As Georgia Tech continues the back half of its 2024 schedule, the road will become increasingly treacherous.
Tech has five games remaining this season, four of which are against teams with winning records, three of which are against teams currently ranked in The Associated Press top 12, two of which are one the road and one of which is against a hated rival. The Yellow Jackets’ next five games are against teams who currently are a combined 22-9.
The stretch begins at 3:30 p.m. Saturday when Tech faces No. 12 Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Fighting Irish (5-1) have won four in a row by an average margin of 43.5-10.3.
Notre Dame currently is favored to beat Tech by 8.5 points. According to FanDuel, Notre Dame is -135 to make the 12-team College Football Playoff.
After Tech (5-2) steps out of conference, it goes right back in next week when it will have to prepare for a game in Blacksburg, Virginia, at always-tough Lane Stadium. It’s there that the Hokies of Virginia Tech will be waiting, a team that is only 3-3 (1-1 in ACC games) but was a sexy pick to challenge for the ACC title when the 2024 season began.
Virginia Tech won 31-7 at Stanford on Oct. 5 and has been off until hosting Boston College on Thursday. The Hokies have three losses by a total of 14 points.
Tech has won in its past four trips to Lane Stadium, including a 28-27 triumph in 2022 in one of coach Brent Key’s first games as the program’s coach.
November doesn’t afford any breaks for the Jackets, either. Although Tech plays only three games, two will be against teams who looked poised to be national title contenders.
On Nov. 9, Tech hosts No. 6 Miami (6-0, 2-0 ACC) at Bobby Dodd Stadium (kickoff time has yet to announced). The Hurricanes are at Louisville on Saturday before hosting archrival Florida State on Oct. 26 and then Duke on Nov. 2. Miami is currently +2000 (the eight-best favorite), according to FanDuel, to win the national championship.
Last year, Tech stunned Miami with a last-minute touchdown in a 23-20 win in South Florida. This year Tech has scheduled a pregame concert by Big Boi to help welcome its ACC rivals.
After playing Miami, Tech will get a 12-day break before playing rival North Carolina State on Nov. 21, a Thursday. The Wolfpack (3-4, 0-3 ACC) are having a rough season somewhat because of significant injuries. State has three games between now and its trip to Atlanta, two of which are at home.
Finally, of course, is Tech’s trip to Athens to face No. 5 Georgia on Nov. 29, a Friday. The Jackets have not beaten the Bulldogs since 2016, a stretch of six consecutive losses.
Ahead of the 2024 season, CBS Sports ranked Tech’s schedule as the toughest slate among ACC teams, and VegasInsider placed Tech’s expected win total at 5.5. The Jackets need one victory over the final five to prove that latter prediction wrong.
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