Georgia Tech Football: Updated Bowl Projections for the Yellow Jackets After Defeating NC State

Where is Georgia Tech projected to play this postseason?

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Romello Height (9) celebrates after an interception against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

After beating NC State on Thursday night, Georgia Tech will have its full attention on trying to upset Georgia on Black Friday, but after that, it will be time to find out where Georgia Tech is headed for the postseason. The Yellow Jackets clinchd bowl eligibility two earlier this year when they upset Miami and they are 7-4 heading into their matchup with the Bulldogs. Georgia is 9-2 after beating UMass on Saturday and they also clinched a spot in the SEC Championship courtesy of Ole Miss and Alabama losing yesterday.

While we are still two weeks away from Georgia Tech finding out where they are headed for the postseason, the projections are still rolling in and the Yellow Jackets received some interesting ones today.

At 247Sports, Brad Crawford has Georgia Tech going to Charlotte to play in the Dukes Mayo Bowl against the defending national champions. While Michigan is nowhere near as formidable as they were a year ago and they just clinched bowl eligibility with their win over Northwestern yesterday, they still have elite players on defense and would provide a test. The two programs have met only once before, a 9-2 Michigan victory in Ann Arbor.

At ESPN, analyst Mark Schlabach also has Georgia Tech going to Charlotte to play in the Duke's Mayo Bowl, but against a different opponent. Schlabach has Georgia Tech facing Nebraska, who became bowl-eligible yesterday for the first time since 2016. The two programs have only met once and it is a game that Georgia Tech fans will remember forever. The Yellow Jackets defeated Nebraska 45-21 in the 1991 Citrus Bowl. Kyle Bonagura also has Georgia Tech playing against Nebraska, but not in Charlotte. he is projecting Georgia Tech to go to the Pinstripe Bowl in New York to face the Cornhuskers.

At CBS Sports, Jerry Palm has Georgia Tech in the Military Bowl in Annapolis, MD. Their opponent would be Memphis. The Tigers are 9-2 heading into their final game of the year vs Tulane. This would be the fourth-ever meeting between the programs and Georgia Tech leads the all-time series. It would be their first meeting since 1982.

After beating NC State on Thursday, Georgia Tech is now 7-4 heading into their Black Friday rivalry showdown with the Georgia Bulldogs. The Yellow Jackets have not beaten Georgia since 2016, but this could be the best chance that they have had to knock off the Bulldogs since then and if they were to win, they would put a big dent in the Bulldogs playoff hopes, though they would still have a chance to win the SEC.

It is going to be a big task for the Yellow Jackets though and at Fanduel Sportsbook, Georgia Tech is a 20.5 point underdog next Friday vs Georgia and the total is set at 54.5.

Georgia Tech played Georgia almost as well as anyone did last year. Georgia won 31-23, but the Yellow Jackets were an onside kick away from getting the ball back and having a chance to tie the game up. In 2022, Key had his alma mater within six points of the No. 1 Bulldogs (13-7) in the middle of the third quarter before Georgia finally pulled away. In each of the past two seasons, Key has had this team playing better against the Bulldogs since the last time the Yellow Jackets won in 2016. In 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021, Georgia handled the Yellow Jackets with ease, but they have had to fight for the past two seasons to put Georgia Tech away.

It will be a tall task though. Despite their losses to Alabama and Ole Miss, Georgia has one of, if not the most talented roster in the country and has not lost a home game since being upset by South Carolina in 2019.

Additional Links:

Georgia Tech Football: Yellow Jackets Open as 20.5 Point Underdogs vs Georgia Bulldogs in Rivalry Matchup

ACC Power Rankings: Week 14

Updated ACC Recruiting Rankings: Georgia Tech Has a Strong Grip On The No. 2 Class in the Conference