Georgia Tech Picked to Finish 9th In ACC by Athlon Sports

Where will Georgia Tech Football finish in the ACC in 2024?

Nov 25, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes (11) runs the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech kicks off their season in seven weeks when they travel to Dublin to face Florida State in the premier game of week zero. The Yellow Jackets are coming off of a 7-6 season in which they made their first bowl game since 2018 and won their first bowl game since 2018 and they are hoping for more in 2024. They are returning the bulk of one of the best offenses in the ACC and have made this offseason about getting better on the defensive side of the ball. Head coach Brent Key has overhauled his defensive staff and made plenty of new additions through the transfer portal to try and improve on last season.

Despite this, Georgia Tech is being picked to finish in 9th place in the ACC by Athlon Sports. Florida State is being picked to repeat as ACC champions and Clemson and Miami were picked to finish 2nd and 3rd.

With the schedule that Georgia Tech has, it is not unfair to project them to finish around 9th for the upcoming season, but if the defense improves, Georgia Tech could find themselves as a darkhorse contenders in the ACC.

It is no secret that Georgia Tech is going to be playing one of the toughest schedules in the country and it starts with Florida State. The win total for the Yellow Jackets is set at 5.5 wins and yesterday, CBS Sports College Football Analyst Chip Patterson made his predictions for every win total in the ACC and he is taking the under for Georgia Tech:

ses: Florida State, at Louisville, Notre Dame, at Virginia Tech, Miami, NC State, at Georgia

Analysis: "Coach Brent Key deserves a ton of credit for the way the Yellow Jackets battled last season, finishing as one of just five teams in the ACC with a winning record in conference play (5-3). And since there are a ton of pieces back for 2024 (especially on offense), the notion should be that Georgia Tech is poised for yet another step forward. But to actually return to the postseason will require success in more than half of Georgia Tech's toss-up games, some of which are on the road. Under 5.5 wins (-180)"

I still like Georgia Tech to go over, but it definetly won't be easy. There are plenty of challenging road games for the Yellow Jackets, but keep in mind that as an interim head coach and as the head coach last season, Brent Key has shown the ability to get his team to play up to their competition and pull upsets. That is going to be required this season and I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt.