Georgia Tech’s long-awaited hopes for a major postseason run got a big reality check this week. After their tough 16-9 loss to rivals Georgia, it’s clear they won’t be heading to the College Football Playoff. On top of that, it’s a harsh dose of reality for Haynes King’s Heisman run, especially since he’s playing his final season of college football.

On November 29th, right after the game, Haynes King sat down with the press and gave heartfelt thanks to all the Yellow Jackets who believed in him and gave him a chance:

“Tech fanbase, but not even just fanbase, like just the whole Georgia Tech itself, the people in the building that believed in me and gave me this chance. And like I said, all I can really say is thank you. I can’t thank them enough for giving me this opportunity.”

Haynes King’s college football journey is one for the books. He arrived at Texas A&M as a highly touted recruit, but his time there was wrecked by injuries and inconsistency. Many people started to sell his stock.

Instead of giving up, he took a leap of faith and transferred to Georgia Tech to finish college ball. Although he failed to cash in on the playoffs, their season is nothing to be ashamed of.

The senior put up excellent numbers all season long, but a final record of 9-3 and those tough late-season defeats just weren’t enough to keep him in the running for college football’s biggest individual award.

King was pretty amazing all season and deserves a ton of credit. The man single-handedly carried that offense without any real help at running back, becoming one of the nation’s best dual-threat QBs. The former Aggies signal-caller threw for over 2,516 yards and 14 touchdowns before the Georgia game. The 6’3” quarterback runs as well as he throws. Plus, rushed for 883 yards and 15 touchdowns.

But the Georgia game was suffocating to watch for Yellow Jackets fans and as well as common game watchers. Unlike almost every other week, Georgia Tech and Haynes King’s offense just couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone, settling for only three field goals the entire game.

The Bulldogs’ defense was simply too good, holding Georgia Tech to only 250 total yards of offense and just 69 rushing yards, which is incredibly impressive. In his last regular season start, King managed only 181 passing yards. He also threw a costly pick that wiped out his last remaining Heisman hopes. Does that mean they are out of the ACC championship game?

Yellow Jackets’ miracle case for the ACC Championship game

So, what’s next for the Yellow Jackets right now? Obviously, the CFP is a no-go, but they still have a tiny, tiny chance at making the ACC Championship game. Their destiny isn’t in their hands anymore. They need a miracle scenario: Miami, Virginia, and SMU all have to lose their final games today.

If even one of those teams manages to pull off a win, Georgia Tech is totally done for the conference title game and will just have to wait for a standard bowl invitation. Even if they miss the ACC Championship, going 9-3 is seriously impressive and a huge step forward for the program under Coach Brent Key.

It’s not the storybook ending fans had hoped for in Haynes King’s final season in Atlanta, but it’s a very strong sign that the team is definitely moving in the right direction and the future in Atlanta looks bright. And with all that said, one thing hasn’t changed at all: the long-running myth still stands today and tomorrow. It’s almost impossible for STEM schools to win a natty in the modern era of college football.