Georgia Tech vs. Virginia: Lack of Defense has Yellow Jackets in Trouble

The Virginia Cavaliers have the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on an early upset alert after taking it to the No. 12 team in the nation in the first half.

Georgia Tech's dreams of a National Championship and undefeated season is seriously in jeopardy as they watch their defense get walked all over. 

What’s Gone Wrong?

Early turnovers and a lackluster-looking defense has put Georgia Tech down early against a less than impressive Virginia team.

Quarterback Tevin Washington is yet to complete a pass and has thrown two interceptions.

The Cavaliers came out hot, scoring on both of their opening possessions. The defense began to steady up, but key turnovers would widen the score.

An interception return for a touchdown tied the game back up midway through the second quarter.

Interceptions by Washington then put Virginia back in place to take a 24-14 halftime lead.

What’s At Stake?

Georgia Tech is currently sitting as the No. 12 ranked team in the nation.

They have an undefeated record and dreams are still alive as a dark horse for a National Championship run.

The game also has ACC implications. A loss would still leave the Yellow Jackets with a comfortable lead in the Coastal division, but the gap would be narrowed.

Upset Potential: 4 out of 10

Although Virginia has looked like the better team in the first half, it's going to be tough for them to hold on.

This is a Georgia Tech team that can score a lot of points, and they can do it really fast. A 10-point deficit isn't too large to overcome.

As long as the team corrects the costly turnovers and mistakes, they have a good chance at recovering from the first half.

How will voters react?

Win or lose, this early collapse could be bad news for Georgia Tech.

If they recover and win, they still won't get love in the voting. Chances are they will remain as one of the lowest ranked undefeated squads.

If they lose, the drop could be a big one. This team hasn't played a Top 25 opponent yet this season.

A loss could put them as low as 20th in the nation.

Will Georgia Tech Come Back?

As stated before, it's likely Georgia Tech will come back.

This is a team that can score often and fast. It could take as little as five minutes for this team to cut a deficit as small as 10 points.

The real concern right now is whether or not the defense can step up.

If they can recover after some first-half woes, they should be fine.

Otherwise, we could be in store for a shootout.

Who benefits most from Georgia Tech's collapse?

With the BCS ranking system, every undefeated team in the nation will benefit from Georgia Tech's collapse if it holds up.

When only two teams can play in the National Championship, every undefeated elimination is key.

This will also narrow the race in the ACC Coastal. However, only Virginia Tech and Miami seem like possible contenders in the race.