Yellow Jacked Up
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Things the Yellow Jacket faithful have to be thankful for

By Matthew Summers

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 2: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets fans react during the first half of a game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Bobby Dodd Stadium on November 2, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 2: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets fans react during the first half of a game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Bobby Dodd Stadium on November 2, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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This Thanksgiving, the Georgia Tech faithful has a lot to be thankful for.

It has been a long, tough year for the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech. With only three wins on the year, and only one game left, it may be hard to imagine much to be thankful for. Fortunately, that could not be further from the truth.

Football

It might sound silly, but the most obvious thing to be thankful for is football. Win or lose, sports can be a huge escape from the daily struggles for a lot of fans out there. Watching the physicality of the chess match game of football, can spark wonders in fans. That’s why college football is so popular. Fans love the physicality, fans love the defensive and offensive schemes that coaches come up with, and fans love watching the young players excel at the game they love. Football is a way of life for the young men that play, and football is also a way of life for the fans that bleed their teams colors.

Geoff Collins

When Geoff Collins was announced as the new head coach of the Yellow Jackets, following Paul Johnson’s retirement, we knew that it was going to take time. It is going to take time for coach Collins to get his players in, and that really starts next year. According to 247 Sports, Coach Collins has the number 25 recruitment ranking for 2020, which is up from being ranked 51 in the previous year. That is a huge difference.

Although coach Collins doesn’t have all of the players he wants in just yet, the way the players are currently playing for him is outstanding. One can tell that the players respect him and enjoy playing for him. The way that the Jackets started out the year to the way the Jackets are playing now, and the progress the team as a whole has made is nothing short of amazing. There are still plenty of holes in their game as well as in the coaching, but in due time the Jackets will be a force in not just the ACC but in the nation.

Having the opportunity to watch the young men play the game they love

College football is an amazing sport. Watching the young men that have trained and practiced for all of their lives come to fruition every Saturday is astounding. Not only are they getting a tremendous education, but they also get to play the sport that love, and try to prove that they have the talent and skill to perform at the next level. Us as fans get to witness the young men make a name for themselves week in and week out.

Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate

With the upcoming game against UGA, of course fans should be thankful for one of the longest withstanding rivalries in college football. In recent years we have seen the Jackets take down the Bulldogs twice in Athens, in 2014 and 2016. In the last decade, those are the only two times the Jackets have won in this rivalry game. It might be a tough pill to swallow, but this is the game Tech fans look forward to all season long. This year the Jackets get to face the Bulldogs in Atlanta, where they haven’t won in 20 years. The Jackets also have a chance to knock the Bulldogs out of CFP contention and ultimately National Championship hopes. This is what college football is all about.

There are plenty of things fans have to be thankful for, even if at times it may seem difficult to see. Despite this week being “Hate Week” it is always good to be thankful for the rivalries that make the game. Without them, we wouldn’t have much to look forward to every year.