From what we have seen Georgia Tech should take a knee against the Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia Tech’s defensive problems have been lingering for weeks, and on Saturday night they finally caught up to the Yellow Jackets. With 2:22 left in the game, Tech trailed 42–28, and once again it was Haynes King doing everything he could just to keep the team afloat. King took a beating all night — something that’s become a weekly occurrence — because he is the offense more often than not. He’s not perfect, but without him, this season wouldn’t have even reached this point.

Now the Jackets move on to face No. 4 Georgia, easily the best and most complete team they’ve seen all year. If King took punishment against Pitt, the physical gap between the Panthers’ defense and Georgia’s is the definition of varsity versus freshman. And with how much King has already endured, it’s a tough turnaround.

But the bigger story remains the defense. Georgia Tech couldn’t hold up against NC State. They didn’t hold up against Boston College, either — they just escaped because BC was a one-win team at the time. And against Pittsburgh, the defense again failed to rise to the moment, forcing King into mistakes he normally doesn’t make while asking him to play from behind for nearly the entire game.

This is what happens when a team benefits from a softer schedule and survives too many “barely got by” moments. Eventually, if you’re not truly a top-tier squad, it catches up to you.

The excitement on the Flats has been real all season. The buzz was overdue. But the reality is that Haynes King is likely gone after this year. Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner may be gone as well, and a tougher ACC slate could have easily added losses against SMU, Louisville, or Miami.

The energy is back — and that matters — but Georgia Tech now enters its biggest week needing more than buzz. With the fanbase hungry for real, sustained progress, this matchup against Georgia will expose exactly how far the Jackets still have to climb.