasonably aspire to anything better than the Orange Bowl’
‘The ACC has lost cachet by the carload these past few seasons’
‘For all its splendid work, Tech isn’t yet in the top 10.’
Ah…but now we get to it!…..
‘Were Tech still in the SEC with its one loss, it would stand a fighting chance to reach Pasadena’
OF COURSE…if we were only in the SEC… what a sad mistake we made years ago to leave such a hallowed football conference. Forget that there ARE other sports like Basketball and Baseball. Oh..and ..dare I say…shhhhhh don’t tell anyone….ACADEMIC INTEGRITY.
How about an article that shows the growth of the ACC into a powerful conference? There are 3 teams in the top 25 this year. How about something about Paul Johnson’s transformational season? (Oh..wait..that goes against all the articles about his gimmick offense…). I’m just sayin’. C’mon AJC…give a little more love to the home team.
This article seemed like an olive branch soaked in gasoline
Helluva Engineer
November 1st, 2009
10:18 am
Thanks for all the history lessons Dawgs but not one bit of that matters come Nov 28. Full Steam Ahead!
Dawgcatcher
November 1st, 2009
3:30 pm
How nice black helmets and uniforms for the funeral and death of the dawg nation. Bring some coffins and shovels to the tech game.
Joseph Allen McWhorter
November 1st, 2009
8:18 pm
And that is partly why the BCS is a bunch of b.s. Mark. It is like Tech will be penalized just because the SEC is a tougher conference than the ACC. That just isn’t right. This season might just bring the biggest argument for a playoff system to be installed.
Raality Check
November 1st, 2009
9:20 pm
The Jackets first team defense gave up 31 points to Vanderbilt. Even UGA’s hapless defense held them to 10. What will happen if we have to play a Florida, Alabama, Texas or USC in a Bowl game? Face it there are no teams in the ACC of that caliber. I do however, feel sure we could wipe Iowa, Ohio State or any other Big Ten team off the map. The Big Ten is a pathetic joke!!!!
The Georgia Tech Academic Dean
November 1st, 2009
9:22 pm
I just hope we aren’t doing something stupid like changing players grades like we did in 1998-2000 and end up on NCAA probation again.
Joe Hamilton
November 1st, 2009
9:24 pm
Anyone got a doobie?
Bear Bryant
November 1st, 2009
9:25 pm
I don’t care how many games Tech wins they still don’t have any class or dignity and never have.
GT all the way
November 1st, 2009
11:23 pm
Oh come on UGAy fans do you really think that your dawgs are good this year? Your ‘never had a loss in high school’ quarterback just threw 3, that’s right pull out your toes to count them, interceptions. I think Logan Gray might be your savor just like the commercial says “when it comes to Saturday football you can count on Rev. Richt and F-150″. Needless to say I have seen neither this season and as far as Hamilton smokin’ one lets keep them dawggies in check. How come a lineman is completely inept to renew his learners permit is he stupid or completely stupid. It is hilarious to here the CMR is checking licenses now to make sure he doesn’t have to bail out another player. Spare me the BS and actually man up and admit that you are all ashamed and need to get to get a job from a Tech grad. As far as Bear Bryant is concerned his team mopped the floor at your last ‘Blackout’ or do I mean your last funeral before you were prison raped in Jacksonville last night by them Gators. If this is your only outlet to make yourself feel better then I suggest all of the Georgie fans need to go see their Shrink and discuss what is really wrong: You just aren’t as good as you were last year.
Preseason #1 to #2 in the state. 45 – 42. Did you you get your Capitol One credit card with that little bulldog on it last year?
THWG!!
GT all the way
November 1st, 2009
11:26 pm
Oh come on UGAy fans do you really think that your dawgs are good this year? Your ‘never had a loss in high school’ quarterback just threw 3, that’s right pull out your toes to count them, interceptions. I think Logan Gray might be your savor just like the commercial says “when it comes to Saturday football you can count on Rev. Richt and F-150″. Needless to say I have seen neither this season and as far as Hamilton smokin’ one lets keep them dawggies in check. How come a lineman is completely inept to renew his learners permit is he stupid or completely stupid. It is hilarious to here the CMR is checking licenses now to make sure he doesn’t have to bail out another player. Spare me the BS and actually man up and admit that you are all ashamed and need to get to get a job from a Tech grad. As far as Bear Bryant is concerned his team mopped the floor at your last ‘Blackout’ or do I mean your last funeral before you were prison raped in Jacksonville last night by them Gators.
Preseason #1 to #2 in the state. 45 – 42. Did you you get your Capitol One credit card with that little bulldog on it last year?
THWG!!
GP Burdell
November 1st, 2009
11:46 pm
Dawgs,
Just wondering, but did Tim Tebow do the proper thing and serve you breakfast Sunday morning? After the wonderfully horrible things he did to you it would only seem fair.
GP Burdell
November 2nd, 2009
12:03 am
…and one more thing, lets not get ahead of ourselves Tech fans (lest we sound like fans of that place in Athens). I fell out of my seat laughing at Lou Holtz during week one when he screamed: “Notre Dame WILL play in the National Title Game this year!” Worry about the ACC this year AND next year. We’ll see what position we are in to talk about the title this time next year.
Bulldogs, try to find your way back to your own blog.
Eagle-Jacket
November 2nd, 2009
12:26 pm
Tech can wait until next year for the BCS title game. But what about the dogs? Another season like 2009 would be a real poke in the eye! Pun intended.
fuzzybee
November 2nd, 2009
1:27 pm
I think that GT’s SEC record this year is significantly better than UGA’s. And soon to be 3-0!
Garett
November 3rd, 2009
1:09 pm
How come UGA fans brag on the past so much?? You beat Chan Gailey and Reggie Ball… C’mon now?? Everyone knows they were the demise of Tech Football for all those years. New Coach New Scheme New Players… NEW IMAGE!!!! Get over the past and look at the future and where YOU stand… Not looking too great for the Bullfrogs. On the other hand Tech… #10 in the nation… only loss to Miami on their 3rd game in 13 days on the road. Looking alot tougher than UGA this year and years to come.
DBH
November 4th, 2009
10:34 am
You UGA fans crack me up, talking about how “lucky” GT is to not be in the SEC – and with Joe (freaking) Cox as your QB?! Are you kidding me?! ROFL!!!
don
November 9th, 2009
7:46 am
canes beat yellowjackets