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Georgia Tech improved to 3-0 on the season last Saturday with a dominant 38-7 victory over the SEC's Vanderbilt Commodores at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Just about everything went well for Tech offensively, including an 81-yard touchdown pass from Justin Thomas to Marcus Marshall on a wheel route for the first play of the game and over 500 yards of total offense for the day. The loss was so bad for the Commodores that it even spawned an "early look at coaching candidates" article from Vanderbilt's SB Nation site, reflecting how ugly the Derek Mason era has been in Nashville so far. I feel for them, but that's what happens when a team comes in unprepared to face Paul Johnson's offense. It's a bit ironic considering that Mason is the man who once led a seminar on stopping option-based offenses (admittedly focused on Oregon/Auburn-style read option systems), but we'll take the win and move on.
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With the Vanderbilt game now a thing of the past, Georgia Tech will look towards a week four matchup against the No. 5 Clemson Tigers in Atlanta. The Jackets and Tigers should both be amply rested despite the game being a Thursday night affair given that Tech was able to pull its starters after three quarters and Clemson agreed to shorten the third and fourth quarters in its blowout win over South Carolina State. As it stands, Paul Johnson has never lost to Clemson in Atlanta; he's a perfect 3-0 so far in his Tech career. It's entirely possible for that streak to continue this time around, but the Jackets will have to play as well offensively and likely even better defensively as they did versus Vanderbilt this week. We've seen the prowess of Deshaun Watson firsthand a couple of times now.
I touched on how good Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson had been through the first two games late last week, but I don't think anyone saw the outcome of the Cardinals' game versus Florida State coming: the then No. 10 Cards obliterated the then No. 2 Seminoles by a final score of 63-20. The victory catapulted Louisville all the way to No. 3 in the latest AP Poll, reflecting the nation's collective shock at the fact that anyone was able to lead the second-ranked 'Noles by as many as 53 points in a single game. That outcome was simply outrageous. Hopefully Jimbo packed some earplugs for when his team bus rolls back into Tallahassee.