A game between Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt might not seem exciting at first glance, but the Birmingham Bowl on December 27, 2024, could turn out to be one of the postseason’s highlights. This matchup revives an old rivalry, as the two teams faced each other annually in the early 1900s, totaling 38 encounters, with Georgia Tech leading 20-15-3. After leaving the SEC in 1963, they’ve only met eight times. They’ll compete for a silver cowbell, a trophy awarded to the series winner since 1924, with the first game dating back to 1892 and the last in 2016. Georgia Tech has held the cowbell since their 13-0 win in 1948, while Vanderbilt hasn’t beaten them since 1941, going 0-12-1 in that stretch.

This is the first meeting between the two teams since 2016, with Georgia Tech coming in as slight favorites after a solid regular season that included wins over Duke and Miami, plus a tough eight-overtime loss to Georgia. Aside from WR Eric Singleton Jr., Georgia Tech is set to have most of its offensive stars ready, like QB Haynes King, RB Jamal Haynes, and WR Malik Rutherford. On the other side, Vanderbilt will also have key players, including dual-threat QB Diego Pavia, who played a crucial role in their victory over Alabama and nearly led them to several wins against ranked SEC teams. This game should be interesting, particularly for a Yellow Jackets defense that has shown improvement from being the worst in FBS last year, though it’s still pretty average this season.

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea mentioned in a radio interview on the Chase and Big Joe Show that they’ve discussed the game’s historical importance. He highlighted that there’s a special gold cowbell trophy they compete for with Georgia Tech, and it’s crucial for them to win it back.

This marks the first time Georgia Tech has participated in back-to-back bowl games since the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Both teams are vying for the Birmingham Bowl trophy and the coveted prize cowbell. It’s exciting to see this long-standing rivalry come back to life, and it should be a thrilling matchup. I’m betting on the Yellow Jackets to take the win with a score of 24-17, securing the cowbell and bringing home the Birmingham Bowl trophy.