The institution of Georgia Tech and the word tradition are synonymous. Just consider these facts -- Some of Georgia Tech's early teams, those from 1904-1928, were some of college football's most powerful teams of their time, literally recreating the landscape of college football. Some of college football's greatest coaches -- Heisman, Alexander and Dodd -- all coached and achieved their greatest success at Tech. The Yellow Jackets were one of the most feared teams in the SEC during the '40s and '50s. College football's most lopsided score was recorded by Georgia Tech in 1916, and one of college football's most famous plays unfolded in a Rose Bowl game between California and Georgia Tech. It's a tradition that is simply one of the richest in college football.

	Georgia Tech Fast Facts
	Location: Atlanta Enrollment: 14,000 Founded: 1885 Nickname: Yellow Jackets, Rambling Wreck Colors: Old Gold and White Stadium: Bobby Dodd (46,000) Conference: ACC - 1978-current; Independent - 1964-1977; SEC - 1933-1963; Southern - 1921-1932. All-Time Record: 604-404-43 (20th) .594% (31st) National Titles: 1917, 1928, 1952, 1990

Founded in 1885 as the Georgia Institute of Technology, one of Georgia Tech's greatest traditions was born before the first football team ever took the field. Tech lore holds that in the fall of 1891, a group of Auburn students invited Tech students to join them in the stands to root against Georgia. A committee of Tech students chose the colors to wear, and a group of 200 students wore Gold and White to the game where they heartily cheered for Auburn.

Georgia Tech fielded its first football team the next year, in the fall of 1892, suffering through an 0-3 campaign with losses to Mercer, Vanderbilt and Auburn. Undaunted by their initial lack of success, Tech regrouped for a 2-1-1 record in 1893, including a 28-6 opening win over the team that would go on to become their most hated rival, the Bulldogs from the University of Georgia. Over the years Georgia Tech has been led by some of the most legendary coaches in the game. John Heisman himself, yes, the man the trophy is named for, came to Georgia Tech in 1904. Heisman was the first paid coach in college football history. Tech paid him $2,250, plus 30 percent of the gate receipts. Since Tech's opening season in 1892, the Jackets had only won a total of nine games in 12 seasons, including eight winless seasons. Needless to say, Georgia Tech was desperate. College football's popularity was spreading like wildfire across the South. By 1905 the balance of power in college football had shifted from the East, where the Ivy league schools had never lost a national championship, to the Midwest, where Michigan put together four consecutive undefeated seasons, winning titles in 1902, 1903 and 1904. In the South, Virginia, Virginia Tech and especially Vanderbilt, were beginning to attract national attention. Tech wanted in on the limelight, and Heisman was the ticket.

	John Heisman turned Georgia Tech into a national power.

John Heisman, born in Cleveland Ohio on October 23, 1869, was known as a strict disciplinarian. He absolutely would not tolerate two things, profanity and fumbling. How much did he hate this? He once said it's "better to have died as a small child than fumble this ball." Heisman achieved success at two of Yellow Jackets' rivals, Auburn and Clemson, before arriving at Tech in 1904 and it didn't have to wait long for their payday. In his first year Heisman went 8-1-1 and 6-0-1 in his second. Tech was on its way to national prominence. From 1915-1919, Tech's record was 30-1-2, with four consecutive Top 10 finishes, including a national championship in 1917.

During Heisman's tenure at Georgia Tech, one of the Yellow Jackets' greatest traditions was born, that of the Rambling Wreck. The current Rambling Wreck is a fully restored 1930 Model A Ford Coupe, but the first car, while not official, was brought on campus in 1914. In 1927, The Technique, the student newspaper, penned the car "The Rambling Wreck." On September 30, 1961, at the opening home game against Rice, the "official" Rambling Wreck led the football team onto Grant Field before the game. The Yellow Jackets won 16-13 and the Wreck has been leading Tech onto the field every home game since. Georgia Tech's other nickname, Yellow Jackets, was penned as early as 1905 in the Atlanta Constitution. It was used to describe supporters who attended Tech's games in those early years dressed in yellow coats and jackets.

John Heisman was also the coach during the game which produced college football's most lopsided score. Word was Heisman was trying to prove the score of the game should not be the gauge of a team's strength, it should come from the caliber of opponent. But another side to the story, a deeper side, was one of revenge and a little payback. In the spring of 1916 Cumberland's baseball team shutout Georgia Tech 22-0. Later, it was discovered that the Cumberland team was made up of professional players picked up on the train as it passed through Nashville, Tenn.

The alumni and students begged Heisman for revenge. Story is he offered Cumberland $500.00 if they would come to Atlanta for a football game that fall. Cumberland accepted. At the half, with Georgia Tech leading 126-0, these were Heisman's words to the team: "You're doing all right, team. We're ahead. But you just can't tell what those Cumberland players have up their sleeves. They may spring a surprise. Be alert, men! Hit 'em clean, but hit 'em hard!" Georgia Tech scored 96 more points in the second half for a 222-0 win. In 16 seasons at Georgia Tech from 1904-1919, Heisman's record was 102-29-7, still the best ever at Tech.

William Alexander took over the program in 1920 after Heisman moved on to Penn, and Tech enjoyed great success in his 25 years at the helm. The Yellow Jackets first bowl game -- The Rose Bowl -- and second national championship came in 1928 after the Rambling Wreck defeated California 8-7. The game featured the famous "Wrong Way Riegels" play, which is, without a doubt, one of college football's most memorable plays.

The Yellow Jackets had swarmed nine straight opponents, including big wins over undefeated Vanderbilt, No. 22 Notre Dame and No. 18 Alabama giving Tech a No. 1 ranking. Georgia Tech was a slight favorite over No. 9 Cal, but with the score tied 0-0 early in the second quarter, it looked like the two powers could play to a scoreless tie. Suddenly Yellow Jacket halfback Stumpy Thomason fumbled the ball at the Tech 36 yard line. Golden Bear captain Roy Riegels scooped up the ball, but was turned around in the process. In his confusion he started running the wrong way down the field toward the Cal goal line. Finally, at the 3 yard line, Cal's Bennie Lom tackled his own teammate. Although California still held possession, the Bears were unable to move the ball. Tech's Vance Maree blocked an attempted punt from the end zone which rolled out of bounds for a Tech safety. Georgia Tech 2, California 0. The safety proved to be the difference in the game as both teams traded scores in the second half and the final score read Georgia Tech 8, California 7.

The modern era: Dodd and beyond

	Bobb Dodd was 165-64-8, including a 9-4 record in 13 bowl games while at Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech's beloved Bobby Dodd, for whom the Stadium is named, took over the coaching reigns in 1945, having served on the staff as an assistant since December, 1930. It was assumed, especially by legendary Volunteer coach Bob Neyland, that Dodd would join the staff at Tennessee, where Bobby was a standout All-American quarterback. But Alexander swayed Dodd to head farther South to Atlanta. Oh, how Tech fans are glad he did! Bobby Dodd compiled one of college football's greatest records while coaching at Georgia Tech, the only coaching assignment in his life. From 1945-1966, Tech was 165-64-8 including a 9-4 record in 13 Bowl Games. Rambling Wreck fans loved Dodd, and still love his memory.

His coaching style was different from that of Alexander, who was a strict disciplinarian while Dodd was a real Southern Gentleman. He believed in teaching the basics, putting an emphasis on well-executed finesse. Many believe he was the best sideline coach in the history of the game. Several of his philosophies seem radical by today's standards, but they worked. The proof was in the performance.

Dodd approved of his players marrying while in school -- "keeps them off the street, you know where they are at night," Dodd used to say. Even more extreme was his approach to weekly practice. He believed in limited contact drills during the week. While most players at other schools came away from practice worn out and depleted, Dodd felt proper conditioning without extreme exhaustion was an essential key to success on Saturdays. How can you argue with success? And success is exactly what Georgia Tech enjoyed during the Dodd years. Georgia fans admired him, but hated him. From 1949-56, Tech won eight straight games. Bobby Dodd was almost unbeatable in Bowl Games, at one stretch winning eight straight. It was his star pupil, Frank Broyles of Arkansas, who finally broke the winning streak with a 14-7 win in the Gator Bowl after the 1959 season.

Georgia Tech put together a 31-game unbeaten streak (29-0-2) from 1951-1953. In the process the Yellow Jackets won their second national championship, a 12-0-0 campaign in 1952. It was one of Tech's finest teams, with wins over three Top 15 opponents -- No. 6 Duke, No. 12 Alabama and No. 7 Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. The Yellow Jackets shared the national championship with Biggie Munn's Michigan State Spartans, also undefeated with a 9-0-0 record. Dodd retired from coaching after the 1966 season to concentrate on his duties as athletic director. He died at age 79 in 1988, mourned by multitudes of college fans around the country.

Although Tech has certainly experienced some success in recent years, winning a national championship in 1990, it was George O'Leary's arrival in 1995 that brought the most needed commodity -- consistency. The Yellow Jackets have complied five winning seasons in the last six years, four consecutive bowl games and four consecutive Top 25 finishes. You have to go all the way back to 1951-1956 to find that consistency for Georgia Tech.

It appears Georgia Tech is on the verge of the most important season in many, many years as the Yellow Jackets have an opportunity to unseat Florida State from the ACC throne. The Seminoles have been college football's most dominate program of the last 50 years (dating back to Oklahoma in the 1950's ). Beating Florida State is an absolute necessary step in the evolution of Georgia Tech football. If the Yellow Jackets have any hopes of winning another national championship, they must reign supreme in the ACC first.

Richard Billingsley is a BCS computer pollster and his website is www.cfrc.com.