One of the most significant misnomers when it comes to college football rivalries is the unofficial moniker for the annual in-state blood feud between Georgia and Georgia Tech —“Clean Old Fashioned Hate.”

There is nothing clean about it.

Here is a quote from the head football coach of the Georgia Institute of Technology Brent Key.

“There’s nothing I hate more in the world. It’s probably the only thing I actually hate,” Key said at an alumni event this past spring in reference to the University of Georgia. “When I say hate, like, truly despise everything about it. I really do.”

Most Jacket fans feel the same. Many a “Helluva Engineer” would rather Georgia lose, than Tech win, savoring the agony of a fan base that has enjoyed an incredible run of success under Kirby Smart’s watch while significantly outdrawing the Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field when the Dogs have visited every other year.

Key incidentally has done an outstanding job at his alma mater, quickly reviving the Yellow Jackets program in less than three full seasons. He took over a disastrous situation from Geoff Collins, who actually never coached Tech against Georgia on Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium. Tech had posted three straight losing seasons under Collins, who succeeded Paul Johnson, one of the most successful coaches in Yellow Jackets history. They were off to a 1-3 start in 2022, and the Jackets pulled the trigger. Key took over as the interim head coach and guided Tech to a 4-4 finish, which culminated with the Jackets’ fourth consecutive losing record while Georgia won a second straight national championship.

Last season, the Yellow Jackets threw a scare into Georgia, as the Bulldogs prevailed 31-23 for a sixth straight victory in the series en route to a 13-1 campaign. Tech went to a bowl game for the first time since Johnson’s farewell season in 2018. Key’s Yellow Jackets beat Central Florida 30-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. On the podium following the win, when presented with the trophy, Key closed his comments by saying “to hell with Georgia.”

This Yellow Jackets team is really good, coming in with a record of 7-4 on the heels of Thursday’s night’s thrilling 30-29 victory over North Carolina State in Atlanta.

Now, they’ll try to deliver Georgia a harsh blow. The events of last Saturday opened the door for the Bulldogs to have a second path to the playoff, as Georgia will play next Saturday in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game. Georgia will play in the league’s title tilt in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the seventh time in eight years, unprecedented.

But all focus is on the Yellow Jackets.

If the Bulldogs, a titan of college football and the sport’s kingpin of the 2020s under Kirby Smart’s uber successful watch, can beat the arch-rival, Georgia, facing the country’s most difficult schedule, will be in the new 12-team College Football Playoff. The game in Atlanta the following Saturday would determine if Georgia gets one of those four byes, or plays somewhere on campus. If the Bulldogs were to lose to both the Yellow Jackets and then again in Atlanta, that would mean four losses, and no berth.

A 30-game home winning streak and six straight over “The Enemy,” are also on the line. Georgia’s 30 in a row at home are tied with Steve Spurrier’s Gator teams from the 1990s for the second longest in SEC history, one off Alabama’s record of 31 set during Nick Saban’s glory days.

While the losses of 1998, 1999, 2008, 2014 and 2016 stung badly, if the Dogs drop this one, it would be right there amongst Georgia’s most shattering losses to Tech since 1927. That was 97 years ago. Georgia went into the game at Grant Field undefeated at 9-0 and ranked No. 1, with a Rose Bowl bid awaiting, should Georgia win. Tech pulled off the 12-0 upset.

It remains one of the most devastating losses in Georgia history.

In fact, with Tech, at 1-8-1 looming for the 10-0, top ranked Bulldogs of 1980, Hall of Fame Coach Vince Dooley brought back one of the last living members of that ‘27 team, and he encouraged Georgia to “not let them do to you what they did to us. There’s not a day that goes by in my life that I don’t think about that game.”

Georgia prevailed 38-20 Between the Hedges, then beat Notre Dame 17-10 in the Sugar Bowl to win the national championship with a perfect 12-0 record.

Message received.

There were several near misses until Georgia won the national championship again. Smart’s Dogs back-to-back crowns and a slew of winning streaks took the Red and Black to the mountaintop.

For so many lifelong Bulldog fans, it was the ultimate dream come true. Not one, but two national championships. The first school to go back-to-back in the playoff era. Astounding.

There is another dream the Georgia faithful would love to see come true, and that’s getting the longest winning streak in the history of the series. The Jackets won eight straight from 1949-56. The Bulldogs are 19-3 against Tech since 2001. The aforementioned current six game winning streak would likely be seven. The two rivals didn’t play during the 2020 Covid season. Tech went 3-7, Georgia finished seventh in the country at 8-2.

Georgia has won 12 in a row on The Flats. Twice, in 1998 and 2008, Georgia had a double digit second half lead and a seven game winning streak in the series. Both times Georgia lost. In ‘98, Tech quarterback Joe Hamilton fumbled, but was incorrectly ruled down. The Bulldogs fell 21-19 on a last second field goal. It was the final game Between the Hedges for senior safety Kirby Smart.

Bitter pill.

Key was a sophomore offensive lineman on the other side. He was a part of three straight Jacket wins over Georgia, including 1999 when Al Ford’s officiating crew ripped victory away from the Bulldogs with one of the worst calls in the history of college football.

Georgia is built to compete for national championships. Tech is built to beat Georgia.

Look at recruiting.

Smart’s top priority is getting the best of the best from the talent rich Georgia while pulling in elite out of state talent. There are so many prospects here in the Peach State. You can’t get them all. Key has cultivated some of those in-state “high three stars” with a chip on the shoulder. For example, a Georgia transfer scored the Jackets first touchdown against the Wolfpack. Two emerging talents for Tech played high school football in Athens at Prince Avenue, including freshman QB Aaron Philo, who posted the go-ahead TD against the Pack.

Look at the schedule.

Since beating Miami on November 9, the Yellow Jackets have played just one time heading into Friday night’s showdown. That was this past Thursday against the Wolfpack, so they get an extra day. When kickoff comes Friday night, Tech would have played one game in the past 19 days.

Tech is gunning hard for Georgia. They’ve got the talent and motivation to win and rip off pieces of the hedges to chew on with mighty grins, relishing on the pain inflicted. That’s college football, that’s an in-state rivalry.

So much to lose. So much to be gained. So much on the line!