Opinion: Tech will win 10 games in '10

Who, when and where? Those three questions can tell you so much about a team's chances for a good season.

And that could really be the case for Georgia Tech this year.

After a 2009 season with plenty of primo matchups at Bobby Dodd Stadium, four of the Jackets' five biggest games in 2010 are on the road against teams that might all be in the top 25... and three of them are in a row.

An Atlantic Coast Conference Championship is still possible for Tech, but it's going to be a very tough road.

Here's is one semi-fatalistic, yet level-headed Tech fan's predictions about the season:

Sept. 4, vs. South Carolina State -- The Bulldogs should be a pushover, but a really easy pushover? We'll have to see. They were 10-2 last season and undefeated in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. But then again it's the MEAC, and last season they went into Columbia and lost to South Carolina, 38-14. Prediction: Tech by 4 touchdowns.

Sept. 11, at Kansas -- Three years ago, this looked like a very tough matchup for Tech. Three years later, it looks like a very winable game for the Jackets. The Jayhawks were the up-and-coming team with the good coach in the rising conference. And then Mark Mangino decided to go nuts and abuse players. Now Kansas is a five-win team. Prediction: Tech by 3 touchdowns.

Sept. 18, at North Carolina -- Now this one is interesting. Two years ago, Tech played its worst game of the season and got thumped by the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. I don't know if it was the ghost of Dean Smith or what, but they just didn't play well. Last year, the Jackets got revenge, with a 24-7 win at Bobby Dodd. Butch Davis's team seems to have some serious lulls throughout the season and cannot be taken seriously until they solve them. But they're still very dangerous, very talented and have shown they can slow down Tech's offense just enough. I don't have a good feeling about this one. (note: I know Dean Smith is still alive, by the way) Prediction: UNC by a field goal (I told you I was semi-fatalistic).

Sept. 25, vs. N.C. State -- Quarterback Russell Wilson is a very special talent, and good QBs have given Tech problems in the past. State should score some points, but they're going to give up a ton, as well. It should be a good game for the Jackets to get back on track. Prediction: Tech by 17 points, in a shootout.

Oct. 2, at Wake Forest -- Wake is a well-coached team, and is much more of a threat than it was just five years ago. Coach Jim Grobe will have his team ready to go, but this one shouldn't come with the high drama of last season's fourth-and-one overtime gamble from Paul Johnson. Without quarterback Riley Skinner these aren't the same Deacons. Prediction: Tech by 2 touchdowns.

Oct. 9, vs. Virginia -- Poor Wahoos. They are really going to struggle this year, and now they have to go up against their old coach (Al Groh is now Tech's defensive coordinator), who knows exactly how to beat them even worse. This one might get ugly early. Prediction: Tech by 5 touchdowns.

Oct. 16, vs. Middle Tennessee State -- You might laugh at this matchup, but be careful. Buford Wolves fans should remember quarterback Dwight Dasher, who played his high school ball at Charlton County. Dasher finished seventh in the country in total offense last season, becoming just the fourth player in NCAA history to throw for over 2,500 yards and rush for over 1,000 in the same season. So he's dangerous. But Tech should still win big. Prediction: Tech by 3 touchdowns.

Oct. 23, at Clemson -- Boy oh boy does Clemson want to beat Tech. After last season's classics in the regular season and in the ACC Championship, the Tigers should be very fired up to finally get a win over the Jackets in Death Valley. It's going to be a big time struggle for Tech in a very hostile environment. Quarterback Kyle Parker turned down millions of dollars in major league baseball money to come back, just to beat Tech. Alright, maybe not just to beat Tech, but with him under center, the Tigers always have a chance. There should be plenty of points on the board, but without C.J. Spiller, this team isn't quite as dangerous. As usual in this series, it should be close. Prediction: Tech by a field goal.

Nov. 4, at Virginia Tech -- Huge game. Huge. And this one doesn't look good for the Jackets. Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Williams are one of the best quarterback/running back combos in college football. And Bud Foster is one of the best defensive coordinators in the country. And maybe it's the playing of "Enter Sandman" when the players run on the field and maybe it's the scary-crazy fans. I don't know, but it's definitely difficult to win on the road at Virginia Tech. Last season's game was full of drama and some great second half play-calling from Johnson, but it'll be tough to duplicate it. It might be a rough Thursday night for Tech (the Georgia version). Prediction: Hokies by 10.

Nov. 13 vs. Miami -- Remember last season's Tech-Miami game in Coral Gables? Well forget it. The Jackets aren't getting thumped that soundly again. Remember last season's shootout with Florida State in Tallahassee? That's more of what should happen in this one. Maybe it's my hatred of Miami or maybe it's my thought that Tech is too good to lose two in a row. But the Jackets will have revenge on their minds against Jacory Harris and a very, very good group of Canes. Miami might be the second-best team in the ACC after Va. Tech but not on this night. Prediction: Tech by 10.

Nov. 20 vs. Duke -- Did any SEC fans even notice last season that David Cutcliffe turned down the Tennessee job to stay at Duke? I mean that's some serious ammunition to use against any Vols fan. Anyway, Cutcliffe is a good coach, but you can only do so much football recruiting at Duke. A good tuneup for Georgia. Prediction: Tech by 4 touchdowns.

Nov. 27 at Georgia -- I jokingly asked a Georgia friend whether they were going to play dirty yet again and try to injure quarterback Josh Nesbitt for a third straight season (Yes, Georgia played a very good game last year against Tech, but I'm still convinced they won the game because of the couple of series that Nesbitt missed because of an ankle injury last season). I expected an answer preaching hard, clean play that resembles Mark Richt and blah blah blah. His response -- "We've got an NFL Defensive coordinator now. You thought it was dirty before, just wait." Now I'm nervous. This game is such a wild card. Georgia should've won two years ago in Athens and Tech won. Tech should've won last year in Atlanta and Georgia won. You really could have the prediction come down to a Good Ol' Fashioned Coin Flip, but instead I'll just say this -- If I don't pick the Jackets, my Tech friends might not let me tailgate with them this season. Prediction: Tech by one small tick on a dog's behind.

So there you go. Georgia Tech should go 10-2 heading into the bowl game.

As for the ACC race, I believe Tech will be on the outside looking in. The Coastal Division is very, very tough this season, and the Jackets' early loss to North Carolina will hurt them.

I believe Virginia Tech will beat Miami, win the Coastal and then destroy Florida State for the conference title.

I believe the ACC will finally get two teams in the BCS, with Miami getting an at-large bid.

I believe Tech will play on New Year's Day, and I'll probably be there to watch.

-- Judd Hickinbotham is a news and sports reporter and a sports broadcaster for Jacobs Media

http://accesswdun.com/article/2010/9/231950