Georgia Tech football coach Brent Key wants the world to know his team is for real. Key is defending his squad and their identity following the Yellow Jackets' upset victory Saturday over Florida State.

“More than anything, to see or to know that so many people now see Georgia Tech and the brand of football that we play, and it's not a gimmicky brand of football,” Key said, per ESPN. “It's real. It's hard-nosed. We're going to build at the line of scrimmage. That's where games are won.”

Georgia Tech dominated in the trenches Saturday, stifling the Florida State offense. The Yellow Jackets beat the Seminoles, 24-21, and threw a wrench into the Seminoles' hopes of winning the ACC and going to the College Football Playoff.

“It means a whole lot,” Key added. “I love this place, and I give everything I have into this program to try to make sure these kids have everything they need to be successful on and off the field. To see them have the success that they did tonight, it's great.”

The contest was played in Ireland.

The ACC looks wide open this season following Florida State football loss

Florida State entered the Georgia Tech football game with a no. 10 ranking. Many analysts believed the Seminoles would win the ACC, like they did last season. With Georgia Tech's win, the entire conference seems upended. The Yellow Jackets were a team not considered to be near the top of the heap this year, and that presumption seems totally wrong.

Georgia Tech football held Florida State to just 291 total yards, and 98 total rushing yards. Florida State couldn't get their ground game going, and the Yellow Jackets seemed more prepared to win the game. The performance was a remarkable turnaround for Georgia Tech, who finished 128th in the country last year in rush defense.

“It's very intentional how we're building this program,” Key added. “We're building it with a strong foundation to last a long time.”

The ACC has three new teams this season, with Stanford, California and SMU in the league. The conference may be one of the most entertaining in the country, as no one team seems geared to stand far apart from the rest. Time will tell how the chips fall in the new-look ACC this year.

Georgia Tech football next plays Georgia State on Saturday. The Seminoles next take on Boston College on September 2.