Season-ending Georgia Tech mailbag
Georgia Tech will play Air Force in tonight’s Independence Bowl here in lovely Shreveport, La.
With the single game left, it’s time to start looking ahead. Let’s do a mailbag that I’ll publish in the blog next Monday. Post your questions in the comments section below about the team, the players or the coaches by Friday and I’ll do my best to answer.
If you’d prefer, email me your question(s) at droberson@ajc.com.
– Doug Roberson, AJC
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201 comments Add your comment
WTH
December 27th, 2010
10:04 pm
GTFan, I agree that DRad will give CPJ at least 2 or 3 more years. The question is, will the fans give him that long?
Another season like this, and Tech will be forced to sell $14 tickets just to fill the stands at regular season games, much less at bad bowl games.
Lil' Barry Bailout
December 27th, 2010
10:05 pm
When does GT baseball start?
Bean Counter
December 27th, 2010
10:13 pm
Welcome to the Yellow Jacket Cafe – In honor of our football team the special today is turnovers.
Bean Counter
December 27th, 2010
10:16 pm
Air Force proved that you can pass with this stupid offensive scheme. All it takes is a quarterback that can pass. When did they get theirs – Atlanta? Good recruiting in your home town.
RealFactsOnTech
December 27th, 2010
10:17 pm
I hope you fans open up your eyes about thats happening right in front of your eyes with the “great coach” PJ. This is the first losing season in the pass 15 years. Tech has yet to win a bowl game! This season was a sign of what is about to come. Really 6 games won this year (SCS,North Carolina,Wake Forest, Virginia, MTS,Duke) Really? only 1 of these teams are playing in bowls. All the good players that was starting in the spring all disappeared from the the game in the fall. All the players on the field was out of place and not producing. All the games that was lost was blamed on the “lack of talented players” thats only doing what they are coached. So who is really to blame. A lot of the guys left the team this year. Either because they was not going to have a chance to play, the coaches, the school, or graduation and just didn’t want to take the pain of not playing in the games. The door has been open on the GT- CPJ program. If something is not changed fast looks like the great traditions for TECH are going down with CPJ.
RichieRich86
December 27th, 2010
10:28 pm
Ouch that really hurts. As a big Dawg fan how in the world can we give up so many points to GT and Airforce held yal to 7? pretty sad
Rambling Wreck
December 27th, 2010
10:34 pm
@RealFactsOnTech. Our program has tanked just like your grammar! How embarrassing!
Dawg Style
December 27th, 2010
10:58 pm
Enter your comments here
Tech Buzz
December 27th, 2010
10:59 pm
No big deal—without those fluke turnovers, tech wins that game in a blowout. With no good QB, tech didn’t have a chance to come back. In 2011, the jackets will be back—the ACC will be down so Tech should win the conference and be back in the bcs. Georgia will be in another minor bowl.
ask CPJ this
December 27th, 2010
11:08 pm
would you ask CPJ, anyway they can hire back Giff Smith from Buffalo who by far was the best recruiter we had of the decade. After living in Buffalo and realizing th grass is not greener, maybe Giff will come back
CamdenMark
December 27th, 2010
11:09 pm
You lost, we won. You whiner’s are just lucky AFA’s offense didn’t show up
ask CPJ this
December 27th, 2010
11:15 pm
TechBuzz, CPJ could have tried David Sims. CPJ said himself the backup takes as many snaps in practice as the starter. No excuse to let the same ole same ole go on for 5 games. Mix it up, geez …allowing McKayhan to fumble twice is a coaching problem, wtf? I support CPJ but I swear you have to change things, try new plays and mix it up somehow. The AF coach honestly ran plays that looked like wht CPJ use to do
A Rob
December 27th, 2010
11:23 pm
Guys, Get ready for more of the same crap next year….
The talent at Tech is just flat awful. Unless Days or another young QB can be a one-man show next year and we magically learn how to throw the ball, this offense will slowly destroy our program. The question remains whether or not PJ will ever change his offensive approach, or will his stubborn will take us down.
Wake up and smell the coffee
December 27th, 2010
11:37 pm
As a Tech alum, the true GT fans who are bashing Johnson have short memories. I’m reading several requests for Gailey – are you kidding me!? He came to Tech with the much acclaimed “Pro-Style Passing offense” that everybody is clamoring for, he had the best WR ever at GT and could do nothing but post ONE 8+ win in 6 seasons. And sadly enough, that one season we were 9-2 and lost the most desired 3 games of that season to UGA, WF and then WVU. Here’s what I remember of that “pro-style passing offense” – 3 runs and a punt. It was a predictable and boring offense. Wake up and smell the coffee… Recruiting? Last year’s class averaged the same amount of stars as Gailey’s one and only vaunted recruiting class. Johnson lost Giff Smith which is difficult but I’ll wait to see what McCollum who hasn’t even had one full year on the job but has been recognized as a great recruiter. Disappointing season this year – I guess Urban Meyer ( if he had not retired), Mack Brown, Kirk Ferentz and Lane Kiffin needed to be looking for new jobs as well b/c, according to the criteria, they had YEARS of great recruiting classes with players who have had a full 4 or 5 years in THEIR system, a passing offense and their teams had disappointing seasons. I can’t believe OU gave Stoops a chance after last year’s debacle of a season. Boy what a stupid AD! But the really stupid AD was the one at Auburn who hired Chizik after he had accomplished nothing at Iowa State – there’s a fool. Show some patience people. Hewitt? Ok, we’ve been patient on that one.
WrecksNEffect aka Ol' Wrecks
December 28th, 2010
12:20 am
re:
Wake up and smell the coffee
December 27th, 2010
11:37 pm
__________________
Please STOP using Texas as an “example of one down season”, when the fact is, is that Texas has had 11 STRAIGHT 10-win Seasons under Mack Brown and have won at least 2 BCS Bowls and 1 MNC, Stoops has gone to about EIGHT BCS Bowls and has 1 MNC.
Trying to explain GT’s cr@ppy 7-loss season vs. the #70th toughest schedule in the Country is nothing more than drinking the Kool-aid and making excuses for CPJ’s cr@ppy performance this season.
Also, just because CHAN was the WRONG Pro-Style HC that doesn’t mean that CPJ gets off the hook with no accountability, after all CPJ is making $2.3 Mill whereas Chan never made more than $1.0 Mill as GT ’s HC.
1 win vs. a down UGA program and 1 ACC-Title in a watered-down ACC is nowhere near a “fair-trade-off” for GT to be on the hook for a HC that cannot be fired due to his huge (by GT Standards) $2.3 mil per yr. Contract.
Finally, a HC getting paid $2.3 mil+ per season should have some sort of OPTION available when the game is on the line and there are less than 2-mins. to go, CPJ has NOTHING to turn to in those situations and that’s WHY he isn’t earning his paycheck.
Instead of calling me a mutt in disguise, prove me wrong with FACTS.
new guy
December 28th, 2010
12:28 am
Wrecks,
Here are some facts for you:
FL owns UGA.y
UGA.y is on their way to a 6-7 season
They’ve now lost 12+ games in 2 seasons. LMAO
Mark Richt is one of the higest paid coaches in the COUNTRY, and your team is playing in the LIBERTY bowl.
UGA.y has been in the top 25 in recruiting for how long, and how many championships have they won? 1982? WHAT? They haven’t won anything noteworthy since 1982?!!!>!>!>!?!?!?! LOLOLOL
Your athletic budget destroys GA Tech’s due to the fact your student body is over twice as large, yet your team is mediocre at best, as is GA Tech’s. So STFU you bon.er biting fA.Got
new guy
December 28th, 2010
12:32 am
And why can’t we use Texas as an example of a down season? Do you think Mack Brown is a bad coach? Are you really THAT stupid? That’s what happens when you lose good talent to the NFL and don’t have something in place immediately to replace the lost talent.
Now, if the same thing happens 2-3 years in a row, then ask some questions. Until then, lay off the college kids. The fact you want to give college kids a hard time shows what an ignorant piece of trash you are.
techengineer
December 28th, 2010
12:39 am
NO excuses for such pathetic special teams play! Although I was one of the ones clamoring for PJ and I’m still a big fan of PJ but if he don’t hire a ST coach or address it more seriously I’d fire his ass in a nanon sec! Game after game over the past two years there has been one ST disaster after another.. When’s enough enough coach? How much of the crap can you tolerate? As much as I like PJ this is a firable offence! I’m serious. We will not tolerate this crap any longer. You either find you a ST coach or you are fired! This is BS!! How many games must we lose because of ST mistakes?
WrecksNEffect aka Ol' Wrecks
December 28th, 2010
12:41 am
Sorry “new guy”, but I could give a rats a.s.$ about what Florida and UGA.y do, especially since I am a graduate of GT.
Also, you fail to address my concerns about MY(GT’s) HC getting paid $2.3 mil per yr. and not having a 2-min Offense, good STs, or being able to find ONE FRIGGIN’ PLAYER that can catch a punt when the starter gets injured.
Shouldn’t a GT Alum & fan be able to expect those things from a HC that makes $2.3 mill per yr?
new guy
December 28th, 2010
12:44 am
You’re not a GT Alum b/c you posted under the same IP address as Fire Paul Johnson, and claim to be a dog fan on that one. You are one STUPID ignorant piece of redneck white trash with no life.
new guy
December 28th, 2010
12:45 am
and about 7 other names that claim to be dawg fans. Wow. You seriously have no life do you? LMAO at your pathetic piece of trash life. How is Georgia Perimeter these days? Are you satisfied with your $9 / hr job? lololol
buzzzzhead
December 28th, 2010
8:20 am
More questions based on what others have said…1) Will PJ ever recruit an offensive player of national prominence that has the potential of NFL draft in the position he plays in college? 2) Can PJ set aside his ego and let someone else manage the game? 3) Is anyone else tired of the TV announcers say that PJ knows his offense better than anyone? I think some defensive coordinators differ. 4) Why can’t the receivers catch the ball? 5) When did it become proper form toe catch a punt over your head? 5) Do the players really dis-like PJ as much as I hear?
UNGAWA DAWG
December 28th, 2010
9:08 am
Jackets, I was pullin’ for you. Over at whobeat.net UGA needed Tech to win to help them accumulate more value in the only totally objective football “pecking order” in existence–c’mon man, get it together. Southern teams are not supposed to lose to teams not Southern….
A Rob
December 28th, 2010
9:53 am
WrecksnEffect,
Don’t disagree with what you say about the freak show that has become our beloved Jackets this season. But we should give PJ at least another season. I know it looks bleak, but perhaps he has developed one of the redshirt Qb’s into a multiple threat for next season. Based on what was done in year one, he deserves that opportunity. A BCS bowl game and defeating UGA certainly warrant another chance. He actually has recruited well, particularly on the defensive side, and only the safety (#1, Johnson), saw any action. The rest were all redshirted. So those are my excuses for what happened this year.
Let’s hope he proves us wrong and can make the needed offensive adjustments to have the Jackets back in the top tier of the ACC next season.
roughrider
December 28th, 2010
10:32 am
I hope Tech does not shame the state of Georgia by playing in a bowl game next year. No excuse for losing bowl games in a row.
roughrider
December 28th, 2010
1:01 pm
He’s probably a Tech student.
wreckmaniac
December 28th, 2010
2:21 pm
DRAD: Here are the 2011 OBJECTIVES:
1. Beat UGA
2. Win 8 games
3. Win a bowl game in 2011 or refuse to participate. Either is acceptable.
If any one, any ONE of the three are not done, FIRE JOHNSON.
Another objective is to fire Hewitt before this seaon ends. Get going now or get gone yourself !!
Wild Bil
December 28th, 2010
2:50 pm
Tech is a gaggle of overrated losers that play in a junior college stadium in a second tier conference. As down as UGA has been the past two seasons they could have won the ACC championship. Oh, I almost forgot. They did beat the ACC champions last year, (which made the Dawgs the best team in the ACC), and the defending ACC champs this year…..that would be the Joke By Coke trade school. The 2010 chumpions of the wussy ACC lost to JAMES MADISON for crying out loud. Please don’t even think about firing Johnson and Hewitt……..the Dawgs own them both!
Chaos Theory
December 28th, 2010
4:13 pm
Tech needs to get big time and hire a real coach who runs a pro offense. That option thing doesn’t attract the top players except small running QBs who can’t pass. 6 bowl losses in a row, 7 losses—time for big changes. paul johnson can’t get it done with his own recruits.
Dooner
December 29th, 2010
4:57 am
Hey Goldenrod, how bout eating one of Paul and Al’s tasty filets with tartar sauce to go with your crow? BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! BAHHAHAHHA!!!!!
Dooner
December 29th, 2010
5:09 am
Listen fellow Techies, quit fussing and complaining about Paul and Al. Keep on with your whining and they will go to work at Bill’s Catfish Shack! UGA owns you fools. You are weak,WEAK!!! Eat more fish!! Air Force? AHAHAHAHA!!! BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Dooner
December 29th, 2010
5:20 am
Even Tony Barnfart said there is much work to do at Gt. There are fish to catch, grease to get hot, tartar sauce to make, Al’s ring to admire. Air Force? Really, I mean Air Force??? BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! BAAHAHAHAHA!!!!
FullMetalJacket
December 29th, 2010
9:57 am
The usual UGA posters on this website and the CPJ nay-sayers masquerading as Tech fans must be having a pretty dismal holiday if they take time to post here. It is certainly fair to criticize this year’s team and that includes CPJ’s performance as coach–he would probably be the first to agree he could have done a better job. To even be suggesting that it is time to replace him is ludicrous and impetuous. I am all for objective assessment, but get realistic folks. Coach Paul Johnson is exactly the kind of man and coach we want at Georgia Tech: a winner, a disciplined leader, and a concerned authority figure who actively participates in the development of our young men as players and members of society. As far as a “real” coach is concerned, Coach Johnson is as traditional and conventional a coach you can find, despite the rarity of his offense. The option is good, sound football that wins games (and championships, as last year proved). I admit that I hope to see more new “wrinkles” in the offense and defense next year, and unquestionably the execution HAS to improve. But to suggest that two great seasons and an ACC championship constitute a “waste” of time on an “experiment” as several have suggested says more about the ignorance and motives of the poster than it says about Coach Johnson and Ga. Tech.
FullMetalJacket
December 29th, 2010
10:02 am
I am most concerned about the turnover margin and the inadequacies of the passing game: the bowl game proved to be an accurate microcosm of the whole year. Special teams and defensive execution has to be improved also, of course. But for a team that lost four key starters to the NFL last year the 6-7 record can be considered a disappointment, as opposed to an “outrage.”
FullMetalJacket
December 29th, 2010
10:05 am
We all learned the increased importance of the QB position in the option this year when Nesbitt went down. Hopefully, in the future we will give the backups more game and practice reps during the course of the season since eventual injury to a starter seems almost inevitable.
FullMetalJacket
December 29th, 2010
10:06 am
My biggest disappointment apart from the UGA loss was the loss of 4 players to academics and several more to bowl-game curfew violations. Those things must be corrected.
goose and gander
December 29th, 2010
11:53 am
The same “issues” Tech always makes in comparison to UGA football program (i.e. tougher academic entrance requirements, tougher curriculum, can’t recruit the same athletes, etc) can be used by Air Force in comparison to Tech .. and they won anyway.
L-O-S-E-RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
December 29th, 2010
12:48 pm
NUFF SAID.
Dooner
December 29th, 2010
2:18 pm
I am sorry for all that stuff about fish and tartar sauce. I shouldn’t have mad fun of Paul Johnson and Al Groh either. I am sure it wasn’t very funny to GT fans. But Air Force? BAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!!BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Grab a filet and some sauce boys!!!!!!
lisa
December 29th, 2010
2:27 pm
Wonder why since you are the beat writer for Tech, you just can not even give a shout out to the Women’s Basketball that is having a really great couple of games.
You guys just want to beat a dead horse. This year our football team did not preform as we would have hoped all year long. But since the coaches kept talking about them having effort it is up to them to figure out why the effort did not equal results. Time to move on and support the teams that still are playing
Chicken Farmer
December 29th, 2010
3:24 pm
Here’s a thought! We don’t need to hire a receiver’s coach as we’ll not be able to recruit true receivers. Plus, as we’re strictly a run offense, we’ll not be able to recruit a passing quarterback even if we get lucky enough to find a pig in a poke (someone who can catch the ball). So, here’s my thought, hire “The Fridge” as the offensive coordinator, keep the triple option, marry both offenses together and go out and tear up all comers. I believe “The Fridge” still has his place over on Lake Oconee too. Just a thought……………..
Dooner
December 29th, 2010
7:10 pm
Wow! Have you noticed how mad some people get over football? All Tech fans should enjoy a tasty bowl of Paul and Al’s favorite cereal, Cap’n Crunch. Too much fish and rich tartar sauce can leave you irritable. Grab you a spoonful of the good Cap’n and lose that irritable bowel. Air Force. Really? BAHAHHAHAHA!!!!BAHAHHAHAA!!!!BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
pcb mike
December 30th, 2010
1:11 am
Hold on guys, give Paul another chance. We are starting to sound like UGA fans, sorry, nobody is that bad. We need to see improvement in special teams and passing for sure. If he is a good coach, (and he just won an ACC championship) he will make adjustments. If we don’t start passing more, I’ll be on his case too.
Check out GT Alum’s passing stats. The Wake Forest game was the only game we threw it 20 times. That should be our average number of attempts. Its hard to be good at anything without game time number of reps.
Rocket
December 30th, 2010
8:25 am
I don’t understand how any GT fan can be negative about our situation. Conference championship game 2 out of 3 years, orange bowl, 3 straight bowls. Yes, we want to do better next year and so does everybody else. I just hope we aren’t getting spoiled and try to throw the baby out with the bath water. CPJ has caught hell over this offense from the beginning and I like to see a Dan Fouts and Dan Marino offense just as much as anybody but if you’re at the dance with one of the prettiest girls why do you want to go around telling everybody how ugly she is.
Terrence Wiiliams
December 30th, 2010
8:45 am
My question: will CPJ and crew be recruiting some athletes from some of those
schools down there in Florida? I’ve been researching those schools and they have
what we need here at Tech. There’s a couple of players at Trinity Christian Academy and the Bolles
In Jacksonville Florida def. has athletes that can make an impact. I wish we stop looking just at
players here in Ga.
How many scholarships tech have available?
Do you know what position tech is looking to recruit in?
We must look at CPJ's record over nearly two yrs.
December 30th, 2010
9:12 am
UGA -2009 a loss
Clemson in ACC C G- Tech win
Urange Bowl- Iowa win
2010 season – 6 more losses vs 6 wins
2010 Weedeater Bowl another UGLY, UGLY loss
Recap – 7 wins vs 9 ugly losses to not one really decent team and the loss to the Big SKy team AF really makes us and the ACC look bad.
The AF loss is especially bad, as they were the number 2 rushing team and GT was the number 1 rushing team and you would think that our D would have known how to stop their attack, given that the GT D faces the same offense every day in practice. What is Al Groh doing? CPJ promised that he would make the GT D look like the NFL. Dang.
Also, our coach throwing the ball at the end of the two ugly UGA losses and then again in the AF game. We are horrible at throwing the ball. AF DID throw the ball. Why is it that they could pass the ball and GT could not? ANSWER: AF has a QB and a coach.
Go Jackets
PS our Navy pilots got busted for overflying Grant Field two years ago during the 09 Wake Forest game. We cannot even do that well. AF must have been guffawing.
MC
December 30th, 2010
12:27 pm
Somewhere Chan Gailey has to be laughing his azz off.
Okeefe/Bob
December 30th, 2010
7:00 pm
Doug—What do you think are the realistic chances of our landing Vad Lee out of NC? Are we going to have to live with 2nd or 3rd tier QBs as long as CPJ is at the helm? Lee is the real deal if we can get him as a QB ,not a wide receiver.
Dooner
December 31st, 2010
3:15 pm
Go Jackets. Sign McCollum and Brogdon and the offense will be ser.
Positive Jacket
December 31st, 2010
10:16 pm
I am ashamed of all these negative posts. Calling for firings? Coach Johnson is a fantastic coach. He likely did more with Coach Gailey’s fantastic recruiting class than Coach Gailey would have done. Due to the timing of the hire of Coach Johnson and it’s impact on recruiting, this was likely to be a down year. Let’s face the fact that not every team can win 10 games every year. In sport, someone has to lose. Look at Texas this year. When Coach Johnson had so much early success, I worried that this predictable down season would bring out the whiners. You all owe Coach Johnson an apology for assuming you know one tenth as much as he about the sport. How many games or Coach of the Year awards have you won? There is no more competitive man than Coach Johnson. He has won every where he has been, including Tech. Get a clue people, he lead the NATION in rushing with a non existent passing game to prevent defenses from loading the box. Until the rules change, Coach Johnson is not allowed to actually throw and/or catch a pass. I have personally watched Coach Johnson’s offense roll up passing yards. His offense forces man to man coverage and forces defensive safeties to play run first. Big passing numbers are available for the taking. However, Joshua the Warrior was not Drew Brees and our receivers did not have good years. Our special teams were a dissapointment. All things to work on through recruiting and coaching. Please give the man a legitimant chance before you string him up. Luckily, he does not read this crap or he might just pack up and leave you know nothings to your own demise. Any of you whiners want to put you money where your mouth is? I’ll take Coach Johnson to repeat as ACC Champion within five years. Or would that not be up to your standards. VaTech, Miami, FSU, Clemson, NC and the rest make up a tough crowd that wants to win as badly as us. Be proud of what Coach Johnson has done already. Be optomistic about what he will do in the future. And please, shut the %#@$ up before you run him off.
On another note, Roddy Jones is one of the most complete football players to suit up this year.
I for one am looking forward to 2011 and beyond.
Go Jackets