The 2024 college football season got off to a rollicking start when two-score underdog Georgia Tech pulled the outright upset against Florida State in Dublin.

It was a near-perfect performance from the Yellow Jackets, especially since the Seminoles drew first blood with an opening-drive touchdown and two-point conversion.

But rather than get overwhelmed, the Yellow Jackets stabilized and succeeded at getting the game on their terms.

Any big underdog wants to keep the clock moving, and the Ramblin’ Wreck did that with a grinding rushing attack that left FSU flat-footed for much of the contest.

Georgia Tech’s win turned the picture in the ACC on its head — FSU was the favorite to win the conference — and got tongues wagging about the ceiling of the resurgent Yellow Jackets.

That can mean only one thing: It’s already time to fade the hype on Georgia Tech.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot to like about Georgia Tech. Coach Brent Key has this program well ahead of schedule and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner is considered to be a rising star on the sidelines.

Faulkner has built a fabulous scheme around quarterback Haynes King and running back Jamal Haynes that turned the Yellow Jackets into one of the most exciting offenses in the country last year, and if last Saturday’s college football kickoff was any indication, we can expect big things once again in 2024.

Things are not quite as rosy for Georgia Tech’s inner-city rival, Georgia State.

This truly is a Year 0 situation for the Panthers after Shawn Elliott left his post as head coach in the spring, forcing Georgia State to scramble and hire Georgia running backs coach Dell McGee in February.

Georgia State will also turn to a new starting quarterback, Zach Gibson, in 2024. Gibson transferred across Atlanta after spending last season with the Yellow Jackets.

While all of this points to a straightforward win for the Yellow Jackets, you have to consider a couple of extenuating circumstances before just laying the wood with the favorite.

Most notably, this is a tricky schedule spot for the Ramblin’ Wreck. Not only is it a potential letdown situation after a program-changing win against FSU, but the travel could also catch up to the Yellow Jackets after kicking off their campaign with an 8,000-mile round trip.

Secondly, remember that Georgia Tech had a win total of just five before the season started.

Betting on College Football?

While the offense was expected to be a strength, there are still questions about the defense.

Perhaps what we saw against Florida State was a sign of legitimate improvements, but it’s fair to be skeptical after just one game — especially since the Seminoles were clearly not at the races.

This seems like a classic situation where a season-opening win has inflated the price on a team that most punters thought would be mediocre in the coming season.

Add in some travel concerns and the potential that Georgia Tech will take its foot off the gas in the second half to stay fresh ahead of another ACC showdown next weekend, and you have the perfect recipe for our first ugly underdog bet of the new campaign.

Welcome back, college football.

The bet: Georgia State +21