With the season quickly approaching, Dane, Bird and I will be looking at the football schedule month-by-month and giving our quick initial thoughts on each game. Today, we discuss OCTOBER. October is going to be a brutal month with the Jackets on the road 4 of 5 weeks. Can the Jackets run the gauntlet?
October 3rd: at Mississippi State
Dane: Oh noes, the SEC! This game might be difficult, if our entire team is attacked by zombies and forgets how to play football in their deathly states. However, even a team of shambling morons could probably beat them.
Bird: After a coaching change, I don't see Mississippi State pulling a Georgia Tech. The Jackets should easily handle these SEC punching bags.
Winfield: I am not afraid of Mississippi State whatsoever. Bring on the cowbells!
October 10: at Florida State
Dane: I'm more worried about Miami. We will be ready for this game, and while I won't sit here and guarantee a win, I don't think FSU is going to be up for the challenge of playing us.
Bird: If we win this game, I will be incredibly happy. No matter how much luster FSU has lost, they still have a ridiculous home-field advantage. A win here, to me, means we shouldn't lose another ACC game but I wouldn't be surprised if this is eerily similar to our 2006 Clemson rout.
Winfield: Toss up #1.I am afraid of Florida State. Whether it's still the name FSU or how we narrowly won last year, I am nervous. Doak Campbell is loud and ridiculous and I expect FSU to be an undefeated or one-loss team coming into this game as well. A win would make me ecstatic, but I can't expect one.
October 17th: vs. VPI
Dane: Everyone says that VPI is a lock for the ACC. Can we rise to the challenge? I'm sure we can, but I'm not sure we will. If these two teams meet each other undefeated, look for this to be one of the most important games of the CFB season. While I'm worried that we will screw ourselves against Miami, I think VT is the only team on our schedule that can beat us if both teams are playing their best.
Bird: Virginia Tech's season hangs on the threads of Tyrod Taylor's arm and I don't see VT sneaking past us like they did against our 2008 disorganized offense and penalty-maligned defense. Tyrod will not get the late helmet-helmet call and GT wins easily at home. Call it a bold statement.
Winfield: Toss-up #2. But this time we take it. Bud Foster slowed us down last year and we still had a chance to win at the end of the game. With a great offensive gameplan, the Jackets take this one.
October 24th: at UVA
Dane: Paul Johnson won't lose this game twice.
Bird: I think UVA is the worst team in the Coastal. They haven't progressed since last season but Sewell is back and terrible things happen in Charlottesville no matter the players that line up on the sidelines. GT loses by a possession.
Winfield: Haven't won in Charlottesville since 1990. The streak ends in 2009 because Paul Johnson is not afraid of those who show up in blazers and ties and hold each other when they sing they're fight song.
October 31st: at Vanderbilt
Dane: I will be very drunk and probably will be wearing a Stormtrooper costume. Or dressed up like a dead Nashville country star. Look for me carrying around a gin bucket in a little kid's trick-or-treating pumpkin pail. If there's one thing a Catholic upbringing does right it's teach you the value of a good Halloween celebration.
Bird: SEC doormat Vandy shouldn't stand a chance and will probably roll over if they haven't figured out an offense by this point in the season.
Winfield: This has the readings of a trap game all over it. Plus it's on Halloween and our team will be exhausted. However, I don't expect Vandy to put up much of a fight. Tech goes 2-0 against the SEC. Halloween in Nashville! WOO! GONNA BE A GOOD TIME!
October Summary:
Dane: I'd like to say that Tech survives October unscathed, but I doubt it. Traveling twice with FSU on the tail end, then coming home to face VPI is going to be rough. This season is strange, because I can see us winning every game on a game by game basis, but I have a hard time realistically projecting us to not have 2 or 3 losses going into November. Screw it, we sweep October.
Bird: Tech should be favored by Vegas in all but one game in October (@FSU) but Tech performs better as an underdog. I see 2 losses at least in October as we're still working on depth and the ability to consistently dominate week to week.
Winfield: Georgia Tech goes 4-1 for an overall 7-2 record. October is a brutal month full of away games, but the final two of the month come against lesser opponents which leads to wins.
Give us your thoughts!