Jackets’ Season Could Hinge on Opener

By Matthew Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

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Since joining the conference in 2004, Frank Beamer’s Hokies have represented the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship Game in all but two seasons.

For any team in the ACC Coastal Division, the path to a divisional title runs squarely through Blacksburg, Virginia, home of the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Since joining the conference in 2004, Frank Beamer’s Hokies have represented the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship Game in all but two seasons.

Last season, Virginia Tech travelled down to Atlanta for a Thursday night primetime contest against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, with the winner earning a trip to the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte.

Although only two teams – Miami and Clemson – scored more points against Bud Foster’s stout defense last season, the Yellow Jackets came up a few plays short of winning the Coastal Division crown for the second time in Paul Johnson’s brief tenure, dropping the contest by a score of 37-26.

As is often the case in the ACC, Coastal Division programs have their date with the Hokies circled on the calendar, knowing that they will most likely have to topple Virginia Tech in order to entertain dreams of a conference championship.

For the Yellow Jackets, however, the opportunity to come face-to-face with the preseason favorite in the Coastal Division will come extremely early in the season.

Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech are scheduled to meet in Blacksburg on Monday September 3, in what will be a primetime match-up on Labor Day.

Although the winner of that season-opening contest will not assure themselves a place in the ACC Championship Game, it will immediately cement their status as the preemptive favorite in the division.

While the Yellow Jacket players fully recognize the importance of beating the Hokies in order for the championship dreams to come to fruition, LB Jeremiah Attaochu says there is more to the contest than just proving that the team can beat the dominant ACC program of the last eight seasons.

“The first game is always important. You want to get your season off right, and then there’s added motivation. It’s exciting to play on that type of stage; a lot of guys go to college for it,” said Attaochu. “Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech are two very historically good teams in the ACC. We’ve represented this league a lot on a national stage, so we’re excited to have the opportunity to play, and we’re working very hard to make it a great game.”

Head coach Paul Johnson says that he has no preference in regards to what caliber of opponent his team plays in a season opener, but he knows that the winner of the upcoming Labor Day contest will be in good shape in the Coastal race.

“I think there’s positives and negatives both ways. Certainly it’s going to be a huge game, and has been for our division,” Johnson stated “The loser digs themselves a hole because of the tie breaker situation, when you lose a division game, it’s like losing two.”

Any critics of Johnson’s spread option attack have alluded to the fact that Georgia Tech has not fared well under Johnson when opponents have more than one week of preparation. When asked about whether or not he is concerned that Virginia Tech will have all offseason to prepare for his offense, Johnson simply responded, “We’ll have all offseason to prepare for theirs’.”

True enough, this game will not be the end-all in determining the Coastal Division champion.

However, a win on Labor Day would put the Yellow Jackets in the driver’s seat, and would also provide a refreshing jolt of confidence for a team that frequently struggled over the second half of last season.

The most important games of the regular season usually fall in November, but for Georgia Tech, no game this season will have more importance than their very first one.