We’re live from Tech, Jackets have chance to take charge
The Jackets need to wait another year for a BCS title shot, but not for bragging rights.
Welcome to Opportunity Night.
Georgia Tech’s ability to become a national program is dependent in part on the ACC’s ability to develop elite teams and elevate itself significantly higher than it has been this season. But the Yellow Jackets never will have a better opportunity to take hold of their local rivalry.
Georgia fans don’t want to hear that. They view the Jackets’ 45-42 win last season and their ensuing hedge assault in Athens as some sort of aberration. All evidence is to the contrary.
This season has confirmed what we suspected last season: Tech is a program on the rise and Georgia is the one sliding. The Jackets are scrambling to keep their head coach, Paul Johnson. Mark Richt is not in trouble at Georgia but is expected to make changes to his staff.
Even if Tech had beaten Miami earlier this season and was entering tonight’s game undefeated, there’s a pretty good chance it would rank no higher than fourth in the polls, behind Florida, Alabama and Texas. That’s because of perceptions of the ACC. The Jackets would be sitting in that cluster with TCU, Cincinnati and Boise State, screaming for a playoff.
But let’s focus on the local landscape for now. The Bulldogs won seven straight games in this series (2001-07) before last season, and 14 of the last 17. But what happened last season at Sanford Stadium was not a fluke. If the Jackets win tonight, it also won’t be a fluke (they’re favored by 7 1/2).
The 2010 season is months away. But Georgia probably will be starting a freshman quarterback and Tech will return Josh Nesbitt and a blur of running backs in an offense that just keeps getting better. If you had to guess right now, which school do you suppose is going to be favored when the teams meet again next season?
This is Tech’s chance. It is the cliche statement game. Nationally, the Jackets certainly can make this a special season and say something about the program by defeating Clemson in next week’s ACC championship game and then winning the Orange Bowl. But closer to home, this is their chance to take charge locally.
Tonight’s game comes down to one thing for me: I don’t think Georgia’s defense can stop the Tech offense. The Jackets’ have defensive liabilities but I don’t see the Bulldogs matching the Jackets when they have the ball.
Do you agree? Weigh in and I’ll be back shortly.
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1,373 comments Add your comment
GT87
November 29th, 2009
12:34 am
Baba, you are so right. It was a good time on the blog, even while we were down, until the dropped pass. It goes back to the first game when the UGA fans threw rocks at the Tech team because they were getting beat. NO CLASS.
Dawggirl
November 29th, 2009
12:35 am
Still hoping that Tech beats Clemson. Good luck next week. The truth be known . . . I like to see Tech win with the exception of one game. Good luck next week.
Threeandoh
November 29th, 2009
12:35 am
Baba- dont get me wrong, I’m glad it happened, but you gotta feel for Thomas. He is the real deal- huge, strong and we could barely tackle him. Again, having said that, after the year we’ve had I’ll take it.
GT For You And Me
November 29th, 2009
12:35 am
Hope GA fans rub it in for a full yr. GT will rub in for a full yr. next yr. So rub away Dawg’s!! Enjoy it while you can………..
Old Gold
November 29th, 2009
12:36 am
dawggirl…”Getting beat” is what happened to wives/girlfriends in trailers across Georgia last year after the Tech game in Athens.
Baba O'Riley
November 29th, 2009
12:37 am
Yes, I do feel bad for him. Maybe that’ll leave a fire in his belly that’ll make him return for his senior season.
Baba O'Riley
November 29th, 2009
12:38 am
Hardfought game, and I enjoyed conversing with the enemy during it.
Baba O'Riley
November 29th, 2009
12:39 am
I expect Morgan and possibly Dwyer to leave. Everyone else should stay.
GT For You And Me
November 29th, 2009
12:42 am
Baba,I guess we’re the only few jackets not ashamed to post here…….
JDM
November 29th, 2009
12:42 am
@ dawggirl: I don’t really think I’m trying to deny anyone anything here. Haven’t contested tonight’s outcome as what “almost was”. This isn’t hand grenades nor horse shoes. Also, I haven’t made a single comment about GT’s victory in ‘08. Which leaves me scratching my head at the mass of people that want to group me in with these “Saint Simons” and “m” and whoever else. *shrug*
I’m combing through here looking for people talking about football and not people who justify claims for establishing a license requirement for having internet access… and really for procreation from what I’m reading. (not that I’m accusing you, either but you gotta admit, they’re around here.)
Cautiously Optimistic
November 29th, 2009
12:44 am
Baba O’Riley, we have a DC you can have…………….
Dawggirl
November 29th, 2009
12:45 am
No, Old Gold . . . getting your a** beat is what happened to Tech tonight. Remember everything that Tech has said about GA . . . pitiful, can’t win a game, no defense, no offense . . . guess what? You were wrong tonight. Tech had nothing . . . except 340 yards to GA’s 415 yards . . . Tech 205 rushing yards to GA’s 339 rushing. Who was the better team tonight? I think that the problem is that Tech thinks that they are way better than what they actually are. Case in point . . . tonight . . . and last year against LSU. Maybe you can win against MISS State and Vanderbilt . . . but, what does that say?
Dawggirl
November 29th, 2009
12:46 am
By the way Old Gold . . . that was last year . . . this is this year . . . even with “a new sheriff in town”
Dawggirl
November 29th, 2009
12:47 am
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
GT87
November 29th, 2009
12:49 am
Baba, I hope you are right. I’d love for BeyBey to stay, but I don’t see it. I like Stephen Hill and hope he is not too hurt. He can step in for Thomas. I’ll be bummed for a while, but a win next week and a trip to the Orange Bowl will help. Go Jackets.
GT For You And Me
November 29th, 2009
12:49 am
To beat someone and to win against them is the same..Isn’t it?
marseilles mutt
November 29th, 2009
12:52 am
No,this is NOT the worst Georgia team ever, as someone blogged earlier, not even close! Back in the day we had some REALLY BAD teams, created a lot of alcoholics, had to be at least half bombed to even watch us…but I can assure you we still gave it our best. Sometimes, however your best just doesn’t cut it, so you suck ‘em up and move on. To those of you who enjoy taking cheap- and anonymous- shots at players and coaches, you will never in this lifetime (unless you were in combat in the service) enjoy the closeness and comradarie that comes from playing college football, and I feel for you.
The Tech game means a great deal because it was for me my last game at UGA….and a win. However,the majority of us didn’t hate the Tech players then, nor do most of us- to my knowledge- hate them now.
Several of my life long best friends played at the flats, and while we gave each other ‘what for’ every year, it was never profane, spiteful nor hateful. My son’s Godfather was one of them, an all SEC and all american performer, who passed on several years ago. Things don’t seem the same this time of year without him; I miss him a lot.
Tonight it was a greaat game to watch, although my ‘pig valve’ almost popped! Way to go Dogs, but I hope that Tech will rebound, put a huge hurt on ‘Clempson’ next week. And bring home a victory in their bowl game.
Meanwhile, even up here in the frozen tundra, IT’S GREAT TO BE A GEORGIA BULLDOG!
And I hope, after today, there won’t be a lot of arguments re the relative strength of the ACC vs the SEC.
Is there an M in the house?
1
JDM
November 29th, 2009
12:53 am
CPJ has been saying that we’re “way better offensively this year than we were last year”. Am I looking at the wrong things or does our blocking seem to have gotten… worse? What say you guys?
Tim
November 29th, 2009
8:05 am
Go Dawgs!
BOOGIES THE MAN FROM HARTWELL GA
November 29th, 2009
8:33 am
MAN WHERE DO I START============= LETS GO BACK TO 6:34 AND 6:37 IGNORANT POSTS LAST NIGHT WHEN I LEFT YALL==== FYI , IHAVE ALWAYS BEEN A DAWG FAN…. AS BAD AS THIS HURTS YALL , AND MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT tech, WHERES THE QUOTE”HANG A HALF A HUNDRED ON YA”…………. ALSO CHECK OUT 6:42 TRASH POSTED ……. CLEMSON WILL TAKE ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME…….. HOBNAILS HURT LIKE HELL, DONT THEY tech…LOVE YOUR RINGS TARNISH AND ALL…..AND WHERE THE HELL IS YELLOW FUZZ AND THAT GAY SWIRLING ETCHA-SKETCH NOW …BE SURE AND GICE ME COUNT DOWN ,U KNOW 365 DAYS AND WHOS YOUR DADDY ( MUCH TOO KIND TO YOU ) ,BUT ITS SUNDAY. DO I HEAR CRYING============= THERES NO CRYING IN REAL FOOTBALL……… HATS………….
30-24 HAHAHAHAHAAAHAAAA
November 29th, 2009
11:13 am
you maggots sure were easy to stomp on last night… LMAO
30-24
GT is a 4th rate high school team
November 29th, 2009
11:19 am
ACC (ASSOCIATION OF CUP CAKES) CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, A GAME BETWEEN THE DUMB AND THE DUMBER(GT). HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA FOREVER
To ole Saint Simons
November 29th, 2009
3:40 pm
30-24 hahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha