Josh Pate Names Darkhorse ACC Championship And CFP Contender You Wouldn’t Believe

With just two months left, experts are busy placing their bets on winners and losers for this season. And they’re also keeping their eyes on the projected underdogs, who can shake up the arena with their performance. Last season, Indiana and SMU broke through into the playoffs, leaving behind big names like Alabama and Miami. This season, too, one seemingly calm ACC program is expected to follow in the footsteps of its contemporaries from last season. They will face off against one of the most storied programs in the conference, who are already expected to be the winners of the ACC.

Last year, Georgia came close to losing to a team over which they were predicted to win by a landslide. They are the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who lost to the Bulldogs by only 2 points (42-44). And they defeated Miami 28-23 in the same season. Brent Key is coming off two seasons with seven wins and noticeable growth each time. He is bringing some much-needed respite to a team that languished at just 3 wins each season during Geoff Collins’ tenure. Georgia Tech is slowly getting the votes to upset some big programs in their season and ultimately go back to winning ways.

Josh Pate said in a June 29 episode of his show that he is high on Georgia Tech reclaiming its lost name. In week 3, Georgia Tech will face Clemson. Undoubtedly, this is going to be an important game for the Yellow Jackets instead of the Tigers. But, if Georgia Tech makes its mark, the odds can turn for the team. “Georgia Tech will be a short favorite, I would imagine, in that game. But this, right here, is where if Georgia Tech’s going to be a player, we may find out. Don’t even necessarily need to beat Clemson,” Pate highlighted.

“I think that team was better last year than their record indicated. And, I think they’re a dark horse player for a playoff spot this year,” the analyst predicted. And that’s not all. Pate is betting high on Georgia Tech potentially stealing the thunder from Clemson. “I think they’re an ACC Championship dark horse, and I trust the identity of the team,” he said.

Key will be returning with some important figures this season, and they also have the luxury of a good schedule. Haynes King, a big reason for some of their losses, is also going to feature in Key’s 2025 run. The cards are in the HC’s favor; he just has to lead the team to execute their strategies well this season.

Georgia Tech a contender for the ACC championship

Georgia Tech has shocked CFB before. During Paul Johnson’s tenure, the Yellow Jackets won the ACC title in the former HC’s 2 year. They followed it up with two more appearances in the ACC Championship in 2012 and 2014. Brent Key is predicted to go beyond the 7-5 record if he builds on the momentum from last season. ESPN’s first Football Power Index (FPI) rankings for the season place Georgia Tech at a stellar No. 5 in the ACC. Pate places them at 7 wins once again, but the FPI predicts an 8-4 finish for Brent Key. CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson thinks the Yellow Jackets can go 9-4, even.

“I got Georgia Tech as better than they were last year… I love the way their schedule sets up. They get their two best opponents in Atlanta… Outside of that, they could be favored in every game,” Pate said. Clemson and Georgia are going to be the most crucial games for the Yellow Jackets. They were an important lesson for Georgia, especially because they led the Bulldogs to 6 overtimes in the game. The two matchups are going to be completely coin-toss games for Georgia Tech, but apart from that, they have a fairly easy schedule. They won’t face Miami or Notre Dame, the other big players from their 2024 season.

Georgia Tech returns with players like Jamaal Haynes and Keylan Rutledge, and OC Buster Faulkner is also going to make a comeback. Brent Key is going to put forward a season that’s worth watching, if not shocking his opponents in the conference. He has a great schedule and has all the elements needed to make a strong statement in CFB this year. Can Georgia Tech pull off the unthinkable and book a playoff spot, along with making a trip to the ACC finals?