Georgia Tech just missed a spot in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll, finishing second among teams also receiving votes.
Tech’s TaxSlayer Bowl win over Kentucky moved the Yellow Jackets’ from 12th among teams just outside of the Top 25. In the final poll, there were four teams in the Top 25 that were not ranked in the previous poll — No. 20 Miami, No. 22 Tennessee, No. 23 Utah and No. 25 San Diego State.
All four were ahead of Tech going into the bowl games and all four won their bowl games.
The finish is the Jackets’ fourth highest in coach Paul Johnson’s tenure and not bad for a team that was picked to finish sixth in the ACC Coastal Division in the preseason. Tech has finished in the final AP Top 25 three times in Johnson’s nine season — No. 22 in 2008, No. 13 in 2009 and No. 8 in 2014.
The coaches Top 25 poll will be released later Tuesday. The Jackets did not receive any votes in the previous coaches poll and do not seem likely to finish in the Top 25 of that ranking, either.
