Georgia Tech may have taken a loss to in-state rival Georgia last weekend, but the Yellow Jackets still got a small win in the final College Football Playoff rankings of the 2025 regular season-landing at No. 22, up one spot from the week before.
That’s a notable bump, especially considering they didn’t play a conference championship game and won’t have another shot to impress the committee before bowl selections are finalized this Sunday. But the Jackets did enough over the course of the season to stay in the national conversation, and now they’ll head into the postseason with a number next to their name-something that hasn’t always been a given in recent years.
Now, let’s talk about what this means moving forward.
Bowl Picture: Still a Bit of a Puzzle
Georgia Tech isn’t in the ACC Championship game, so the playoff is officially off the table. But the bowl destination? That’s still very much in play-and it hinges on a few key outcomes this weekend.
Right now, most projections have Tech slotted into the Pop-Tarts Bowl, which would be a solid landing spot and a good reward for a team that’s shown steady progress this season. But that projection assumes Virginia wins the ACC and earns a spot in the College Football Playoff, which would bump several teams up the bowl selection ladder.
If Virginia takes care of business, that likely pushes Tech ahead of both Miami and Duke in the ACC’s bowl pecking order. But if Duke pulls off the upset? Things get a little more complicated.
The Chaos Scenario
Here’s where it gets interesting. Duke still has a mathematical shot at the playoff-albeit a long one.
FanDuel currently gives them +1800 odds to sneak into the final four. For that to happen, they’d not only need to beat Virginia, but also get a lot of help from around the country.
James Madison and North Texas, both ranked just behind Tech at 25th and 23rd respectively, are playing in their conference title games this weekend. If either of them wins, they could leapfrog into the New Year’s Six conversation as a top-ranked Group of Five champion. The same goes for the winner of the American Athletic Conference title game between North Texas and Tulane.
If those dominoes fall just right-and Duke wins the ACC-there’s a chance the conference could be left without a playoff representative altogether. That would shake up the bowl order and potentially push Georgia Tech down a notch or two.
But let’s be real: that’s a lot of “ifs.”
What We Know
For now, Georgia Tech is sitting at No. 22 with no more games to play until their bowl. Iowa, ranked 24th, is in the same boat. But North Texas and James Madison still have a shot to make noise this weekend, and that could cause some last-minute reshuffling.
Still, the Jackets have done enough to lock in a ranked bowl appearance-something that carries weight in terms of perception, recruiting, and momentum heading into the offseason. No matter where they end up, it’s a sign that this program is trending in the right direction.
We’ll know the full picture come Sunday. Until then, Georgia Tech fans can rest easy knowing their team is going bowling-and they’ll be doing it with a number next to their name.