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.
stiggywiggy
November 2nd, 2009
11:05 am
So what’s up with dawg fans thinking that “you can’t sell out your stadium” is an insult? The reason should be obvious to anyone with a brain: there are more Georgia fans than there are Tech fans. Are dawg fans too stupid to realize that? (Incidentally, since there are more Chinese than there are Americans, maybe dawgs are ashamed of being Americans.) I do believe that dawg fans ENJOY being just one small element in a hunkering mass of nose-picking rednecks.
I guess if some guy has a bigger family than I, and therefore gets more attendees to his family reunion, I should therefore feel ashamed of my smaller family? Ony a dumb dawgie would think such foolishness.
The Truth
November 2nd, 2009
11:10 am
Wake is motivated! On the line for them: bowl eligibility, winning season, three game losing streak, and beating a top ten team. They’re going to be gunning for us, fellas. We really need to come out with our hair on fire!
AMG
November 2nd, 2009
11:40 am
I will say this one more time for you SEC fans, Florida and Alabama are not that great. They are not the best two teams in college football and the SEC maybe the third best division in football. The SEC is the second best money wise and by far has the lowest IQ for fans. You can not say that UGA, LSU,Tenn, Ala., Miss., Miss st, SC, Aub. and Florida are anywhere but dead last in the smarts department.
RAMBLE ON!!!
November 2nd, 2009
11:53 am
Houn, it is a tough call.
Pretty funny though, UGAg was laughing last year when Sports Illustrated PRESEASON Poll had Duke ahead of GT.
I mean they were rolling on the floor. 15 months later and Duke is now their football daddy.
I think it would be a good game though. Duke 31 UGA 28.
Cuttysark
November 2nd, 2009
12:01 pm
The Yellow Jackets will not garner any love from the national media, so they will continue to play with a chip on their shoulder. That will be needed in order to finish out this Coastal Division stretch drive and get to the ACC Championship game in Tampa.
Go to http://isportsweb.com to keep track of the Yellow Jackets the rest of the season as they continue onto that goal. Go Jackets!
GA Tech Insider
November 2nd, 2009
12:27 pm
I have to make mention to all of you who continue to slam GA Tech’s defense – back off a bit. The guys had a bunch of injuries against Vandy Saturday night and played several guys out of position the first half of the game; even some guys who had barely been on the field the entire season. As the first half moved along and it became obvious the guys on the field weren’t able to cut it, the coaches started making adjustments, bringing in other players and changing some assignments, and I thinking the results speak for themselves.
Hopefully the guys will be back to full strength come Saturday afternoon against Wake Forest, but if they aren’t, at least the Coaching staff has more time to evaluate and prepare the personnel on the defensive side of the ball.
Heck, some of those guys busted their butts trying to make plays, even though they were playing with bum shoulders or bad ankles. They shouldn’t have been on the field but they gave it their best shot. When the new guys came in, it was obvious they weren’t prepared to handle the defensive schemes that Tech was running at the time so, once again, the GA Tech coaching staff had to change the defensive schemes on the fly based on the personnel they had available.
Giving up 3 points in the second half, which was generous considering Vandy got into field goal range with the tipped reception, shows what a great job the defensive staff and players really did in such a short amount of time and what the team is capable of doing in a pinch. Personally, I think it bodes well for the future.
Flowery Branch Yellow Jacket
November 2nd, 2009
12:39 pm
It’s refreshing to see how many Tech fans simply don’t care about the question. As the season has progressed, I’ve felt somewhat more confident about the Jackets’ ability to win each week. However, I also know that they could lose to any team on their schedule. As CPJ is so fond of saying, “winning one game just makes the next one that much more important”. He has also pointed out to us on many occasions that “we haven’t accomplished anything important yet”. We still need two more conference wins to wrap up the Coastal Division title … but even that doesn’t really mean anything. The first “really big” goal we can accomplish is winning the conference championship. The next goal is to win the Orange Bowl. To do these things, we must beat Wake, Duke, the Atlantic Division champion, and the Orange Bowl opponent. Of course, beating the Dawgs is a goal unto itself EVERY YEAR.
Having said all that, we can’t worry about computer rankings or media/coaches polls. The only thing we can do is focus on the next opponent. It is so nice to have a coach who constantly reminds both the team and the fans of that fact.
Tech82
November 2nd, 2009
12:39 pm
GA Tech Insider – Sorry, but Wommack said in a post-game interview reported in Sunday’s AJC that there were virtually no schematic adjustments made on defense at halftime Saturday night. He said they just had to get the players to “get their heads screwed on straight.” Why couldn’t that have been done on the sidelines during the first half? Our defense has been consistently gashed during the first half of games (yes, Clemson got us in the 2nd half but that is an exception). We need to start shutting opponents down for four quarters instead of two.
Jefferson
November 2nd, 2009
12:45 pm
Just outscore the opponent, don’t act like a bunch of UGA whiners worried about what to wear to the game. At the end of the year the dust will settle.
GA Tech Insider
November 2nd, 2009
12:46 pm
Sorry Tech82, but you must not have gotten the entire story. While it’s true that Dave said that, there’s a whole lot more that was also said you were obviously not privy to. Perhaps Doug could print up the injury report or some details of the players who actually got minutes Saturday evening and you can see for yourself.
I don’t make things up, my friend. Believe it or not, I do have some inside information.
GA Tech Insider
November 2nd, 2009
12:55 pm
Steven Sylvester was injured in 1st half and forced us to use Malcom Munroe at LB. Julian Burnett had not practiced in 2 weeks due to his prior injury but had to step in and play quite a bit.
The secondary was shaken up due to injuries to Jerrard Tarrant and Dominique Reese (shoulder). This limited the flexibility on who we could play where. Reese went out after the second series. Tarrant was only used in nickel and dime situations. We tried Rashaad Reid at safety again, but it just isn’t working. He’ll go back to CB.
Anthony Allen did not play (and carry the ball) due to being dehydrated and throwing up (at halftime).
Vanderbilt tried to take away the option so we went to a lot of other plays in the playbook.
The long pass to Embry Peeples was installed on the sideline because the strong safety was firing toward the line and the alignment of the free safety left the play open.
GA Tech Insider
November 2nd, 2009
12:57 pm
I can go on and on, Tech82, but hopefully you can tell, I do have some information that, perhaps, you didn’t otherwise know.
bhamwreck
November 2nd, 2009
12:57 pm
Anybody got a good code for Saturday Tix?
yellowjacket82
November 2nd, 2009
1:02 pm
I agree with Ramble On. Our easiest game left is UGA…..from the MIGHTY SEC!!
Maybe we are the best 1-loss team or maybe not. We just need to keep winning.
GO Jackets!!
Tech82
November 2nd, 2009
1:05 pm
Other than Reese, what significant injuries was the defense dealing with Saturday night that required halftime personnel changes. I watched every minute of the game and I didn’t notice any (I leave open the possibility that I simply missed them). Either way, the problems with our defense go much deeper than the Vandy game. This has been a consistent problem and needs to be addressed if we wish to be considered an elite team.
Our defense has played two good games – UVA and UNC – where we gave up 198 and 154 yards respectively. Against the other six div-1 opponents on our schedule we have given up an average of 433 yards.
Championship teams are usually characterized by their defense. If we don’t get ours in order quickly, we may find ourselves in trouble. Right now, our success is the result of simply outscoring our opponents rather than outplaying them on both sides of the ball. And yes UGA fans, I know the general idea is to outscore your opponents. I think the more educated amongst the bloggers here (read: Tech fans) know what I’m talking about.
GA Tech Insider
November 2nd, 2009
1:13 pm
Tech82, I’ve already addressed that, above. Besides Reese, Sylvester and Tarrant were both injured as well. We had to bring in Munroe and Burnette, and then started rotating several guys in the defensive backfield, including guys who have barely stepped on the field, such as Mario Edwards, who ended up getting a lot of playing time.
Stinger
November 2nd, 2009
1:18 pm
Poor itty bitty bullfrog just can’t take it. We are a top 10 team and his dawgs are no where to be found in the polls. He is right about one thing, we don’t play anyone when we play the dawgs. Don’t forget Chan is available and maybe can get you 6 or 7 wins a year. It’s better than the 4 or 5 you’ll get this year.
Tech82
November 2nd, 2009
1:20 pm
Insider – Accepting your excuse for the Vandy game, what about the other five games? Our defensive woes go MUCH deeper than a few injuries.
Although I would not classify myself as an “insider” I am a close personal friend of two members of the Tech football staff and I can tell you that privately, they both share my concerns.
GA Tech Insider
November 2nd, 2009
1:33 pm
Frankly speaking, Tech82, I think that it’s safe to say that Paul Johnson isn’t the least bit satisfied with the way that the defense and special teams have been playing, and he’s attempting to improve the situation.
However, the mere fact that the coaches have been able to successfully make the mid- game adjustments with the players that they have had available, is nothing short of remarkable. I would add that the the players have been doing whatever they have to win, even if it means that the coaches require that they change positions or learn a new defense in a short amount of time, or even if they’re nicked up. That speaks volumes.
VegasGT
November 2nd, 2009
1:45 pm
Just beat Wake. Nothing else matters this week.
As for what needs worked on, I m sure CPJ knows better than any of us what needs worked on and what he might be able to do with the resources he has.
GA Tech Insider
November 2nd, 2009
1:46 pm
Tech82 – “excuse”? no excuse; explanation. Everyone knew coming into the season that GA Tech’s defense was going to be an issue. The Jackets lost 3 outstanding starting defensive linemen to the NFL, then we lost a starting linebacker to an injury before the season started. Early, we lost Cooper Taylor, another starter, for the season, to a heart-related issue, not to mention Robert Hall, the starting defensive end opposite Derrick Morgan.
GA Tech already started with depth problems due to the NCAA sanctions, so there was a major issue with guys who had any experience trying to step in to cover for the guys who were injured, and then to back-fill for the guys who had to step up. When they got injured, well, guys started getting shifted between positions, and the rest is history.
So, like I said, no excuses, just an explanation. With that being said, rather than being proud of the effort of what the team is accomplishing in the face of this adversity I just laid out in front of you, what’s your problem?
GA Tech Insider
November 2nd, 2009
2:01 pm
And while I’m at it, Tech82, if you are “a close personal friend of two members of the Tech football staff,” I’m sure they would be expressing the same comments as me; Paul Johnson is not satisfied with the way the defense or special teams are executing. However, the guys are working hard and trying to make plays and need to be put into a position where they can be successful.
The same can be said for Coach Johnson’s position about his offense; he’s not satisfied about how it’s going right now. He doesn’t like the fact that blocks are being missed, etc.
In other words, Tech82, Coach Johnson and his staff will NEVER be satisfied that ANY part of the team will be working at peak efficiency. If you would have heard otherwise, I would have told you that you weren’t talking to any of his staff. On the other hand, anyone whose heard anything about Paul Johnson already knows this, so I’m not saying anything everybody else already knows, so, who knows, you could be blowing smoke up someone’s kilt.
macrotech
November 2nd, 2009
2:04 pm
BuLLdawg, we’re going to take up an offering and buy you a hug…you’re REALLY a sad and pathetic little soul!
just wondering
November 2nd, 2009
2:14 pm
I read this comment on the GT sports vent “Don’t you know Notre Dame is noticing how successful Paul Johnson has been at a school with tough academics”…could someone tell me what that is suppose to me?
just wondering
November 2nd, 2009
2:18 pm
Because if a GT fan thinks that Notre Dame is a step up in coaching, honestly you cannot be serious. CPJ beat those pansies at Navy. GT is not inferior to any school and CPJ can win a NC at GT without the so called 5 star rating. These 5 stars haven’t done UGA any good and last year, Knowshon Moreno got outdone by our redshirt freshman Roddy Jones for God’s sake.
jd for gt
November 2nd, 2009
2:20 pm
Right now, Tech has the best offense of all the one loss teams and at least a few of the undefeated ones. Their special teams and defense are what is preventing them from getting the nod as the number 1 team with one loss. If they even had last year’s defense they would be in the top five.
GR8 2 not be a Dawg
November 2nd, 2009
2:54 pm
Wake forest is going to be playing a 5th year walk-on at QB this weekend! Should be a good confidence booster for the defense.
Tech82
November 2nd, 2009
2:55 pm
Insider – I’ll say this and then let you have the last word because I have to go into a meeting.
Your comment about knowing that the Tech defense was going to be a problem this year rings hollow. We all knew the defensive LINE was going to be a question mark but the secondary was supposed to be one of the strengths of the team – especially with Tarrant returning. Thus far, it has been anything but.
As for your question asking why I can’t enjoy the success of this year’s team – I am enjoying it immensely. I was explaining to my son the other day that only when you have suffered with a team through the lean years can you truly enjoy the good ones. Make no mistake, I am thoroughly enjoying being 8-1. My “problem” is that I desire more for this team and that begins with a more consistent effort on defense. We have heard repeatedly from CPJ that the defense has been simplified. Why? We have the same DC and basic system from last season. We had the entire spring to practice and improve things. When our defensive backs don’t know what coverage they’re supposed to be in, the responsibility can only fall on coaching.
I hope we get things fixed defensively. In the meantime, I’ll continue to be happy that I didn’t choose to go to school 65 miles to the east.
GO JACKETS! THWG!
BobinBuford
November 2nd, 2009
3:00 pm
just wondering:
That was obviously posted by a UGA fan who is scared to death of what CPJ is going to do to CMR this year and in the future. If you notice, they are always on here making comments like “this job is only a stepping stone to a bigger program for CPJ”. Just consider the source on any comment like that.
just wondering
November 2nd, 2009
3:19 pm
ACC players of the week is out and Nesbitt with a record 196 yards rushing is NOT on there and oh by the way, Dwyer with a mere 180plus wasn’t either, you can’t make that up
Allen
November 2nd, 2009
3:30 pm
Why does it matter some how USC will be Ranked above all of the one loss teams lol.
gt fan
November 2nd, 2009
3:34 pm
when i checked out our sos on sagarin i was suprised to see that ugay has the no 3 schedule in the country. certainly puts their w/l record in perspective…. digging a bit deeper i see that
-gt had a more difficult schedule than bama, florida AND lsu. matter of fact gt had the toughest sos of all the teams ranked ahead of them but 1. in some cases gt’s sos was far superior.
-its one thing to play the teams on your schedule tough. than you can relate to their rankings a bit as bullfrawg does… its yet another to have your a$$ kicked by these teams. the dogs are getting the tar beat over an over again. could it be they are WORSE than their sos dictates?
ugay fans should be worrying about their team achieving a winning record not posting here and insulting us.
re our D
i really dont understand all the vitrol for coach w. he has made good halftime adjustments in all the games. we lost one game because we played 3 games in less than 2 weeks. correct me if im wrong but jax state and clemson are both decent teams right now eh?
yall bitch about wommack but we were all aware of the fact that our d would be ‘young’ and ‘inexperienced’ going into the season. we lost 4 excellent players to the nfl. And all of a sudden people act surprised when the realize our D is down this year. well duhhhhhh.
even the staff realized this before the season. all most all of our recruits are top flight d players. coach j an coach w are both doing what they need to do.
add in all the injuries we have and had and you have a d that sometimes plays inexperienced. i saw an insider post a list of injured players. i looked like a list of 12 with 3 of them being starters out for the year.
so for me i am happy with what coach w is getting done. he is making good adjustments. he is recruiting good players for the future.
we need to be a bit more patient with the d and the coach in particular.
GA Tech Insider
November 2nd, 2009
3:58 pm
Tech82; When a defensive line is a problem, is causes havoc for the entire defense. You can’t pressure the QB on passing downs so they can either stand there all day, allowing receivers to break open, or the defense has to blitz LB’s and corners and/or safeties to add pressure where the normal defensive linemen can’t. With the loss of the extra man/men from the back, you are then exposing lane for runs, opening opportunities for screens, as well as easy gaps for passes.
To compensate for the defensive line that everyone knew was a “question mark” coming into the season, the coaching staff made the decision to try to compensate by using the more experience back side of the defense; originally trying out the “wolf” position as the hybrid linebacker/safety so they could offer some additional coverage closer to the line of scrimmage.
Unfortunately, before the season even started, one of Tech’s projected starting linebacker’s was injured and ruled out for the season (ankle), causing the first major issue. As the season began, it became evident early that Cooper Taylor, another starter, was experiencing problems, and he was removed from the lineup and is out for the season due to medical reasons.
You mention Jerrard Tarrant as one of the players as someone to step in and immediately fill in and produce. I would remind you that this young man had never played a down of college football until this year. Expecting him to be perfect right off the bat was something you had on your plate, not many other people. That’s why the “wolf” was being considered.
Needless to say, I’m not here to make any excuses for the defense, nor would Paul Johnson or the staff. What I am here doing is to tell you, and everyone else that these kids are giving everything they’ve got every Saturday, and if they mess up, it’s not for lack of trying. Sometimes there are things going on in the background that are not made public, and all I will say is to have faith that Paul Johnson and his staff will be working with the team to have them ready to play. I can also assure you that the boys are eager to do whatever they have to do to be successful.They believe in Coach Johnson, and you can see it in how they play coming out of the locker room every second half of every game.
Joe
November 2nd, 2009
4:11 pm
GT is the best one lost team without a doubt I just wish they would have never lost against Miami they would be atleast in the top 3 right now.
gt fan
November 2nd, 2009
4:12 pm
i find it amusing to see the same old same old “we have more fans than you have” insults.
reason being it just magnifies the difference between our fanbases and graduates.
gt is all about QUALITY
ugay is all about quantity.
gt fans are like a bowl of diamonds in room full of peanut shells.
that should end that arguement like in …forever!
i think our last 3 games will be dog fights.
we could lose all 3 under the right circumstances. to play a 9-3 clemson team in the championship game could be a game for the ages.
we could also blow them all out. we are gaining momentum. is it just me but we seem to be gaining strength.
we can only play 14 games not 15 so our best record could be 13-1 which would set the gt record for wins in a season by far. i would be very happy with that. ecstatic.
as far as our mnc changes go i can see us climbing to as high as 7 or 6. just be reminded that we are in a similar position as Tosu was a few years back. they lost early-on and dropped out of the top 10. they climbed back to no 5 or 6 when the stars aligned and the front running teams lost vaulting osu into the nc game.
we are in a good position. we are slowly building momentum on the field, with football fans and the media. i like being under the radar. we could pull off a surprise it we win out.
just win baby win……
gt fan
November 2nd, 2009
4:54 pm
another scintillating thought…..
say we are lucky enough to end up at no 8 and 13-1.
we will have almost everybody back for next year …unless 4 of our best players bolt for the nfl. ouch.
the thought i am holding on to is that some of these 4 players decide they have unfinished business to attend to before going pro.
one can only hope cant one?
Mister T
November 2nd, 2009
5:03 pm
If Tech wins out and wins on December 5th against most likely Clemson again, Tech wil be in Orange Bowl. To many things have to happen to expect to get much higher than 8th. LSU should fall to Alabama and Tech will be ahead of them.
uga shouldn’t be a problem even with our porous Pass D. They shouldn’t be able to match scores with this offense if it keeps clicking. concerned if they show up in Black on Black on Black to play us though! OOOOOOO Scary!
Clemson is probably better than when we played them earlier, but then so are we.
I am confident that CPJ will keep them focused.
THWg!
thanks, Insider,
November 2nd, 2009
5:26 pm
I wondered why AAllen was not playing…
CPJ 4 HEISMAN
November 2nd, 2009
5:47 pm
wait they run this offense in high school?
better get chan back he ran a pro-style like UGA!!
Bawney Fwank
November 2nd, 2009
6:13 pm
WARNING: 2009 Georgia dirtydawgs (formally bull) are the dirtiest ever! Georgia Tech players should all go ahead and put eye-shields in the helmets and get used to playing with them so they will be protected from the eye-gouging paws of the UGA dirtydawgs.
(Note I’m not defending Florida’s LB Spikes because he deserved some punishment for stooping down to the dirtydawgs level in retaliation for the dirtydawgs gouging of his and his roommate, Tebows eyes, but the Jackets should be aware of how the dawgs are trying to makeup for their lack of offensive and defensive skills.
RT in NC
November 2nd, 2009
6:22 pm
Here is the deal with the polls. ND and any team from the midwest or northeast will ALWAYS be over-rated because they a lot of people cheer for them. Other schools, VT (earned their rep in the Big Least), BYU, TCU, Boise and some others benefit from winning big against crappy schools. The polls are unfair. Remember the “great program” at Uconn a couple years back. Is it only a coincidence that they are in ESPN’s back yard an near NYC? Ignor the polls and pull for the Jackets. Remember, the Dogs can turn their season around with a win at GT, BEAT EVERYONE, don’t sweat the polls. No one can accurately assess 120 teams that play only 12 games a year.
Mel
November 2nd, 2009
6:33 pm
Gt. Lsu hasn’t beaten a top 25 team and oregon lost to boise who shoulnd’t even be ranked with their schedule.
pjismyhero
November 2nd, 2009
7:30 pm
CPJ just needs to keep his players consistent and not mess up if he does 13-1 with an acc title and an orng bowl
I Have Spoken
November 2nd, 2009
7:49 pm
BuLLdawg, there you go again! Dredging up ancient history of all those Georgia wins against Tech, when everybody knows what Tech did to its own program there, for a while. Tech was leading in the series with Georgia, when it put itself out of sync (and out of the S.E.C.), which started Dooley off with a free pass.
Better pray that somebody overrules Richt about sticking with Joe Cox at quarterback. The thought of that boy being in there against Georgia Tech scares the living blank out of UGA fans.
mansup01
November 2nd, 2009
7:59 pm
I’m a real jacket fan. I have been all my life. But, Tech is not the best one loss team….no way. They are a great offensive team, but have little, if any defense at all. In fact, it is astounding just how little defense they can put on the field. I believe the coaches are doing a good job in preparation. I’m not looking for a turnaround soon. Wake Forest, and even Duke are much better teams than Vandy, and in addition, they have much more incentive to upset Tech. UGA has the potential to win at Tech. I hope none of my fears become reality, but there is certainly a long way to go.
mansup01
November 2nd, 2009
8:09 pm
Also, my comments were not meant to criticize the effort given by the defense and the coaching staff. I understand some of the challenges that have taken place. I was just attempting to be realistic. GO JACKETS!
Uniforms for WAKE game
November 2nd, 2009
8:31 pm
Please Coach Johnson, do not wear the dark blue uniforms for WAKE. It made me cringe when you had them on against LSU, and we all know the result. If just isn’t Tech. LSU even looked more like GT in their white jerseys. I do not care what anyone thinks, GT played out of their element in those jerseys, please please please do not wear them. Also, back when GT played WAKE in 2006 and lost, Wake had white jerseys on and looked more like GT then too in Jax. Those strange looking jerseys GT wore didn’t look like the normal Gold. I know most fans will not agree with me, but please just dance with the uniform jersey that brought you and do not wear those jerseys that don’t encourage anybody and brings back back memories. I’m serious
Alabama Jack
November 2nd, 2009
8:41 pm
First of all whack Wake. That is all that counts.
It dawned on me Saturday night what CPJ really means. Under the Chan regime a two score lead was not enough to make you comfortable, unless there was less than a minute left to play. You just knew they would find a way to lose. With CPJ, it is just the opposite, as long as there is time on the clock they are going to find a way to win. Occasionally, as in the Miami game, time does run out, but those instances are getting fewer and fewer and fewer.
Wear White
November 2nd, 2009
9:11 pm
Wear the undefeated at home WHITE jerseys and tell Wake to shove it. They picked white at the game in Jacksonville 3 years ago and they are trying to pull that cr@p again.
Wear White
November 2nd, 2009
9:12 pm
In fact, let’s have another white out