Rivalries in college football are awesome, although sometimes they cross a line. When those rivalries take place within the same state, there is just a little bit more at stake on the outcome of the annual meeting on the football field; a so-called state championship.
Georgia Tech celebrated its state championship by defeating SEC rival Georgia at the end of the 2014 season. The win helped catapult Georgia Tech into the Orange Bowl after a tough defeat against Florida State in the ACC Championship Game the following week. The Yellow Jackets went on to win the Orange Bowl against Mississippi State, who at one point in the regular season had been the top-ranked team in college football. As a result, players on Georgia Tech earned an Orange Bowl championship ring this spring. Just as we got a glimpse of Ohio State’s national championship ring yesterday, we also have a look at Georgia Tech’s hardware celebrating not only the Orange Bowl victory, but also its state championship.We finally got the Orange Bowl Rings!! Just as much yours as they are ours. Thx for the support all year Jacket fam!! pic.twitter.com/wPLxXdwNWz
— GTStudents (@GTStudents) April 15, 2015
Of course, Georgia Tech has a legitimate case to be made to be crowned state champions in the state of Georgia. Not only did the Yellow Jackets sting Georgia, but they also took care of Georgia Southern in September. Rather, Georgia Tech escaped Georgia Southern in a wild contest against the team that would go on to win the Sun Belt championship.
In 2015 Georgia Tech’s only in-state opponent will be the rival Bulldogs at the end of the regular season. Will they defend the self-proclaimed title of state champs?