Ranking every team of the Paul Johnson era

By Jared Halus | Jun 29, 2017

Dec 31, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Paul Johnson gets dunked with Gatorade by his players during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the 2014 Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets won 49-34. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

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This is where things start getting good. After the worst football season in decades, Paul Johnson’s seat was heating up and he was in desperate need of a good season, and he delivered.

The 2016 season began across the pond in Dublin, Ireland for the Aer Lingus Classic – and the game was definitely a classic. Justin Thomas led a game-winning drive that was capped off by a Dedrick Mills rushing TD with 38 seconds to go for the first win of the season. The win was the first of a 3-0 start, but once the Jackets saw some real competition, they lost three straight. But after the Pittsburgh loss, something clicked – and Georgia Tech won six of their last seven games.

There are many positives to look back at after the 2016 season. First and definitely foremost, the Yellow Jackets won a second straight Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate in Athens. When you whoop Georgia in the cesspool, it’s always a good year – but the team continued to dominate the SEC when they traveled to Jacksonville for the TaxSlayer Bowl. The defense set the tone when PJ Davis returned a fumble for a touchdown on Kentucky’s opening drive, and the Jackets never looked back on their way to a 33-18 win.

Georgia Tech finished their 2016 season with a 9-4 record, including three wins over SEC foes.