Who is No. 1 of the one-loss teams?
Three teams in the BCS’ top 10 teams have one loss: No. 7 Oregon, No. 9 LSU and, of course, No. 10 Georgia Tech.
The Ducks got the nation’s attention at the beginning of the season for losing at Boise State. That loss lingered after one of its players punched one of the Broncos after the loss.
Most recently, the Fightin’ Quackers defeated Southern California on Saturday, rather handily, to move up two spots this week in the BCS.
They average 398.8 yards and 35.6 points in offense. On defense, they give up a respectable 300.88 yards and 17.13 points per game.
Best win: No. 5 USC.
———-
LSU hasn’t really done anything to earn the nation’s attention, other than to get a win against Georgia when the refs locked up, and to play Florida close. They are benefitting from starting the season No. 9 in the coaches’ poll, and No. 4 in the Harris poll after the season’s third week.
Having said that, they’ve still won seven games.
They average 325.1 yards and 26.4 points per game. They give up 293 yards and 12.1 points per game.
Best win: at No. 18 Georgia.
——-
The Yellow Jackets got the nation’s attention by winning several shootouts against Clemson, Mississippi State and Florida State, but got some respect after defeating No. 4 Virginia Tech at home.
The Jackets average 440.4 yards and 35.2 points per game. On defense, they are allowing 360 yards and 24.7 points per game.
The Yellow Jackets have had the toughest strength of schedule of the three, according to at least one web site (www.teamrankings.com). Tech is No. 16, Oregon No. 22, and LSU at No. 27.
Oregon has tough games remaining at Stanford, against Arizona State, at No. 18 Arizona, and then at home against Oregon State.
LSU’s toughest game left is against No. 3 Alabama on Saturday. Of course, they must also play at Ole Miss, and will host Arkansas.
Tech has games remaining against Wake Forest, at Duke, and at home against Georgia.
LSU has the toughest games remaining, while it could be argued that Oregon’s is the second-toughest and Tech has the third.
The good news for Tech fans is that could mean Tech could move up as high as No. 8 by the end of the season.
What does all this mean? Not much right now, especially if Tech takes care of business and wins out to make it to the ACC championship game. From there, a win is an automatic berth to a BCS game, likely the Orange Bowl.
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118 comments Add your comment
Support Coach Johnson
November 1st, 2009
10:42 pm
Hey guys and gals log on and support Paul Johnson
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coach-Paul-Johnson/167728506195?ref=mf
Bill Murray
November 1st, 2009
10:45 pm
As much as I’d like to say Tech, I think you’d have to put them behind at least LSU. LSU’s only loss is to the number 1 team in the nation, while Tech lost to a now struggling Miami. I’m not sure about Oregon, though. Sure they beat USC, but they lost to Boise State (who Miami could beat). So who knows.
CT_Jacket
November 1st, 2009
10:51 pm
Oregon is the best one loss team right now. Their offense is a little ahead of ours in the passing game and their defense is miles ahead of ours. LSU’s offense is not very good but their defense is still shutting most teams down. The Tech defense is keeping us from being the best one loss team in the nation. (I don’t think that we could beat a two loss USC.) I’d call of about even with LSU, but give them the nod since they beat us last Dec.
gt_blume
November 1st, 2009
10:53 pm
GT needs to take care of business from here out, win ACCCG, win Orange Bowl and start next season with a preseason top 10 raking. Then we will get some benefit in the polls like VT did to get to #4 and USC did to get to #5 with a loss.
GA Tech Insider
November 1st, 2009
10:56 pm
It means this conversation is moot. GA Tech has to take care of business against Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon and let the polls worry about themselves; they have no control over them.
jkj300
November 1st, 2009
11:04 pm
Who cares? All Tech can do is work to win their games and win them impressively. To do that they’ll have to play defense for more than two quarters and get special teams in order. WIth that and a metric ton of luck they could make the national championship, but ever there they’d have to play better ball to beat the likes of FL, AL, TX, etc.
KSEE
November 1st, 2009
11:04 pm
There is a legitimate arguement for all 3!
Oregon got a very nice win over Media Darlings: USC
But i think Tech has the stronger team…please Dave…Please get our D to play the whole game. not just the 2nd half.
Chuck Clausen
November 1st, 2009
11:04 pm
I am a big Paul Johnson fan – I coached triple option football at the college level in the late 60’s – many of the Tech’s principles are the same now, but it’ much more sophisticated now than it was then. Coaches and player learn and adjust every week. Paul and his coaches and players know more about what they are doing than their opponents know about defending the triple option. You adjust Tech adjusts faster – you can’t show Paul, his coaching staff and players something they have not seen and something they don’t have contingency plans to handle. – Tech has some fine players and they perform at a high level, but they have a system which allows then to compete and defeat superior talent. This make thems so much fun to watch.
WillieD
November 1st, 2009
11:05 pm
With a somewhat light schedule remaining, one would assume the Jackets can take it easy, heal some wounds, and concentrate on their studies. Not so fast. With serious problems on defense and special teams, Tech is nowhere near able to take it easy – THANKFULLY.
Paul Johnson is certainly not one to ease up, regardless of whom we play. But now he has some real problems to work on. And players who were expecting some easy practices need to reschedule that attitude until January.
Hopefully the attitude on the Flats is one of finishing strong and not only playing in a BCS Bowl but winning it. It would be tragic to get this close to an OUTSTANDING season, and blow the opportunity.
KSEE
November 1st, 2009
11:06 pm
haha Correction…I misspelled argument
opps
tommy
November 1st, 2009
11:09 pm
CT-Jacket what are you talking about. USC is nothing but hype this year. We would kill USC. Yeah we lost to Miami but overall we have played alot tougher schedule than LSU thus far. USC stinks. I don’t know if they deserve to be in the top 25. I mean they stink. Just because ESPN talks about them all day that don’t mean they are good. They are hype
An Observer
November 1st, 2009
11:34 pm
GT is slowing starting to build the respect. If Tech continues to win out this year, all the media hype will follow. I agree with several other bloggers who stated that Tech’s defense might be the reason they are not ranked higher at this point in the season. I also agree that USC is primarily hype this year and a lot of that comes from their university’s football tradition combined with what has happened in the past instead of their accomplishments this year.
Billy
November 1st, 2009
11:38 pm
All GT needs to do is WIN. Those other things don’t matter. If you don’t win your conference, you don’t win the national championship. Thankfully, GT has a coach that will remind them of that.
Not Disappointed
November 1st, 2009
11:39 pm
Just keep winning Jackets!
Ramblin Wreck!
Duane Hartness
November 2nd, 2009
12:23 am
Chuck Clausen sells himself short in that he failed to mention the very large Super Bowl ring he wears everywhere he goes!!! Greetings Chuck!
Paul Johnson for President!
King of Sandy Springs
November 2nd, 2009
12:26 am
LSU and Oregon deserve to be ranked higher. Their only losses have been to undefeated teams. Tech just needs to win out. A lot can happen in November.
The Truth
November 2nd, 2009
1:18 am
Hey Beamer, perhaps it’s a conspiracy…UNC had no chop blocking penalties and still whooped VT and GT was penalized one time against Vandy. – OR – Maybe, just maybe, VT has been a little overrated all season?
Midnight Rambler
November 2nd, 2009
1:57 am
The SEC TV announcer said Tech was the best 1 loss team in the nation during the Vandy game which surprised me since they had been SEC homers for most of the game.
Midnight Rambler
November 2nd, 2009
1:57 am
Enter your comments here
Midnight Rambler
November 2nd, 2009
2:09 am
It was poetic justice that Beamer got beat!
dagnabit
November 2nd, 2009
4:12 am
Tech doesn’t have a good enough team to coast against anybody. They have to go into every game as if it means life or death. Tech can win out if they play desperate football.
Matt
November 2nd, 2009
4:29 am
Tech and LSU are the top two. Oregon is good but they’re no where the near the talent of the Jackets or the Tigers. So what they beat USC. Do any you of seriously think USC is good? They’ve always gotten good reviews from the polls yet they play no one decent. It’s just like Boise State, Cincinatti, TCU, and Iowa. Who do they play? No one. Okay, Iowa beat Penn State. Whoopity freaking doo. That upset has happened two years in a row now. You expect it to happen. What’s the next biggest game they’ve won, MIchigan, Michigan State. Both of those were close to losses and both of those teams have been are they are unranked now. Just go look up the schedules of the other three teams and you can understand the concept of strength of schedule. Back to the topic, LSU deserves to be up there in the top ten. Their only loss has been to top ranked Florida and it was a close game. Their strength of schedule is excessively more difficult then the other two teams. Although the rankings might not show it but the SEC has been for years the toughest conference in the nation. Georgia Tech has been impressive throughout the season no matter who they play. AND FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO KEEP BITCHING ABOUT MIAMI BEATING THE JACKETS: THAT WAS THE YELLOW JACKETS THIRD GAME IN TWELVE DAYS! PLUS THEY JUST TRAVELED 10 HOURS TO MIAMI. DO YOU ACTUALLY EXPECT THEM TO PLAY AT THEIR FULL POTENTIAL? It was just a case of bad scheduling. Georgia Tech has played formidable opponents throughout their season with great games versus Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Florida State. Other teams they’ve faced have been manhandled by the time of possession the triple option presents to them. They’ll probably win out the season and hopefully make it to the Orange Bowl where hopefully they can prove themselves as a true team of the BCS.
BuLLdawg
November 2nd, 2009
5:19 am
It is NOT Georgia Tech.
Let’s see 3 SEC teams ranked ahead of the top-ranked ACC team.
Georgia Tech’s SoS for all games this year, shows that Tech’s Opponents have a LOSING RECORD by several games.
Oh, but we play 3 SEC teams you say. Excuse me, you have not played any good teams, and will NOT do so.
SEC has 3 of the Top 9 teams in college football, and the ACC has ZERO.
37-39 record of all teams on Georgia Tech’s schedule this season.
UGA’s opponents are 16 games OVER .500. Oh, Georgia Tech fans (both of you) are so damn great.
48-32 record of all teams on UGA’s schedule this season.
Georgia Tech has NOT played and will not play any one. Miami of Florida has not played and will not play any one.
For this, we are to suppose that it is the right thing to do while we get our coaching staff squared away right now in here, that Tech should come in here and brag.
Run your mouths.
Take your Loss Number 60 from UGA as you always do.
Do you have any idea who has LOST 59 games to 1 single opponent Tech fans (both of you) ?
Where is the ACC’s Florida, LSU or Alabama ? You don’t have 1.
Who has Tech played ?
Will Tech even get to play Florida, LSU or Alabama ? Hell no.
You will go to the Orange Bowl in Miami where no one goes to football games at all.
You will do this after you play a totally unranked ACC team from the Atlantic Division in a conference Chumpionship no one will attend, or even watch.
Florida plays, instead, LSU and handed LSU their only loss of the season in a real conference.
Alabama plays, instead, LSU this week.
LSU plays, instead, Number 1 Florida and Number 3 Alabama.
The winners of these games play each other in The Conference Championship, obviously. The winner of that game plays for the national championship, and the loser plays in the Sugar Bowl which will be sold out and watched by everyone in the country.
You cannot even sell out your own stadium for the 1 game against a team only ranked because they didn’t play any one either, like Tech. The day of the game, you Tech fans were still offerng 4 cokes, 2 hotdogs, 2 bags of peanuts, and a parking pass to come down there in the slums of Atlanta where all the crime and drugs are and buy a ticket to your lousy scheduled games in a sorry-butt conference, quite obviously.
Alabama Jack
November 2nd, 2009
7:04 am
The most important game of the season is this Saturday at Bobby Dodd. Be loud, be proud and whack Wake.
Funny how the last three games of our schedule are four letter words – Wake, Duke and UGay.
Also buLLdawg – I have seen pine stumps in black helmets with more knowledge and ability than you. How about slink back over to the dawg blog with the rest of the losers and suck with the rest of the dawgs. Oh. Time Tebow said Hi from your endzone. Herschel who?
MarineJacket
November 2nd, 2009
7:39 am
I actually agree with some of BuLLdawg’s comments! But I think CT_Jacket has is right too. Oregon gets the nod IMHO. They destroyed USC. Say what you want, but like UGAG, USC has great athletes but is struggling. LSU beat us, and while our “O” is clicking, “D” is still suspect. BuLLDawg has a serious axe to grind I guess…but being from Athens I realized long ago that a lot of UGAG fans are not only poor losers, but poor winners also. Show some class, and admit Tech is having a good year- they are whether you like it or not. The ACC may not be as tough as the “mighty” SEC, but after the top 3 you mention, the SEC is fairly mediocre, as usual I might add- it might have 1 or 2 more in other years-usually UGAG too in fairness. Additionally, Tech has always tried to play SEC teams since it was one of the founders of the SEC. I remember years in the 80s when we played Alabama, Tenn., Auburn, and UGAG- and beat them all, except Auburn. Check future schedules and we have Alabama in 2012, so we are not looking for Tenn Techs to play out of conference. And lastly, I think BuLLdawg and most UGAG fans realize while CPJ is at Tech, the Jackets will be very hard to handle every year- CPJ rides a pale horse….
GA Tech Insider
November 2nd, 2009
7:56 am
For those who keep bringing up Southern Cal; they’ve lost 2 games – no need to mention them in this discussion.
BuLLdawg ; just to set the matter straight with you, regardless of how you may try to spin it, out of all of the teams listed in the article, GA Tech has ALREADY PLAYED the toughest strength schedule between GA Tech, Oregon, and LSU. Perhaps you misread the blog, or you don’t care; it really doesn’t matter. In fact, several of the most prominent, and well respected, collegiate football sites agree with this statement. However, they all also agree that both Oregon and LSU have a more difficult schedule than GA Tech the rest of the season.
Going forward, we know that either LSU or Alabama, 2 programs listed ahead of GA Tech in the rankings, will lose because they will be playing each other, and then it is more than likely true that the winner of that game will be playing Florida in the SEC Championship, which means that if GA Tech continues its winning ways, another team ahead of it will be guaranteed a loss. However, Since both of the potential teams in the SEC Championship are potentially going to be undefeated, there is no guarantee that they would be dropped below a one loss GA Tech, therefore, as I mentioned earlier, GA Tech needs worry about their own games and let the polls work out for themselves.
My point is that GA Tech only has control over their own games and nothing else. They can’t influence what other teams ahead of them in the polls might do, or how any of the polls might react to any wins or losses of any of the games anyway. Take care of your own business one game at a time; that’s the only way to ensure that you don’t become a victim of falling in the polls.
BuLLsh**t
November 2nd, 2009
8:14 am
my team stinks so bad i just spend my time posting to GT blogs because I’m jealours.
my team just changed their helmets thinking they needed motivation for a game against a number 1 ranked big rival
i spend my time researching arguments on my rival’s team, to post to their blog, even though they don’t care what i think.
if you know anyone more pathetic than me please let me know.
MalibuGT
November 2nd, 2009
8:19 am
i’m not worried about the polls at all. we’ll finish where we finish. there is nothing i would enjoy more than a long offseason arguing why our 13-1 ACC/orange bowl champions got screwed by finishing only 5th in the country.
Paul Kelley
November 2nd, 2009
8:22 am
Matt- you bring up a good point about Miami that I hadn’t thought about. Tech played poorly, but you can only blame yourselves in the end, not the schedule. Mr. BuLLDawg, you’ve some serious issues that you may want to see your psychologist about! Marine Jacket said it right…UGAy fans are sore losers (winners too) always have been, always will be. I’ll admit, maybe ashamedly, I was rooting for UGAy agains UF (probably first time ever). Why don’t you admit that Tech is having a great season, and UGAy is a little down on its luck?
Anyway, back to the topic. Being of a defensive mind, I am EXTREMELY disappointed with this year’s defense, but we lost a lot of good talent from last year. The defense is holding us back from actually being the BEST 1-loss team. They’ll get better though. Paul Johnson is a great football mind! He’s proven it time and time again. One game at a time everyone. Let’s worry about Wake before we look too far ahead. Go Jackets!
VegasGT
November 2nd, 2009
8:42 am
If Vandy showed us anything, they taught us not to take anyone too lightly. You have to believe that this game was a good game to have mid-season to remind the team, especially the defense, that they have to come to play every game.
Now, let’s worry about the most important game of the season at this time, Wake Forest. Like PJ keeps saying, ” win this week makes next week that much bigger”.
I love that quote.
AA
November 2nd, 2009
8:43 am
BuLLdawg,
I always thank you when you post on our blog because it reminds all TECH fans how much our winning season bothers you. You need to worry about how your team full of Parade All-Americans are 4-4. That’s pathetic. Why is that? What’s the problem? Also, when TECH beat Miss St, the SEC people said that Miss St is the bottom feeder of the SEC. Then, after Miss St played UF a close, they said that the SEC is balanced. Which is it? Please respond to these questions and don’t run and hide. Seriously, please respond. I’d love to hear your explanations, they’re always hilarious.
THWG !!!
William Casey
November 2nd, 2009
8:45 am
BULLDAWG: not too smart. You say that GT and Miami don’t play any tough opponents. They PLAYED EACH OTHER. Both would defeat UGA and anyone UGA has played other than Florida.
RAMBLE ON!!!
November 2nd, 2009
8:54 am
The funny thing is, our toughest games remaining in order are WF, Duke, and then UGAg.
Doug, by the end of the week, not year, we will be number 8, right?
Scrap
November 2nd, 2009
9:03 am
Who is the best 1-loss team is totally irrelevent right now. All that is important right now is Wake Forest. If you think Bobby Johnson had Vandy motivated this past Saturday, what do you expect from Jim Grobe’s Wake Forest team? I can tell you what to expect. Expect a team to come to town who doesn’t know the meaning of quit. They are going to fight us and claw us and take us to task. This is a very disciplined and well coached team coming to BDS this week, and we’d better be ready to play “big boy football”. The good news is, this is a different team, a different coach, and a different attitude. CPJ and this Ramblin Wreck Team is up to the task, and up to the task every week. This week is big, and I like our chances. Go Jackets, and THWG.
Newnan Jacket
November 2nd, 2009
9:09 am
The fact that Georgia Tech did not move up in the Coaches Poll is more of an indictment against the SEC than against the Yellow Jackets. Vanderbilt played mid-conference opponents thus far: Ga, S. Car, Ole Miss, Miss. St, and LSU. Georgia Tech out-scored them all and handily. Looking at the defensive statistics of each of these teams, there is no reason to think that, if Georgia Tech played each or all of these teams, the score would be any different. Apparently the coaches around the country agree: a victory against a good SEC defense is just not that impressive.
collegeballfan
November 2nd, 2009
9:13 am
BuLLdawg
Wow. You know if only you supported UGA with the same passion.
Of course, none of the stuff you talk about matters. All that matters is the schedule you play & the number of wins you have. And what bowl you go to is not important – the importance of a bowl is that the coaching staff gets to hold 3 weeks of practice they would not otherwise get. This is irreplaceable for developing younger players.
In the equation of who is the best one loss team do not leave out Pittsburgh.
And I agree with some of the other Tech fans, the defense stinks & this should keep the team out of the national elite at the end of the year.
I do not believe GT will beat UGA at home this year. Defense just not good enough to beat Georgia.
Scrap
November 2nd, 2009
9:15 am
Newnan Jacket makes a valid point. SEC defenses ain’t what she used to be. Florida skates thru the SEC playing mediocre offensive football. I’d love to get one of these power house SEC teams on New Year’s Day.
I love this team’s attitude. GO JACKETS and THWG.
THWG Fans
November 2nd, 2009
9:29 am
WOW!!!! Reality must finally be setting in on the puppydawg nation. Only one of those idiots showed up here.
Houn
November 2nd, 2009
9:35 am
Ramble … I disagree … I think the order is Duke, WF, UGA. I think that we will be 6 or 7 if we win out regular season. LSU will lose this weekend. I see Iowa losing to OSU. One of the others — Oregon, TCU, Boise, Cincy will slip up over three or four weeks.
jacketbacker
November 2nd, 2009
9:38 am
Just win baby! The rest will take care of itself. Gooooo Jackets!!!
Tech Tony
November 2nd, 2009
9:39 am
It’s not just SEC defenses that are on the decline, it’s a nation wide pandemic. Here’s why: just a few seasons ago, coaches would take their best athletes and make ‘em play D. With the explosion of the spread attack, the best athletes have been shifted back to the offensive side.
GT Rich
November 2nd, 2009
9:48 am
GT is still behind Oregon and LSU; however, you can expect both of those teams to lose 1 due to their tougher schedules. You can also expect a loss for Iowa, sending them below GT. The best we can hope for is to finish the regular season at no. 5 and no. 3 after the bowl games. Really could use some mega-blowouts combined with shut-outs to catch the attention of the voters….
old Tech fan in NC
November 2nd, 2009
9:52 am
I think #10 is fine presently. BuLL, what would you give for the dogs to be #10?
Tech must beat Wake and Dook…just to get to Tampa. BuLL, you going down there to see first hand how a ranked Georgia team looks?
ramblin wreck since 1990
November 2nd, 2009
9:53 am
LOOK LET US HAVE OUR TIME..YOU TAKE FLORIDA OUT OF THE SEC AND PUT THEM IN THE ACC. PEOPLE WOULD SAY THE THE ACC IS BEST CONF…THE GATORS HOLD THE SEC TOGETHER ALL BY THEMSELVES….CHOKE ON A BONE DAWG FANS!!!!!!
Houn
November 2nd, 2009
10:17 am
I have seen that CPJ is up for the Paul “Bear” Bryant award. I also know that Bobby Ross won that award in the past. While supporting CPJ, it is hard for an old Tech fan to want anything to do with an award named for the Alabama coach. While I am sure that it is a positive thing for the American Heart Association … still old time Tech fans don’t like Alabama. Anyone else conflicted?
Tech82
November 2nd, 2009
10:27 am
Trying to identify the best one-loss team is the same as trying to identify the best pro golfer without a major championship. TV announcers spend a lot of time doing both but it’s irrelevant.
Just take care of business and keep winning and the rankings will take care of themselves. We don’t need to waste the energy trying to determine whether or not we’re the best one-loss team. We need to spend that energy trying to correct our lapses on defense and kick coverage.
GO JACKETS! THWG!
GTman
November 2nd, 2009
10:51 am
Just win jackets, Just win. Everything else will take care of itself. If we win out, we will have a 14-1 season, an ACC championship and another win over UGAy (guaranteed). We have a very slim shot at the NC game, but too many teams ahead of us would need to lose. I think we would have a tough time matching up against the big three this year anyway.
However, next year if our NFL talented juniors (Thomas, Dwyer, Burnett, Morgan) all return we WILL be playing in the NC game in 2011. In between this year and next year, we will sit back and enjoy a national championship caliber basketball team and baseball team.
What you got BullDawg? Not much? I thought so.
Great to be a YELLOW JACKET and THWG!
SavJacket
November 2nd, 2009
10:55 am
BuLLpup, you are way beyond loser. The SEC is not a team to hide behind. The dawgs suck, get over it. Seek help. You need it.
BigTimeTECHFan
November 2nd, 2009
11:02 am
This would be the problem with having a NCAA playoff of 8 or 16 teams based on polling. It’s harder picking who is that 8th or 16th team a apossed to now picking just the no 2 team.
Heck, both the one loss team LSU, Oregan may be better then Tech, they may not be. But Tech may be better then some of the undefeated teams TCU, Boise, etc. TCU did hand it to Clemson.
We need all teams in a conference, all conferences play a champoinship game, winner play in playoff. Or have ACC #2 play SEC #1 and ACC #1 play SEC #2, winners play then get gets south region bid. Same for PAC10 and Big12, BIG10 & Big East, etc..
GT_THWG
November 2nd, 2009
11:03 am
i’d say that Oregan is the best one loss team at this point. i haven’t seen much of oregon, but they sure looked good the other night. we need to figure something out on D before i’ll say we’re the best one loss team.