Georgia Tech 2016 Yellow Jackets NCAA Football Preview
GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS
Atlantic Coast Conference – Coastal Division
2015 Record – 3-9
ATS – 3-9
2016 MEGALOCKS Opening Power Rating Rank
Atlantic Division #6
Conference #11
2015 Recap
The Yellow Jackets failed to make a bowl appearance for the first time in Paul Johnson’s 8-year tenure. After beating Alcorn St and Tulane to open the season, Georgia Tech could only muster one additional victory, an improbable last second victory vs Florida St. Yes, they lost a lot of close games to some pretty good teams, but they will need to be a lot better this year if they want to make a bowl game.
2016 Preview
OFFENSE
The offense could not get untracked last season. The offensive line was a mess and there was just no consistency. The Yellow Jackets were also sorely lacking explosive plays in the running game. QB Justin Thomas had a really tough season but it is not fair to put it all on his shoulders. There is a good chance he returns toward his 2014 form when he led Georgia Tech to the ACC Title Game but it all starts up front. Unfortunately, the OL still appears to be a major concern heading into 2016. If this unit does not take a big step forward it is probably going to be a struggle most of the season.
The good news is that Georgia Tech returns some potential at the skill positions. They return three RBs that averaged over 7.5 yards per carry last season including their leading rusher Marcus Marshall. They also have a couple of WRs back in the fold who averaged over 20 yards per catch. If the OL does a better job, there is no doubt Georgia Tech can be more explosive in 2016. Time will tell.
DEFENSE
We have serious concerns about this unit. The defensive line looks pretty good and should be fine against the run. The biggest issue is the combination of lack of pass rush and the rebuilt secondary. The Yellow Jackets recorded a paltry 14 sacks last season (ranked last in the ACC in sacks per game) and only picked off 9 passes all year. Georgia Tech faced some pretty good passing teams in 2016 and if they do not generate a much better pass rush it appears clear they will get torched on a regular basis.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Yellow Jackets return PK Harrison Butker who can hit bombs from long distance but his accuracy is a bit of a question mark. The Rod returns at P and Georgia Tech was only ranked 97th in the country in net punting. We are not crazy about the return specialists.
MEGALOCKS ATS Value Rating (10) 3.5
MEGALOCKS says:
There are enough winnable games on the docket for Georgia Tech fans to expect another bowl appearance this season. However, it seems to us that there are too many holes on this team to expect a trip to the ACC Title Game. They will have to get off to a good start because three of their final four games are road tests against North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Georgia.
Overall, we give the YELLOW JACKETS a 3.5 ATS Value Rating (Below Average) this season. We really hope we are wrong about our prediction. Watching the Georgia Tech offense hum in 2014 with Justin Thomas was really entertaining. Maybe they can get back to that level? They have surprised us before. Realistically, we cannot endorse Georgia Tech as a season-long value play until we get a good look at how the offensive line is performing. Paul Johnson has recorded 10-4 and 3-9 ATS records the past two seasons and we think something closer to the latter is more realistic in 2016.
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