00:00Coach, a lot of teams are high on a couple of, I want to say, dark horses in the conference.
00:05Georgia Tech and Brent Key, Haynes King of that team, returned about seven starters on offense.
00:11They're a 16-1 shot at the start of the year, about two or three months ago, to win the conference.
00:17Brent Key has done a fantastic job just making the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets very physical.
00:22They got the rushing defense down to around 115 rushing yards per game.
00:27They went toe-to-toe with Georgia in eight overtimes, knocked off Florida State to start the year.
00:33Can Georgia Tech make a statement and possibly win the conference this year?
00:38Oh, I think they've got a team that can compete, yes, and have a chance to win it.
00:41They're not favored, and you wouldn't pick them, but I like Georgia Tech and Louisville, but Georgia Tech, they have done a great job now.
00:48Haynes King at quarterback gives them a chance to score from anywhere on the field.
00:52They play with inspired football.
00:54The head coach, they believe in their head coach.
00:57Their fans are behind them full.
00:59And again, to end the season taking Georgia to eight overtimes, a team that won the conference, Georgia Tech, the SEC conference, tells you what kind of team they can have.
01:10So I really think they are a sleeper, but an upper level in that conference along with Louisville.
01:16Yeah, when you talk about a team that possibly can make some noise, you've got to look to SMU.
01:21They were there with their quarterback, Kevin Jennings, last year.
01:24They did it.
01:25Rhett Lashley did with a defense that only allowed 110 rushing yards per game.
01:30They had the seventh best rush defense in all of college football.
01:34But you watch that game play out in Happy Valley against a more physical offense and defensive lines in the Nittany Lions.
01:41Can SMU bounce back and potentially challenge again for an ACC championship?
01:47Well, you've got your quarterback back, and Kevin Jennings is the strength of that offensive football team.
01:53They had an incredible year last year, but they won a lot of close ballgames.
01:58And the question is going to be, are they going to make sure they win their close ballgames?
02:02Because we're in SMU, and you have a special year.
02:05It's not by dominating every game.
02:07I just don't think they have that kind of overall talent.
02:10But what they've got to do is continue to go out there, don't turn the ball over, give up big plays, and win the close ballgames.
02:16Because that's what they're going to have to do to be in contention for this conference.
02:20Yeah, absolutely.
02:21A team that I like, Coach, and I don't know how you feel about them, but Virginia Tech was 6-7 last year.
02:28They lost all seven games by an average margin of victory of seven points per game.
02:32They lost close.
02:34Their quarterback, Kyron Drones, comes back.
02:36Brent Key and that team, physical at times.
02:38And I feel like their season, at least last year, hinged on the Hail Mary.
02:42That wasn't, right?
02:43You can make the argument that the Virginia Tech Hokies should have knocked off Cam Ward and the Miami Hurricanes on the final play of the game.
02:51But it was a 50-50 ball.
02:53They ruled it incomplete.
02:54And Miami prevailed in that matchup.
02:56From that point, I feel like Virginia Tech was walking through the motions.
03:00They have a 6-1⁄2 win total this year.
03:03I think they can get over that.
03:04But more importantly, I think they could be a sleeper in the conference.
03:08Well, they've got, again, they've got to improve and make sure they win their close ballgames.
03:13Because, again, they did not finish strong last year at Virginia Tech.
03:17Now, again, they can be in the hunt.
03:19I don't have them, really, as one of those teams that I pick to be in that hunt.
03:23I think they've got to fight to get over that 6-1⁄2 win to get there at 7.
03:27I do think they can get 7, but I don't see them quite getting in the hunt for the conference championship this year.
03:33They've got to make sure they're moving in the right direction.
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