Georgia Tech’s winning shouldn’t be a surprise by now
Georgia Tech, led by Paul Johnson and Roddy Jones, is off to a 5-0 start. (Johnny Crawford/AJC)
Georgia Tech is 5-0 and ranked No. 13 in the nation. We can’t really know what that means yet, other than the obvious, as stated so eloquently by coach Paul Johnson: “We’re better than the five teams we’ve played.”
Western Carolina, Middle Tennessee State, Kansas, North Carolina, North Carolina State.
We’re not talking about the right side of the menu. None were ranked in the AP poll at the time Georgia Tech defeated them. None are ranked now. None can even cling to hope in the “others receiving votes” category.
But to focus on any of that is missing the point about what is going on at Tech. This is Johnson’s fourth season. While it’s true most of his first freshman class in 2008 were recruited by Chan Gailey, the vast majority of the players on this team were brought in by Johnson. These are his guys, brought here for his scheme, schooled in his mindset.
If you’re looking for a reason to feel good about Tech’s future, it makes as much sense — if not more — to look at this year’s team than even Johnson’s first two seasons, when the Jackets were 20-7 and won an ACC championship (later to be stripped) with Gailey’s players. The foundation, the structure, the direction — that’s all Johnson.
Johnson is not the projecting type. He’s not going to speculate how good this team is or can be, other than to say: “I told people I thought we’d be better than everybody said we would be. But I didn’t know how much better, and we still have half a year to go. Trying to pick games is like trying to pick in recruiting. Nobody knows until three or four years how good classes are. So we’ll see how we finish this out.”
Tech wasn’t supposed to be very good this year. But now we look at the schedule and conclude it should beat Maryland on Saturday and Virginia next week. That would bring the Jackets to 7-0. Then come the three games that will decide their fate in the ACC and level of bowl game: at Miami (winnable); Clemson and Virginia Tech (both difficult, but at home). Then comes Duke, then Georgia.
Regardless of how the remaining games fall, the win total should exceed what most projected.
Things like this don’t happen by luck, not in a coach’s fourth season. This isn’t a star-laden group. They’re talented, but young. There’s chemistry. They like each other. But most of all, they’re following Johnson. He has a track record at Tech now for players and recruits to see.
“Most of them know what they signed up for when they came in,” he said. “So now it’s not about trying to transition. I’m not trying to talk them into everything when everybody was telling them it won’t work. That’s the biggest thing we fight here: [Perceptions that] it won’t work, you can’t do this, you can’t go to the NFL. Like I said when I got here, once you’re here, everything will take care of itself.
“The other thing about the fourth year is, they know, this is the way it is. It’s no big deal when you have to run at 6 a.m. for not going to class. It’s no big deal when you have to practice in pads twice a week. Nothing’s a surprise.”
Johnson wasn’t in a good mood this week. He didn’t like the way the team played at North Carolina State, he’s bothered by a cold and, well, he can just be a moody guy. When the rankings came out and the Jackets jumped from 21st to 13th, he hardly blinked, and he made certain his players didn’t blink.
“They know every day from the way I coach them that they haven’t arrived,” he said. “I’m on their butt all the time.”
By Year 4, it’s not a surprise. Maybe the winning shouldn’t be, either.
By Jeff Schultz
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318 comments Add your comment
GTFan
October 7th, 2011
4:22 pm
Dawg ‘88
October 7th, 2011
4:09 pm
you’re right…it should be no surprise what Yech has done with one of the weakest schedules in history. When they play someone, then lets talk. Otherwise, that terrible defense that is giving up a record amount of points demonstrates that its not a good team….its a team with a good offense.
Where’s the D?
Well, the Dawgs or Dogs (the correct way) didn’t even have the potential to play against Boise. I can’t even believe you thought you had a chance. HAHAHA!!!!
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
4:23 pm
There were TONS of empty seats in Athens last week. I bet percentage-wise attendance at Tech is no worse than at UGA this year. Just because the stadium is so big, doesn’t guarantee that it’s full. Sanford and Son Stadium will be full for Auburn this year, and that’s about it, and that mainly because Auburn will fill it up.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
4:25 pm
UGA’s strength of schedule this year is built around Boise State and Ga Tech. Other than USC(east) nobody else UGA plays this year is worth a darn, although Florida might have been if Brantley had not gotten hurt.
PerimeterCenterJacket
October 7th, 2011
4:27 pm
bamaguy, GT fans (with some exceptions) try to stay realistic. IF Tech were to win out (notice my big IF there) it would probably not be enough to go to the big dance unless the margins of victory stayed impressive. And that means finding more defensive improvement to accompany offensive consistency. And we’d also have to be extremely well-prepared for Clemson, VT, Georgia, and whomever we’d play for the ACC-CG. And again, all with style points on top. It’s the only way an undefeated ACC team who started outside the rankings would make it past a one-loss LSU, Oklahoma, Texas, Oregon, etc. I trust these coaches to put us in position to win every game, but I don’t trust the young team to get it done. I will be there for all of it, though…
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
4:30 pm
Perimeter, the important thing is that, regardless of how the rest of this season plays out, we are on the verge of something really big at Tech. We are just witnessing the beginning, and I am happy and proud to be there every week to see it.
Jason
October 7th, 2011
4:31 pm
UGA Joe – you seem to be missing the point.
Tech has a lot of hope and optomism that they are starting to come into their own with Johnson as head coach. Meanwhile there seems to be a lack of confidence in the coach in Athens, with many wondering if the team will ever get better. The point is that the schools seem to be going in opposite directions regardless of their past.
Cdpridg
October 7th, 2011
4:32 pm
Shultz…on a Friday afternoon before a big college football Sat, would you go bush league and talk abt a team that lives on a cupcake sched. They will be exposed for what they are even if it takes until No. you know this and every little fake pump me some sunshine up my geeky butt bug fan knows it. Shultz write abt the best conf in the land..and the big game to Atlantans…the Dawgs going to Knox
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
4:33 pm
Hey, Perimeter, what part of the stadium are your seats in? Are you in or anywhere near the upper east stands. Several of us Tech bloggers who are up there, and in a couple of cases in the north stands, are going to try to meet either before the game or at halftime tomorrow just for the opportunity to say hi and put faces with names? Care to join us?
PerimeterCenterJacket
October 7th, 2011
4:33 pm
Right on, Surpersize. This year’s team is young, and we’re at the beginning of this. In the words of McDonalds – I’m lovin it!
Getting up early to tailgate get fired up for the game. Go Jackets!
DF
October 7th, 2011
4:33 pm
Unc was rankd 25th in the coeaches when we played them
Delbert D.
October 7th, 2011
4:33 pm
Bill King’s blog yesterday outlined the punitive measures being taken against the student body for not using their tickets. That was from an Email to Bill, and it had a lot of insight into the problems with empty seats, not only at Georgia, but around the country.
PerimeterCenterJacket
October 7th, 2011
4:35 pm
I’m in Upper North (bought the cheaper season tix as I’m a lowly recent grad).
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
4:37 pm
Cdpridg, just because it’s a big rivalry, which incidentally, Tennessee leads, does not mean it’s a big game. Knoxville this Saturday will be a battle between 2 mediocre teams with nowhere to go. What Shultz, and most sane football fans, are saying is that Tech is putting up big numbers, regardless of the opponents and is at least worthy of notice. Nobody outside of Knoxville and Athens is giving any notice to what happens in Athens, because regardless of who wins the SEC east, they’re going to get BLASTED by LSU or Bama.
calvin
October 7th, 2011
4:38 pm
‘Reggie Ball’ said:
“Actually, Tech is not the 2009 ACC champions – don’t believe me – ask the NCAA.”
Yet Tech WON the 2009 ACC Championship game. Until the NCAA invents
a time machine and goes back and changes history, it’s just talking
and threatening and intimidating. I’ll stick with actual history
as lived.
Cdpridg
October 7th, 2011
4:38 pm
Jason….even in a UGA down year and a perceived bug decent season…tell me who is your daddy and who will be whipping u for what I lose count…10 of 11? Really what is it like 32 of the last 40 or something…..just forget abt football bug and go back down in the basement
PerimeterCenterJacket
October 7th, 2011
4:38 pm
By the way, Tech fans, some trivia. Today is the 113th anniversary of Tech opening its doors to students and also the 95th anniversary of The Game of The Century wherein Tech shutout Cumberland 222-0. That’s still officially the most lopsided score in any recorded game of American football.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
4:39 pm
Well, Perimeter if you can (and want to) get from upper north to upper east, say at halftime, I’m sure we would all enjoy meeting you. I know you can get from lower north to upper east; I don’t know about getting from upper north to upper east
GT Jeff
October 7th, 2011
4:40 pm
Cdpridg – please talk in complete sentences. It’s really hard to read you post.
Ken
October 7th, 2011
4:40 pm
it’s laughable to read uga posters talk about a schedule when they haven’t beaten a single team worth a crap this year and that sc loss is looking worse and worse each week. when you beat a team with a winning record, then you can say something. you have nothing to stand on at this point and if bama or lsu played our schedule, they would be 5-0 just like us.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
4:41 pm
Cpdridg, keep holding on to the past. I guess that’s all you have anymore.
Cdpridg
October 7th, 2011
4:42 pm
Supersize….lol any Sec game or even a winless UGA/UT game is bigger with,ore tradition and moves the masses more than any game that a bug would play in. your lucky tout 35,000 in that crap stadium..UGA/UT…combines to sellout 200,000…so just keep it shut so u dont look foolish which I know as a bug man is hard to do
Delbert D.
October 7th, 2011
4:43 pm
Notice that UNC is in the “others receiving votes” in the Coaches’ Poll. Tennessee is the only SEC team in that category. Here is the bottom of that list:
North Carolina 10, Tennessee 6, Iowa 5, Air Force 3, Southern Miss 3, Ohio State 1, Cincinnati 1, Duke 1
Ken
October 7th, 2011
4:43 pm
what is it like to lose 18/21 to florida, a team that you are the equal to in regards to recruits. at least everyone knows you’re suppose to beat us most of the time. and i wouldn’t thump your chest too much after you lucked out the past two years in beating us. yes, 09 was luck in thomas dropping a pass and last year, going for it twice on 4th down, two costly fumbles and a missed extra point and we still lost by a point–not counting the freebie to outwit your dimwit coach.
PerimeterCenterJacket
October 7th, 2011
4:43 pm
Ok we can see about that. Kind of depends on what the family wants to do. Lots of times there’s a lot of hands to shake at halftime and lots of “Oh hey, it’s been so long how’s your momma?”-talk to get through. I have been known to move down to lower East occasionally.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
4:44 pm
Cpdridg, once again, the number of fans at the game doesn’t say diddly squat about the quality of the teams playing nor the relevancy or importance of the game. Nobody cares about that game tomorrow except the mutts and the hillbillies
Ken
October 7th, 2011
4:45 pm
i guess when the cubs come to play next season braves fans should mock them because of their stadium size. man is that argument so lame. uga rednecks very insecure and jealous of gt and cpj. now that is funny.
Cdpridg
October 7th, 2011
4:46 pm
Gt jeff…have u ever carried on a convo with a girl…..you know the opposite sex? Such an awkward pathetic fanbase…lol
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
4:47 pm
Perimeter, if you are interested, drop an email to supersizerorder@yahoo.com with some kind of proof that it’s actually you, and I will give you what few details there are about meeting. The early start time will probably result in those of us in upper east not being able to meet up till halftime.
GT Jeff
October 7th, 2011
4:47 pm
cdprig – your still breaking up. I’m not sure what having a conversation with a girl has to do with you lack of grammar.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
4:49 pm
You got to love it when the mutts can’t say anything intelligent, they resort to stadium size arguments, past history, name calling and belittling, and other displays of sheer lack of intelligence or class. Thankfully, there are a few true dawg fans on here who put the mutts on here to shame.
Boyz From North Ave
October 7th, 2011
4:49 pm
If we had a defense to match our O, we would be Top 5 this year….I can dream, there is no law against it!
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
4:50 pm
And of course, they seem to love to try to make some kind of point about Johnson’s appearance, like that has anything whatsoever to do with football or coaching ability.
Cdpridg
October 7th, 2011
4:51 pm
Supersize…dont fool yourself son…..Dawgs whip your butts by 3td’s in the joke tomorrow if playedSize of stadium does matter nimrod…..shows the history, support and tradition of a program which you bugs have not had any since your great grandfather in the 20’s….it is happy hour…enjoy yourselves bug boys
Mike
October 7th, 2011
4:52 pm
I have no idea how to take articles like this. Is it really a big deal to beat UNC minus a ton of NFL talent, NC St minus possibly the nation’s best QB, Kansas, and two FCS opponents? Johnson is correct. They havent arrived. These arent the games anyone expects Johnson to lose no matter who he lines up with. These teams do not have the defensive discipline to stand up to the option offense…period. Nor do they have the offensive firepower necessary to make up the difference.
As long as the ACC is playing Conference USA level football, Johnson will win more than his share of games and get to a bowl. The question is what happens then? What happens when a team has a month to prepare for his offense? What happens when the ACC decides to wake up and play football again? What happens if UGA’s defense is for real who already slowed Johnson down enough to win when it was average at best? That is where the option typically fails the test.
Delbert D.
October 7th, 2011
4:54 pm
There are internet connections in prison libraries for those who have been on their best behavior. Then they blow with weirdo posts on AJC blogs. Recidivists never learn.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
4:55 pm
Cdpridg, the mutts haven’t beat Tech by that much since 2000, and it sure ain’t going to happen this year. By the way, since you seem to dwell on the past so much, did you know that the two largest winning margins in the Tech – UGA series are held by Tech? No, I’m sure you didn’t know that, because that is a fact, and mutts like you ignore facts. Size of stadium matters, huh? Then why has USC(east) filled up that stadium in Columbia every game every year like forever, and they have had one good team in the past 25 years? Big crowds do not produce big wins; never have, never will.
Delbert D.
October 7th, 2011
4:55 pm
Mike – That has been taken care of. Georgia scheduled Ga. Southern just before the Tech game.
Ken
October 7th, 2011
4:56 pm
attn mike
unc has two defensive players they will be nfl first early second round picks in the coming draft.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
4:57 pm
Mike, WHEN has UGA slowed down Johnson’s offense. Georgia won the past two games (by VERY SMALL margins) because of Tech mistakes and lousy Tech defense. You haven’t slowed down anything.
stan
October 7th, 2011
4:58 pm
UGA people worry about your own team gee wiz!!
Ken
October 7th, 2011
4:59 pm
and according to this they will both go in the first round
i don’t see any ugag players going in the first round and 1-2 late second.
http://www.draftsite.com/nfl/mock-draft/2012
GTBob
October 7th, 2011
5:00 pm
@Mike, what happens when this, what happens when that, blah blah blah. We have been hearing this for years now. Just face it. Everyone’s prediction that GT can’t win with Paul Johnson is proven false now. Nothing is going to change that.
Ken
October 7th, 2011
5:02 pm
funny who won between unc tenn last year in a home game for tenn? i seem to forget
Just Wondering
October 7th, 2011
5:03 pm
Dawginlex – A Kentucky hick who lives in Lexington and roots for the dogs trashing Knoxville….now thats funny!!
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
5:04 pm
yeah, Ken, how about that !!! LOL That would be UNC 30 – Tenn 27
George O'Leary
October 7th, 2011
5:07 pm
I own the rednecks in Athens
Ken
October 7th, 2011
5:11 pm
hmm jeff sagarin has unc ranked higher than georgia and tennessee
Ken
October 7th, 2011
5:14 pm
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt11.htm
wreckmaniac
October 7th, 2011
5:14 pm
Bodog.com odds against winning the ACC championship at the beginning of the season:
FSU – 3:2
Va Tech – 11:5
Miami- 9:2
UNC- 7:1
Clemson- 16:1
GA Tech – 40:1
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
5:15 pm
Gonna love it when the SEC realigns and the mutts have to play Bama AND Auburn every year, plus another permanent SEC West team on the schedule. Guess they’ll make it one of the Miss schools, since you know it won’t be one of the good SEC West teams.