While a national championship run is not likely. The No.17 Yellow Jackets at the moment are in control of their conference path and playoff potential. With a favorable remaining schedule. Lets look at the similarities between this year's team, and the 1990 team.
Georgia Tech football hasn’t seen a buzz like this in years. Head Coach Brent Key has the Yellow Jackets off to a 5–0 start, their best opening stretch since 2014. The question now buzzing around Atlanta is whether this team might share traits with the most celebrated squad in school history. The 1990 national championship team. Who was also under the radar going into that season.
The 1990 Jackets weren’t expected to make a title run. They opened the season outside of the spotlight, yet by midyear, they had established themselves as a gritty, resilient team capable of winning close games. Georgia Tech finished unbeaten, capturing a share of the national crown under coach Bobby Ross. They finished 11-0-1. With a 13-13 tie game against North Carolina being their only non win that season.
Fast forward to 2025, and some similarities are hard to miss. Like that ’90 squad, this team has surprised many observers. Brent Key has tapped into the program’s history, not only as a former Tech lineman but as a coach who demands toughness and discipline. His team has already pulled out tight wins, including a 30–29 nail-biter against Wake Forest, showing resilience under pressure. Veteran quarterback Haynes King, a sixth-year senior, has provided steady leadership in much the same way that the 1990 team relied on calm, experienced playmakers.
Remembering Georgia Tech's cinderella 1990 National Championship – a season that ended with the Yellow Jackets as the only undefeated team in the nation. #GTHomecoming 🐝🏈 | https://t.co/14jSvdgWfa pic.twitter.com/ubD9A16BGl
— Georgia Tech (@GeorgiaTech) October 27, 2021
The underdog element is also familiar. In 1990, few predicted Georgia Tech would climb the polls. Today, the Jackets are once again flying under the radar nationally, even as they sit in prime position within the ACC. With no matchups against Miami or Florida State on the schedule, the path is favorable. The 1990 team led by Bobby Ross dominated Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl 45-21.They would be crowned Co-national champions with Colorado.
But it’s important to note differences. College football today is a different game, with deeper rosters, transfer portal moves, and expanded playoff pressure. The 1990 Jackets proved they could sustain momentum across the entire season, finishing with one of the most improbable title runs in modern history. The 2025 squad has yet to face that kind of grind, and tougher tests still lie ahead.
For now, it may be too early to call this a championship-caliber run. Yet the echoes of 1990 are there. Surprise, toughness, and belief returning to The Flats. If Key’s Yellow Jackets can carry this momentum forward, Georgia Tech fans might soon be talking about more than just history repeating itself. Enjoy it while it lasts, and it continues past ACC play, that is icing on the cake.