Paul Johnson says SEC’s superiority all about perceptions
Paul Johnson says the SEC isn't the overwhelming beast it's made out to be. (Johnny Crawford)
The same week that the top of the BCS rankings are punctuated with three SEC teams and the overwhelming shadow beast of Athens prepares to bring its football team to Georgia Tech, Paul Johnson said precisely what we’ve come to expect from him.
To capsulize his thoughts: Whatever.
Johnson, whose weekly news conferences can be relative standup comedy dotted with sarcastic jabs, was unusually low key Tuesday. But afterward, he addressed perceptions of the SEC’s Godzilla to the ACC’s Bambi, which filters down to the annual Georgia-Georgia Tech game. This subject has been one of Johnson’s pet peeves since he arrived at Tech in 2008 (and won at Georgia in his first season, after the Jackets had lost the previous seven in the series).
“It’s all perceptions,” Johnson said. “People will think what they’re going to think. There’s nothing I’m not going to do to change their mind.
“Personally, I think the conference thing is way overblown. How are you going to evaluate? Are you looking at the top two teams in the conference or are you going to take the conference as a whole? There’s four SEC-ACC games Saturday. Let’s see what happens. Who’s favored in the Clemson-South Carolina game? Who’s favored in the Florida-Florida State game? Wake-Vandy? I don’t know. But you see what I mean? Now, if we’re just talking about Alabama and LSU, that’s different.”
Johnson makes a point. While you can make a case that the SEC is the nation’s superior conference, the strength at the top – and certainly five consecutive BCS titles – exaggerates the differences between conferences from top to bottom. Not to diminish the accomplishments of Georgia during this nine-game winning streak, but even the most ardent Dogs supporter recognizes that the East Division is down this year.
Perceptions certainly play into this week. Johnson figures to milk this for all its worth to players. He’ll talk about how nobody’s giving Tech a chance, how Georgia’s already looking ahead to the SEC title game, how the Jackets have punched the Dogs in the mouth before and they certainly can do it again.
“Every coach does something,” he said, without getting specific. “You always take anything you can find or post, things that you think will get your guys ready to go.”
This is Johnson’s fourth season. Tech’s senior class is 34-17, including 1-2 against Georgia. In 2008, the Jackets won 45-42 as an underdog in Athens. In 2009, they lost 30-24 as a favorite in Atlanta. In 2010, as a 12½-point underdog in Athens, they accumulated 512 yards in offense but committed four turnovers and trailed 35-34 (on a missed extra-point attempt) until a touchdown by Washaun Ealey with 1:29 left.
The point being, there hasn’t been much difference between the two programs over the past three years.
Two years ago, Tech was where Georgia is at this week. The Dogs will pay for the SEC championship next week. In 2009, the Jackets had secured a spot in the ACC title game. The Georgia game was secondary in importance (as foreign a concept as that may be).
When asked if that played a role in the loss, Johnson said, “I don’t think that played into it at all. That was the week we had the NCAA [investigators] in here. That played into it a great deal. That played into it far more than [looking ahead to] the ACC championship.”
This year, there’s no question. This is Tech’s final game before a bowl. Johnson spent part of Tuesday reaffirming that while he thinks the Dogs are good, it’s not like Tech has been facing middle schools.
He was asked about the strength of the Dogs’ defensive line. He responded with some praise but added, “I don’t know. We’ve played some really good players. [North Carolina's] Quinton Coples is a first-round draft pick. [Clemson's] Brandon Thompson is a pretty good player. This won’t be the first good players we’ve seen.”
He was asked about Georgia tight end Orson Charles. He responded with some praise but added: “We’ve played against other tight ends who are really good. The tight end at Clemson [Dwayne Allen] is probably an early-round draft pick in the NFL.”
Johnson realizes his words won’t change perceptions. But the last thing you’re going to hear from him is any suggestion that his overshadowed program from the overshadowed conference can’t win Saturday. And, truth is, the past three meetings have affirmed as much.
By Jeff Schultz
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1,026 comments Add your comment
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
9:12 pm
Do we still get to play the game, Snoop?
wolfman
November 22nd, 2011
9:12 pm
The SEC has a couple of excellent football teams, The rest are average. The ACC has a couple of good teams, and the rest are average. However, in the rest of the sports from basketball on down the ACC is superior to the ACC. And other than Vandy, the academics are sub-standard in the SEC. There are no schools that come close to UNC, Wake, and Duke. GT is much higher ranked than UGA. What are colleges for?? Getting an education of getting kicked out of school or suspended like the running backs at UGA?
SnoopDawg
November 22nd, 2011
9:13 pm
Think about this. LSU whips Arkansas then we whip LSU. We will be playing for the natinoal championship. And we will be bringing it home!!!
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
9:13 pm
its not necessary but it will be entertaining!!! Atleast for uga fans!!!!
Perception is Reality
November 22nd, 2011
9:13 pm
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
9:11 pm
why is tech so confident???
They know that Georgia is actually no better than they are – they have a 50/50 chance.
Kelly
November 22nd, 2011
9:13 pm
Thanks for the BB material, PJ.
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
9:14 pm
snoopdawg wish you were right but its not possible. If we hadn’t given south carolina the game we would be in the discussion!
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
9:14 pm
I feel confident UGA will be playing for the MNC under no circumstances, Snoop.
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
9:15 pm
What bulletin board material, Kelly? What part of what he said was controversial?
Perception is Reality
November 22nd, 2011
9:15 pm
The ACC is the fifth best football conference in the nation. Nobody on this board really cares about an academic urinating contest.
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
9:15 pm
Perception is reality we are more talented and better coached no chance unless our special teams gives it to yall
SnoopDawg
November 22nd, 2011
9:15 pm
The SEC champ will play for the Gold.
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
9:16 pm
Funny, Chris. You lecture Tech about excuses but in your mind, South Carolina didn’t win the game against UGA. UGA gave them the game.
Perception is Reality
November 22nd, 2011
9:16 pm
I won’t be participating in the upcoming contest. I’ll just be watching.
SnoopDawg
November 22nd, 2011
9:16 pm
That’s how the SEC rolls.
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
9:16 pm
If it’s Bama, Arky, or LSU, you’re right, Snoop. If it’s UGA, it won’t be.
Rick Strickland
November 22nd, 2011
9:17 pm
@Dawgz(mutts) Didn’t you try to honor him 3 years ago? All of the Red and Black heavily favored fans/team entrenched to dedicate something to him? How’d that go? You lost…………… remember?
Let us refresh your memory Saturday. Come tailgate with us @ the Peter’s Deck if you need a reminder.
Paul Has A Small Johnson
November 22nd, 2011
9:17 pm
Have faith grasshopper Tech fans
My offense will always beat Western Carolina and Middle Tenn
But Im working on a scheme to cheat and win the mighty ACC chumpionship again
Have faith
Im the Great Small Johnson
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
9:17 pm
no a loss is a loss but im saying if we played to what we are capable of we would be in the national championship hunt. But a loss is a loss obviously but the record doesn’t lie
GTBob
November 22nd, 2011
9:18 pm
I am actually rooting for UGA in the SEC championship. I would love to see two teams from the same conference who didnt even win their conference play for the championship. If that doesn’t kill the BCS then nothing will.
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
9:19 pm
Whatever, Chris. You apply different standards for Tech and UGA.
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
9:19 pm
rick strickland again 9 out 10
remember reggie’s senior year he throws a pick suprise suprise! And sanford stadium chanted REGGIE REGGIE REGGIE REGGIE!!!! oh goodtimes
RambleOn84
November 22nd, 2011
9:20 pm
I guess he should have just admitted that the SEC is the greatest conference ever and the dogs’ roster is more spectacular than anything he’s ever witnessed.
Would that have made you dog fans happy?
Flag Boy
November 22nd, 2011
9:20 pm
Rick: Did you move the tickle pile to Peter’s Deck?
Perception is Reality
November 22nd, 2011
9:20 pm
The BCS has nothing to do with conference championships.
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
9:21 pm
No, Ramble, it wouldn’t.
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
9:21 pm
no im not applying standards to anyone a loss is loss im just saying we out played them and turnovers killed us
DAWG
November 22nd, 2011
9:21 pm
This is for Coach Paul Johnson, tell the rest of the ACC how many times the SEC has been to the big dance and come home with the National Championship.
wolfman
November 22nd, 2011
9:21 pm
@Perception is Reality: It is obvious that most of the DAWG fans posting on this board have always had little interest in academics.
heeldawg
November 22nd, 2011
9:22 pm
Georgia had better come into this with their chinstraps on tight, ready to play some football. A lackluster offensive performance like we saw against Kentucky will not be enough this weekend. You can bet that CPJ will have his troops ready for blood.
That being said, CPJ does not “own” Mark Richt (he’s 1-3 against him overall, and 1-2 at Tech), and the Georgia team overall is better than Tech on paper.
The Dawgs need to remember that games are not played on paper.
GTBob
November 22nd, 2011
9:22 pm
The BCS has nothing to do with conference championships.
The BCS doesn’t much to do with anything anymore. It’s being exposed pretty bad this year.
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
9:22 pm
johnson doesn’t have to say anything the play will do the talking. idc what johnson said i just like talking to tech fans to make the victory so much sweeter
Harold
November 22nd, 2011
9:22 pm
DesignerJacket –I agree with most of what you said, but Tech’s offense is “relatively exotic..”???? What about option right/option right is exotic? Difficult to simulate in practice??? All they need to do is go borrow Clarke Central’s O for a week to run Tech’s O. That offense works great in high school and D-2, or whatever it’s called now. When they hired Johnson I said their offense would work for about a year and a half and that’s it. You were right that Tech will never compete with UGA as far as raw talent. Why? Because the offense that Johnson runs is not run in the pros and what high school kid that has pro potential would want to go to Tech and never get developed for the pros?
Rick Strickland
November 22nd, 2011
9:23 pm
aint no ticklin’ in my taitgate Mr. Anomous but come see me and I’ll welcome your debate! Mutts will lose.
Perception is Reality
November 22nd, 2011
9:23 pm
The truly odd thing about this year is that a National Championship contender from the SEC will actually lose the BCSCG.
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
9:24 pm
@wolfman how can you assume that? We are talking about football as fans and so are yall? Im 14 and go to one of the top schools in georgia
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
9:24 pm
Tell us how many of those trips home with the championship were UGA’s, Dawg.
Don’t take credit for other teams’ championships.
Perception is Reality
November 22nd, 2011
9:24 pm
wolfman
November 22nd, 2011
9:21 pm
@Perception is Reality: It is obvious that most of the DAWG fans posting on this board have always had little interest in academics.
It’s a football board. If I were a Tech fan, I wouldn’t brag so much about academics.
GTBob
November 22nd, 2011
9:26 pm
DAWG, I just got an answer from Coach Johnson. He said that if your team ever comes close to competing for a National Championship then you can start bragging about your championships. Until then quit riding the coat tails of the good teams in the conference.
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
9:26 pm
hopefully it will be this year George Stein! Im only nervous uga might look aheadto lsu and not focus on this saturday
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
9:26 pm
Why wouldn’t we brag about the quality of our school?
RambleOn84
November 22nd, 2011
9:26 pm
That’s all they have, George (apart from the 1980 team that cheated in the classroom). Don’t take it away from them.
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
9:27 pm
Seems unlikely, Chris.
Rick Strickland
November 22nd, 2011
9:28 pm
I love the “mutts” (we’re not relevent for about 30 yrs now but look at our conference brothers) philosophy!! You’re not a player, but you want to be sooooooooo bad that you brag about a win over Hawaii in New Orleans? LOL
This rivalry is REAL. You’ve lost 1 of the last 3. After Saturday, you will have lost 2 of the last 4. Previous history means NOTHING.
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
9:28 pm
Seriously, Ramble. My apologies.
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
9:29 pm
Georgia actually provides a good education. Not as good as tech obviously. Except for the atheletes. They all take like easy degrees. But thats what most good atheletes who think they can get to the next level do! Don’t tell me reggie ball was taking hard classes
Flag Boy
November 22nd, 2011
9:30 pm
You are the Master-debater, Rick. A regular pivot man.
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
9:31 pm
Ha! Our easy degree is ranked higher than Terry in many journals.
Rick Strickland
November 22nd, 2011
9:31 pm
@Chris Last I saw, Reggie is no longer a student on The Flats.
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
9:31 pm
rick strickland- haha ok ill admit uga has been bad the last two years. But this year and in every other year in the mark richt era we have been a top program in the country!