The Yellow Jackets have made it to the post-season for 15 years straight but haven’t won a bowl game since 2004. Al Dannity says now is the time for Paul Johnson and Georgia Tech to turn the tide. The Ramblin Wreck take on the Utes in the Sun Bowl.
Rolling along It’s no secret that Georgia Tech’s greatest weapon is the running game. With 316.8 rushing yards per game, this is one of the most effective offenses Paul Johnson has ever produced. Having turned Navy into a force to be feared, Johnson has brought the Yellow Jackets back to the elite in the ACC. A conference title two years ago and a 6-0 start this season did plenty to boost confidence among the faithful. The 2-4 finish to the season, including a division deciding loss at Virginia Tech and a rivalry defeat to Georgia, took the wind out of a once promising 2011. There is still one target well within reach for the Ramblin Wreck. Having failed to win a bowl game since routing Syracuse in the 2004 Champ Sports Bowl, the faithful in Athens long for post-season glory.
Welcome to the big leagues Utah’s status as favorites to make the Pac-12 title game didn’t stand up to much scrutiny, despite the dearth of quality (eligible) alternatives. UCLA eventually won the Pac-12 South’s bid and the Utes’ 4-5 conference record was underwhelming. All four of their Pac-12 wins came against teams with losing records, making a demolition of BYU in the Holy War the highlight of the season. The added pressure of playing in a BCS conference will eventually be alleviated by the recruiting advantages of Utah’s move west. In the short-term they will struggle without elite recruits. That makes this bowl game look particularly daunting.
The verdict College Football betting fans know the post-season is a strange beast. Upsets happen but almost always for a reason. Looking at this match-up, I don’t see any advantage that could help the Utes shock the Yellow Jackets. Instead the Ramblin Wreck could be the source of the biggest surprise of this game. Tevin Washington is not known as a quarterback that wins games with his arm. Like so many Johnson products, he wins with his legs. His two best career passing performances however came at the start of the season, games Tech had a long time to plan for. The break between the end of the regular season and this game leads me to believe Washington will be instructed to test Utah with a few deep passes in El Paso. Georgia Tech won’t be balanced but they should mix it up enough to win convincingly against the Utes.
Follow Sports Interaction on Twitter.
