Tech adds great non-conference foes

So by now, all of the people who are big enough fans of Georgia Tech to read this blog have heard that we are adding BYU to the schedule for 2 home-and-home series. Looking at the next ten years, this is another solid BCS-conference showdown notch on the wall for the GTAA. The one that jumps out to me is the 2019-2020 game against Alabama. 

Alabama and Georgia Tech have a tremendous history in football, dating back to the days of SEC showdowns between Bobby Dodd and Bear Bryant. I would delve into the history of this series, the magic of the coaching duel, and the results, but I will spare those of you who have been reading this blog long enough to have seen this (thanks, Bird.).

In any given year between now and 2021 or so, we are looking at playing some prime-time football with the best of them. Virginia Tech, Clemson (or Climpsun, this week), Miami, and Georgia already get the agony of playing Georgia Tech every year. Add to that teams like Alabama (13 National Championships), Mississippi (3 National Championships), BYU (1 NC), and other BCS conference teams like Vanderbilt, South Carolina (2020-2021), and Syracuse, and we've got something to look forward to a bit more that Troy, Samford, and Gardner-Webb. Playing these big teams is all about risk vs. reward. Obviously, Tech risks getting blown off of the field and the national media outlet humiliation that comes with doing that. However, as a fan, it is so much easier to get excited about hosting Alabama, even if Tech is 0-5 going into the game, than it is to get excited about Middle Tennessee State. Playing the small-time football programs is all risk for the Institute. Even if Tech wins 80-3, there is no substantial pat on the back. They only hand out awards for slaughtering bad teams over in Athens (/THWG). However, a loss to one of those teams kills the entire season. At least people remember Kansas winning the Orange Bowl a few years ago, right?

Obviously, coaches, schemes, and various other support members and systems that comprise these football programs will vary greatly between now and 2020. Even if Tech is running the West Coast offense and a 5-2 defense, and all of these other teams change their schemes, the histories of these football programs speak volumes for Georgia Tech's ability to look past the short term, especially for a 2-5 2010 BYU team, and schedule opponents that will fill the bleachers of Bobby Dodd Stadium in match-ups that the namesake of our stadium himself would be pleased to hear about.