SATURDAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL WAGER

After shocking Miami, Georgia Tech has its sights set on rival Georgia and the Governor's Cup

Nov. 24, 2005

By Carlisle Richards
BodogNation Contributing Writer

Saturday College Football Wager - No. 13 Georgia (8-2) at No. 20 Ga. Tech (7-3)

"Georgia Tech is the best defense in the country, point blank." Those are the words of Yellow Jackets defensive end Eric Henderson, as told to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

If Henderson or any other Yellow Jacket had made that statement a couple of weeks ago people might've laughed. But then it happened, instead of shutting up, they put up. No one saw it coming, not Georgia, not AP, not the BCS, not bettors, and definitely not the Miami Hurricanes.

Against one of the best teams in college football, Georgia Tech stuck a lightning bolt where the Associated Press Top 25 don't shine and shocked the No. 3 team in college football 14-10 last Saturday.

"Not one of you thought it would happen. Not one of you," Chan Gailey told the Journal-Constitution, which noted that the Yellow Jackets coach then pointed toward his team's locker room. "Those guys in there believed it'd happen. That's why it happened."

"I believe this game had the attention of our players already, but I don't think there's any doubt that watching a performance like that will get you even more serious about preparation," Georgia coach Mark Richt told the Athens Banner-Herald on Sunday.

Last week, Georgia Tech opened everyone's eyes by rambling into the Orange Bowl as 19-point underdogs and proceeding to out hustle the top-ranked defense in the nation. They say pressure bursts pipes, and by putting the heat on the Miami O-line for 60 minutes the Yellow Jackets broke through for seven sacks and one interception, and limited Miami to 30 yards rushing. They also held a team that had been averaging 31.9 points per game at zip in the second half. On offense, quarterback Reggie Ball came through with a key touchdown run in the third quarter that solidified the win.

The dominant performance has lit the Yellow Jackets' confidence - and shot them back into the Top 25. They've turned a game that may have been an afterthought for most college fans into a ranked interstate showdown not seen between these Georgias since 2001.

"Georgia Tech is always a great opponent, they always play us tough," linebacker Danny Wheeler said to reporters at the Bulldogs' news conference this week. "They are a great football team that is disciplined and has good fundamentals. You have to be a good team to be able to stop Miami."

But the Yellow Jackets don't plan on dwelling on their big win; they aren't satisfied with being Miami's spoiler. They're focused on something that's eluded them for four straight years: the Governor's Cup.

"Beating Miami last week was the biggest win I've been a part of here," said linebacker Gerris Wilkinson at this week's Georgia Tech news conference. "It's not going to mean that much if we come in this week and don't beat Georgia. There's no real good way to put into words how big this is, especially for fifth-year seniors like myself, who haven't beaten them yet. We don't want to be saying that we never beat Georgia."

Saturday College Football Wager - No. 23 Florida State (7-3) at No. 19 Florida (7-3)

Like the re-energized Yellow Jackets, the Gators aren't playing for any conference championship games.

Their loss last weekend to Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks killed their chances at the SEC East title. But question the Gators on what will drive them on Saturday, and they'll tell you they still got a lot to play for.

"It's big for us because we don't want to lose at home," Florida tight end Tate Casey told the Associated Press. "The theme of this season has been taking back the Swamp. It's a big deal for us to take this game. To lose a game in the Swamp is bad enough, but to lose to FSU is on a completely different level."

Blasphemy is the word for it. A 7-0 home-field record and a victory over the Seminoles are the only regular-season goals the Gators have left. A loss at home to Florida State would be the final humiliation to a lackluster season that was supposed to generate a Top 5 team and a Heisman candidate in quarterback Chris Leak.

Saturday College Football Wager - No. 2 Texas (10-0) at Texas A & M (5-5)

After USC running back Reggie Bush's magnificent performance against No. 16 Fresno State last week, Vince Young will need to make up some ground in the Heisman race by putting his brain, legs and arm to the test against Texas A&M. And Vince doesn't plan on holding back.

"We want to go out there and take the fans out of it real quick," Young, the QB phenom, told the AP. "It's senior day as well, so we have to be prepared for what they are going to do to us."

If Friday's game is anything like the others Texas has played this year, then expect Vince to put up more eye-popping numbers. And to bring some Heisman votes back his way.

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