Georgia Tech students march goalpost through Atlanta and into president's mansion pool after upset of No. 12 Clemson

It's been a while since Georgia Tech football had this much to celebrate.

Students in Atlanta made the most of a big win Saturday afternoon and ultimately dumped a goalpost into the pool of school president Ángel Cabrera's mansion after marching it through the streets of Atlanta. As is tradition.

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Georgia Tech upended No. 12 Clemson 24-21 on Saturday in a walk-off thriller that ended with a game-winning 55-yard fire-drill field goal as time expired. Fans at Atlanta's Bobby Dodd Stadium immediately poured from the stands and onto the field to celebrate the win.

The goalposts didn't stand a chance.

After the field storming and the collapse of the goalposts, students were able to pry a single upright to meet its fate. They carried the post up and onto the concourse and out of the stadium onto the streets of downtown Atlanta. From there, it made its traditional journey to the president's mansion.

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And students successfully dumped it into the pool.

This is not the first time this has happened. In fact, the latest rendition prior to Saturday's took place just last November after an upset win over then-No. 4 Miami.

Cabrera took it all in stride, despite the swarm of uninvited students at his home and the five-figure cost to replace the posts. He smiled for a photo that he posted on Instagram as he was gifted with his own personal goal-post piece. He also included a tongue-in-cheek caption lamenting the goalpost in his pool that had since disappeared.

Special season at Georgia Tech?

Wins over ranked teams have been the norm for Georgia Tech in recent seasons. Georgia Tech started last season with a win over then-No. 10 Florida State in Dublin before its November win over Miami. It also beat No. 17 Miami and No. 17 North Carolina in 2023.

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But neither of those campaigns sniffed the College Football Playoff. Both ended at 7-6 with appearances in the Gasparilla Bowl and the Birmingham Bowl.

Saturday's win over Clemson clears the path for something bigger. The Yellow Jackets don't face another ranked team on their ACC schedule. They'll avoid No. 5 Miami and No. 10 Florida State and won't face another ranked opponent until their out-of-conference season finale against No. 6 Georgia.

They very well could be favored in each of their remaining conference games. It adds up to a potential path to Georgia Tech's first appearance in the ACC championship game since 2014. Even with a loss in the title game, the Yellow Jackets could potentially clinch a berth in a CFP that's been expanded to 12 teams.

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If they do, they'll look back to Saturday's win over Clemson as a catalyst.

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