Georgia Tech Football: Yellow Jackets Receive Two Expert Predictions To Upset Notre Dame On Saturday

Georgia Tech will face No. 12 Notre Dame on Saturday at Mercedes Benz Stadium

Oct 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Syeed Gibbs (16) forces a fumble by North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Nate McCollum (6) in the fourth quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

One of the best games on Saturday takes place in Mercedes Benz Stadium between Georgia Tech and Notre Dame. The Yellow Jackets come into this game 2-0 since their bye week and 5-2 overall and are flying a little bit under the radar coming into this game. The Fighting Irish on the other hand are ranked No. 12 and hoping to win out and get into the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame is also a team that has suffered a lot of injuries this season, the latest being to star cornerback Benjamin Morrison, who is out for the rest of the season.

Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key has been good at coaching his team as an underdog and has won multiple games as an outright double-digit underdog. He is going to have to pull that off again on Saturday when facing Notre Dame, but the Yellow Jackets are starting to pick up some predictions to pull the upset. On the latest episode of Inside College Football on CBS Sports Network, former college football coach Rick Neuheisel and College Football Hall Of Famer Randy Cross picked Georgia Tech over Notre Dame as their upset pick this week.

.@AaronTaylorCFB and @JonesN4mo share the throne this week 👑

ICF upset picks for Week 8:@AaronTaylorCFB - Georgia over Texas@JonesN4mo - North Texas over Memphis @randycrossFB - Georgia Tech over Notre Dame@CoachNeuheisel - Georgia Tech over Notre Dame pic.twitter.com/QS1sQ4Y2VY

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 16, 2024

This is going to be the best team that Georgia Tech has played all season and Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key shared his thoughts about the Fighting Irish on Tuesday and was especially complimentary of how their defense plays:

"So we're excited to play and we've got to prepare this week. And in order, we've got to prepare in a big way in order to play a big game. It is what it is. So the talented football team, we're getting ready to play. So Marcus has done a really good job there. He's been there for three years now. And his tenacity as a player, when he was a player, and as a defensive coach, you see that in the team. They are in the top, you know, the top, I think almost every defensive category, you know, they're going to run the football. They're a run first team. Got a really good quarterback. He's good at throwing the football as well as good, good with his feet. Very similar to our quarterback in what he does and what he can do. Probably a little more designed quarterback runs in the open field on normal downs than us. But they have a, they have a big offensive line. they're young, they have some guys in there that are getting, you know, playing for the first time this season. You see them each week come together more and more, and become more of a cohesive unit. So we're excited to play them. We're excited to, you know, play at Mercedes-Benz and excited to have our fans there, excited to have our student body come over and, you know, mile down the road and be able to be a part of the outcome of this game. And I know they will. We're excited about it, and can't wait to go play. We've got a lot of work between now and then to get done.

They've got good players and a good scheme. They're not an ultra-complicated scheme. They have enough compliments within their scheme to where it looks the same then they'll blitz out of or send pressure out of it, tweaks in the coverage. But at the end of the day, they're going to line up, play four down, and then they're going to play man coverage and challenge you at the receiver's spot, make you throw on time, try to limit the run game with the extra hat in the box. And they got good players doing it. So obviously, you know, the head coach is a defensive coach, but they have one of the better defense coordinators in the country, and Al Golden, you know, calling the defense. And, you know, I don't know him personally, But people I'm very close to that I respect a lot and know played for him and know what type of coach he is. And you see the tenacity and the defense and then take on that personality as well."

Key also was asked about the health of quarterback Haynes King and this is what he had to say:

"Yeah, he's day to day. We've got a lot of guys that are banged up right now. Played a physical game, 60 minute game game on Saturday. That's what this time of year is. This time of year everybody's playing in September and early September. Everybody's rocking and rolling and expecting the best. And then if you still get to the point we are right now in the season and you have things to play for, that's a blessing. And it's what we want. But are we banged up? Yeah, we're banged up. And we have several guys who will be day-to-day. We'll make a decision at game time whether they go or not."

Georgia Tech vs Notre Dame kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday and will be televised on ESPN.

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