The game against Wake Forest will be the most pivotal of the 2023 season for Georgia Tech

Can Georgia Tech take down Wake Forest on the road?

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Publish date:
Sep 20, 2023 5:40 PM EDT

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There is no question in my mind that Georgia Tech has improved this season. They have one of the top offenses in the ACC and the country, quarterback Haynes King has surpassed all expectations since arriving from Texas A&M and currently leads the ACC in passing yards, and the offensive line has allowed only three sacks this season and has helped lead the way for one of the best running games in the ACC.

However, defensive issues and second-half breakdowns have put this team at 1-2 to start the year. Most analysts and Georgia Tech fans would have probably picked that kind of start with Louisville and Ole Miss on the schedule in the first three games so it is not a surprise that this is their record. The Yellow Jackets annually play one of the toughest schedules in the country and this year is no different. Games against Miami, North Carolina, Clemson, and Georgia remain on the schedule, and while the Yellow Jackets appear to be a much better team under Brent Key, they will be at least two touchdown underdogs in those four games.

This makes this weekend's game against Wake Forest perhaps the most crucial game of the entire 2023 season for Georgia Tech.

Eric Singleton Jr, Haynes King, Jamal Haynes — Will Georgia Tech be able to beat Wake Forest on the road?
Nathaniel Caudell

Now I know, it is only the fourth game of the season and statements like that are not always true and seem like an overreaction. However, a 1-3 start to the season with big games left ahead for this team could spell a long season ahead and all of the talk of being improved will quickly fade away with a loss.

The Yellow Jackets have a win against South Carolina under their belt and will likely be favored in three other games the rest of the season. At home against Bowling Green, home against Boston College, and on the road against Virginia are all games that the Yellow Jackets must win in their quest to make a bowl game for the first time since 2018. That would get them to four wins and they would need two more to get to the postseason. Before the season, I had them winning those games as well as the ones against Wake Forest and Syracuse and getting to a bowl game. Those are the games they are going to need.

Now, you can tell me that while Georgia Tech can lose this game against Wake and then upset North Carolina or Miami to still get to six wins, and while anything is possible on any given week in college football, that scenario is far less likely, especially given Georgia Tech's defensive issues. Miami has one of the best offensive lines in the ACC and a tough and physical ground game, which makes for a really bad matchup against one of the worst rush defenses in the country. The Yellow Jackets did beat North Carolina on the road last year, but one of the reasons they did that was because they were able to get pressure on Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye. So far this season, Georgia Tech has one sack and has been unable to create pressure on the opposing quarterback. That is not a good recipe when facing someone as talented as Maye.

ESPN's FPI has Georgia Tech favored against Bowling Green, Boston College, and Virginia the rest of the way. It gives them a 42.4% chance to beat Wake, a 10.9% chance to beat Miami, a 26.7% chance to beat North Carolina, a 13.7% chance to beat Clemson, a 21.2% chance to beat Syracuse, and a 7.4% to beat Georgia. Now, FPI is not the end-all-be-all of anything, but it goes to show how tough things will get for Brent Key's team if they are unable to find a win this weekend.

Wake Forest is still unproven this year, despite their 3-0 record and the talent they have on their team is not so much different from Georgia Tech's. The Demon Deacons are only small favorites at home. For the past few seasons, they have had one of the worst defenses in the ACC and I think they will have a tough time stopping Georgia Tech's offense. The Yellow Jackets have speed at all positions and the offensive line has been opening up lanes for both Jamal Haynes and Trey Cooley.

The biggest key to this game for Georgia Tech is going to be the defense. Wake Forest has always had a tough offense to stop under head coach Dave Clawson and this year is no different with quarterback Mitch Griffis and wide receiver Jahmal Banks being talented players.

With a win, you can have a clear path for Georgia Tech to make their first bowl game since 2018, the last year of the Paul Johnson era. If they lose, it becomes very difficult to see a path forward for this team to get to the postseason without some major upsets and I think that would be a bit of a disappointment. A bowl game should be the team's goal this season and for them to show they have truly improved and taken a step forward, they need to win this game against Wake Forest.