Georgia Tech went into their matchup with No. 1 UGA on Saturday night as underdogs by more than three touchdowns.
The main vibe around the sidelines in the 90+ minutes leading up to kickoff from recruits, their parents, etc. was more about could Georgia Tech keep things close, and not about could they actually win the game.
Georgia fans who coach high school football had essentially received free tickets, and in conversations with several of them, they expected the game to get ugly.
"Man I just hope they keep the game close," said one recruit who will remain anonymous. "I've got a ton of friends who are UGA fans, and they've been running their mouths all week."
The expectation was for Georgia Tech to score on the first drive, just like everyone else had on UGA's defense all season.
The expectation was for GT to struggle in the trenches, on both sides, and to look as if they were overmatched in all three facets of the game.
The expectation was for UGA to dominate the stadium, and that despite the game being played in Atlanta that it would end up a home game for Smart and the No. 1 Bulldogs.
Expectations and Georgia Tech don't typically go hand-in-hand, at least in my time around the program the last 5 years.
That didn't change on Saturday.
Georgia Tech put together what is currently tied for the best offensive performance of the season against Georgia's defense, piling up 363 yards of offense including 205 yards rushing.
The offensive line dominated Georgia's front, leading to many more 2nd and mediums instead of the 2nd and 10+ that was expected.
The crowd, at worst, was 55-45. The Georgia Tech fanbase was as loud, and more importantly, as present, as I have seen them in the last five years.
At the skills positions, GT looked far from out of place, as Eric Singleton was the best WR on the field today for either side.
With the Bulldogs resting Brock Bowers, It would be hard to tell Dylan Leonard, Oscar Delp, and Brett Seither apart if you were watching blindly.
The two facets of the game that Georgia Tech looked the most out of place, was special teams and run defense.
Commits, recruits, and parents left Grant Field on Saturday night encouraged, excited, and eager. Eager to see what bowl the team will play in, excited to think about what this program could look like next year, and encouraged by the increased level of support.
A loss is never "good" for recruiting, but not meeting the expectation there was going into Saturday night certainly was.
As Brent Key and his coaching staff begin to put their plan in place for how they'd like to attack the rest of the 2024 class, they do so with some positive buzz around the program.
The dead period begins on Monday and goes til December 1st, and that's when things really heat up. Coaches will be on the road, official visits will take place, and the transfer portal will be alive and well.
Buckle up.
The main vibe around the sidelines in the 90+ minutes leading up to kickoff from recruits, their parents, etc. was more about could Georgia Tech keep things close, and not about could they actually win the game.
Georgia fans who coach high school football had essentially received free tickets, and in conversations with several of them, they expected the game to get ugly.
"Man I just hope they keep the game close," said one recruit who will remain anonymous. "I've got a ton of friends who are UGA fans, and they've been running their mouths all week."
The expectation was for Georgia Tech to score on the first drive, just like everyone else had on UGA's defense all season.
The expectation was for GT to struggle in the trenches, on both sides, and to look as if they were overmatched in all three facets of the game.
The expectation was for UGA to dominate the stadium, and that despite the game being played in Atlanta that it would end up a home game for Smart and the No. 1 Bulldogs.
Expectations and Georgia Tech don't typically go hand-in-hand, at least in my time around the program the last 5 years.
That didn't change on Saturday.
Georgia Tech put together what is currently tied for the best offensive performance of the season against Georgia's defense, piling up 363 yards of offense including 205 yards rushing.
The offensive line dominated Georgia's front, leading to many more 2nd and mediums instead of the 2nd and 10+ that was expected.
The crowd, at worst, was 55-45. The Georgia Tech fanbase was as loud, and more importantly, as present, as I have seen them in the last five years.
At the skills positions, GT looked far from out of place, as Eric Singleton was the best WR on the field today for either side.
With the Bulldogs resting Brock Bowers, It would be hard to tell Dylan Leonard, Oscar Delp, and Brett Seither apart if you were watching blindly.
The two facets of the game that Georgia Tech looked the most out of place, was special teams and run defense.
Commits, recruits, and parents left Grant Field on Saturday night encouraged, excited, and eager. Eager to see what bowl the team will play in, excited to think about what this program could look like next year, and encouraged by the increased level of support.
A loss is never "good" for recruiting, but not meeting the expectation there was going into Saturday night certainly was.
As Brent Key and his coaching staff begin to put their plan in place for how they'd like to attack the rest of the 2024 class, they do so with some positive buzz around the program.
The dead period begins on Monday and goes til December 1st, and that's when things really heat up. Coaches will be on the road, official visits will take place, and the transfer portal will be alive and well.
Buckle up.
