Location: Bobby Dodd Stadium — Atlanta, Georgia
Kickoff: Thursday, September 3 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
DraftKings line (Aug. 30): Georgia Tech -6.5
Over/under: 50.5

The Setup

Georgia Tech turned the ball over on each of its first three possessions at Colorado last year and still won 27-20. The rematch begins with an unusual lesson: the Yellow Jackets already survived the mistake pattern that usually ends a game.

What I’m Watching

The clearest matchup edge belongs to Georgia Tech’s offense. It ranked No. 9 nationally at 7.1 yards per play, while Colorado ranked No. 105 defensively and allowed 6.4. Both units have been heavily rebuilt, so the question is whether the same system can recreate last year’s advantage with new personnel.

Personnel Snapshot

Colorado: Deion Sanders enters Year 4 with five returning starters—four on offense and one on defense. The offense averaged 328.4 yards and 23.6 points per game.

Colorado quarterback: Julian Lewis is projected to start after throwing for 589 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions last season.

Georgia Tech: Brent Key enters Year 5 with seven returning starters—two on offense and five on defense.

Georgia Tech quarterback: Indiana transfer Alberto Mendoza is projected to start after throwing for 286 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He will be handing off to star running backs Justice Haynes and Malachi Hosley a lot.

Three Quick Analysis Points

1. The shared history: This is only meeting No. 2 and Colorado’s first trip to Georgia Tech, but the schools share the 1990 national title. The series is young; the argument connecting them is 36 years old.

2. The defensive challenge: Georgia Tech averaged 460 yards per game, 11th nationally, while Colorado allowed 425.7, No. 121. The Jackets’ rebuilt offense gets a clean question: can its system still punish the same weakness?

3. The quarterback sample: Mendoza threw only 24 passes last season. Colorado returns one defensive starter, so both the new quarterback and rebuilt defense enter with far more questions than answers.

How the Game Is Decided

Colorado has to win first down and force Georgia Tech into longer situations. If the Jackets can run their normal offense without facing third-and-long, the statistical edge should keep showing up. A turnover or special-teams mistake is Colorado’s best way to flip it.

Prediction

I make my final predictions on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook at @uthinkuknowsports.