Could the Yellow Jackets be a good bet in Week 1? Geoff Collins, the head coach of the Georgia Tech football team, is sitting squarely on the hot seat. One of the things which concerned Georgia Tech fans at the very start of Collins’ tenure three years ago was that he represented a clean break from the triple-option offense used by former Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson.
Tech fans loved Johnson and liked the fact that the triple-option was a very difficult offense for opposing teams to prepare for. It was fine if the new coach was going to be really good; Collins hasn't been nowhere close to good. That's why he is in big trouble entering this year and has to do something significant – at the very least, make a bowl game – to retain his job.
If he doesn’t make a bowl game, he’s toast, and Tech will look for a new head coach in December. Let’s see if the Yellow Jackets can take a big step forward and save their coach’s job.
How The Team Changed This Offseason
Tashard Choice, the running back coach who once played in the NFL and was viewed as a rising young coach in the industry, left Collins’ staff and went to the University of Texas. Choice is regarded as a quality recruiter. There is a sense that the Yellow Jackets’ ability to pull in top offensive players just took a hit.
There were no particularly big changes on the roster of players, but that’s not necessarily a good thing since the 2021 players weren’t very accomplished.
Georgia Tech Will Be Successful If…
The offensive line improves. This is the part of the team which has to make significant progress. It is true that the quarterback position needs to be a source of greater production and fewer mistakes. It is also true that the Yellow Jackets’ skill players did not make the impact in 2021 that they could have or should have. However, it remains that the offensive line is the biggest reason why the offense has fallen short. Improvement at this position group will increase the program’s margin for error. Offensive line was such a strength under Paul Johnson; it has not been a strength under Geoff Collins.
Georgia Tech Will Disappoint If…
The defensive line does not get pushed around. Georgia Tech has talent and speed, but interior line play is a cornerstone component of any good football team. The Yellow Jackets don’t appear to have enough of it to rise to the upper echelon of the ACC. The line play for this team has to evolve if the Yellow Jackets are going to make a bowl game.
The One Best Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Bet Is…
Week 1: Georgia Tech +19 vs. Clemson
Lots of people are going to take Clemson to blow out the Yellow Jackets at the best betting sites. However, this is a Week 1 game in which football teams work out the kinks on their roster. Georgia Tech won’t score much, but its defense has a chance to contain a Clemson offense which sputtered a lot in the 2021 season. Georgia Tech isn’t likely to win, but it can keep the score relatively close. Think 24-13 or 20-7 in this game.
