Georgia Tech players not impressed by first ranking since 2001

ATLANTA - Determined to focus only on this week's game against North Carolina, Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey and his players were not willing to celebrate the program's first national ranking since the end of the 2001 season.

Georgia Tech moved into The Associated Press Top 25 at No. 17 Tuesday following its 23-14 win at then-No. 16 Auburn Saturday. Auburn fell out of the poll with the loss.

Tech finished the 2001 season at No. 24 in the AP poll under former coach George O'Leary. Tuesday's ranking was the team's first under Gailey, beginning his fourth season with the program.

The Yellow Jackets (1-0) have the highest ranking of four teams entering the poll this week.

Determined to keep the focus - and conversation - on Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference opener against North Carolina and away from any other potential distraction, Gailey said winning national respect is not important in September.

"No, because as quick as it comes it can go just as fast," he said. "The bottom line is where we are at the end. It's a long journey with a lot of weeks left. You've just got to keep working and keep stepping in the right direction. That's what we've got to do this week."

Gailey has good reason for concern. In his first three years with the program, Tech has five wins over ranked teams, including the opening victory at Auburn Saturday. But Tech has suffered losses in its next game after three of the first four wins over ranked teams.

The most recent example came early last year, when Tech took a dramatic victory at No. 18 Clemson but then lost to North Carolina, 34-13, prompting Gailey to conclude "We haven't proven anything yet."

Tech players said all the right things a year ago about avoiding a letdown after the win over Clemson. That didn't stop North Carolina from ending a six-game losing streak in the series and ending the Yellow Jackets' momentum.

On the way to a 7-5 final record last year, Tech beat No. 23 Maryland three weeks after the loss to North Carolina and then avoided a letdown by beating Duke the following week.

Now Tech players say they are determined to maintain the momentum after ending Auburn's 15-game winning streak.

Tailback P.J. Daniels, who rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown against Auburn, said Tech should expect to be ranked, just as the players expected to beat the Tigers.

"It wasn't a surprise, it was something we expected," Daniels said. "We're going into this game, North Carolina, to prepare for that. We have high expectations for ourselves. We should think like that and we should practice like that. As long as we practice like that, that's what we should expect."

Daniels said the team's first ranking in four years means "nothing at all."

"It may mean something for other people or for the school, but for ourselves it just means we feel like we should expect to be somewhere in the Top 25 like that," he said. "That's not going to mean anything to us. We're just ranked. All that means is we need to get ready for the next team. That's all."

Defensive end Eric Henderson said "I would hope we earn some national respect" by beating Auburn.

Added Henderson: "But if not, then who cares?... Numbers are numbers. It doesn't mean anything until we win this ACC championship."