I love Georgia Tech’s offense.

Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner is a savant, and the Yellow Jackets return almost everyone from last year’s explosive offense that averaged over 30 points and 420 yards per game — including QB1 Haynes King. 

That said, Georgia Tech’s defense is a mess.

The Yellow Jackets finished 122nd in EPA per play allowed last season and lost six starters.

To rectify the situation, they recruited nine defensive transfers and a new defensive coordinator (Tyler Santucci).

They were particularly vulnerable against the run, so they rebuilt their front seven in the offseason to try to adjust.

Even if improvements can be made, they likely won’t be in Week 0 — this unit will need time to gel. 

That’s especially true against a Florida State offense that returns over 90% of its offensive line snaps, including 190 total career starts between the front five (123 of those at Florida State).

Even if new QB DJ Uiagalelei needs time to learn the offense, he’ll likely only need to hand the ball off to Roydell Williams for 60 minutes. 

While Florida State’s defense might not be as dominant as last year, the Seminoles still return most of their defensive line and look quite strong in the secondary.

They could dominate the trenches on both sides. 

Both The Action Network and SP+’s power ratings project Florida State as a near-20-point favorite Saturday in Dublin. 

The play: Florida State -10.5 (FanDuel)