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
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
8:26 pm
Delbert, which gate will you be entering? Gate 10 at North and Techwood?
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
8:27 pm
Delbert, ya think? lol
Delbert D.
October 7th, 2011
8:28 pm
You know the one in particular I’m referring to on this blog today.
Delbert D.
October 7th, 2011
8:29 pm
Super – I think I have to go near there for will-call to pick up my ticket. BTW, check e-mail.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
8:36 pm
Delbert, could be on of any number of trolls. LOL
I just got your email…..AWESOME!!!! Check my response. I’m logging out for awhile, but I will check email as well as here later.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
8:37 pm
Delbert, ok, if you have to go to Will Call, I think that’s at the other end. At any rate, I will do what I said in the email. TTYL
Gorilla Biscuit
October 7th, 2011
8:39 pm
Wouldn’t matter if you were 11-0. You’re going to lose game 12. Al Groh’s defense is lightweight.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
8:40 pm
lightweight fast and agile, unlike those thugs under Choke Grantham who couldn’t even stop those 2-star athletes from Boise State
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
8:41 pm
not only couldn’t stop them……were totally winded by the middle of the 2nd quarter.
Delbert D.
October 7th, 2011
8:42 pm
I’m not disagreeing, but Boise State’s defense was lightweight.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
8:43 pm
and did a pretty good job except against that one run by Boykin
Gorilla Biscuit
October 7th, 2011
8:52 pm
You’re not comparing your defense to Boise State’s are you? And I meant lightweight as in not too good.
GCS
October 7th, 2011
8:55 pm
Dont be surprised if Fresno gives boise a good game. Something the mutts couldn’t do
Delbert D.
October 7th, 2011
9:10 pm
I beg to differ. Boise State’s defense is pretty good, too.
Delbert D.
October 7th, 2011
9:14 pm
Ole Miss scored 28 on them. The game’s at Fresno; if Boise State gets by this one, Air Force and TCU are at Boise. These 3 are the toughest games left for them.
Delbert D.
October 7th, 2011
9:20 pm
If Boise St., Stanford and Wisconsin finish undefeated, I imagine that Stanford gets in the BCS CG. That would put Boise St. in the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin. Or, Wisconsin could be higher rated and get the CG invite. That puts Boise St. somewhere else. If, if, if…
Only a few hours to go...
October 7th, 2011
10:05 pm
Only a few hours to go for the special tribute to Saint Jan Kemp for the dawg fans. You won’t want to miss this moving memorial to the courageous lady who exposed Vince Dooley’s sleazy remedial studies scam.
Stay tuned!
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
10:14 pm
Hey, Only…., will fake grades be handed out in her honor?
Safety Alert!
October 7th, 2011
10:23 pm
Safety Alert: Cornelius Washington will not be in Knoxville with the team. All drivers in north Georgia are warned to be on the alert if this drunkard is on the roads.
UGA won’t do anything about this drunk driver, so it’s up to you to stay alert and protect yourselves.
Rodney Dangerfield
October 7th, 2011
10:34 pm
WHAT? rexneffect told me that Tech would LOSE LOSE LOSE with CPJ’s recruited players.
WTF REX??
Rodney Dangerfield
October 7th, 2011
10:35 pm
Boise St will have no problems with Fresno St. You people on the rock?
Supersize that order, mutt
October 7th, 2011
10:47 pm
Boise State is up 30 – 0 at the half, unless Fresno scored since I turned it off
Rolling Along
October 8th, 2011
1:52 am
Schultz; “But now we look at the schedule and conclude it should beat Maryland on Saturday and Virginia next week”. There is no risk for you to conclude. CPJ and Tech can’t afford to conclude. The only thing for GT to do is continue to win and get better week by week. Like it or not, this offense gives Tech a chance. It’s an equalizer when you have 2 and 3 stars and the other guy has 4’s an 5’s. Besides that it is dang fun to watch, especially when the passing game is clicking and opening up the run.
P B Orr
October 8th, 2011
3:17 am
I’ve said this to friends and I’ll say it in public – Johnson reminds me of Bear Bryant. He’s got the same gruff demeanor, the same no BS attitude, and the same leadership skill with youngsters. He gets the most out of a TEAM. If they execute that offense, no one can stop them. Just like the Bear.
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 8th, 2011
6:25 am
Bobby Dodd wouldn’t want anything or anybody at GT compared to Bear Bryant.
Get a life Jeff Schultz
October 8th, 2011
6:28 am
“when the Jackets were 20-7 and won an ACC championship (later to be stripped)”
Give me a break Jeff, what’s the relevance to this article by making this back handed comment.
You lose your credibility with this kind of crap.
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 8th, 2011
7:03 am
Fans continue to compare GT with UGA which is ridiculous. UGA has 4 & 5 star athletes and is expected to win against similar or lesser teams. GT has 2 & 3 star athletes and should never beat UGA. But they do.
MP
October 8th, 2011
8:41 am
Love Johnson and his style..but the D must improve. If we had a very good D, we could beat anyone
Clemson well– it will be a battle!.
GT
October 8th, 2011
8:53 am
What always gets me about reporters and stories is the reaction they have off the reaction a coach has when the press is telling him he won’t win. We pay CPJ a lot of money and he takes his responsibity seriously. I don’t find the man cocky like some of the press, I find him not feeling guilty or defensive about want he is doing at Tech for all that money. When a reporter insults him by saying he can’t win he gets upset, hell I get upset. The man has done nothing but win, yet he barely got a press clipping coming here. When there is no support and even resistance it makes his job coaching young men to believe in him twice as hard. He didn’t deserve that treatment, especially when the man in Athens could do no wrong, yet was taking the players he wanted and not producing anything special. Richt was getting a pass because he said all the right things and entertain the press while Johnson was the weird one. The press did Georgia no favors as they are stuck with a big hat no cattle coach, and they did Johnson no favors yet wonder why he is the way he is.
Need Uga's help
October 8th, 2011
8:56 am
Joey boy! I’m starving dude. Get off your break and get my burger. I’ve got work to do!
GT
October 8th, 2011
8:59 am
Keep kissing up to Georgia and Richt, that stuff kills a good football team. You didn’t understand Johnson when he got here, so don’t screw stuff up now by a slow light turning on that this may be the real thing and Georgia may have the problems. Mad hell yes Johnson stays mad, it would be like telling you that what you writes sucks when I didn’t even read it.
nerds are funny
October 8th, 2011
9:02 am
The #13 team in the country still has to advertise game day tickets because not enough nerds go to the games. Yeah, good luck with recruiting folks. Good news though, Clemson and Georgia fans will make sure you have at least two sellouts. And two losses.
nerds are funny
October 8th, 2011
9:04 am
P B Orr
October 8th, 2011
3:17 am
I’ve said this to friends and I’ll say it in public – Johnson reminds me of Bear Bryant. He’s got the same gruff demeanor, the same no BS attitude, and the same leadership skill with youngsters. He gets the most out of a TEAM. If they execute that offense, no one can stop them. Just like the Bear.
I knew Bear Bryant and Johnson is NO Bear Bryant. This is a new low for techies. Comparing Johnson to Bryant. What a hoot!
Gatorman
October 8th, 2011
9:17 am
I surely hope this is the year, after the debacle last year. Washington runs the offense differently, running only when that is the best option. This will protect his shoulder from being hit so often it affects his passing. Really, if Washington could hit his open receiver regularly, this would make blow outs a regular thing. I like how the defense is playing, but sometimes they don’t have the strength up front or the speed in the secondary. PJohnson needs to learn what Barry Switzer learned at Oklahoma, flashy offense gets the head lines, but his big fast defenses won championship
GT
October 8th, 2011
9:40 am
Johnson is doing very well and really doesn’t need to learn anything from Barry Switzer. I don’t compare Bear to Johnson, I doubt Bear could do near as well with the talent Johnson is using. Though I bet Johnson could have done just as well if not better with Bear’s.
5150 UOAD
October 8th, 2011
10:24 am
Getting READY. See some of you at the game. Heading to MARTA in a few minutes.
It doesn’t look like the Jackets are wearing the Black helmets and jerseys. The players are at the stadium and are not tweeting back to the Questions on the Black uniforms.
bobby dodd
October 8th, 2011
10:52 am
Undefeated against who. Good Lord biggest powder puff schedule in the land. Even Ga. State would be undefeated with this schedule.
Not Disappointed
October 8th, 2011
11:07 am
Jeff, you wrote a damn good article! Go Jackets!
Rampage
October 8th, 2011
11:17 am
I smell a fake…..the real Bobby Dodd wasn’t a moron.
dawgfan
October 8th, 2011
1:32 pm
Absolutely no one on earth is surprised when somebody beats Western Carolina, Middle Tennessee St., Kansas, North Carolina, NC St., and now Maryland.
This is a dumb column, but not nearly as dumb as Mark Bradley’s column the other day where he claimed that Paul Johnson actually LIKES having a crappy defense. Somebody call a surgeon because the AJC needs its lips removed from CPJ’s butt cheeks STAT!!!
J Clay
October 8th, 2011
3:35 pm
Also should not be surprised they can’t sell out stadium, even when 5-0/#13 in the land. No excuse for that at all
jay
October 8th, 2011
3:47 pm
Not sure that Tech has played a team that really challenged them but they look damn
good. I hope the Dawgs D will smack them down later in the year.
TechRon
October 8th, 2011
5:21 pm
Tech was unimpressive. Remember, this is the Maryland team that was destroyed by Temple! We were lucky to win this game. Typical crummy defense. QB’s passing gets worse every week. Penalties and turnovers.. Nothing to be proud of. I guess we won, so that’s good, but I cannot believe that we can beat a good team. We have 4 of them coming up.
TechRon
October 8th, 2011
5:25 pm
And, to JClay’s comment above, I say: The reason they do not sell out is that no one really believes this is a real good team. If they beat a decent team and look good in all phases, I will believe. I don’t see that happening. They have looked great on offense in a few games, but this was against low level competition. Plus, in those games, the defense still looked bad. I think Buford could get 20 points on our defense.
Jim from Roswell
October 8th, 2011
5:53 pm
Still waiting for Tech to play a decent team. The Clemson game will be where we all find out.
wag
October 8th, 2011
10:42 pm
Hey SHultz Georgia won so suck it!!! But you are probably right about the falcons, it could get ugly. This is a Dawg fan saying good win today Tech.
yearofthedawg
October 8th, 2011
11:21 pm
No disrespect to Tech or CPJ, but the reason the winning isn’t a surprise is that the schedule is one cream puff after another. Jeff, many years ago you wrote that the Falcons were beating teams that stink… which means they don’t stink.
And Tech doesn’t stink. But are they the 13th best team in the country? They’ve done nothing to substantiate that. I dare say there are at least 13 teams that would be undefeated playing these 6 tomato cans. But they did at least beat them all, which counts for something.
Beat Clemson and the rest and then we’ll talk.
molar roller
October 8th, 2011
11:42 pm
After the last two weeks I’m beginning to feel like Tech could finish 6 wins and 6 loses. That way they might not even get to go bowling with 6 straight loses, which might be a blessing. They would not lose a bowl game again. CPJ has finally reached the point where people make a joke out of the offense he uses unless he is playing teams like Western Carolina.
kenny fincher
October 9th, 2011
12:32 am
Your right they should win, Playing ing in the acc does that mean awful coast conf. What would have happen to ga tech in front of 102′000 in knoxville tonight, more than likley not pretty. ya’ll keep drinking that awful coast conf. cool-aid.
Tech fans hide at Varisty
October 9th, 2011
5:35 am
Oh really shultz that like all those ripoffs picks u have where everyone is prefect…ha ha Now true Tech is 6-0 as much as a slaw dog with chillie where the morons Tech fans at hidin in toilet upper deck in end zone half empty upper deck behind 50 yard line half full…must be nice run mouth n Ga fills up still n fla gators n alabama …Oh yes they rather protest free enterprise for marxist ways here at GT. why stands not full yet is it hard find staduim on campus again!