# Georgia Tech vs Tennessee: the staff picks are in

> A sellout crowd, a ranked opponent, and two writers who both see the same ending for the Yellow Jackets.
- Title: Georgia Tech vs Tennessee: the staff picks are in | Shortify
- Summary: A sellout crowd, a ranked opponent, and two writers who both see the same ending for the Yellow Jackets. Brent Key says Georgia Tech played too conservative…
- Keywords: college football, georgia tech, tennessee, brent key, acc, sports, Georgia, Tech, staff, picks, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets On SI
- Source: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets On SI — https://si.com/college/georgiatech/staff-predictions-for-georgia-tech-vs-no-18-tennessee-on-saturday-night-01m27cfhd5xz
- Published: 2026-09-11T18:00:01+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: college football, georgia tech, tennessee, brent key, acc, sports
## Saturday night, sellout crowd
Georgia Tech returns home to face No. 18 Tennessee in front of a full house, trying to avenge the Colorado loss and get back to .500.
## One key above the rest
The Yellow Jackets had chances to beat Colorado at home. What cost them was not talent, it was how carefully they played.
## Stop starting slow
Tech has made a habit of sleepy openings. Against a ranked Tennessee team, the first quarter has to send a message instead of digging a hole.
## Key: too conservative
The head coach said the caution was never the game plan. It crept in anyway, and he has already addressed it with the team.

> We were way too conservative as a football team. That's not the plan that we went into the game with.
## The coach takes the blame
Key put the correction on himself rather than the players, and said the fix is in progress.

> Like everything I say, it's on me to get it corrected and fixed.
## No wholesale changes
Key isn't rebuilding the scheme. He wants Tech to do what it drilled through spring ball and training camp, just with more force.
## Run it, stop it
Key boiled the loss down to two jobs and said Tech failed at both. He called it a lack of toughness, the same thing he said right after the game.

> Really run the ball and stop the run, right? Bottom line. And we didn't do either one.
## Both writers went 0-1
Jackson Caudell and Najeh Wilkins each missed on the Colorado game. Both are picking Tennessee to make it two.
## Caudell: Tennessee 38-17
He thinks Tennessee is the better team everywhere, and the line-of-scrimmage play last week was too concerning to ignore, even at home.

> Tennessee wins convincingly to send Georgia Tech to their first 0-2 start since 1989.
## The defensive line problem
Tech invested most heavily in the D-line, and it was close to invisible against Colorado with almost no tackles for loss or sacks.
## Wilkins: Tennessee 35-24
Tennessee brings a deep rushing attack in DeSean Biship, Duane Morris, Justin Baker, and Javin Gordon. Four quarters of that is a lot to ask of a unit that can't stop the run.
## Key takeaway

Brent Key says Georgia Tech played too conservative against Colorado and lost both the run game and the run defense. Fix that or it's 0-2.