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College Football Rankings 2016: Projected AP Top 25 After National Championship

By Zach Bigalke

Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) scores a touchdown on an 8 yard run past against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second quarter in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) scores a touchdown on an 8 yard run past against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second quarter in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 31, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Ricky Jeune (2) runs after a catch in the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at EverBank Field. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets won 33-18. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Ricky Jeune (2) runs after a catch in the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at EverBank Field. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets won 33-18. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /

Georgia Tech should also be the beneficiary of a bowl victory over an SEC opponent after they convincingly too down Kentucky at the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville on New Year’s Eve. The Yellow Jackets had a 20-3 lead by halftime, and Dedrick Mills stole the show with 169 rushing yards and a touchdown. They will probably also get a boost from the way the ACC performed as a whole this bowl season. When you put it all together, it should be enough for Paul Johnson’s team to climb into the AP Top 25.

Their four losses all came in conference play, though they did manage to pull off an upset in Blacksburg over Coastal champ Virginia Tech. In three non-conference games against SEC opponents (including the bowl game) the Yellow Jackets went 3-0, beating Vanderbilt and Georgia in addition to the Wildcats. The Georgia Tech triple-option offense once again ranked in the top ten in rushing, and despite passing the ball infrequently they had one of the 20 most efficient aerial games in the country.

An unblemished non-conference record and an emphatic bowl performance will push Georgia Tech into the Top 25 after a slew of defeats among the lower half of the poll opened space this postseason. They will miss graduating quarterback Justin Thomas in 2017, but Paul Johnson should find a way to manage as he always does in Atlanta.

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