Georgia Tech Football

Take a closer look at his right arm. Look past the facade that WWE fans love to hate, past the sleeve of Polynesian tattoos. Focus closely on his right bicep. Do you see it? It's an L, branded into the skin of Roman Reigns, an initial for his given name, Leati.    

That beautiful arm will destroy many!!#AhahahYeesssir 💪😁 that face 😚#RomanReigns #USChamp #TopGuy pic.twitter.com/hrYDmXfaqn

— Handy ||•Roman Reigns Era•|| (@HandyRed) November 13, 2016

That mark of seared skin is what coach Greg Seibert first remembers about the high schooler he knows as Joe Anoa'i, full name Leati Joseph Anoaʻi, a three-year defensive tackle under him at Pensacola Catholic High School. How one day, after his sophomore summer, Anoa'i walked into training camp with an L branded on his arm.

At the time, Seibert asked him how he got the newly fashioned scar. A heated coat hanger, Anoa'i answered. Before he could pay tribute to his heritage through with tattoos, Anoa'i took matters into his own hands, and did the deed himself in the mirror.

"Whoa, you're just a little bit different from everyone else," Seibert recalls saying. "I'm going to put you in a position to hurt people, because you're mad. You burned your own arm."

Fifteen years later, Seibert says that he regrets that thought progression, but the sentiment remains true. Joe Anoa'i was just a little bit different.

"Every single time he tried to line up for any kind of drill or any kind of one-on-one situation, everyone backed away from Joe," Seibert says.

That's how people remember Anoa'i the football player, someone who immediately instilled fear in those he faced. That ferociousness carried over into his days at Georgia Tech, says Jon Tenuta, the defensive coordinator for the Yellow Jackets at the time.

Roman Reigns, Jimmy & Jey Uso sign their college football letters of intent, February 2003. @WWEUsos @WWERomanReigns #WWE #ExtremeRules pic.twitter.com/lSrrqwxFpX

— Denny Burkholder (@DennyBurkholder) June 4, 2017

"He had all the tools, and he might not have been the tallest or fastest, but he was the toughest by far," Tenuta says. "Everyone knew he was a badass, but he never acted that way. When the lights came on, you just knew he was a badass."

On the field, Anoa'i looked the part of a Division I football player. Seibert doesn't hold back when complimenting a lineman whom he says "played with the mean streak you want a defensive player to have," and had "an electricity that made the people around him better."

"I'll even call it an aura," he says.

People wanted to be around Anoa'i because they knew he'd make them better. His passion and tenacity had a tendency to rub off on others.

The fire had been passed down from his father, Sika, half of The Wild Samoans. Every day at practice, Seibert would look up into the stands and find Sika watching over his son.

"It wasn't until a bit later until I realized that that was The Wild Samoan," Seibert says. "That's when it became real to me. That is not just fly-by-night, national armory wrestling family that's hanging out at my football practice. That's one of The Wild Samoans."

In high school, teammates and coaches thought Anoa'i had a legitimate shot at the NFL. At Georgia Tech, where Anoa'i totaled 108 tackles and 12 sacks in four years, the competitiveness alone, Tenuta thought, would give him a shot at the next level. In 2006, Reigns earned All-ACC first-team honors with 40 tackles, two recovered fumbles and 4.5 sacks.

Yet pro football never worked out. There were two brief camp stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars and one year in the CFL with the Edmonton Eskimos, where Anoa'i finished with nine tackles, no sacks and no fumble recoveries. He retired from football the next year.

Two years later, Anoa'i signed a developmental contract with the WWE, and began his ascent to infamy.

Seibert remembers about five or six years ago, a teammate of Anoa'i told him about his former star defensive tackle's new career venture. On Monday night, he turned on the television, and there he was.

"Oh, my God," Seibert remembers saying. "There's Joe Anoa'i. There's the kid who used to lift weights in our weight room. The kid I tried to teach in class. He's the kid I couldn't get to behave."

Both Seibert and Tenuta, now an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati, make a point to call Reigns "Joe." The polarizing character they see on television is only a slice of the guy they knew—the guy they coached.

"I know that Joe is playing a character. He's fiercely loyal to the people that are loyal to him," Seibert says. "If you're hating Joe's character on TV, then Joe and the WWE are winning. If you're still turning on [the TV] to see what he's going to do, then he's done his job as it's being asked to do."

"Joe is one of those guys that you're just glad you had a chance to be around him, coach him and know him," Tenuta says. "He's just a regular dude, but it's cool to watch him on TV with the entertainment aspect of it."

It doesn't surprise either of Joe Anoa'i's football coaches that he ended up as Roman Reigns, three-time World Heavyweight Champion WWE superstar. From a young age on the football field, the toughness, the bravado, the passion—it was all there.

"Now, my man is diving over the top rope over people and getting hit with a chair and all of that," Seibert says. "That can't be that much worse than burning a big letter in your arm."

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets continued putting together their 2018 recruiting class Wednesday with a commitment from intriguing defensive tackle T.K. Chimedza.

Chimedza announced his decision on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/__TKC11/status/877567754299097088

SB Nation's From The Rumble Seat emphasized what his commitment meant for the program:

Chimedza is arguably the biggest commit of Paul Johnson's tenure. He's certainly top-5 or so, objectively speaking. Can't overstate it.

— From the Rumble Seat (@FTRSBlog) June 21, 2017

Chimedza checks in as a 4-star prospect and the No. 262 overall recruit in the 2018 class, according to Scout.com. He's also listed as the No. 22 defensive tackle and the second-best player at the position from Florida.

While those are fair ratings based on his overall body of work, they don't fully represent his potential. He's shown flashes of becoming a special talent.

The IMG Academy product has all the tools. He's quick off the snap to create an immediate push into the backfield, and his agility allows him to quickly plug holes against the run. He also does a nice job of taking on extra blocks to open space for other members of the front seven to make plays.

In addition, his 6'2'' frame is filled with plenty of raw power, though he'll probably still look to bulk up a bit from his 280 pounds.

Now, the focus for Chimedza is consistency. The physical ability and the natural athleticism are there, but his play-to-play presence can improve. If it does, and he becomes the well-rounded force his upside suggests is possible, he'd be a massive addition.

He's hoping his time at IMG Academy, which has become a popular school for college football prospects, will help him make the necessary progress, per Jeff Sentell of DawgNation.

"The way I see it is if you decided to come here, then you already knew you were giving up a big part of your social life," Chimedza said. "I didn't come here to talk to girls or see what kind of parties I can go to. I came here to get better and to make sure I make it to the next level and that I will be prepared to play at that next level."

All told, Chimezda is a high-upside, low-risk addition for head coach Paul Johnson and the Yellow Jackets. His development floor is a solid rotational member. But there's a strong chance he'll become much more than that.

He could end up cracking the Georgia Tech two-deep chart by the end of his freshman campaign. But this is mostly a signing for the future. If everything breaks correctly he could be one of the best defensive tackles in the country as an upperclassman.    

Jaquan Henderson committed to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Sunday, according to JacketsOnline.com.

Henderson is the No. 25 outside linebacker in the country and No. 6 at his position in the state of Georgia, per Scout. 

Henderson had previously pledged his future to the Tennessee Volunteers.

In an interview with the Covington News' Gabriel Stovall, Henderson said he had continued receiving heavy interest from other schools despite his commitment to Tennessee: "Well, it's been Michigan State, Indiana, Nebraska and North Carolina that have been coming the hardest. But as for what I'm looking for, the main thing is just getting a degree from a place that's going to mean something. I want to go somewhere that's going to help change and impact my whole life."

Rivals' Kelly Quinlan tweeted that Henderson's decision to join the Yellow Jackets added to a big weekend for the program:

#GaTech had six visitors, three uncommitted, now all six are commits. pic.twitter.com/UKN1Uwhw4o

— Kelly Quinlan (@Kelly_Quinlan) January 22, 2017

According to Scout, Georgia Tech's 2017 class ranks 46th in the nation. Should that ranking hold, it would be a nice improvement over 2016, when the Yellow Jackets sat 67th. 

Henderson has run a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, per Hudl, and a 4.37 20-yard shuttle, per ESPN.com, so he has the physical tools to excel at the next level. Having played safety at Newton High School in Covington, Georgia, he is proficient in pass coverage as well—a trait that will serve him well when he's asked to match up with athletic tight ends.

He's listed at 6'½" and 193 pounds, though, so size will be a concern for Henderson should he stay at linebacker with Georgia Tech. He could be overpowered by bigger blockers defending the run and rushing the passer.

The Yellow Jackets will need to replace P.J. Davis, who finished second on the team in tackles, in 2017, but Victor Alexander will likely have the inside track to take Davis' starting job.

Playing time may be in short supply for Henderson right away. He'd benefit from a slower adjustment to the first string since he'd have more time to figure out his best position and add more muscle should his future lie at outside linebacker.

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Boston College ended last season by losing its last eight games in a row. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, lost nine of its last 10. The Eagles also finished just 4-7 against the spread last season, while the Yellow Jackets were even worse, at 3-9 ATS. But a new season begins for BC and the Ramblin' Wreck when they meet Saturday across the pond for an ACC bout in Dublin, Ireland.

Point spread: Yellow Jackets opened as three-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 18.8-16.8 Eagles

   

Why the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets can cover the spread

Georgia Tech is trying to bounce back after falling to 3-9 last year. The Yellow Jackets had some chances, losing six games by eight points or less, and they upset Florida State. They also actually outgained opponents by a 378-368 yards-per-game margin, a figure more closely associated with a 7-5 team, rather than one that finished six games under .500.

This year, Tech returns 11 starters. Six are back on offense, including senior quarterback Justin Thomas (26 career starts), while five are back on defense, including three of the front four.

   

Why the Boston College Eagles can cover the spread

The Eagles are trying to rebound after also falling to 3-9 last year. Boston College played great defense, holding eight opponents to 19 points or less, but thanks to an impotent offense, it lost five games by a field goal or less, including a couple of heartbreakers.

Boston College actually outgained opponents by 22 yards per game last year, 276-254.

This year, Boston College returns 14 starters. Seven are back on offense, including three along the offensive line, and that doesn't include senior transfer quarterback Patrick Towles, who threw for 5,099 yards and 24 touchdowns in three seasons at Kentucky. And seven starters return from a defense that ranked No. 1 in all of FBS against the run last year, allowing just 83 yards per game.

   

Smart pick

The Jackets love to run the option, but the Eagles should be tough to run against. Meanwhile, the Eagles should be improved on offense, while Georgia Tech might take a step back on defense. Plus, Boston College should have the crowd on its side. The smart money here flies with the Eagles, who might not even need the points.

   

Betting trends

Georgia Tech is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games.

The total has gone under in Georgia Tech's last three games against Boston College.

Georgia Tech is 0-6 SU and ATS in its last six games as a favorite.

   

All point spread and betting lines data courtesy of Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Odds Shark on Twitter and YouTube for injury information, line-movement updates and more game analysis, and get the free odds-tracker app.

ATLANTA — Before the Truthers got busy investigating the birth certificate of President Obama, and before they crafted their thorough treatise on climate change, they were trying to unriddle Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson and disprove everything the football sorcerer believes in. They have been rummaging through the man's brain going on 15 years, from Georgia Southern to Navy to Tech.

Johnson is not helping much by saying things like "we're not hard to find." He needs to be hauled to the confessional.

Georgia Tech is on a national stage this Saturday because it is playing Notre Dame, and, of course, you are dissecting this matchup by pondering the athleticism of the Irish versus the hocus pocus of Tech and its option offense. The slyboots Johnson is the most unconventional man in his industry, and he may be the smartest football coach in America, too.

What he does works when everyone says it won't.

Coach	Wins
Frank Beamer	274
Steve Spurrier	227
Brian Kelly	218
Dennis Franchione	211
Bill Snyder	189
Gary Pinkel	188
Nick Saban	184
Bob Stoops	170
Paul Johnson	167
Terry Bowden	151

There are always questions about how the boogeyman Johnson does solid business with an offense that runs the ball 88 to 90 percent of the time with formations straight out of the leather-helmet era. Tech is so counter-narrative to what you know about big-boy football. And that's what makes Tech cool, especially when it gets on the big stage (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC).

Here are some tidbits to add to the allure:

• Tech had an All-ACC center, Sean Bedford, who played under Johnson and studied to be a rocket scientist (aerospace engineering). It is probably the hardest major on the campus.

• Tech's blocking in 2014 was led by an All-ACC tackle who was a relative midget. Shaq Mason is 6'1" tall. The Jackets averaged 6.1 yards per carry because of him, among others. Mason is in the NFL, which shows Johnson knows what he is doing on the recruiting trail when it comes to projecting talent.      

• The most accomplished player sent to the NFL by Johnson and his run offense is not an offensive lineman or running back but a wide receiver (Denver's Demaryius Thomas).

• The play whisperer Johnson does not use hand signals to call in plays. He talks into the ear hole of the player to carry the play into the huddle. Johnson is given a play-call sheet before every game, but he never uses it. He sticks it in a folder. He still wants it delivered to him because he is superstitious. The honest truth is you can fit Tech plays on a 3x5 card.

• His recruiting classes are never talked about, but Tech has averaged 8.3 wins under Johnson and played in three ACC championship games in seven seasons. The Yellow Jackets finished 11-3 in 2014, and you should note they are working with 12 senior starters in 2015, which is a lot in this day and age of Power Five football.

Here is something else. Johnson, 58, is not so different from other coaches who have been around 35 years. The man, after all, has disciples and a coaching tree, just like Bear Bryant. OK, so the tree has just a few limbs: Army coach Jeff Monken, Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo and Kennesaw State coach Brian Bohannon.

Bohannon and the Owls are 2-0 in their first season of football. Guess what they are doing? Crushing teams with the option (a 56-16 win over East Tennessee State and 58-7 over Edward Waters). That's right. The Owls don't fly. They grind, just like Tech.

It's not schematics or witchcraft.

"It's tough-man football," Bohannon said. "Once it gets going, it is hard to stop."

Here's why it is tough to stop. Johnson figures out a defense's tendencies, according to Bohannon. He watches and makes a mental note on how a cornerback behaves on a certain play, or how a linebacker reacts to motion, or how a defensive front slides. He knows that defense will repeat itself, and when it does he will have the right play in the game where he has three blocking your two. Tech has scored 29 touchdowns since the start of the 2014 season with drives of two minutes or faster.

"It's the sequence of the calls; he is three steps ahead of what's going on," Bohannon said. "He sets something up. He has a great knack for it. The man is special on game day. He sees who is making the play, and he remembers and uses it. The timeliness of his calls is what's uncanny."

Bedford, the ex-Tech rocket scientist, remembers a game on Halloween in 2009 with Vanderbilt. The Jackets were up 42-31, and Vandy wouldn't go away. The offense was gathered on the sideline when Johnson came over to them and said, "You want to score a touchdown?"

Johnson then made up a play, as if he was drawing it up on dirt in the mountains of his native North Carolina.

"We ran the new play, which we had obviously never practiced before, on the first play of the next drive," Bedford said. "Just as coach promised us he would, the safety came flying up to stop what he thought was a counter option, which allowed [quarterback] Josh Nesbitt to hit Embry Peeples in stride for an 87-yard touchdown pass."

Here are some other things about Tech you need to know before the Jackets play Notre Dame:

• The program does not fill in holes with junior college transfers. The credits simply don't transfer in. No shortcuts allowed.

• Urban Meyer is his friend. The Ohio State coach consulted Johnson on the option, not the other way around.

• There are Tech players in a business administration major, which must be a "cluster" for football guys, right? Just like the football factories, a place to hide a kid who doesn't want to work, right? Except there is a course requirement for this major called Math 1712 or 1711. Look it up. That's calculus. You have to pass it and make progress to a degree.

• Tech has 13 former high school quarterbacks on its roster. Johnson figures the quarterback at his high school is going to be the best athlete, so the coach recruits him. Give the 5'11", 6'0" guy a chance to play quarterback, and if he doesn't work out, he can go to the secondary or play receiver.

Here is another counter-narrative. Tech is a mecca for foreign students studying engineering, among other things, so Johnson has a football clinic every spring for international students. He has as much fun as the students from the Middle East, Europe and South America who grew up on futbol, not football.

Johnson was explaining to them why yellow flags in football are thrown compared to red cards in futbol that are raised.

"Holding is, well, holding," he said. "Unsportsmanlike conduct is being a jerk."

Johnson was about to explain another rule to the campers and then said in his North Carolina mountain drawl, "Aww, I'll just make something up, you won't know the difference." He laughed, and then the class laughed with him.

He stumped them when he was trying to explain how teams get a first down.

"We use four downs to get a first down," he said with a sly smile. "Most everybody else uses three."

His campers must have thought, "This guy must be special if the rules allow him an extra play." No, the frequently unconventional Johnson just goes for it on 4th-and-2.

Bohannon said there is something about Johnson that will ignite Georgia Tech emotionally against Notre Dame on Saturday. Like his players, many of whom were not recruited by Alabama, Auburn or LSU, Johnson has a chip on his shoulder.

Was Johnson on the verge of being fired before the 2014 season? He was 28-25 in a four-season span and there were rumblings, but then came a 10-win regular season, which included a victory over Georgia.

"Just don't tell him he can't do something," Bohannon said. "He's competitive that way."

That competitiveness is surely fueling some of the drama this week. Brian VanGorder, the Notre Dame defensive coordinator, became the Georgia Southern coach in 2006, replacing Johnson's friend, Mike Sewak, who was fired. VanGorder ridiculed the option game Georgia Southern had run with great success under Johnson.

"He said something about bringing them into the 21st century," Johnson said. "And I said, 'There's a [scoring] record there, shoot for it.'"

VanGorder finished 3-8 at Georgia Southern and then quit after one season and went back to the NFL. Johnson, meanwhile, is still running his not-21st-century offense and received a four-year contract extension last December (through 2020) that will pay him about $3.02 million per year, third in the ACC.

So Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame will have some spit to it, matching Notre Dame's pedigreed recruits on defense against Johnson's cleverness. No matter how it turns out, the Truthers will not be satisfied that there really is another way to play the game.

Ray Glier covers college football for Bleacher Report.

In part two of the SEC's New Year's Eve collapse in bowl games, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets surged in the second half to upend the Mississippi State Bulldogs 49-34 in the Orange Bowl. 

Paul Johnson's option offense was too much for the highly acclaimed defense of the Bulldogs, as the Yellow Jackets racked up 452 yards on the ground. 

With that, let's check out the game grades for both teams, starting with the Yellow Jackets. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Rush Offense	A-	A+
Pass Offense	B	B
Rush Defense	B	B
Pass Defense	D	C
Special Teams	B	B
Coaching	B+	A

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Rush Offense: 452 yards and six touchdowns. That's what Georgia Tech racked up on the ground against the Bulldogs on New Year's Eve, and it's the main reason the Yellow Jackets walked away victorious.

Synjyn Days and Justin Thomas both passed the century mark—171 and 121 yards, respectively—and both scored three touchdowns. As a whole, Georgia Tech had five runners rush for 20 or more yards and averaged 7.4 yards per carry.

Pass Offense: The Yellow Jackets are certainly not a passing team, but they made the most out of their chances through the air. On just 12 pass attempts, Thomas connected on seven of them and threw for a touchdown and 125 yards. Those are not big numbers, but when you rush for over 400 yards, you don't need to air it out.

Rush Defense: The Bulldogs ran for 152 yards and found pay dirt on the ground once, but they averaged just 4.6 yards per carry. The Yellow Jackets also didn't allow a 100-yard rusher.

Pass Defense: The Georgia Tech secondary allowed Dak Prescott to accumulate 453 yards through the air, but much of that was because Mississippi State spent the second half playing catch-up. Nevertheless, the pass defense was a lone black mark for the Yellow Jackets.

Special Teams: Harrison Butker didn't need to attempt a field goal, but he was 7-of-7 on extra points. Ultimately, special teams didn't play a huge role either way in Georgia Tech's win, but consistency was key in this department.

Coaching: Paul Johnson exposed Mississippi State to the tune of 49 points and showed that the Flexbone offense isn't quite out of style yet. When you have a month to prepare, coaching will always play a huge role. In this edition of the Orange Bowl, Johnson prevailed. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Rush Offense	C+	B-
Pass Offense	A	A-
Rush Defense	D	F
Pass Defense	D+	C-
Special Teams	B	B+
Coaching	B	D

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Rush Offense: The Bulldogs did rack up 152 yards on the ground, with Josh Robinson accounting for 75 of them on 13 carries. But as the game got away from the Bulldogs, Prescott was forced to go to the air, and Mississippi State got away from the run game. 

Pass Offense: If Mississippi State can hang its hat on just one thing, it's that Prescott had a day to remember. He threw for 453 yards and three touchdowns; however, he also had an interception on the night. 

Rush Defense: The front line of the Bulldogs was massacred during the Orange Bowl. It clearly couldn't handle the option offense, and the Yellow Jackets exposed the Bulldogs' ill-preparedness to the tune of 452 yards and six touchdowns. 

Pass Defense: Again, Georgia Tech isn't a pass-heavy team. Yet, on just 12 attempts, the Yellow Jackets got a touchdown and 125 yards out of it. Darren Waller of Georgia Tech's Darren Waller, alone, had five receptions for 114 yards. It's definitely concerning when a run-heavy team can find opportunities through the air.

Special Teams: Besides a kickoff that went out of bounds, there wasn't much that went wrong in the special teams department. The Bulldogs had a punt downed inside the 20-yard line and didn't miss a kick. 

Coaching: Dan Mullen looked out of his league against Paul Johnson. He clearly didn't have the scheme to stop the Flexbone, and it cost the Bulldogs, who otherwise had a good season, thanks largely in part to Mullen and his game plan.

There are two ways to look at the matchup between Mississippi State and Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl: Either both teams are thrilled to be playing in the game or each team is disappointed with its lot in life.

The former viewpoint would suggest that both Mississippi State and Georgia Tech are overachievers and reached a bowl game most folks wouldn't have pegged them to reach this season.

The latter viewpoint points out that Mississippi State was at one point the No. 1 team in the country, while Georgia Tech lost a tight game to Florida State in the ACC title game.

Any way you slice it, Wednesday's game should be a fun one that will come down to the wire. Mississippi State is going to sneak away with a victory, however.

For starters, the Bulldogs have the best offensive player in this game in quarterback Dak Prescott and an excellent running back in Josh Robinson. Prescott had an awesome 2014, throwing for 2,996 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while rushing for 939 yards and another 13 touchdowns.

He's been tough to stop all year, and as David M. Hale of ESPN.com writes, the one way to slow him down hasn't exactly been one of Georgia Tech's strengths this season:

In Mississippi State's 10 wins, QB Dak Prescott had a QBR of 81.4. In its two losses, his QBR was just 34.0. That makes the job for Tech's defense clear: Rattle Prescott. That job won't be easy, of course. Prescott was a Heisman favorite for much of the season, and he's one of the nation's top QBs. Moreover, Georgia Tech has struggled to consistently get pressure on the passer, ranking 105th nationally in sack rate. When it recorded two or more sacks in a game, Tech was 6-0 and allowed just 18 points per game. When it didn't, Tech was just 2-3 vs. FBS foes, allowing an average of 36 points per game.

When they aren't dealing with Prescott, they'll have to deal with Robinson, who rushed for 1,128 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. The Bulldogs boast a well-rounded offense that averages 506.2 yards (ranked ninth in the nation) and 37.2 points (14th) per game, so they'll attack Georgia Tech in a number of ways.

For Georgia Tech to win this game, two things need to happen: It needs to control the ball on offense and be opportunistic on defense.

It's managed to do both for much of the year. Head coach Paul Johnson’s option offense and standout quarterback Justin Thomas (965 rushing yards this year) have led Georgia Tech to the second-ranked rushing offense in the country (333.6 yards per game), one that ranks third in time of possession (34:02).

Mississippi State star linebacker Benardrick McKinney is going to have his hands full in this one. Really, all of the Bulldogs will. They talked with Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com about preparing for the triple-option attack:

"This will be the first real deal since high school and it was hard to stop then, so it's going to be even harder to stop on this level," Mississippi State cornerback Jamerson Love told reporters in South Florida. "They want to run the ball, but they will sneak it and throw it on you. They have some huge receivers. We just have to go out and play physical all game."

[Head coach Dan] Mullen added the biggest challenge is "the chop blocks—you can’t simulate that at practice. When you’re getting that type of speed and how aggressive all the chop blocks are, that’s one of the things that’s a huge challenge in preparing for these guys and how fast we adjust to the speed of the game."

The Bulldogs have been inconsistent against the run this season, yes, but they are better at defending that than the pass. While Georgia Tech can throw the ball around a little bit, its bread is buttered by running the ball. Plus, Hale reports the Yellow Jackets will be without star receiver DeAndre Smelter, which will really hurt the passing game.

That means that the Yellow Jackets may not be able to fully exploit Mississippi State's biggest weakness, a pass defense giving up 285.2 yards per game through the air (125th).

Georgia Tech doesn't only hold on to the ball—it also likes to take it away, forcing 27 turnovers this year and turning six of them into defensive touchdowns.

Georgia Tech's defense is going to have a hard time slowing down this Mississippi State offense, but if they can capitalize on a few turnovers, the momentum could swing in the Yellow Jackets' direction.

Still, the explosive nature of Mississippi State's offense and the ability of Prescott to take over at any moment is going to make the Bulldogs tough to beat. Georgia Tech is going to have to completely control the ball on offense, come up with timely turnovers and find a way to slow down Prescott and Robinson.

That seems like too much to ask from this Georgia Tech squad. This one is going to be close, but the Bulldogs will prevail in the end.

Georgia Tech announced an agreement with head football coach Paul Johnson on a four-year contract extension through 2020. He was previously signed through the 2016 season.

The Yellow Jackets confirmed the new deal on their official site. It comes on the same day they are set to face off with Florida State in the ACC Championship Game. The release included comments from athletic director Mike Bobinski about the decision:

I'm pleased to announce an extension of Paul Johnson's contract. This extension reflects our confidence in the solid foundation Coach Johnson has built for the future success of our program, which reaches beyond the field and includes increasingly strong academic achievement.

I look forward to Paul Johnson's continued leadership of our football program and am excited about the possibilities in the years ahead.

"I am excited that we were able to work out a contract extension," Johnson added. "I appreciate the support of our fans, students and alumni during my time here. My family and I are looking forward to being a part of Georgia Tech for a long time."

Johnson has led Georgia Tech to a 10-2 record to bring his career mark at the school to 58-34 across seven years. The team has qualified for a bowl in each season with him at the helm.

The Yellow Jackets have also steered clear of the popular spread offense approach that's taken over both the collegiate and pro games in recent years. Instead, Johnson and Co. have stuck with the run-heavy triple-option to great effect.

Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press summed it all up in a unique way:

Paul Johnson just got a quadruple-year extension thanks to the triple-option. He can now afford several double-doubles.

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) December 6, 2014

Although he was under contract for two more seasons, this is the time of year when the college football coaching carousel begins to heat up. Getting any potential distractions out of the way before bowl preparations begin is a positive.

A lot will depend on the outcomes of championship Saturday, including the team's clash with the Seminoles, but an Orange Bowl appearance seems likely. That would be a nice accomplishment for a team that didn't receive much preseason hype.

Georgia Tech is clearly pleased enough with the continued progress to lock Johnson up for the foreseeable future.