Upsets are part of college football every year, and expect 2024 to be no different. With the season upon us, betting lines have been revealed and underdogs identified. One underdog that quite frankly did not need a betting line to be identified is the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets who will take on their in-state rival Georgia Bulldogs in the rivalry known as “clean, old-fashioned hate.”
The Bulldogs have won two national championships the last three seasons, while the Yellow Jackets have only had three winning seasons since 2015. The Yellow Jackets have not defeated the Bulldogs since 2016. Do not be surprised if 2024 is different however.
Why will the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets beat the Georgia Bulldogs in 2024?
1. Brent Key
Head coach Brent Key has had buy-in from Yellow Jackets players since his days as an assistant on the staff. After the firing of previous head coach Geoff Collins, Key led the Yellow Jackets to a 4-4 finish in 2022 with the interim tag. His success led to the team naming his as the permanent head coach heading into the 2023 season.
Key coached the Jackets to their first winning season since 2018 with a record of 7-6 this past year. 2024 will be Key’s second full season with the club. And with all of the production returning, expect an improvement in 2024.
2. 17 starters returning
With 17 returning starters, the Yellow Jackets will have one of the most experienced groups in college football. This included most of the offensive line, leading rusher Jamal Haynes and their top-two wide receivers in Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton.
The name that should be most mentioned is arguably more important than any other, and that is starting quarterback Haynes King.
3. Haynes King
After transferring from his home-state Texas A&M Aggies after three seasons, King had his first full season as a starting quarterback in 2023 for the Yellow Jackets. He threw for 2,842 yards and 27 touchdowns through the air, while rushing for another 737 and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
With all of the returning talent around him and more experience under his belt himself, King should only improve in 2024.
4. More to play for
With the expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams, this gives schools with more than one loss a chance. And it is safe to assume that the Yellow Jackets will be in that group. If the Yellow Jackets go into the contest with three or fewer losses, they could be playing for a chance at a playoff berth, which would heighten any teams level of motivation, despite the game being played in Athens in 2024.
Even if they are playing for less than a playoff berth, there is a strong chance the Yellow Jackets will be playing for more than they have been in awhile given their lack of success until Key arrived.
5. Georgia’s tough schedule
The Bulldogs are well aware that an SEC schedule is quite the grind and their schedule is ranked as the 13th toughest in the country in 2024. The Bulldogs have road trips to SEC opponents Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss all before playing host to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on rivalry weekend, which is the last weekend of the regular season the day before Thanksgiving.
After having gone through a full SEC schedule, the Bulldogs will inevitably be more banged up than the beginning of the season. Sure, the Yellow Jackets will be as well, but the ACC is not the same level as the SEC.
All of these factors should be something fans are on alert for heading into the matchup between the two rivals. The tide has to turn at some point. And given the points above, I would not be surprised if it is this year.