Georgia Tech vs Notre Dame: National Analyst Makes Prediction For Saturday's Game

Who will win the matchup between Notre Dame and Georgia Tech on Saturday?

Sep 14, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Zach Pyron (5) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Virginia Military Institute Keydets in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Kickoff for Georgia Tech vs No. 12 Notre Dame is nearly 24 hours away. Coming into the game, both teams are battling injuries and that is going to be a key factor in the game. It was reported today that the Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King is going to be out tomorrow afternoon and Zach Pyron is going to make his first start since the 2022 season. Notre Dame has been dealing with injuries all season, but the latest was to cornerback Benjamin Morrison, a projected first round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Georgia Tech has been a popular upset pick this week, but Bleacher Report's David Kenyon sees the Fighting Irish coming away with a win on Saturday and he picked them this week and had this to say about the game:

"This is a neutral-site matchup—as much as Georgia Tech making the drive to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, can be. Tech's offense is good enough to handle a stout Notre Dame defense, but that margin for error is pretty thin—especially since the Yellow Jackets have been average at best on defense."

Prediction: Notre Dame 33, Georgia Tech 23

In 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."

Additional Links:

Report: Georgia Tech Quarterback Haynes King Won't Play vs Notre Dame

Georgia Tech Football: Three Yellow Jackets & A Position Group to Watch on Saturday Against Notre Dame

Georgia Tech vs Notre Dame: Final Score Predictions