Georgia Tech's Biggest Challenge This Week? Playing as a Favorite

Georgia Tech has not played well as a favorite under Brent Key

After beating Miami a couple of weeks ago, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key moved to 3-0 against ranked ACC teams on the road, quite the accomplishment for someone who has been the head coach for 14 games. An interesting note about those three games is that Georgia Tech was a three-touchdown underdog in all of those games. Key has a reputation for playing well as an underdog, winning them outright or covering a big spread, but he has only won once as a favorite and failed to cover any game as a favorite. 

That is going to be one of the big questions this week for the Yellow Jackets, as they are 4.5-point favorites this weekend against Boston College. 

Now to be fair, there is not a big enough sample size to discern if Key's team's struggle to play as a favorite, but it is noteworthy when looking at the game this weekend. The Yellow Jackets were a favorite last season against Virginia, but lost in one of the ugliest games of the season. Quarterback Jeff Sims got hurt in that game and the offense could not get going on a chilly Thursday night, resulting in a loss to a bad Virginia Team. Georgia Tech entered this game as a three-point favorite. 

Later on in the 2022 season, Georgia Tech hosted a Miami team that was 4-5 and having a disastrous first season under Mario Cristobal. The Hurricanes were without starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and if Georgia Tech had found a way to win this game, they likely would have made a bowl game. However, Zach Pyron got injured and had to leave the game and four turnovers doomed Georgia Tech in a 35-14 loss. Georgia Tech was a two point favorite in that game. 

Georgia Tech is favored at home this week against Boston College  / Nathaniel Caudell

Fast forward to this season, and Georgia Tech has played in two games as a favorite, but unlike 2022, the Yellow Jackets have bee decisive favorites this year. Against South Carolina State, Georgia Tech was favored by 44 points and while they won handily, they did not cover, but covering big spreads is not an easy task to do in college football. 

The other game that Georgia Tech was favored in this season is one that every Yellow Jackets fan, player, and coach would like to forget. Georgia Tech was a three-touchdown favorite against Bowling Green, but lost 38-27. 

It bears repeating, four games as a favorite is not a big enough sample size to really know if Brent Key's teams are bad when they are favored, but it is a trend and one that the Yellow Jackets are going to have to break in order to not only beat Boston College on Saturday, but to get three more wins and get to a bowl game. 

Georgia Tech vs Boston College kicks off this Saturday at 12:00 p.m. on the ACC Network. 

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