What Georgia Tech’s upset win over Florida State means for Notre Dame

Too strong a start for you?

Too much.

College football is back and proved in a game, played six time zones apart, why it is the greatest sport on the planet.

Both Georgia Tech and Florida State appear on Notre Dame’s schedule in 2024, so what did the Yellow Jackets’ win mean for the Fighting Irish?

Georgia Tech is better than advertised

Georgia Tech was on an upward trend last year, going 7-6 after not making bowl games in the past four seasons.

Brent Key has a physical Georgia Tech team that showed it probably should have been at least in the top 25 votes received category this preseason. Georgia Tech was more physical than Florida State on both sides of the line, something no one thought would happen before the game.

Florida State’s passing attack looks like Notre Dame’s 2023

It rained heavily early in Saturday’s game, but Florida State’s passing game was elemental. It has a quarterback in DJ Uiagalelei who head coach Mike Norvell didn’t trust to throw the ball downfield unless it was in fourth-and-long situations and receivers who did nothing to get open against the man-to-man defense.

It looked a lot like Notre Dame’s long-range passing attack last year, and if you watched the Irish, that’s not a compliment.

About Florida State’s dominant defensive line

Some suggested before the game (ESPN’s Pete Thamel) that Florida State had the best defensive line in the country.

Georgia Tech shredded that defensive line, as the Yellow Jackets ran for 190 yards at more than five yards per attempt. That vaunted defensive line also didn’t record a sack in a game in which Haynes King threw 16 passes.

Notre Dame’s strength of schedule likely to be affected

Florida State was the highest-ranked team on Notre Dame’s schedule this preseason. That’s not to say Texas A&M, Louisville, Georgia Tech or USC can’t try to move up, but Notre Dame’s wiggle room in terms of having a solid schedule took a hit on Saturday.

Win all your games and it won’t matter, as you’ll be in fifth place in the playoffs, but lose any of them and the resume police and strength of schedule will come out in full force.

If Notre Dame finishes with a record less than 12-0, the cries will be very loud to prevent the Irish from playing a College Football Playoff game at home.

There will be no College Gameday at Notre Dame this year

Arguably the least important thing we can take away from this game is that Notre Dame’s home schedule will be even less impressive this fall.

Florida State remains Notre Dame’s top home opponent, but with Memphis, a trip to SMU, a home game against Clemson and a trip to Miami ahead of the Nov. 9 game in South Bend, this is a Florida State team that could realistically have three or more losses by that point.

If you were hoping to see the GameDay crew in South Bend this year, you’ll be disappointed.

Notre Dame travels to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Oct. 19, while hosting Florida State on Nov. 9.

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