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Oct 26, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Malik Rutherford (8) runs the ball against Virginia Tech Hokies linebacker Sam Brumfield (3) during the third quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images Peter Casey-Imagn Images

ESPN Bowl Projections: Where Is Georgia Tech At The Start Of the Season?

Originally posted on Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on SI
By Jackson Caudell | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Georgia Tech could be ready for a breakthrough season in Brent Key's third season.

The Yellow Jackets return a good mixture of veteran talent while also adding in freshmen from one of the best recruiting classes in program history. They supplemented that talent in the transfer portal with veteran additions in the winter and spring transfer windows as well, and that has fans and analysts alike feeling optimistic that Georgia Tech will be a top-half team in the ACC this season. Can they be something more?

Where could Georgia Tech play this postseason?

ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura released their first bowl projections for the 2025 season, and while Georgia Tech is hoping to make a run at the ACC Championship and potentially more, Schlabach has the Yellow Jackets going to the Gator Bowl on Dec. 27th to face Missouri. Bonagura, on the other hand, sent the Yellow Jackets to the Holiday Bowl, they will face USC. Georgia Tech faced USC in the 2012 Sun Bowl and defeated the Trojans.

This would be the third-ever meeting between Georgia Tech and Missouri. The last time the two programs played was the 1962 Bluebonnet Bowl, won by the Tigers 14-10. Georgia Tech defeated Missouri in the 1940 Orange Bowl 21-7.

This would be the third straight season in a bowl game for Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech is hoping for a big season

It is no secret that college football analyst Josh Pate, arguably the top voice in the sport, thinks Georgia Tech is going to be a good football team in 2025. He has named them a potential first time playoff team earlier in the offseason and on his show Sunday night, he was back with more praise for Brent Key's program, calling them a sleeper to make the college football playoff:

“The ACC is open. You got Clemson and what, Clemson and whomst, if you will? Well, Georgia Tech — they’re not a mystery to me,” Pate said. “If you look up and down the schedule here, question: where else are they a point-spread underdog? … Georgia Tech could be favored in ten of twelve, and the two that they’re not favored in are both in Atlanta. I like them a lot. … So, yeah, I couldn’t be any higher on them.”

Georgia Tech Will Have Early Chance to Show Its Contender Status

Georgia Tech is going to get an early shot at facing the preseason favorite in the conference. Clemson comes to Georgia Tech in week three, and if the Yellow Jackets can pull the upset, they will set themselves up well for the rest of the conference slate. Georgia Tech avoids Miami, SMU, Louisville, and Florida State this season, giving them their most favorable ACC slate on paper in some time. Can they take advantage of it?

As ESPN's David Hale has pointed out, for as many notable wins as Key and the Yellow Jackets have managed to pull out during his tenure, they have not been the most consistent team. Between the two biggest games of the year (Clemson and Georgia), Georgia Tech is going to face Temple, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Duke, Syracuse, NC State, Boston College, and Pittsburgh. They might be favored in all of those games (at Duke and NC State are questionable), but they won't be large favorites. How they navigate those games, plus the opener at Colorado, could be just as telling of this team as their performances against the Tigers and the Georgia Bulldogs.