By Cory McCartney

Throughout the season, SIOC will travel to different schools and grade the tailgate scene in 10 categories. Today's stop: Georgia Tech

Setting

At Georgia Tech (like most southern schools), dolled up co-eds are money in the bank. Courtesy of Cory McCartney

More Tailgate Report Cards Notre Dame Clemson LSU Georgia Tech Nebraska Wisconsin Washington Red River Shootout Purdue Bridgewater Rutgers Harvard Ohio State Tennessee Michigan USC Auburn

It's a hot, humid Saturday in Atlanta and the Georgia Tech campus is somewhat subdued. Maybe it's because the Yellow Jackets are set to tangle with I-AA (aka -- Football Championship Subdivision) Samford or maybe it's because it's 10 a.m., a theory that was only strengthened by a group of students downing Red Bulls. Things picked up in the heart of campus, where the brothers of Tau Kappa Epsilon had been "hydrating" for the game since 8 a.m. Aside form a run-in with one brother unhappy to see a roving reporter, the Techies offer a welcoming, laid-back atmosphere.
Grade: B-

Eye Candy

On any Southern campus, dolled-up co-eds are money in the bank. Georgia Tech keeps to that rule, with many girls wearing dresses and that oh-so-prevalent uniform of a black dress and a belt in one of the school's colors (primarily yellow). As one sundress-wearing cutie pointed out: "You tell them there are girls at Georgia Tech." Duly noted.
Grade: A-

Knowledge of Fans

To hear most fans talk, you'd swear it was still 2006 at GT, with talk of the erratic Reggie Ball still rampant, though now it largely centers on how much better things are without him. One older fan had a rather impressive grasp on the ACC, almost convincingly expressing why Tashard Choice missing the All-Conference first-team last year wasn't a slight. The obsession with hating Georgia gets a little old, but overall these fans are knowledgeable.
Grade: B

Drinks

Beer, of course, was the liquid of choice, but with a early-morning start to the tailgating day, Bloody Marys made an appearance, with one sorority house setting up a temporary bar in its front lawn and a sister mixing the tomato juice and vodka concoction. It's an almost-nutritious way to breakup the typical beer fest.
Grade: A-

Eats

The usual hamburger, hotdog, brawt fare was everywhere and I was a week early for the tour de force of Georgia Tech tailgate traditions: Dorsey Watson's Four-C Fish fry. According to Watson, an angler friend of his is responsible for catching, cleaning, cooking and conjuring the fish. Nice to know, but on this day the food was too ordinary.
Grade: C-

Superfans

No, it's not a scene from the movie 300. It's just a group of diehard Yellow Jacket fans. Photo by Cory McCartney

How does one beat roughly a dozen fraternity pledges dressed up like 300's Spartans, carrying bronze spray painted trashcan lids for shields and spears made of pool cues and broom sticks? It's not happening, though a guy in yellow pants with at least 20 pieces of Yellow Jacket flair lining his suspenders came close.
Grade: A

Chants and Songs

Tech fans may not want to hear this, but the only chant I actually heard on GT's campus was "Hey what's that coming down the track? A huge machine that's red and black!" by a trio of Bulldogs fans who were in town to catch that evening's Dave Matthews Band Concert. As for songs, it was mostly rock (a la the White Stripes' Seven Nation Army) but I'm giving major props to Delta Tau Delta for bumping the Geto Boys' Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gantgsta.
Grade: A-

Yard Games

I saw one game of bocce ball and a few fans tossing around footballs in a sea of cornhole games, though it should be noted that the lengths -- and detail --- that some fans go to in decorating the cornhole boards is impressive. Do they paint on the yard markers while intoxicated or is that state simply reserved for playing the game?
Grade: B-

Best Tailgate

Watson, who hosts the Four-C Fish Fry, takes the title at Georgia Tech. He has his own Rambling Wreck, a 1976 Dodge RV called "The Buzz Mobile" that is painted blue and gold. Attached to the back is a 10-foot overhang that houses the grill Watson has dubbed "The Nest." He estimates he feeds close to 150 fans each game day. The only knock on the Buzz Mobile was an ancient paint job that Watson says will be freshened up in the coming weeks.
Grade: B

X-Factor

Other schools may have quaint, small-town feels, but Georgia Tech basks in its downtown Atlanta setting. The city's skyline creates a surreal backdrop, making you forget that you're on a college campus as you look up at the sprawling cityscape. Also, having Atlanta staple The Varsity in close proximity never hurts.
Grade: B

Playing a I-AA opponent could have proved a major detriment to the tailgating scene, but things were just too spread out on Georgia Tech' campus, with small groups of tents scattered throughout, but no real central hub. It takes some of the community feel out of tailgating, which is what it's really all about right?