Georgia Tech vs Georgia Listed As One Of The Top 10 ACC Non-Conference Games Of 2024 (2024)

While Georgia Tech has not beaten Georgia since 2016, this upcoming year is the best chance the Yellow Jackets have had to end that streak in a while.

Now, Georgia Tech played Georgia almost as well as anyone did last year. Georgia won 31-23, but the Yellow Jackets were an onside kick away from getting the ball back and having a chance to tie the game up. In 2022, Key had his alma mater within six points of the No. 1 Bulldogs (13-7) in the middle of the third quarter before Georgia finally pulled away. In each of the past two seasons, Key has had this team playing better against the Bulldogs since the last time the Yellow Jackets won in 2016. In 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021, Georgia handled the Yellow Jackets with ease, but they have had to fight for the past two seasons to put Georgia Tech away.

In a recent ranking of the top 10 ACC non-conference games for the 2024 season, 247Sports analyst Grant Hughes had Clean, Old Fashioned Hate at No. 10:

"This is one of the best Georgia Tech teams in years, but it faces an uphill battle for bowl eligibility against an absolute gauntlet in 2024. The Yellow Jackets have a brutal non-conference slate that features clashes against college football elites, Notre Dame and Georgia. The Fighting Irish will present the Yellow Jackets with a ton of problems in Atlanta on Oct. 19, but Brent Key and Co. won't be a bigger underdog in any game than at rival Georgia in the regular-season finale. Georgia hasn't lost at home since 2021 and hasn't fallen to its in-state foe since Barack Obama was in office.

Georgia Tech is the only ACC team in our toughest overall schedule ranking, and it ranks No. 6 overall."

This game is one of the most underrated rivalries in the sport and it might not mean more to anyone than Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key.

From our own Rohan Raman:

"He went in a different direction when discussing Georgia football.“There’s nothing I hate more.... It’s probably the only thing I actually hate,” Key said. “When I say hate, like, truly despise everything about it. I really do.”

It is clear the pain of losing that November game have not subsided for the second-year head coach."Three minutes and 31 seconds with three timeouts left, we’re down by eight,” Key said. “Muff the onside kick, get (Georgia) to third-and-3, they run a toss sweep...two inches away from making that tackle. I think about it every day...We talk about it every day."

For some perspective, it is worth comparing the answer Key gave to the one his predecessor, Geoff Collins, gave when asked about the rivalry prior to his first game against them in November of 2019.“We’re completely focused on ourselves,” Collins said at the time. “We understand the program that we’re going against— great players, great coaches and a great venue— but it’s all about us and getting ourselves wired and ready to go." Under Collins, there was an urgency to get the Georgia matchup "back on the national stage".

So far, it appears that Key's teams have gotten that message in a way that Collins was never able to capture. Although Georgia Tech has still not snapped their six-game losing streak against Georgia, losing 14-37 to the eventual national champions and 23-31 to a team that nearly made the College Football Playoffs last year shows signs of progress. Even in that 14-37 loss, Georgia Tech was only down 10-7 at half.

It is statements like the one that he gave on Wednesday that have played a big role in the buy-in Brent Key seems to have achieved. He comes across as the four-year starting guard who went 3-2 against Georgia because that is who he is. No, it does not mean that success is guaranteed. Georgia Tech is projected to have one of the toughest schedules in the country. Last year's meltdowns against Bowling Green and Boston College are proof enough that Key has work to do. However, he is fully cogniscient of the type of team he needs to build in order to see growth in 2024.

“Our goal as a team is to, every game, line up and dominate our opponent and make them quit. To absolutely make them quit,” he said. “When you can do that....there’s not a more fulfilling feeling in the entire world.”

To be a team that forces others to quit, there has to be very little quit in the team itself. That starts with the coach - and based on his comments, Brent Key certainly is not going to quit bringing his passion and hatred for Georgia into his efforts as the head coach."

Georgia Tech vs Georgia Listed As One Of The Top 10 ACC Non-Conference Games Of 2024 (2024)

FAQs

Who is Georgia Tech's biggest rival? ›

It is an American college football rivalry between the Georgia Bulldogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The two Southern universities are located in the U.S. state of Georgia and are separated by 70 miles (110 km).

Has Ga Tech ever beat UGA? ›

Georgia owns the all-times series lead over Georgia Tech. Georgia has 70 wins, 39 loses, and five ties in the 114 game series history.

Is Georgia Tech ACC or SEC? ›

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
UniversityGeorgia Institute of Technology
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
NCAADivision I (FBS)
Athletic directorJ Batt
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Which school is better, UGA or Georgia Tech? ›

If you lean towards STEM degrees and a career-oriented education, Georgia Tech may suit you better. However, if you're interested in a broader range of majors and a lively, traditional college experience, UGA could be a perfect fit. Good luck with your decision!

What do Georgia Tech students call themselves? ›

Though the Institute's athletic teams are known as the Yellow Jackets, the life-size insect named Buzz didn't step onto the scene until 1981. For more than 100 years, the students at Georgia Tech have been referred to as Ramblin' Wrecks.

Was Georgia Tech ever good at football? ›

Georgia Tech won national championships in 1917, 1928, 1952, and 1990. The Yellow Jackets also have won championships in four different conferences, including three in the old Southern Conference, five in the Southeastern Conference, and two as part of their current membership in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Who is favored Georgia or Georgia Tech? ›

Georgia is favored by 24 points in the latest Georgia Tech vs. Georgia odds, while the over/under is set at 60 points, per SportsLine consensus.

Has GA Tech ever won a national championship? ›

The Yellow Jackets claim four national championships across four decades. Of these however, Georgia Tech's only consensus national championship was in 1990, when the team finished No. 1 in the Coaches' Poll. The program has also won 16 conference titles.

Why is GA Tech not in the SEC? ›

Georgia Tech left the SEC because the conference wouldn't modify the so-called “140 rule,” which permitted schools to give a maximum of 45 football and basketball scholarships per year, but only 140 total.

What is Georgia Tech's best sport? ›

What sport is Georgia Tech known for?
  • Football is the most popular sport at Georgia Tech.
  • Georgia Tech offers eight intercollegiate men's athletic programs, including:
  • The intercollegiate athletic programs for women include:
Jun 18, 2023

Why did Tulane leave the SEC? ›

Longenecker was not wrong about Tulane's position as a prestigious national university and the fact that its football program suffered tremendously in the SEC over its final 14 seasons. Tulane's decision to leave came because administrators decided the school was no longer an athletic powerhouse.

Who is Georgia's number 1 rival? ›

The Florida–Georgia football rivalry is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the University of Florida Gators and the University of Georgia Bulldogs, both members of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference.

Who is Georgia's rival school? ›

Georgia Bulldogs football
RivalriesAlabama (rivalry) Auburn (rivalry) Clemson (rivalry) Florida (rivalry) Georgia Tech (rivalry) South Carolina (rivalry) Tennessee (rivalry) Vanderbilt (rivalry)
Heisman winnersFrank Sinkwich – 1942 Herschel Walker – 1982
Consensus All-Americans41
Current uniform
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Who is Georgia State's biggest rival? ›

The Georgia Southern–Georgia State rivalry, also known as Modern Day Hate, is a college athletics rivalry between the Georgia Southern Eagles and Georgia State Panthers. Both schools are members of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC).

Who is Georgia SEC rival? ›

In addition to natural in-state rival Georgia Tech, the Dawgs have fought numerous border wars through the years against Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, Clemson and, yes, even South Carolina (especially during Spurrier's years in Columbia).

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