Georgia Tech vs Miami

Georgia Tech vs. Miami

Florida, that is….

This is going to be a game I plan on watching since I am in the middle of ACC country, and well…I LOVE college football…(so there!)

But this is very important because the ACC needs somebody to emerge as a powerhouse and give credit to the conference. Virginia Tech and Florida State dropped the ball all too early, so hopes are hinging on the winner of this game.

To add to this, Georgia Tech is ranked #14 on one poll, and Miami is ranked #20 on the other…this is a top 25 matchup. I saw how Miami beat Florida State, and I saw how Georgia Tech escaped Clemson. I gotta tell you, I think Georgia Tech might be in trouble.

First off, that triple option is a cute gimmick, but it won’t win championships. It’s just hard for me to put faith in a quarterback that, IF he has to pass, makes it an adventure short of the Lord of the Rings. If you have a quarterback that completes on average 4 passes a GAME, this could be problematic.

But you would argue that Georgia Tech went 9-4 last year, so it must be working, right? True, but those Yellow Jackets must hate leaving ATL, because their away games last year were tough. They win by only 3 at Boston College, win by 3 at Virginia Tech, win by 4 at Clemson, lose by 21 at UNC, beat Georgia by 3 and lose to LSU by 35. They fare much better when they are home, especially since they BEAT Miami last year 41-23.

So what’s different? First, they are playing away, which means a much closer game than they want. Second, you have a quarterback that had only 2 passing touchdowns and 5 INTs, with a key running back in Jonathan Dwyer gone, who was an excellent rusher and receiver. If they can’t adjust, this could be a tough night.

So what of Miami? Coming off that win over Florida State got them ranked in the top 20, but many feel that the coach is on the “hot seat”. Winning only 7 games won’t get it done, so there is pressure to win more…preferably the ACC Championship. It does NOT help that Miami has a horrendous schedule the first 4 games.

And the problem with the Hurricanes is that there is no consistency in the team. Of their away games, they lost to Florida (who didn’t), beat Texas A&M by almost 20, beat Duke and Virginia (which happened to be the two worst teams in the ACC in 2008), and lost to Georgia Tech, NC State and California, all away from the confines of their home. Their home games had them beating Charleston Southern, losing to UNC and Florida State back to back, and beating Central Florida, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech.

It’s hard to figure this team out, and with a new quarterback it may be harder. But if home games count for anything, then at least Miami has the comfort of the fans behind them. The interesting thing is that most of Miami’s games don’t end close, not within 6 points or so, meaning they will either dominate…or GET dominated. Remember, they lost to Georgia Tech by almost 20 points last year…in Atlanta.

So who wins? If my keys hold up, the Georgia Tech will have a hard time with Miami, this was not a low scoring team last year, and the problem with such a team is that it may force Georgia Tech to try to pass to keep up…which will certainly end in disaster.

Miami still needs an identity, and with a new QB they can establish that, but it may also be important for Miami not to look ahead to Virginia Tech and Oklahoma. I personally don’t think teams do that, they play who is on that field, but what momentum could it give Miami to win this game and go 2-0. I think it’s quite possible. I give it to the Hurricanes by 8 points.