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ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) predicts the outcome of each college football game ahead of each weekend. With bowl season and the College Football Playoff firmly underway, the model has updated its predictions for the upcoming slate.
This season, the Birmingham Bowl will be between the ACC’s Georgia Tech and the SEC’s Vanderbilt. The FPI sees this game as a toss-up. The FPI gives the Yellow Jackets a 52.2% chance of winning, while the Commodores have a 47.8% chance.
The Yellow Jackets went 7-5 while the Commodores went 6-6. Notable wins for the Yellow Jackets include Florida State in the opening weekend and Miami. The Commodores, meanwhile, picked up wins over Alabama and Virginia Tech.
Both of these teams showed promise in 2024 but were marred by inconsistency. For example, the Commodores can feel good about the upset over Alabama, while wondering how the team lost to Georgia State. Similarly, the Yellow Jackets lost a winnable game to Virginia Tech, who massively underperformed in 2024.
This will be the 39th all-time meeting between these schools. The Yellow Jackets have won 6 in a row while the Commodores haven’t won in the series since 1941. Many might not know, but the Yellow Jackets were in the SEC with the Commodores from 1933-63. During this stretch, the Commodores managed just 4 wins over their conference rival.
This bowl game has been going on since 2006. This will be the first appearance in the game for both Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt. Last season’s edition of the game was between Duke and Troy, with the Blue Devils coming out on top.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
