GT needs more cowbell
Georgia Tech and the Mississippi State Bulldogs will tee it up in 2008 and 2009. Apparently, after losing 12 of the last 15 games to Georgia, the Yellow Jackets are eager to beat any type of bulldog. Unfortunately for Tech fans, a victory over the Starkville Dogs will hardly serve as methadone to their aching need to topple their in state rival.
Tech can't even beat the Fresno State Bulldogs.
Old school MSU fans should rejoice in this match-up. Both GT and Mississippi State are charter members of the Southeastern Conference. However, Bobby Dodd and the Yellow Jackets refused to play MSU or Ole Miss in the state of Mississippi. So despite being charter members of the league, GT has only played MSU twice (1908 and 1929), and both times were before the SEC was formed in 1932. GT has only played Ole Miss three times, and only once (1946) during the regular season as a member of the SEC (GT played Ole Miss in the 50s in the Sugar Bowl).
Tech's refusal to travel to the Mississippi schools when it was in a position of power in the 1940s, 50s and 60s came back to bite them in the early 70s when the Jackets program was struggling. After leaving the SEC in 1964, the Jackets came back to the conference needing to be readmitted. The Mississippi schools were the driving force behind GT not returning to the league.
The move is interesting in that GT already had booked a complete 2008/2009 out of conference schedule. It appears that the Jackets are dropping a home/away series with Louisville to fit the Bizarro Dogs in.
Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville
All ball busting aside, this is smart scheduling by GT. There is greater local fan interest in GT playing SEC teams out of conference. Even bad ones like MSU. GT needs to sell tickets to winnable games of interest. Tech's future SEC opponents include:
- UGA - obviously
- Mississippi State - 2008/2009
- Vandy - 2009/2013
- Ole Miss - 2010/2011
- Alabama - 2012/2014
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