The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets take on the Pitt Panthers. Check out our college football odds series for our Georgia Tech Pitt prediction and pick.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have joined the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Arizona State Sun Devils in one very obvious way: They failed to fire a bad head coach in the offseason and waited until the 2022 regular season spun wildly out of control to make a move. They fired their head coach in September and will have an interim handle the team for the majority of the 2022 season. This decision shouldn't have been delayed, but it was, and now the team has to deal with the unique discomfort of playing for a temporary coaching staff.
Georgia Tech fired head coach Geoff Collins and athletic director Todd Stansbury after losing to UCF. The Yellow Jackets were terrible in the first month of the season, getting blitzed by both Clemson and Ole Miss before the UCF loss. Georgia Tech was bad in all three phases of play. Not only the offense and defense struggled; the special teams unit allowed several blocked punts. The fact that Collins was in charge of the punt team underscored the extent to which his coaching was not making the grade. The Yellow Jackets had no choice; they had to fire him in order to reduce anger and outrage among the fan base. Now they will begin their coaching search and try to find a new long-term leader for the program. Meanwhile, they soldier on with their season.
Pittsburgh was fortunate to beat West Virginia in Week 1. The Panthers trailed in the fourth quarter and were able to rally for a narrow win. Then Pitt lost to Tennessee at home in another game which went down to the wire (this one in overtime). This is a team which has lived on the edge in games against decent-to-good opponents. The blessing of playing Georgia Tech: This is not a decent-to-good opponent. Few teams have disappointed more than Georgia Tech in the first month of the 2022 season. This is a time for Pittsburgh and head coach Pat Narduzzi to get a lot of players some playing time. This is how programs develop players, build depth, and keep everyone on the roster attentive, hungry, and motivated.
Pittsburgh has watched other ACC Coastal Division teams stumble in the first month of the season, most notably Miami and Virginia. If one had to make a prediction right now for the Coastal Division championship, Pitt would very likely be the consensus favorite.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Georgia Tech-Pitt College Football odds.
College Football Odds: Georgia Tech-Pitt Odds
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: +21.5 (-108)
Pitt Panthers: -21.5 (-112)
Over: 48.5 (-106)
Under: 48.5 (-106)
Why Georgia Tech Could Cover the Spread
The firing of Geoff Collins could be the spark this team needs. Players might respond very favorably to the interim staff, but beyond that, they will probably receive better coaching and instruction. It was clear that Collins could not teach his team basic skills. The new staff might offer an immediate upgrade which shows up on the field.
Why Pitt Could Cover the Spread
After playing tougher games in the earlier part of the season against West Virginia and Tennessee, Pitt has been able to downshift and manage its roster. A not-very-taxing game against Rhode Island was the lead-in to this game against Georgia Tech. Pitt should be physically and mentally fresh. Going up against a bad opponent, the Panthers should be able to feast.
Final Georgia Tech-Pitt Prediction & Pick
The new interim coaching staff might help Georgia Tech, but that's probably not something one should rely on. Georgia Tech is a very bad team. Pittsburgh has a potent offense and should be able to win this game by a very big margin.
Final Georgia Tech-Pitt Prediction & Pick: Pitt -21.5
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