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2009 Georgia Tech Football Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

georgia tech 72209 The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets came away with a successful 9-4 campaign in Paul Johnson’s first season at the helm. With all of his top skill players returning, are they poised to make a run at the conference title? Find out where I have the Jackets finishing in this 2009 college football betting preview. Georgia Tech is listed at +5,000 to win the 2009 BCS championship.

Offense – Paul Johnson wasted no time proving that his option-based spread offense can work in a major BCS football conference. The Yellow Jackets averaged 273.2 yards per game on the ground with the new look to rank fourth nationally. With nine offensive starters coming back, there is plenty of excitement heading into the season. Jonathan Dwyer heads a deep group of running backs after leading the ACC in rushing with 1,395 yards and 12 touchdowns. Dwyer eclipsed the century mark in nine games last season. He will be joined by Roddy Jones, who averaged a stunning 8.5 yards per carry in his freshman season. QB Josh Nesbitt was a Chan Gailey recruit, but you wouldn’t know it. He was a perfect fit for Johnson’s offense last season. He has the playmaking ability to be an even bigger force in the offense this season with both his arm and legs. Nesbitt threw for 808 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Johnson’s run-heavy offense in 2008. The wide receiver position doesn’t catch much of the lime light in this scheme, but guys like Demaryius Thomas are ready to step up when called upon. Johnson called his number often against Duke and he came up with a nine-catch, 230-yard performance. He finished the season with 39 grabs for 627 yards and three scores. The offensive line returns three starters and these guys proved that they could adapt to the new blocking demands of Johnson’s option attack.

Defense – The Jackets return seven starters on a defense which ranked 25th in the country in total defense (313.5 yards per game allowed), but they must replace several key players up front if they hope to build on last year’s performance. All-league picks Darryl Richard, Vance Walker, and Michael Johnson are all off to the NFL. That puts a lot of pressure on tackles T.J. Barnes and Ben Anderson to get up to speed in a hurry. The lone returning starter up front is defensive end Derrick Morgan. He showed great potential in 2008 when he racked up seven sacks and he will likely be joining the three guys he played with up front last season in the NFL soon enough. The secondary is deep and talented led by free safety Morgan Burnett. He is the team’s top returning tackler, picking up 93 stops in 2008, and he also led the way with seven interceptions. The linebacker unit returns two of three starters with Brad Jefferson joining Sedric Griffin and Kyle Jackson.

Prediction: 3rd ACC Coastal – The Jackets are a top 25 team in just about everyone’s book with all the skill players they have coming back. But the ACC is going to be a whole lot more familiar with Johnson’s option in 2009 so he will have to prove that it can continue to work. With all that was lost on the defensive front, I don’t see the defense being as good and that will likely be enough to keep the Jackets from a division title. Georgia Tech is listed at +325 to win the ACC Coastal Division crown.

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