Some Georgia Tech Thoughts On a Friday

(Will Derrick Morgan be holding that hand up to NFL fans next year?)

We're eight games deep into the 2009 football season, and while it might have disappointed on a national scale, fans of the bee certainly won't be complaining at their present state.

The Yellow Jackets have four games left, two in the ACC—win all four and the ACC title game, and there's an outside shot at the BCS Championship; win the rest of their ACC games and the conference title, and they'll at least grab the school's first-ever BCS bowl bid.

Simple enough for you?

Good, so let's go a level deeper.

ACC's Loss is Georgia Tech's Gain

With Virginia Tech's 20-17 home loss to North Carolina on Thursday night, the ACC's slim hopes of two BCS bids was all but extinguished. It would now take Miami winning out and getting colossal help to rise from its No. 19 position in the BCS ranking and make that happen.

However, where the conference weeps, Georgia Tech smiles.

In truth, Tech in the BCS Championship is probably a longer shot even than getting Miami into a BCS bowl, considering the Jackets are also on the wrong side of the top 10.

It's a possibility, sure, but probably one beyond the wildest of dreams. So as Norman Dale might say, let's just keep it there.

Then, the only thing left is for Georgia Tech to win the ACC, which means strength of schedule is out the window. And Virginia Tech's loss means one less ACC Coastal contender breathing down the Jackets' collective neck.

For Virginia Tech to go to the ACC title game now, Georgia Tech would have to lose to Duke and Wake Forest—unlikely. The Hokies aren't all the way out, but their destiny is now completely out of their hands.

Are the Jackets the Country's Hottest Team Right Now?

It was a question posed to me by Trey Bradley, our fearless leader here in the featured columnist neighborhood, and quite the valid one.

I'll try to answer it by asking this: Who would be hotter? 

Clemson? One big win doesn't constitute a hot streak.

Oregon? Win this weekend against USC, then talk to me.

Iowa? Winning close and winning ugly doesn't make you hot, though it might make you sweat.

Cincinnati? That's an interesting candidate, but the Bearcats aren't really hot so much as consistent in what they've been doing all season. Impressive, but not "hot" in terms of our conversation.

Pitt? Now you've got my attention, but I think Tech's been winning with more style.

Georgia? Just kidding.

So is Georgia Tech the country's hottest team right now? It would be hard to make a case to the contrary. Unless they lose to Vanderbilt.

So How High Can They Go?

The Jackets currently find themselves resting at 11th in the BCS Standings, with a view to moving up if they can take care of business in their last four games. 

For the purposes of this conversation (discussing the highest heights to which Tech can ascend in the BCS standings), we'll assume Tech plays and wins five more games this calendar year, finishing at 12-1. (We're not factoring in bowls right now.)

Four of the teams in front of them will play each other concurrently—USC vs. Oregon, Alabama vs. LSU—this weekend, so somebody's got to lose. (Keep in mind that an Alabama loss would be only their first, and it's unlikely the Tide would fall below Georgia Tech in such a case.)

There's also the possibility of the SEC Championship pushing somebody lower than Georgia Tech, and we should assume at least one team in the current top 10 will fall to an upset somewhere.

So going into bowl season, I could see Tech as high, perhaps, as seventh, though probably more like eighth, as the strength of schedule won't help much here.

Tech needs to win with some style (think BIG scorelines) down the stretch here to impress pollsters. I won't even begin to guess the post-bowl scene without even knowing who's playing whom.

Should They Stay or Should They Go?

Tech fans should probably start saying goodbye to Jonathan Dwyer, because I can't see the big man coming back.

He's the top RB on many draft boards, and he should take his opportunities while they're there. LaDanian Tomlinson is proving that running backs only have so many carries in them before they start to falter.

Derrick Morgan is a tougher case. I think it depends on how he grades out in workouts, what teams are telling him, etc.

He has an NFL body, but teams might say they want to see one more season of work from him to solidify what would assumedly be first-round status after his senior year.

Morgan Burnett was a guy I had pegged to go after this year, but he's struggled as the defensive backfield has faltered. Barring a surge late-season, another year would probably do him good.

Demaryius Thomas is the toughest call. He's got a great body for the pros—6'3", 220-plus pounds—and good hands.

The statistics are the question. Do teams see big numbers in a run-first offense and fall in love? Or do they think he's a product of a system that's bound to get big plays in the passing game, just because they run the ball so much?

I can't call it either way; I'd be equally surprised if he stayed or went.

That's all I've got for tonight. Remember to check back tomorrow for the pre-game primer, and don't forget [e-mail] for mailbag questions.