Two Trap Games that Georgia Tech Football Cannot Overlook This Season

While Georgia Tech Football did not face its usual gauntlet of a schedule last season, the Yellow Jackets are no strangers to playing tough schedules, usually among the toughest in the country.

Georgia Tech is going to be playing 11 power conference opponents this season, with eight ACC opponents and a non-conference schedule that includes the annual rivalry game against Georgia, as well as matchups against Tennessee and Colorado at the start of the season.

Everyone knows the tough games on Georgia Tech’s schedule, but what are some potential trap games for the Yellow Jackets this season?

1. vs Duke (Oct. 10th)

Before the transfer portal officially closed, the reigning ACC champions were looking like they were going to be in prime position to make it back to Charlotte. They were going to return the ACC’s best quarterback in Darian Mensah, their top receiver in Cooper Barkate, and have continuity on the coaching staff.

But right before the portal officially closed, Mensah and Barkate bolted for Miami, leaving the Blue Devils with some big holes at QB and wide receiver. Not only that, Que’Sean Brown, another top receiver, transferred to Virginia Tech, and Duke is losing some impact defenders to the NFL and to the portal. They are no longer expected to be among the contenders to make the ACC title game, but that could make them even more dangerous to pull upsets, as thye are going to be overlooked this season.

While I do think Duke is going to be worse (how could they not be?), Manny Diaz has done well at that program, and they are bringing back both coordinators, who have been very successful in Durham.

The game also falls in an interesting part of the schedule. The good news is that Georgia Tech has a bye week before they play Duke, but it could be a look-ahead spot as well. Georgia Tech travels to Virginia Tech the week after, and that could be a massive game in the ACC.

The Yellow Jackets cannot afford to overlook Duke, despite what they are losing from last year’s team.

2. vs Wake Forest (Nov. 21st)

Wake Forest was picked to finish among the bottom teams in the ACC last season, but they overacheived in a big way in Jake Dickert’s first season, winning nine games and almost pulling some upsets along the way.

Once again, Wake is being projected near the bottom of the standings after they lost several key players from last year’s team, but Dickert has shown that he can out perform expectations and this game, while at home this season, is also going to fall at an interesting part of the schedule.

This is going to be the final ACC game for Georgia Tech and they will be coming off of a tough three game stretch of Pittsburgh (road), Louisville (home), and Clemson (road), and of course, they will have their rivalry game against Georgia the next week.

When it comes to both of these games, I think Georgia Tech is the better team and they should win, but if they overlook them, especially with the other big games around them, they are loseable.