If Georgia Tech is unable to pull the upset in the ACC Championship game against Florida State, it appears more than ever that the Yellow Jackets would head for the Sun Bowl. With a win, of course, Tech would go to the Orange Bowl.
In the event of a loss, Saturday’s results make it more likely that the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, would be Tech’s destination. Clemson’s loss to South Carolina Saturday dropped the Tigers to No. 14 in the BCS standings, so they’re still eligible for an at-large bid, but with two losses and their Orange Bowl showing last year, it doesn’t seem likely.
That would make Clemson the automatic pick for the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Russell Athletic Bowl, which has second pick in the ACC bowl selection order after the BCS bowls, can choose between Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and N.C. State.
N.C. State just fired coach Tom O’Brien, so I’m guessing this isn’t a fan base ready to celebrate anything. If the Yellow Jackets are available, it will mean they’ll have lost two games in a row, one by a wide margin, and have fallen to 6-7. Tech will have a better league record than the Hokies (5-3 to 4-4), but Virginia Tech will have won its last two games, have a non-losing record (6-6) and a win over the Jackets. Further, Virginia Tech has never been to the Russell Athletics Bowl.
As I noted in a post last week, having a winning record (or at least not a losing record) is not a small matter of importance to the Russell Athletic Bowl folks. The bowl, formerly the Champs Sports Bowl, is used to getting eight- or nine-win teams.
Prior to the Georgia game, Citrus Bowl Sports CEO Steve Hogan said that “I think the Georgia game is a big game just because of that, because of the overall winning record.”
One or the other will go to Orlando, I think. That would leave Tech at the Sun Bowl, its destination last year. The Sun Bowl is required to take the ACC title-game runner-up if it’s available. Two ESPN projections pair Tech up with Southern California.
I’ve read that Tech would not be bowl eligible at 6-7 and that the waiver that UCLA received last year will not be granted. BCS guru Jerry Palm tweeted it, for instance. I don’t believe that to be the case, largely because, as I’ve written, Tech, ACC and bowl officials all expect the waiver to be granted. The other reason is that the NCAA process instituted that addresses 6-7 teams that lose their championship game was put in place for a situation in which there weren’t enough bowl-eligible teams.
As I understand it, because there are enough bowl-eligible teams, there isn’t a need to use the protocol that could potentially keep Tech out. It’s conceivable that the waiver could be denied, but on a teleconference Sunday night, coach Paul Johnson said that acting athletic director Paul Griffin told him that Tech will go to a bowl.
One other thing: Should Tech pull the upset, it’s likely Orange Bowl opponent will be the Big East champion, either Rutgers or Louisville. The two teams play Thursday night to decide the title. There’s also a possibility that Kent State, which hasn’t played in a bowl game since 1972 but is playing against Northern Illinois for the MAC title, could make it the Orange Bowl.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech bowl
218 comments Add your comment
old dog
November 26th, 2012
4:53 pm
@GTBob,
You are just runnin’ ’round the mulberry bush. You know that the program is in a terrible state, and you seem to be satisfyed with that. You may or may not compete with us again…..you will never know if you don’t get out of this “blunder-land” you presently have. Seems strange…..a Dawg wanting better for the enemy. Kinda like Brian’s song…..he wanted Sayers at his best so the competition would be fair. Ya’ll are not at your best. It may never be like it once was, but it can surely be better than it is now!
GTBob
November 26th, 2012
4:53 pm
But the fewer games Tech plays on TV this year I think the better.
So eliminating all televised games would be the best idea for us recruiting wise?
Montylick&ass
November 26th, 2012
4:53 pm
God no, GTBob. The UGA fans are hopin like he!! we keep CPJ! It is we who have not accepted mediocrity for Tech who want a chnage. What do you see getting better? If all the excuses are valid, and we can no longer comperte at this level, why do we need to pay over $2 million for a coach? We can move to a mid-major football conference (as if the ACC isn’t headed that way already) and get somebody to coach us for a lot less money.
old dog
November 26th, 2012
4:54 pm
no, GTBob…………a new system would be the best idea for you recruiting wise!!!!!!!!!
GTBob
November 26th, 2012
4:56 pm
Seems strange…..a Dawg wanting better for the enemy.
Oh please, you couldn’t care less if we got better or not and nothing you say is in the best interest of the program. You hate CPJ just like every other UGA fan and want him eliminated from existence. Good for you. It doesn’t mean firing him is our best option right now.
GTBob
November 26th, 2012
4:58 pm
no, GTBob…………a new system would be the best idea for you recruiting wise!!!!!!!!!
We already tried that. It didnt work. One day you guys will learn that its a bigger problem with GT in general then it is just a CPJ problem.
GT Joe
November 26th, 2012
4:58 pm
headley: don’t confuse higher graduation rates with quality academics.
The only thing graduation rates tell me is how TOUGH a school is to graduate from.
Booze Hound
November 26th, 2012
4:59 pm
Time’s up for Johnson. He needs to go. The only way Georgia Tech wins this weekend is if Florida State suspends their first and second teams…then it might be close. Otherwise, this will look a lot like the beating the ‘Noles used to put on the Jackets back during Bowden’s heyday.
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:01 pm
From 2006 to 2008 ND had six 5 star recruits, 38 4 star recruits and recruiting rankings of 8, 8, and 2.
Notre Dame recruiting rankings are notoriously unreliable, Kind of like the polls that showed Mitt Romney winning.
Player commits to ND almost always gets bumped up a star.
Yes they do that at other schools to but not to the same extent.
Show me where ND has put a ton of players in the NFL like UGA, Bama, Florida etc and then ill buy it.
old dog
November 26th, 2012
5:04 pm
You are wrong about one thing, GTBob; yes some of us ‘Dawgs who are football fans DO want to see ya’ll get better….it is good for the rivalry for it TO BE a rivalry! I’d rather ya’ll get some of the recruits that (if we do not get them) Auburn, ‘Bama, Ole Miss, or some other SEC team may get. And ya’ll could pull them if you ran a better style of play.
SansWorld
November 26th, 2012
5:04 pm
GTBob,
I suggest you let everyone get the venom out of there systems before trying to carry on a conversation supporting CPJ. There are plenty that still support him, but they are in hiding.
I suspect by Thursday the CPJ haters will have toned down some, the Dawg fans (both the overt fans, and those posing as Tech fans) will strut over to a story about the SECCG try their best to run their case at the Bamer fans.
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:05 pm
The only thing graduation rates tell me is how TOUGH a school is to graduate from.
But how did they get in to Tech in the first place ?
I realize its a Chicken and Egg argument but you cant have it both ways.
Ill say again its obvious Tech doesn’t care about its athletes graduation.
What does that say ?
GT Joe
November 26th, 2012
5:05 pm
headley: bama 30 nfl players. ND, 30 nfl players.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/college
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:05 pm
So eliminating all televised games would be the best idea for us recruiting wise?
This year yes.
David S.
November 26th, 2012
5:06 pm
FIRE THE LOSER COACH CPJ…. THATS ALL I WANT FOR CHRISMAS…. DO IT NOW, DO IT AFTER THE ALL CUPCAKE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME… JUST DO IT….
GT Joe
November 26th, 2012
5:06 pm
headley: the grad rate at tech for EVERY STUDENT is lower than at other schools (not just for athletes).
Comparing grad rates between uga and tech is apples and oranges. For athletes or non-athletes.
old dog
November 26th, 2012
5:07 pm
Booze Hound, like it or not, is right. If Tech were to slip up on Florida State, it would be the nastiest reflection possible on the state of ACC football. At least Florida State showed up for the game with THEIR arch-rival!
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:07 pm
headley: bama 30 nfl players. ND, 30 nfl players.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/college
Thats awesome.
Of course Jimmy Clausen counts for ND for what its worth.
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:08 pm
headley: the grad rate at tech for EVERY STUDENT is lower than at other schools (not just for athletes).
Yes but for Tech the drop for Athletes is much higher.
There is no denying it.
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:12 pm
Football Graduation Rates: ACC
Duke 93%
Boston College 93%
Miami 88%
Wake Forest 81%
Virginia Tech 79%
North Carolina 75%
Virginia 68%
Clemson 62%
Maryland 59%
Florida St. 56%
North Carolina St. 56%
Georgia Tech 55%
http://stanford.scout.com/2/1183346.html
Funny how Duke doesn’t have that same problem isn’t it.
And dont give me the Engineering crap.
Very very very few of those football players are in any other major but ” Management ”
I’m sorry you’ve lost this one.
GT Joe
November 26th, 2012
5:12 pm
no one is denying the drop, headley. It’s hard to graduate from Tech, period. Even harder for the average football player with a 1028 SAT score (highest among public FBS schools). The average tech student is at ~1360+ SAT, so obviously a 1028 football player will have more trouble graduating.
GTBob
November 26th, 2012
5:12 pm
If Tech were to slip up on Florida State, it would be the nastiest reflection possible on the state of ACC football.
Yeah, because the ACC gets so much respect right now, we wouldn’t want to ruin it.
GT Joe
November 26th, 2012
5:16 pm
Tech grad rate after 4 years (class of 2010): 34%
Tech grad rate after 5 years (class of 2010): 72%
This is for ALL Students. Makes the 56% grad rate for football players seem not so bad, eh?
http://factbook.gatech.edu/content/graduationretention-rates
GTBob
November 26th, 2012
5:16 pm
According to Headley, Tech is an easy school with no academic prowess, and would be better off not playing games on TV to improve recruiting. I have to say, at least you are entertaining.
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:18 pm
Biggest Difference in Grad Rates Between Football Players and All Students
Major Programs
Football Players All Students Difference
Cal 54% 90% -36%
UCLA 59% 90% -31%
USC 61% 87% -26%
Virginia 68% 93% -25%
Georgia Tech 55% 79% -24%
Basketball Graduation Rates: ACC
Wake Forest 100%
Duke 100%
Boston College 89%
North Carolina 89%
Virginia Tech 86%
Miami 82%
North Carolina St. 80%
Clemson 67%
Florida St. 67%
Virginia 50%
Maryland 46%
Georgia Tech 27%
Pretty embarrisinfg
Case closed.
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:19 pm
According to Headley, Tech is an easy school with no academic prowess, and would be better off not playing games on TV to improve recruiting. I have to say, at least you are entertaining.
Thanks
GT Joe
November 26th, 2012
5:19 pm
As for Duke? 86% grad rate after 4 years for ALL students, and 90+% after 5 years:
http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/unc-systems-grad-rate-33-percent
GT Joe
November 26th, 2012
5:20 pm
headley: what exactly are you trying to prove with your stats?
TechApp fan
November 26th, 2012
5:21 pm
I hope FSU wins the toss Saturday and kicks to Tech. Then a Tech QB will lead Tech to a seven point lead! That is what should have happened last Saturday.
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:22 pm
See ya guys.
Hope ive brought a little truth to your little worlds today.
Funny I dont see Supersize anymore.
LOL
SansWorld
November 26th, 2012
5:22 pm
I suspect that the GT Basketball graduation rate improves in the coming years
I am curious what foodball grad rate looks like in a few years. The football has has very little attrition lately, lots of red shirts, and few really leaving the program. I wonder if that will translate to more graduations.
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:23 pm
Biggest Difference in Grad Rates Between Basketball Players and All Students
Major Programs
Basketball Players All Students Difference
Cal 33% 90% -57%
Connecticut 25% 77% -52%
Georgia Tech 27% 79% -52%
It cant go anywhere but up.
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:25 pm
headley: what exactly are you trying to prove with your stats?
That Tech for all its chest beating about academics ( which serve as an emotional crutch when they lose ) they really dont seem to care whether the student athletes graduate or not.
GT Joe
November 26th, 2012
5:25 pm
headley: once again, what are you trying to prove?
yellowfever
November 26th, 2012
5:25 pm
GT BOB, so we beat UGA in total yardage but not in total points. So tell me again what excites you about that. With your logic I think Tech is undefeated this year.
SansWorld
November 26th, 2012
5:26 pm
The basketball graduation rate is shamefull,
GT Joe
November 26th, 2012
5:26 pm
i wouldn’t say that grad rates mean we don’t care. All it says is, it’s hard to graduate from that school, especially for an athlete whose SAT score is far below the rest of the student population.
I see Cal-Berkeley and UVA on the list of poor performers as well. Fine institutions, tough institutions, and tough to graduate from as well.
David S.
November 26th, 2012
5:27 pm
headley lamar—–My Supervisor has two kids, one graduated from UGA two years ago and cannot get a job nor an interview… The other is about two graduate in DEC… and has already landed a job making very nice $$$ You can throw all you stats out… Tech also has a high rate of suicide because of the stress of the academics…. Take your farming, turfgrass, basketweaving school and turn your pea brain attention to something more important.. like getting a job, or enjoying the SEC Championship game that is coming up… JUST SHUT THE HELL UP DUDE
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:28 pm
i wouldn’t say that grad rates mean we don’t care.
If thats the case then they are doing an awful job.
GT Joe
November 26th, 2012
5:28 pm
do grad rates take into account kids who left for the NBA like bosh and favors, or kids that transferred like Rice?
Grad rates are irrelevant, but keep harping on it. you own us in football (for now), but please don’t compare academics. That is ultimate ignorance.
David S.
November 26th, 2012
5:28 pm
the one that is about to graduate is grauating from TECH sorry about that
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:29 pm
headley lamar—–My Supervisor has two kids, one graduated from UGA two years ago and cannot get a job nor an interview… The other is about two graduate in DEC
Blah blah blah means nothing.
GT1990
November 26th, 2012
5:29 pm
@KEN
How do you feel about CPJ ? He is a total a** to you in every press conference.
DS CE'91
November 26th, 2012
5:29 pm
Fellow GT alums,
Why are you all feeding the trolls? They are only on here because they are hiding from the Bammers who are lurking on their boards. Why bother engaging them? Skip their posts; its done wonders for my disposition.
GO JACKETS!!!
David S.
November 26th, 2012
5:30 pm
my typing sucks… so I’m out
rich
November 26th, 2012
5:31 pm
As a long time Jacket fan, after the Jackets get routed again this weekend, I hope they are either left out of the bowl picture or have enough class to decline an invitation. They will be an embarassment to go to a bowl with a losing record….and, they will also run this risk of continuing their bowl losing streak. It is inexcusable that teams with losing records are rewarded with a bowl game
stanh
November 26th, 2012
5:31 pm
Im a longtime Tech fan and this is hard to say but I hope they get beat by FSU 100-0…..Paul Johnson is a joke…..Look at his recruiting….that says it all….PITIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GTBob
November 26th, 2012
5:34 pm
GT BOB, so we beat UGA in total yardage but not in total points. So tell me again what excites you about that.
Nothing excites me about it. Personally I think our offense played terrible against UGA. But they still put up well over 400 yards of offense without much of a problem. To make the assertion that GT cannot compete with UGA’s amazing bionic size and strength on defense is just absurd. UGA’s defense didn’t look all that great against GT.
SansWorld
November 26th, 2012
5:34 pm
“do grad rates take into account kids who left for the NBA like bosh and favors, or kids that tansferred like Rice?”
I think they do not, clearly many of the top players that came to GT for basketball had no intention of graduating, and the GT Staff likely had no expectation of this either. Of course this was not a winning formula for CPH.
Not something to look back with pride IMO.
headley lamar
November 26th, 2012
5:35 pm
How do you feel about CPJ ? He is a total a** to you in every press conference.
Ken seems like a nice guy but Johnson is a total jerk.
Its obvious.
The fact he cant even get along with the media in Atlanta most notably the flagship radio station for Tech football says all you need to know.