The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are set to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this weekend. Check out our college football odds series, which includes our Georgia Tech-Notre Dame prediction, odds, and pick.

Georgia Tech has had a disappointing season under coach Geoff Collins. The successor to the beloved Paul Johnson took the Yellow Jackets away from the triple-option offense which, many people reasonably claimed, was limiting what the Georgia Tech program could recruit. The Jackets had a smaller pool of prospects. They obviously didn't go after many elite receivers and pro-style quarterbacks. Many people rationally concluded that Georgia Tech needed to embrace modern offense. The people who study college football odds are aware of this.

As you consider your Georgia Tech Notre Dame pick, you need to realize that Collins has had three seasons to usher in the transition from Paul Johnson's offense to a more pass-centered attack. He has had ample time to recruit his players and install his system. It's no longer Year 1. Yet, Collins has his team at 3-7 in a year when the ACC is thoroughly mediocre and there is no dominant team in the conference. Collins will get a fourth season on The Flats in 2022, but that will be a hot-seat season, because he has lost nearly every remaining shred of goodwill with the fan base in his first three seasons. It is expected that Collins will have to fire his main assistants and surround himself with much better tacticians and teachers heading into next year.

Notre Dame has not had a great season. This is hardly one of Brian Kelly's best teams in South Bend. Yet, Notre Dame has just one loss. This group has done well to survive and persevere. The blowout win over Wisconsin (a generally close game before a fourth-quarter explosion) looks even better now that the Badgers have improved. Notre Dame has taken advantage of other touted teams' implosions, such as North Carolina and USC. If you are thinking about a Georgia Tech Notre Dame prediction, you can understand that the Irish have done well in part because their opponents have not delivered the goods. Georgia Tech fits that description all too clearly.

Here’s how the bookmakers have set the odds:

College Football odds: Georgia Tech-Notre Dame Odds

Georgia Tech: +16.5 (-104)

Notre Dame: -16.5 (-118)

Over: 57.5 (-115)

Under: 57.5 (-105)

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Why Georgia Tech Could Cover the Spread

The Notre Dame offense does not pop this year. Jack Coan has been the starting quarterback, with Tyler Buchner and Drew Pyne also getting snaps in 2021. It has been a very unusual arrangement, and Kelly has conceded — in his actions more than his words — that he lacks an elite quarterback he can simply give the ball to and get out of the way. It has been an anything-but-normal year in South Bend.

It is true that Notre Dame did not need a lot of points to beat Virginia last week, given that UVA was without star quarterback Brennan Armstrong. The Cavaliers had no chance with their backup. That said, it was still shocking to see Notre Dame score only 28 points against a bad Virginia defense. Virginia allowed 66 to BYU a few weeks ago and has been paper-thin most of the year. If Notre Dame scored just 28 on Virginia, Georgia Tech can certainly cover the spread.

Why Notre Dame Could Cover the Spread

Georgia Tech is a terrible football team. The Yellow Jackets almost lost to Duke this year. That pretty much says it all about the horrible job Geoff Collins has done with his program. If you are making a Georgia Tech Notre Dame pick, you don't have to overthink this one.

Final Georgia Tech-Notre Dame Prediction & Pick

Georgia Tech is a bad, bad team. Notre Dame just has to be solid to post a 20-point win here. That's what will happen.

Final Georgia Tech-Notre Dame Pick: Notre Dame -16.5