Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate 2015: An Oft-Discussed Scenario Put to the Test

Part of what makes college football so crazy and so fun are all of the "what if" scenarios that can come into play. They're involved in everything, from who makes the College Football Playoff to how seasons tend to ebb and flow. Not the least of those involves testing just how important rivalry games are to each fan base.

If you're a true, die-hard Georgia Tech fan, chances are that somewhere along the line you were presented with a simple question, if only to spark discussion. It's seemed like a dumb question, built on a hypothetical situation so farfetched that it's hardly even valid.

"If Georgia Tech were to go 1-11, but that one win were to come against georgia, would that still be a successful season?"

Answers here will vary, and my guess is that commenters of this site are passionate enough about how they view this issue that it could start real arguments within the fan base.

As it turns out, after this weekend, that question might not be as hypothetical as it typically would be.

Georgia Tech enters this weekend's edition at 3-8, guaranteed to have its worst record since (get this) two years before most of its current freshman class was born. Two of those wins were of minimal substance -- blowout home wins over a completely outclassed Alcorn State and Tulane to start the season. Their only win since was over Florida State, which culminated in the now famous "Miracle on Techwood Drive".

If there's anything from this season for fans to hang their hats on, it's that win over Florida State -- but that was hidden within so many losses beforehand and afterwards that plenty of fans have already gotten over the magic of that night, almost as if it never happened. Most would agree though that, outside of that one bright spot against Florida State, this season has largely been a failure.

And so, it begs the question -- would a win over georgia change that? Would it make the season a success? Some will say that it does -- that it's the most important game of every season, that it affects recruiting and media coverage and everything else, and that the season can hinge on that one game. Others will say that it doesn't -- that hanging a nice set of drapes and cleaning up the yard doesn't really change the fact that the house has already been condemned. I have an opinion on the matter and won't get into it here (check the comments for more), but I do think it's very interesting that we have a legitimate opportunity this weekend to put that theory to the test and use real results instead of hypothetical scenarios.

Also, before you throw this entire article and discussion out on the premise that Georgia Tech has no shot in this game, think again. As bad as the Yellow Jackets have been this year (especially on offense), their rivals haven't really been particularly great themselves, and it sets up as a good match-up for Georgia Tech. I won't tell you that the Yellow Jackets will definitely win this game, or even should be favored -- but they certainly have a chance here. And so, if it does happen...

Would a win over georgia make the 2015 season a success?