It was a very good year at Georgia Tech
Some random thoughts before I get on the plane to West Coast, where it is warm and sunny:
1. It’s been a very good year at Georgia Tech. While last night’s loss to Iowa in the Orange Bowl was a disappointment to Georgia Tech and its fans, at some point today it will be time to put it into perspective with the rest of the season. Georgia Tech ran into a big, athletic defense that had had over 40 days to prepare. When quarterback Ricky Stanzi was healthy, Iowa was the best team in the Big Ten and would have likely gone undefeated if he had been available for the Northwestern and Ohio State games.
In just two seasons Paul Johnson has made Georgia Tech a player again on the national stage with an ACC championship, a BCS bowl, and a win over Georgia. While it can’t be a great year unless you beat the state rival, this was a very good year at Georgia Tech.
2. Time to give the Big Ten its props. The Big Ten has gotten beat up during bowl season lately, going 1-6 last year. Iowa was the only Big Ten team to win a bowl last season when it beat South Carolina. But this season the Big Ten has posted four pretty impressive wins: Ohio State over Oregon to snap the Big Ten’s six-game losing streak in the Rose; Penn State over LSU in the Capital One; Wisconsin over what was supposed to be a faster, more athletic Miami in the Champs Sports; and finally Iowa over the ACC champs in the Orange. Northwestern had several chances to beat Auburn in the Outback before losing in overtime.
3. Kudos to Rich Brooks. The former Falcons assistant coach has decided to step down at Kentucky after seven seasons. One of his goals when he took the job was to leave the program in better shape than he found it. On that point he was a huge success. The program was devastated by NCAA probation when he got there and after struggling (9-25) in his first three seasons there were a lot of people who wanted to get rid of him. But athletics director Mitch Barnhart and President Lee Todd stuck with Brooks, who then took the Wildcats to four straight bowl games, something never done in the football history of the school. I will never forget Kentucky’s upset of No. 1 LSU in Lexington in 2007. In fact, that season I went to Lexington three times to watch Kentucky play and saw three great games, including a four-overtime loss to Tennessee which put the Vols into the SEC championship game over Georgia. Brooks turns the reins over to offensive coordinator Joker Phillips.
4. Bama looking for first win over Texas. There is a lot of history that says No. 2 Texas can beat No. 1 Alabama in tomorrow night’s BCS championship game. The two storied programs have met eight times in history with Texas holding a 7-0-1 mark:
Year———————Winner
1902———————Texas, 10-0 (Regular season)
1915———————Texas, 20-0 (Regular season)
1922——————–Texas, 19-10 (Regular season)
1947——————–Texas, 27-7 (Sugar Bowl)
1960——————–3-3 Tie (Bluebonnet Bowl)
1964——————–Texas, 21-17 (Orange Bowl)
1972——————–Texas, 17-13 (Cotton Bowl)
1981——————–Texas, 14-12 (Cotton Bowl)
I’ll be in Los Angeles on Thursday where I will give you my five burning questions about the BCS Championship game.
5. Urban Meyer wasting no time. For a guy who was supposed to be taking a leave of absence, Florida’s Urban Meyer has been a busy boy this week. He has lost four assistant coaches since the end of the regular season—Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong along with assistants Kenny Carter and Vance Bedford are all headed to Louisville. Offensive assistant Billy Gonzalez left before the bowl game to go to LSU. He has been replaced by Zach Azzani of Central Michigan. Meyer and interim coach Steve Addazio have hired former Gator assistant Stan Drayton, who left for Tennessee with some hard feelings in 2007 saying that he wanted to coach in a more conventional offense. Drayton is a good recruiter and Florida needs that to hold this class together. D.J. Durkin, who coached the past three seasons at Stanford, has been hired to coach the linebackers, which was Strong’s position. We’re still waiting to hear on the defensive coordinator’s job although published reports say that current assistant Chuck Heater has a shot.
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588 comments Add your comment
Don Gill
January 6th, 2010
11:54 am
Seems GT suffers as GA has. Great offense, poor defense. In the yrs. GA had a great defense they were great. But Iowa’s defense really looked great last night. GA could stop GT up the middle but not on the perimeter. Iowa did both. How many passes did GT complete? One, maybe. As a Bulldog my 2nd favorite team is anyone playing GT. Hope GA gets Smart or as I’ve been saying, David Pollack. I haven’t heard his name even mentioned. He is inexperienced. But with his background, All American (3 times), promising NFL career before injury, plus his great personality and enthusiasm (these in themselves make up for lack of experience)should make him a perfect candidate and at least as experienced as Vince Dooley was when he became HC. Although he and David Stinchcomb seem to have promising broadcsat careers, wouldn’t they rather be coaching? At the Univ. of GA? Ha. Wouldn’t that be great? And how about David Greene? What is he doing? Selling insurance? Or something like that. Don’t mean to demean that however.
Rusted Wreck
January 6th, 2010
11:55 am
In another classy move by the Techies, namely CB, it appears I have been blocked from the GT “Ramblin’ On” blog.
Just as blocking the football score from being posted for a while, this is yet another sign of the fact that Tech fans can only handle wins & pats on the back, which is a big reason they aren’t respected as a fan base by many.
SO much blah, blah, blah frpm Go Taliban U
January 6th, 2010
11:57 am
For brevity sake: A given by Taliban fans that UGA under Richt is lousy, then WHY has UGA WON over Go Taliban 8 out of 9 years??? Hmmmmmmmmmmm??
Another Taliban given is that Tech is a power ………then WHY have they lost to LSU and now to Iowa and UGA and to lousy Miami all in 13 months????? Neither Miami, nor Iowa nor LSU NOR UGA have won their conference title. HMMM?
Another given is that the tech brand “is a big time” draw. Then why were there 22,000 EMPTY SEATS in that Dolphin’s stadium??? Hmmmmmmmmmm? Iowa had to drive 1,600 + miles.
If Tech is a basketball power ,,,,,,,,,,,then WHY?? did UGA stomp them in Athens and Hewitt has never won there NOR CREMMINS. Hmmm?
I rest my case. Facts like GLOBAL COOLING are inconvenient truths to moron G un T oter techies. HAHAHAHA
Gatorman
January 6th, 2010
12:01 pm
30-24 Dawgs – WE RUN THIS STATE , you forgot about Charleston Southern beating the GREAT UNC! I agree the about the ACC but I would give their automatic to the Mountain West.
Gen Neyland
January 6th, 2010
12:02 pm
I’ve been needling the GT fanbase on some other blogs today. Not because I enjoy it but because ‘postgame’ is the time to respond to their ‘pregame’ remarks. Sure, it isn’t ALL of the GT fanbase. There are some darn good Jackets, but the few that wished to incite the humbled masses need it tossed back at ‘em today. To the rest of you good Yaller Fellers, sorry you must endure the ‘fun’ at the others expense…
Please go read the Miami Herald' sports of today
January 6th, 2010
12:03 pm
Read The Herald and you all can see how great the Urange really is. Tt is now a perennial tv loser in the national ratings game and it is LOSING status as a BCS venue. HAHAHAHAHHA tech must have killed it.
The BCS will go with four major venues and the Cotton ( long time favorite of mine ) Bowl will reign supreme over the pathtic Orange. It has lost its status, MUCH LIKE GT, was in the 1950s, when I was a kid. Bobby Dood saw his last loss in the Orange ……….I know, as I viewed it in my senior year in HS back in 67. HAHAHAHAH Florida, a lower level SEC team BEST THEM UP that night. HAHAHAH Some things, like Tech losing to an SEC mid level team, never change. HAHAHAHAHA
DogGoneGaDawg
January 6th, 2010
12:04 pm
Well, the public library is open so 14 Million is back online. He has no shame. Still talking smack. GT in a default BCS game and what happens to the ACC Champion when it plays a non-conference BCS caliber team: Another bowl loss. Ohio State, having won its BCS bowl game, can now rest at ease that it has been replaced by GT as the most overrated team in college football. But, then again, The Ohio State University did not play an SEC team.
Iowa Hayseeds
January 6th, 2010
12:07 pm
Congrats to GT on a good season but please take note delusional Tech fans– you are not now nor have you ever been a national power. You are a nice little regional team that can occasionally make a run at the conference championship when your conference powers have down years. There is nothing wrong with this- please learn to accept it. We have.
DogGoneGaDawg
January 6th, 2010
12:07 pm
Oh, by the way Mr Barnhart, reality diminishes GT’s season.
Tom Davis
January 6th, 2010
12:07 pm
I have learned nothing from reading these comments – other than a FISH FRY is going down tonight.
chem
January 6th, 2010
12:08 pm
hahaha “Ferentz erred in praising Wake Forest, not Georgia Tech, for being such a quality Orange Bowl opponent after Iowa’s 24-14 victory Tuesday night.”
DawgDayAfternoon
January 6th, 2010
12:08 pm
GT, how many more excuses do you have in your bag?
Tom Davis
January 6th, 2010
12:09 pm
Good comment Iowa Hayseeds – Tech claiming themselves a National Power LOL…killing me.
1eyedJack
January 6th, 2010
12:09 pm
Repost from the other blog:
First of all let me congratulate Tech on…..nevermind. I was actually pulling for you guys last night but do not feel sad that you took yet another beatdown.
Now, it’s time to put this “academic superiority” and “we can’t recruit because of academics” crap to rest.
Here are the majors for your starters as they were lifted from your official athletic website.
Ben Anderson management
Anthony Barnes management
Josh Nesbitt management
Jonathan Dwyer management
Roddy Jones none listed
Demaryious Thomas management
Brad Sellers management
Joseph Gillbert biology (pre-med)
Sean Bedford aerospace engineering
Cord Howard management
Phil Smith none listed
Derrick Morgan science, technology and culture
Logan Walls none listed
TJ Barnes none listed
Anthony Egbuniwe management
Steven Sylvester none listed
Brad Jefferson none listed
Cedric Griffin management
Mario Butler management
Morgan Burnette none listed
Mario Edwards History, Science, and Technology
Gerrard Tarrant none listed
That must be the Ivan Allen school of Management Engineering and Stuff. Is that like your remedial program? Are those courses actually offered on campus, or do you bus the athletes to Georgia State to take them? Not many “engineers” listed here, so enough with the academic superiority crap. Your only disadvantage in recruiting is that your campus is smack dab in the middle of a “sh1thole” and no self-respecting high school athlete with ambitions of playing in the NFL will want to come to GT and play in the wing-T. Plus all the girls are fat or wear a burka.
fuplup
January 6th, 2010
12:10 pm
I can’t see downplaying the Orange bowl as a bowl. Gads, thing of the Sugar Bowl fraud, where Florida showed Cincinatti (and I’d add TCU and Boise State) as second tier programs. After the Sugar Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl became the equivalent of the Sun Bowl. I’m glad that the Iowa-Tech game ended up in the Orange Bowl, rather than one of the teams playing TCU and the other Boise State. The Orange Bowl really was a more meaningful matchup.
BIg, hard working, SLOW FARM WHITE BOYS
January 6th, 2010
12:11 pm
I giggle when I think about how those hardworking farm boys simply abused the tatooed thugs from North Avenue. Iowa has the WORK ETHIC. Tech? They have Waffle House to work at after they um, finish their playing days …… because we all KNOW that they do not graduate, ask Hewitt.
HAHAHAHHAHAHAH 30-24, 1-8 and 4-15 and it keeps on keeping on. Where oh where is my boy, I Ain’t No Saint” says Simon. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Sweet Home Alabama
January 6th, 2010
12:13 pm
We will play You nerd anywhere you want.We will play you in my back yard if you like .we will put a 100 on you and 75 on the joke from athens.
yOU CAN combine teams if you like it dont matter.we are Bama ,the best there is ,get used to it.
superDawg
January 6th, 2010
12:13 pm
Good morning macriod.
DogGoneGaDawg
January 6th, 2010
12:16 pm
Good call 1eyedJack: The dean of the engineering school was coming unglued and refused to permit the standards to be lowered for athletics. So the “Industrial Management” program was created, and has no association with the school of engineering. And they can even take classes at other lesser schools and transfer the credit. Check the record, over time there have been more scholar athletes from UGA than GT by a wide margin. And we are talking some Rhodes Scholars here.
Recreation majors they all are
January 6th, 2010
12:20 pm
Tech’s Rec degree is geared toward “park mangement”. They need to know ( within 5 years ) what a Osmose pressure treated 4″ x 4″ post is ( with that yellow label of you do not want it) and what gas powered post hole auger is and how deep it has to be to pass Fulton COunty building codes and they learn to use galvanized, zinc dipped, spiraled nails. THAT is the essence of a tech diploma IF YOU ARE A STARTER. Waffle House is also part of the equation, as it is run by tech’s former players.
Tech is only a mirage in academics and in sports ………a 1950s, early 60s has been and they were RUN OUT of the SEC ……….then they tried to beg back in the back door in ealry 70s. Check it out.
CPJ’s face was priceless when he realized how those big farmers shoved his boys around. Slap em in the face he screamed.
By the way, a relative of mine is an MD and he is remotely involved with the GTAD and he told me that the key players in b ball and f ball are dumber than Rocks, which is another Tech degree path.
HAHAHHAHAHA
DogGoneGaDawg
January 6th, 2010
12:21 pm
Sweet Home Alabama: Did you miss some grammar and sentence construction classes along the way?
That Guy!
January 6th, 2010
12:24 pm
That Gut – speaking of idiot, I am not familiar with the word “IIt”. Share to explain what this means?
That Guy!
January 6th, 2010
12:25 pm
That Gut – speaking of idiot, I am not familiar with the word “IIt”. Care to explain what this means?
GTengineer85
January 6th, 2010
12:26 pm
The only game that DID matter was the ACC title game. We are CHAMPIONS OF THE ACC! What is UGA?
DogGoneGaDawg
January 6th, 2010
12:29 pm
GTengineer85: We are victorious over GT this year and 8 out of the last 9. We rule the state. And I would be ashamed to admit that I was the ACC Champion. That and $1.95 will get your a Dark Roast Grande at Starbucks.
Spike
January 6th, 2010
12:29 pm
GTengineer85.. We are the team that beat your sorry overrated #7 team on your home field at you tinker toy stadium on national TV. And I would not be bragging on being the ACC Champ, especially after last night, you boob.
UGAIsSoLastYear
January 6th, 2010
12:32 pm
Bull crap it won’t. We lost 2 out of our last 3 – one being to Georgia. We had 4 games this year we could have easily lost that we lucked out and won. We were that close from being 7-6 or 6-7 this year. We hadn’t won at home vs UGA since 1999. We were 10-1 going into the game, they were 6-5. All (or most) interest was lost after that. Why we sold few tickets to the ACC Championship and few for the bowl game. It was a disaster. ALL WAS LOST!
BCS = Evil Empire
January 6th, 2010
12:33 pm
Because of DRAD & CPJ, GT has accomplished more in the past 2 seasons
than the 3 previous GT HCs.
Not too shabby.
GTengineer85
January 6th, 2010
12:33 pm
At least I know that I have a far superior intellect to you trailer trash mutt fans.
DogGoneGaDawg
January 6th, 2010
12:35 pm
Hey Spike: Don’t confuse tinker toys with legos.
IT MUST BE RECESS AT SCHOOL
January 6th, 2010
12:35 pm
Based on all the really juvenile posts here.
Gatorman
January 6th, 2010
12:35 pm
GTengineer85, I guess the Champions of Georgia, Atlanta and by default the ACC you idiot.
GTengineer85
January 6th, 2010
12:36 pm
But I do realize my football team sucks!
DogGoneGaDawg
January 6th, 2010
12:37 pm
GTengineer85: James Earl Carter is an alumni of GT and you want to talk about your intellectual heritage?
m is for mullet
January 6th, 2010
12:37 pm
sorry, someone stopped for the moped, it was not m. It is reported that m is locked up with the Sham Wow guy for the $10 dollar hook up in South Beach.
USE FACTS NEXT TIME
January 6th, 2010
12:40 pm
Jimmy Carter attended GT for 2 years before trasnfering to
and graduating from the US Naval Academy.
So, he is actually not a GT graduate.
Spike
January 6th, 2010
12:40 pm
GTendineer85. I am not to sure of that after you last comment, especially your football intellect. Now go pick up my dry cleaning like I told you to do.
Gatorman
January 6th, 2010
12:41 pm
USE FACTS NEXT TIME, No dumb ass, he went to Navy first and then got his grad degree at Tech.
DogGoneGaDawg
January 6th, 2010
12:43 pm
USE FACTS NEXT TIME: I do believe that two years would qualify the man as an alumni. You might want to check your facts.
USE FACTS NEXT TIME
January 6th, 2010
12:44 pm
Sorry I am an idiot!
DogGoneGaDawg
January 6th, 2010
12:44 pm
Thank you Gatorman: I thought that was the case with Carter but I did not want to take the time to research.
Youbetcha
January 6th, 2010
12:45 pm
USE FACTS NEXT TIME – no worries we already realized that!
Paul's Johnson
January 6th, 2010
12:46 pm
You know what, we just got beat. No Mutt-ish excuses about the refs (although it is interesting to note that that flag-happy crew last night was from the SEC). Iowa came with great game plan and executed. We need bigger and stronger linemen on both sides of the ball. People need to realize just what CPJ has accomplished in his two years on the flats. I think its only going to get better. Enjoy your long winters nap, mutts.
the implosion continues!!!
January 6th, 2010
12:46 pm
The massacres in Miami and Athens last night still linger!!!!
DogGoneGaDawg
January 6th, 2010
12:48 pm
Correction here: Carter graduated from the Naval Academy 59th out of a class of 820. But he is an alumni of GT.
kandy
January 6th, 2010
12:48 pm
I’m still confused how Yech has so many senior football players that are “undecided” on a major?
hmmm.....
January 6th, 2010
12:50 pm
I thought Carter only took a few math classes at Yech? Don’t get me wrong, his crazy, insane a$$ totally fits the Yech mold, but I don’t think taking a few classes constitutes as being an alumni, does it?
Tech is a punchline
January 6th, 2010
12:51 pm
Football team sucks. Basketball team sucks. Obviously your baseball team sucks. Why do you freaks bother with sports?
All Cupcakes Conference
January 6th, 2010
12:51 pm
“No Mutt-ish excuses about the refs (although it is interesting to note that that flag-happy crew last night was from the SEC).”
So, no excuses… followed by an excuse. You gnats define a new level of pathetic.
“Enjoy your long winters nap, mutts.”
I just had an awesome nap… with dreams of 30-24, and a bowl win. Too bad you can’t say the same.
Paul's Johnson
January 6th, 2010
12:53 pm
But I do realize that the last two years have been down years for the ACC and we were lucky for that. I am worried that FSU, UM, Clemson, VT etc. are going to be tough to beat come the future and our option offense will not hold up against these teams. So I will be happy with an 8-5 record next year and the years to come.