Take Tech over Georgia right now in the long run
The Jackets have issues, but Jonathan Dwyer created positive foreshadowing in last game.
Sometime today, Mark Richt and Paul Johnson will speak at their weekly news conferences and assess for the world their respective football teams to this point. And if either has actually figured them out, that puts them ahead of the rest of us.
I’ve covered two Georgia games (Oklahoma State, Arizona State) and two Tech games (Clemson and Miami). I saw most or all of the other ones on TV. Both teams leave me thoroughly confused. Also somewhat dizzy.
Loading ...Tech has extended its personality changes from half to half (vs. Clemson) to game to game (awful vs. Miami; great vs. North Carolina). So I guess that’s progress. At least it leaves a week between games for therapy and makes for easier billing with the insurance company.
The Dogs can’t seem to figure out what they want to be: a solid defensive but offensively inept team (Oklahoma State, Arizona State), which makes it easy to dump on Mike Bobo or Joe Cox (or both). Or a relative video game (South Carolina, Arkansas), built for thrills and maybe the WAC, which makes it easy to dump on Willie Martinez.
Bottom line: Both have issues. Neither looks like a BCS bowl team. But if I had to take one over the other right now, I’ll take Tech. Here’s why:
♦ The Bulldogs are too erratic, too sloppy (minus-nine in turnovers) and still take too many penalties to lead me to believe they have any shot at beating No. 4 LSU this week, or certainly upsetting Florida. Two other games that once looked like gimmes — Tennessee on the road and Auburn at home — now look like potential landmines. And Tech has to be favored to win the last game of the season at Bobby Dodd.
♦ For Tech, I’m assuming the Jonathan Dwyer we saw before the North Carolina game was an aberration, and the one from last week is the norm. The defense is not great and probably won’t get a lot better. But if the Jackets run the ball, that keeps opposing offenses off the field. Further, Tech doesn’t have a can’t-win game on the schedule. The toughest opponent is No. 6 ranked Virginia Tech but that game is at home in a few weeks. The next most difficult game on the schedule is at Florida State, which just lost to South Florida.
The Jackets could always blame fatigue (three games in 13 days) on their worst performance of the season at Miami. I’m not sure what Georgia blames its worst moments on, other than just not being very good. (If Cox had the flu in Game 1, what did he have in Game 4?)
Right now, it’s looking like Tech will be the better team at season’s end. Agree or disagree? I’ve put up a poll if you want to vote, as well as comment.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
503 comments Add your comment
Dawg
September 29th, 2009
1:56 pm
Excuses?? Look at who UGA plays, and look at the teams Tech plays. There is NO comparison. The ACC is VERY weak. The only two decent teams are Va. Tech and Miami! The SEC has three teams in the TOP FIVE. You do the math, nerd.
yellowjacket82
September 29th, 2009
1:57 pm
I agree with David. UGA is as good as LSU. Given that the game is in Athens, UGA wins by 7.
Dawg
September 29th, 2009
1:57 pm
Tech really did a good job of controlling the game against Miami.. and also against Clemson!
HonestAbe
September 29th, 2009
1:57 pm
Both teams have displayed acute cases of mediocrity thus far. The game in November is a huge rivalry where virtually anything can happen. For Schultz (” I know nothing!!!!”) to take sides this early is yet another example of his yellow (please pardon the pun) journalism. I honestly think that the AJC sports writers have a running office bet on which is able to generate the most pages of comments; I’ll put my wager on Bradley. The game will be very close and should be exciting to watch. May the best team win.
BR
September 29th, 2009
1:58 pm
Funny how Yellow Fuzz was NOWHERE to be found after the Miami game!!!
yellowjacket82
September 29th, 2009
2:04 pm
Hey DAWG…who won the Tech-Clemson game???
Insectinside
September 29th, 2009
2:11 pm
All these Dawgs have one thing in commom….bull. Brenda, Brenda, Brenda (6:18am)…I won’t start because there is no use beating up girls (unless you are UGA and even then you can move up 4 spots in the polls).
Alpha/Omega
September 29th, 2009
2:16 pm
BigMike – it is no fun when you have to explain everything, but what I meant was that you like to swallow enemas.
TrailerTrash
September 29th, 2009
2:18 pm
Insectinside, VT will clean your team’s plow and you know it. Brace yourself for your second loss. FSU stands a very good chance of beating your beloved bees as well.
Wiley
September 29th, 2009
2:24 pm
Dawg….You base your argument on rankings….obviously LSU is over rated and then the confrence is S@#t after that. UGA barely won against a PAC 10 team and we know Ole Miss is over rated. Where is this difficult schedule?? Dawg fans are the only ones seeing it.
RMP
September 29th, 2009
2:28 pm
A worthless discussion. UGA and GT are run of the mill teams which are competely off the radar of the national media. Neither school has the ability to recruit with Florida or Alabama or attract coaches which interest the media. Unless ESPN talks about you every day you will not attract the recruits necessary to compete with Florida and Bama. A pair of 7-4 teams interesting only to their alumni.
Wiley
September 29th, 2009
2:31 pm
RMP:”A pair of 7-4 teams interesting only to their alumni.”
I dont think you have ever been to the state of georgia. 98 percent of UGA’s fan base has never, and will never attend UGA. Also last time I checked they play 12 games…not eleven. I think you are wrong about tech….9-3. Go Jackets!
Judge Dredd
September 29th, 2009
2:34 pm
Most of my friends are fleabags. They want me to get a frontal lobotomy so I can be one too. I thought I would have two thirds of my brain removed and become the president of butt sniffer nation.
Vick=Dog killing thug
September 29th, 2009
2:37 pm
Blow out losses GT 1 UGA 0
Miss Rudolph
September 29th, 2009
2:37 pm
Mangy mutts are lucky. Should be 0 – 4.
Wiley
September 29th, 2009
2:38 pm
Loses to bad teams: UGA 1 Tech 0
Facts are Stubborn Things
September 29th, 2009
2:38 pm
Yellow Fuzz, just as I thought you are a bitter broken down loser. Losers stick together so you and M and Stinger make good sux buddies.
Smokewagon
September 29th, 2009
2:55 pm
Gotta admit that Tech looks strong this year and is well coached. This dawg is concerned about all teams on our schedule including Tenn. Tech. Way too early to be looking ahead to Tech. Gonna be an interesting battle but advantage right now goes to Tech.
Yellow Fuzz
September 29th, 2009
3:00 pm
GT will win out and face Alabama for the NC. GT will win the NC this year. Mark it down.
LOL
September 29th, 2009
3:03 pm
AZ Jacket, you are a total moron.
We need to ‘partition the ACC’? Are we trying to divide the ACC up or request to a be a part of it? That would be petition genius.
Last I checked, you ‘throw’ a pass, not ‘through’ it.
And you ‘lose’ a player, you do not ‘loose’ them.
I always love to see the Techies calling people morons and then removing all doubt about their lack of intelligence by completely butchering the English language. I know, you went to Tech, so English is probably not your first language anyway.
Canes Rule
September 29th, 2009
3:05 pm
The Hurricanes are coming back after that dismal display in the pouring down rain up in Deliverance Town, USA. GT was a joke and we really enjoyed thumping them. Option run? Not in our house!!
bling and blang
September 29th, 2009
3:09 pm
Lets all do the Dooley shuffle and put your hands in the Ayer! Hip Hop Hooray!
Canes Rule
September 29th, 2009
3:10 pm
BTW, Yellow Jizz thought we would lose. The bees got caned by Miami. How does that caned arse feel, Yellow Jizz? Starting to heal up some now?
Fed Up
September 29th, 2009
3:10 pm
Richt has no control over this team! Consequently, you get copious amounts of penalties and players dancing on the benches while your down to an inferior school. That kind of crap has no place at UGA…Dooley would had that kid throwing up from wind sprints yesterday!
Joshua Barlowe
September 29th, 2009
3:20 pm
I, for one, am very glad the UGAy fans continue to call the Tech offense a high-school offense. Call it whatever you want, it put up 45 on you last year, and we’ll do it again this November.
What does that say about “mighty” UGAy if a high-school offense does that to you? Keep ‘em comin’.
Miss Rudolph
September 29th, 2009
3:21 pm
CanesRule – you’ve got a big mouth after the beatdown the other Tech just laid on ya’ll. That’s why I know you are just a dumbassh fleabag running your mouth.
Canes Rule
September 29th, 2009
3:33 pm
Miss Rudolf, how’d you like a big CANE applied to your arse? Oh….I forgot….you’ve already had it. Did it feel good? Did it feel good getting caned on national TV? I’ll bet you liked it, huh? Your sorry team lucked out against UNC but we will still be there for the ACCCG and I hope it’s the pathetic insects that we get to abuse again. I loved that game; I have a dvd of it and just like to watch the inept GT defense get torched over and over. You butt pimples will not win against VT – no way, no how. What’s this fleabag junk? Oh, you must think I’m a UGA fan, huh? What a mental midget. As for VT beating us, I blame the weather for that. Won’t happen next year.
a
September 29th, 2009
3:38 pm
schlutz doesn’t give a damn about tech or uga. he just wants to drive his page hits for a year end bonus.
Teck's top 10
September 29th, 2009
3:43 pm
#10. No 10 win seasons since 1990… That’s 19 years in the ACC. LOL
# 9. No ACC Championships since 1990… Won’t happen this year either
# 8. No BCS bowl appearances… ever
# 7. No bowl wins in last 4 attempts… Blown out under CPJ by LSU
# 6. No top 10 finishes since 1990…
# 5. No fan support…4,000 tickets returned to MISS. ST.
# 4. No respect… dropped out of top 25 after Miami beatdown
# 3. No tradition… irrelavant since 1960.
# 2. No guts.. schedules patsies and plays in a patsy conference
# 1. No future… no decent coach is going to stay at Tech.
dawg tired
September 29th, 2009
3:44 pm
When are these players and coaches going to get serious about some damn football? I like many others fans am tired of the inconsistent and lackluster play. When is both offensive and defensive lines going to whip the guys in front of them? What has big fat Jeff Owens been doing besides getting blocked into his other team mates? These guys want to dance and celebrate? What the hell for? We have heard for years now that the players are gonna be great we are very close. Close to what may I ask ? Weve heard the young players excuse, injury excuse and now the parity excuse. We deserves some answers CMR and you are paid well too I might add. Now all CMR does now is still make excuses and defends the dancing players with the game still not decided. PATHETIC! Why cant UGA get over the hump?
Dawgs Fan
September 29th, 2009
3:51 pm
News Flash….LSU’s Les Miles has never beaten Georgia and that will not change this weekend. Lenoards Losers picks Bayou cats!
Jethro
September 29th, 2009
3:54 pm
Take Tech over UGA? Okay, cool. I have LSU over UGA, Tennessee over UGA, and of course Florida over UGA. The Dawgs will not put up many points against Florida’s monster defense. Stafford + Moreno and the #1 Pre-Season ranked Dawgs = 10 points in Jacksonville.
Mr. Green Jeans
September 29th, 2009
3:56 pm
Dawg tired….. dude Jeff Owens has come back from an injury and thus makes him a little tenative because he we never be as good as he once was projected. It will also be the same with Sturdivant , he is sadly through because the injury will always linger in ones mind and they will never give the effort or 110 %. The O & D lines do look like a bunch of dancing bears and cant seem to whip their opponent for some reason but thats UGA football under Richt!
Yellow Fuzz
September 29th, 2009
3:59 pm
dawginLace,
Who are you trying to fool?
Professor Phil Urchild
September 29th, 2009
4:02 pm
I just love these cool names like Yellow fuzz, Az Jacket, and m. Gets me all excited for the young people coming into the games.
bling and blang
September 29th, 2009
4:04 pm
You put your right hand in,
You put your right hand out,
You put your right hand in,
And you shake it all about,
You do the Dooley shuffle
and you turn yourself around
HIP HIP HOP HOP HOORAY!.
Bait
September 29th, 2009
4:05 pm
Well, this is about a stupid an argument as I’ve seen in quite awhile. Both teams make Sybil look normal. Both are 1 injury away (see Dwyer or Green) from being a .500 team. Discussing this now is like asking whether Fox News or CNBC is going to pick the 2012 election correctly. There are a few posts that make, at least some valid points, but most sound like you all sniffed too much glue while you were building you R2D2 model. Why don’t we just call The Amazing Karnack and find out…..
bling and blang
September 29th, 2009
4:11 pm
You put your Big D in,
You put your Big D out,
You put your Big D in,
And you shake it all about,
You do the Dooley Shuffle
and you turn yourself around
That what it’s all about.
Yellow Fuzz
September 29th, 2009
4:11 pm
“GT will win out and face Alabama for the NC. GT will win the NC this year. Mark it down”.
I did not post this at 3pm.
Frank Wren
September 29th, 2009
4:15 pm
Man is Tech’s offense boring to watch. What is going to catch up to them 2 is that recruits are going to start to realize if they want to play at the next level they better go to a school with a pro style offense.
When players leave tech they will be totally unprepared for the NFL. Thats going to show up in recruiting sooner than later.
Dont touch this pregnant belly
September 29th, 2009
4:22 pm
Sturdivant is toast, sorry bout the injury bro . Ownens aint panning out either . CMR needs better recruits and coaches its that simple!
BuzztheKiller
September 29th, 2009
4:28 pm
Canesrule- after Tech wins out in the ACC and UM loses to either Clemson or UNC we will let you root us on in the ACC Championship Game. Then you can play the old- “but we beat them game” and cry with your 4 other UM fans that show up for games in Miami…
I guess BigMike had to get back to work after dreaming of his three cars and having a girlfriend….
To whoever the ignorant poster was that was implying that the “Industrial Management” department at Tech was weak…first of all there is no Industrial Management Degree at Tech. It is a BS in Management. I know because it’s hanging in my office beside my MBA. I will say it is an easier program than engineering, but I will put it against anything business related at UGA or anywhere else in the ACC or SEC.
Hayseed Dixie
September 29th, 2009
4:32 pm
Atlanta, a cesspool? Certainly has its problems. However:
UGA psychotic, bystander killing-professors and roving packs of wild dogs that murder the elderly. Both facts.
Don’t forget the legion of meth-cooking, inbred, honkey-rap-fans that populate the outlying areas.
Oh and their “fanbase” left 70 TONS of trash on an otherwise lovely campus.
If you guys were any more backwards you’d need mirrors to see straight.
.
BuzztheKiller
September 29th, 2009
4:33 pm
FrankWren- the majority of college football players are not going to play a down in the NFL. For the few that get a chance, the style of offense might matter to them. For the rest, they should be looking at where they can get a degree to prepare for the real world by playing football on scholarship. What kind of offense the school runs is not going to be high on that list.
murfdawg
September 29th, 2009
4:49 pm
I have been watching UGA football for over 40 years and have never seen a team like this. Not even the 78 Wonderdogs. The Dawgs could very easily lose the next eight games. If they could go plus eight in turnovers the next eight games, they could win them all. But all I want is to win the last one. And I think they will. and that will make Techs’ season a disaster.
AFDawg
September 29th, 2009
5:01 pm
Yellow Fuzz — you’re the one living in the past. I have two nephews who recently started college. Both had outstanding transcripts and SAT scores. Both got accepted to Tech, neither got accepted to Georgia although that is where they both wanted to go. It is harder to get accepted at UGA than GT now — catch-up with the times! Also, everyone knows that if Richard Samuels doesn’t fumble that kick-off return — UGA still wins the game, even with our cornerback trying to bump Dwyer out of bounds instead of wrapping him up. Things will be diffrent this year — this year’s team has more heart and desire than last year’s team.
BuzztheKiller
September 29th, 2009
5:03 pm
murfdog- you are being too pessimistic- UGA won’t lose the next 8 games. They will beat Tenn Tech and either Vandy or Kentucky (but not both). Tech wins as many SEC games as UGA this year.
BuzztheKiller
September 29th, 2009
5:12 pm
Afdog- check the US News Rankings for average entrance GPA and scores for both schools, as well as the rankings for best public universities. Both are ranked highly and are a good value in education. But… “It is harder to get accepted at UGA than GT now “. You are dreaming if you think that is true, just like you are dreaming “what if” Samuels hadn’t fumbled that kickoff. The only reason UGA was even in the game in the second half is Stafford and MM were unstoppable (no way spelling that name), both are now gone. Believe me, I would not have wanted to see what would have happened if UGA got the ball back at the end. Fortunately Tech’s offense did not let that happen.
StingDoc
September 29th, 2009
5:15 pm
drbasic1 said: “ACC in no way shape or form holds a candle to the SEC and the same can be said about Tech as they stink.”
Here are some Facts about the ACC.”
The following graphic and comments were noted on Raycom TV during the GT-BC game last year:
“MORE PLAYERS WERE DRAFTED FROM THE ACC, 115, OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS THAN FROM ANY OTHER CONFERENCE! THIS INCLUDES THE #1, 2, AND 3 PICKS: MATT RYAN, BC; CALVIN JOHNSON, GT; AND MARIO WILLIAMS, NC STATE!”
This was also noted in the AJC: http://www.ajc.com/gatech/content/sports/gatech/stories/2008/09/15/georgiatechacc_sec.html in an article by KEN SUGIURA.
I will grant you that the SEC is slightly stronger this year mainly because of Florida and Alabama but the ACC is close behind and the seaon isn’t over.
Here are the current Sagarin Ratings:
COLLEGE FOOTBALL 2009 through results of 2009 SEPTEMBER 26 SATURDAY
RATING and PREDICTOR are now bayesian and the ELO-CHESS is bayesian now.
CONFERENCE CENTRAL MEAN SIMPLE AVERAGE TEAMS
1 PAC-10 (A) = 79.19 78.92 ( 2) 10
2 SOUTHEASTERN (A) = 78.90 79.17 ( 1) 12
3 ATLANTIC COAST (A) = 77.65 77.09 ( 3) 12
4 BIG 12 (A) = 76.85 76.80 ( 4) 12
5 BIG EAST (A) = 75.96 75.54 ( 5) 8
6 BIG TEN (A) = 75.28 75.44 ( 6) 11
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc09.htm
This has not always been the case, however. In 2004, for instance, Sagarin rated the ACC as the #1 college football conference as cited in this article:
Sagarin: ACC #1 College Football Conference
By: Jeff Jan 7, 2005
http://www.statefansnation.com/index.php/archives/2005/01/07/sagarin-acc-1-college-football-conference/
The Atlantic Coast Conference is accustomed to holding the top spot in USA Today’s Sagarin Ratings, but that top spot is traditionally reserved for the conference’s basketball prowess. Although NC State may have experienced its worst football season of the Chuck Amato era… the Atlantic Coast Conference ’s new additions helped the conference flex enough balanced muscle to claim this year’s designation as the #1 conference in college football.
The ACC schools finished as follows:
(#7) Virginia Tech
(#9) Miami
(#16) Florida State
(#22) Virginia
(#25) Georgia Tech
(#35) North Carolina
(#40) NC State
(#45) Clemson
(#47) Maryland
(#67) Wake Forest
(#90) Duke
Furthermore, the ACC won 6 of 10 regular season games against the SEC in 2008 including, in case you forgot, Tech 45 Dawgs 42. TECH HAS MORE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS THAN GEORGIA AND HOLD THE LONGEST WIN STREAK OF 8 IN A ROW!! Sniff that, dawgie!
TRASH TALKING DAWGS WHO TRY TO MOCK
WILL BE STUNG BY ME, STINGDOC!!
AceDawg
September 29th, 2009
5:19 pm
Who knows at this point. UGA has good talent, so maybe just maybe Justin Houston keeps progressing into a mean pass rusher and the UGA defense learns to cause turnovers. Forcing turnovers, not even reducing their own, would radically improve the Dawgs since they’ve been good in the red zone. I have given up on penalties and Bobo/Martinez as coordinators though.
Tech in my opinion will ALWAYS be a hit or miss team. I don’t know that option football can be national championship material, so they will continue to win some tough games and falter in others. Johnson is definitely a winner though, so they are on solid ground.