Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech will each look to cap off their feel-good campaigns with a win as the two face off in the Birmingham (End-On-A-Good-Note) Bowl. Georgia Tech, which knocked Miami out of the playoff race and gave Georgia eight overtimes, is a narrow favorite over its giant Nashville counterparts.

How to watch Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt

While both teams had promising seasons, Vanderbilt’s turnaround was quietly one of the biggest stories in the SEC. After going winless in conference play and losing 10 straight games through the end of 2023, the Commodores were written off as schedule fodder that SEC title contenders could use to pad their win total. But with transfer quarterback Diego Pavia, the team became a force, beating a Missouri team that was ranked seventh at the time in two overtimes before losing on a missed field goal, and then proved that it was no coincidence by defeating Alabama in a shootout two weeks later. It was their first win over an AP top 5 team and secured them their own spot in the rankings.

The Commodores nearly defeated Texas three weeks later, but they ran out of time in their comeback attempt and lost by three. At the end of the schedule, Vandy had won as many SEC games in 2024 as they had won in the previous five seasons combined. But the Commodores went on to play like a team that had run out of energy, losing their last three games and finishing 6-6 overall. Now rested, they play a tough Georgia Tech team that has a similar resume, and both rosters are largely intact.

The most notable absence on both sides is Yellow Jacket wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr., who brought his team-leading 754 yards and three touchdowns to Auburn. Malik Rutherford, who along with Singleton accounted for 40 percent of the team’s receiving yards and touchdowns, decided to return to Tech and will be eligible for the bowl game after a brief struggle with the transfer portal.

That’s good news for star quarterback Haynes King, because this Yellow Jackets offense is no longer the earthbound attack it was in years past. Although he managed more than 500 yards and 11 touchdowns, it is King’s arm that allows Georgia Tech to compete with higher-flying offenses (against Georgia, he threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns). Because of their offensive balance, the Yellow Jackets rank 33rd in total yards per game, ahead of teams like Indiana, Arizona State and Notre Dame. Their pass/run yardage split is nearly identical to Alabama’s, not Navy’s.

In this production, Vanderbilt plays an outsider. Not only do the Commodores rank 75th in yards allowed and 49th in average points given up, but their offense also can’t keep up with Pavia. They rank 123rd in yards per game (more than 100 fewer yards than Tech) and have scored 30 or more points just three times against FBS teams this year. Georgia Tech’s defense is missing two defensive starters in Birmingham (defensive end Romello Height transferred to Texas and safety Taye Seymore transferred to Auburn), but that disruption is offset by the transfer of Vandy left tackle Gunnar Hansen to Florida State.

Overall, the Yellow Jackets are the stronger team and should be able to overwhelm a feisty Commodore squad. But Vanderbilt faces greater odds and would like to spend the rest of the winter in the glow of one last upset in 2024.

Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt odds

Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt picks

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(Photo by Diego Pavia: Johnnie Izquierdo / Getty Images)