Absurdly Early 2024 Predictions

[WreckinGT]

Just so we understand the risk here if you are wrong, if GT ends up 7-5, who has failed? GT for not meeting expectations or the person who confidently predicted 8-4? A lot is riding on this.

If we have good talent and a great coaching staff then I don't think it is unreasonable to expect more than 7 wins. If we fall below that then I do think it's a bit of a failure by the team and coaching staff. Assuming we don't get ravaged by NIL.

 

[Southern psu fan]

The schedule next year looks brutal.

Without looking at graduations for any of these teams and having no crystal ball for transfer portal moves, here's what I see:

2 "Likely" wins (Georgia State, VMI)
3 "Probable" wins (Duke, Syracuse, VT)
2 "Toss Ups" (UNC, Miami)
2 "Probable" losses (NCSU, Louisville)(one caveat: we play State at BDS)
3 "Likely" losses (FSU, ND, Georgia)

If the favored teams hold serve and we split the toss-ups, we finish 6-6. If we can shore up our D and our OL, 7-5 would be excellent, and 8-4 would be outstanding.

But even at 6-6, we will have strung two bowl seasons back-to-back. I'll be a bit disappointed but still feeling positive about the program.

What do you think?

Agreed!

 

[stinger78]

Projected wins: GSU, VMI, SU
Projected toss-ups: NCSU, UNC, Miami, L'ville, VPI, Dook
Projected losses: FSU, ND, UGAg

Win the ones we ought to win plus 4 of the toss-ups and we're sitting at 7 wins and a bowl. More incremental progress. We should be a better team next fall. The O should be more efficient, the D somewhat better overall, and the ST at least as good. I'd say 7 wins and a bowl will likely be my expectation.

 

[Bogey]

I don't know why we'd characterize NC State as a probable loss. They're always solid, but always beatable. And, as you noted, that game is at home. I'd put that as a "probable" win.

Also, I think UNC might drift into a "probable" win if Drake Maye declares. Imagine that UNC defense without Howell/Maye covering their asses.

My analytical projection tells me 8 wins. My heart tells me 12-0 and that we'll beat u(sic)ga in the national championship right here in Atlanta. Wouldn't that be a dream...

I hear you but that is more of a fantasy than a dream.

 

[yeti92]

7-9 wins next season including the bowl game, but 2025 we should be 9-11 wins with the bowl game - Clemson and ugag are the only powerhouse teams that season, everyone else is very beatable. Possible ACC Championship appearance. Possible Playoff appearance...

 

[MWBATL]

Projected wins: GSU, VMI, SU
Projected toss-ups: NCSU, UNC, Miami, L'ville, VPI, Dook
Projected losses: FSU, ND, UGAg

Win the ones we ought to win plus 4 of the toss-ups and we're sitting at 7 wins and a bowl. More incremental progress. We should be a better team next fall. The O should be more efficient, the D somewhat better overall, and the ST at least as good. I'd say 7 wins and a bowl will likely be my expectation.

This is realistic and is my expectation as well....

 

[Randy Carson]

Projected wins: GSU, VMI, SU
Projected toss-ups: NCSU, UNC, Miami, L'ville, VPI, Dook
Projected losses: FSU, ND, UGAg

Win the ones we ought to win plus 4 of the toss-ups and we're sitting at 7 wins and a bowl. More incremental progress. We should be a better team next fall. The O should be more efficient, the D somewhat better overall, and the ST at least as good. I'd say 7 wins and a bowl will likely be my expectation.

I voted for 7-5, also. But splitting your Projected wins 50/50 puts us at 6-6, so AS YOU SAID, we still need to "git 'er done" in at least one more of those six games.

 

[MacDaddy2]

Just so we understand the risk here if you are wrong, if GT ends up 7-5, who has failed? GT for not meeting expectations or the person who confidently predicted 8-4? A lot is riding on this.

Dave Barton @ CFB Matrix would point out we will end up exactly the number of games we were supposed to this year, 6. CBK has us shooting par for the talent we have, to increase that lot will require improved recruiting.

Just so we understand the risk here if you are wrong, if GT ends up 7-5, who has failed? GT for not meeting expectations or the person who confidently predicted 8-4? A lot is riding on thi

 

[slugboy]

The schedule next year looks brutal.

Without looking at graduations for any of these teams and having no crystal ball for transfer portal moves, here's what I see:

2 "Likely" wins (Georgia State, VMI)
3 "Probable" wins (Duke, Syracuse, VT)
2 "Toss Ups" (UNC, Miami)
2 "Probable" losses (NCSU, Louisville)(one caveat: we play State at BDS)
3 "Likely" losses (FSU, ND, Georgia)

If the favored teams hold serve and we split the toss-ups, we finish 6-6. If we can shore up our D and our OL, 7-5 would be excellent, and 8-4 would be outstanding.

But even at 6-6, we will have strung two bowl seasons back-to-back. I'll be a bit disappointed but still feeling positive about the program.

What do you think?

Georgia State is not that bad of a team. I hope we don’t look past them

 

[IM79]

Punting and coverage teams to be improved along with defense. I vote for 7 wins.

 

[Techfan02]

The game against duke will weigh heavily if A&M grabs Elko

 

[bucknellbison31]

Projected wins: GSU, VMI, SU
Projected toss-ups: NCSU, UNC, Miami, L'ville, VPI, Dook
Projected losses: FSU, ND, UGAg

Win the ones we ought to win plus 4 of the toss-ups and we're sitting at 7 wins and a bowl. More incremental progress. We should be a better team next fall. The O should be more efficient, the D somewhat better overall, and the ST at least as good. I'd say 7 wins and a bowl will likely be my expectation.

I understand where you're coming from, but I think you're underestimating just how impactful stability at QB can be on year-over-year improvement. Despite how good he's been, keep in mind that Haynes had only started 7 college football games before coming to Tech, and that was with Jimbo screwing up his head. The experience of 13 games this season + another full offseason with no doubts about his grip on the starting job will do WONDERS. And if that is the case, even an incremental improvement in the defense (from bad to decent-adjacent) could have us right on the edge of the top 25.

Obviously, we're making these predictions with limited information, especially considering we don't know what this year's portal activity will look like. However, I'm assuming we'll do fairly well in that regard. Now we have a proof of concept to pitch to kids; plus, what portal receiver wouldn't want to come to Tech and put up monster numbers with Haynes slinging it around the yard?

 

[Root4GT]

The game against duke will weigh heavily if A&M grabs Elko

A&M will aim higher than Elko

 

[Sugar3ThousandPounds]

Schedule is not as tough as it looks with all the teams breaking in a new QB that we’ll play. 4 of our 5 toughest opponents on paper will have new QBs, with a chance that all 6 of our toughest opponents will have new QBs:
- FSU (Jordan Travis, RS Senior)
- Louisville (Jack Plummer, Grad Senior)
- Notre Dame (Sam Hartman, Grad Senior)
- UNC (Drake Maye, RS Sophomore but 95% going to NFL)
- Maybe uga (Carson Beck, RS Junior to NFL)
- Maybe Miami (Tyler Van Dyke, RS Junior to NFL)

We play FSU week 0 so that bodes well for us (of course now their backup will get some playing time so maybe not as big of an advantage as it otherwise would’ve been). Hopefully we get Louisville and UNC early too while their new QBs are still taking some lumps.

I’m still riding a high off of clinching bowl eligibility, so I’ll say 8 wins, with one of those being over ND or FSU. Would be ok with 7, less than that would be a step back imo

 

[GTJackets]

Schedule is not as tough as it looks with all the teams breaking in a new QB that we’ll play. 4 of our 5 toughest opponents on paper will have new QBs, with a chance that all 6 of our toughest opponents will have new QBs:
- FSU (Jordan Travis, RS Senior)
- Louisville (Jack Plummer, Grad Senior)
- Notre Dame (Sam Hartman, Grad Senior)
- UNC (Drake Maye, RS Sophomore but 95% going to NFL)
- Maybe uga (Carson Beck, RS Junior to NFL)
- Maybe Miami (Tyler Van Dyke, RS Junior to NFL)

We play FSU week 0 so that bodes well for us (of course now their backup will get some playing time so maybe not as big of an advantage as it otherwise would’ve been). Hopefully we get Louisville and UNC early too while their new QBs are still taking some lumps.

I’m still riding a high off of clinching bowl eligibility, so I’ll say 8 wins, with one of those being over ND or FSU. Would be ok with 7, less than that would be a step back imo

Might be adding NC St to that list as well. Armstrong has to be done, right? And MJ Morris has shut it down for the season leading to portal speculation.

 

[rfjeff9]

Dude, I have us as National Champions.

 

[Sugar3ThousandPounds]

Might be adding NC St to that list as well. Armstrong has to be done, right? And MJ Morris has shut it down for the season leading to portal speculation.

Yep good call. Too bad we can’t play them all early in the year!

 

[Root4GT]

Yep good call. Too bad we can’t play them all early in the year!

Let’s see what our team
Looks like after the Portal season.

 

[Randy Carson]

Georgia State is not that bad of a team. I hope we don’t look past them

Agree 100%.

But we want to pack the Dodd? Fine. Let's play some local teams whose fans will buy tickets.

I say we play Georgia State and Georgia Southern every year (along with that other team if we must).

 

[orientalnc]

Agree 100%.

But we want to pack the Dodd? Fine. Let's play some local teams whose fans will buy tickets.

I say we play Georgia State and Georgia Southern every year (along with that other team if we must).

I think we should play Ga State, Ga Southern, and uga on a rotational basis. Perhaps add KSU to the rotation at some point in the future.