Boston College
vs.
Georgia Tech
Week 1
College Footbal Pick
9/3/16
It’s not often a Conference Game gets played out-of-country, but here we are in Dublin. Boston College is coming off another down season with just three wins, zero in ACC play, while Georgia Tech had a down year themselves, also with three wins, but one big one in the ACC against Florida State. Maybe it’s not the best Game for the Irish to watch live, but they have no choice, and at the least, both teams should be better than in 2015. The Yellow Jackets are favored by -3.5 points at betonline Sportsbook.
For the favorite, there isn’t all much that’s new as the triple-option is still there as is quarterback Justin Thomas, who has held that role for two years. Things just didn’t happen for Georgia Tech last year, but as seen throughout the year, they competed with everyone on the Schedule, including top teams such as Notre Dame, UNC and FSU.
Thomas’ numbers dropped across the board in 2015 with his rating dropping more than 30 points. Most of that was due to injuries and a beat up offensive line. If they can stay a little healthier, Thomas should be back to his old ways with a crew of running backs that all got experience last season. Marcus Marshall leads the bunch, but Clinton Lynch and Isiah Willis are a couple other backs that saw time last year. This offense still scored 29.3 points per Game with all of the injuries, so just a little improvement will have them above the 30-point mark.
The last time these teams met it was 2012, so not much can be taken away, although the Yellow Jackets ran for 391 yards and Four touchdowns as a team in a 20-point win.
The Eagles actually had a really good defense last year, best in the ACC, holding teams to 15.3 points per Game, but the offense ultimately held them down. With a decent amount of returning starters, they should continue to remain competitive. However, they didn’t face the triple-option last season, so that could lead to some questions, although this could be one of the best defensive lines again in the ACC.
To win this Game, and to cover, Boston College will need help on the offensive side where Kentucky transfer Patrick Towles steps in as the new quarterback. While he had his issues at Kentucky (9 TDs, 14 INTs in 2015), he should be a step above what the Eagles had last season when they combined for eight TDs and nine INTs with Four different QBs. The main thing to help BC is that the offensive line will be better, or at least that’s the thought with three returning starters. Along with that, running back Jon Hilliman returns from a broken foot and is looking to bounce back to his 860 yards and 13 TDs from 2014.
On the other side, Georgia Tech had the opposite problem a year ago, with a mediocre defense that always failed against better teams.
But as said before, these teams are better than their three-win records from last season and if they reach that number again, it would definitely be disappointing. But at least for the fans of Ireland, they’ll get a competitive Game, albeit likely low-scoring.
Considering how many close Games Boston College lost last year, taking Georgia Tech by more than three points doesn’t seem like a good way to go. The Eagles defense remains solid and should keep this Game tight.
Our Pick – Boston College +3.5