Georgia Tech, and the ECF Update

There will not be a single journalist in print or television that will tell you that the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have a chance to be this year's National Champion. They've already lost a game, and even if they run the table there's no way they are going to climb from around 18th and 20th in the polls into the top 2 slots in the nation. But why not? Let's take a closer look at it.

Here's the GT schedule for the rest of the year:

10/7 Maryland
10/21 at #15 Clemson
10/28 Miami
11/04 at NC State
11/11 at UNC
11/18 Duke
11/25 at #9 Georgia

There are two games in which Georgia Tech will be legitimate underdogs, at Clemson and at Georgia. But if they win these seven games, they will be in the ACC Championship game. And if they win that, then they will have a 12-game winning streak. That will certainly put them in a BCS bowl game, but definitely not the Championship game, unless there are no undefeated teams left.


So why even talk about them? Because Georgia Tech has has fulfilled a critical requirement of the ECF, beating a Top Ten team. Here is the rule:

7. The Top Ten Rule - Teams must beat another team that is in the Top Ten in either Poll when they play, or in the Top Ten later in the season. This is an attempt by Eisenberg Sports to insure that strength of schedule is considered, and gives our poll-loving fans something to do.

By beating Virginia Tech, who was tied for 10th in the USA poll last week, GT has cleared the path. They can an ECF Champion even if they get shafted in the bowl selection process, and get matched up against a team outside of the Top Ten. Rule #7 is already fulfilled.

Here's this week's standings:


Perfect Teams with Wins against Top 10 Teams (2)
- Michigan, Ohio State

Other Eligible Teams with Wins Over Top 10 Teams (1)
- Georgia Tech (Unacceptable Loss, protected by 3 Weeks Rule)

Other Perfect Teams (11)
- Wake Forest, West Virginia, Rutgers, Louisville, Missouri, Oregon, USC, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, Boise St

Teams with 0.5 Acceptable Losses (1)
- Clemson

Teams with 1 Acceptable Loss (11)
- Pitt, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, LSU, Air Force, San Jose St, Wisconsin, UCLA, Ok St, Houston, Kansas

Teams with 1.5 Acceptable Losses (3)
- BYU, Bama, Purdue

Teams with 2 Acceptable Losses (2)
- BC, Hawaii

Teams with an Unacceptable Loss, protected by the 3 Weeks Rule (10)
- FSU, Maryland, Texas, S Miss, Cal, Washington, Tennessee, W Mich, CSU, Notre Dame