When he filled out his preseason ACC ballot this past July, Roddy Jones straddled the line between loyal Georgia Tech alumnus and media member. At the Pinehurst Resort, he was probably not far from where, as a senior A-back, he likely told interviewers at the 2011 ACC Kickoff about the irrelevance of preseason polls. Yet, while he picked the Yellow Jackets to win the Coastal, he declined to predict an ACC title. Better to hang the mantel of ACC favorite upon Clemson.
It was Jones’ attempt to serve his alma mater, mindful of the school of thought that the Jackets have often struggled when cast in the role of favorite or placed on a platform, but often thrived when counted out.