Bradley’s Buzz: ESPN damns Georgia Tech with faint praise
When last we encountered Chris Sprow of ESPN.com — and if it seems like just yesterday, that’s because it was — he was saying nicer things about the 2009 Georgia Bulldogs than you’d expect regarding a team ESPN ranks No. 16 in the land. Well, guess who ESPN ranks No. 15?
Aw. You guessed.
The same Mr. Sprow takes on 15th-ranked Georgia Tech (link requires registration) and — wouldn’t you know it? — gushes less about the Jackets than about the Bulldogs. (Let the record reflect that ESPN’s ratings were done not by Sprow but by esteemed former colleague Mark Schlabach, who’s a Georgia grad.) And a magnifying glass isn’t required to read between Sprow’s lines: He wonders if Paul Johnson’s option-based spread is really all that.
As was the case with the Georgia preview, extensive quotation will be done. (Because ESPN’s Insiders is a pay site, and I’m Clark Howard.) So here goes:
• “What [Tech coach Paul Johnson] should do is put the ball in the hands of star tailback Jonathan Dwyer. As a sophomore, Dwyer finished 12th in the nation in rushing with 1,395 yards, but it was what he did on first down that was telling. At home, on 54 attempts, he averaged 11.1 yards per carry, moving from first down to first down.”
• “Tech’s offense — under the leadership of returning junior quarterback Josh Nesbitt — isn’t a complete one-trick pony. It can run in a lot of directions and get a lot of people involved. Consider that Dwyer’s 6.98 yards per carry was over a yard less than freshman Roddy Jones. The kid from Stone Mountain, Ga., went for 8.5 yards whenever he carried the ball.”
• “The bottom line: Tech is set up to be the best rushing team in the country.”
Loading ...• “Despite the offensive plaudits, Tech simply wasn’t dominating on the scoreboard. It outscored opponents by only 4.1 points a game (24.4 to 20.3) for the year, and on those rare occasions when the running game needed a boost from a little passing, it got ugly … Having even a hint of an aerial threat would help. Terrible passing teams that make an effort to improve usually gain a W or two.”
• “As the caretaker of the program, Johnson knows that he earned praise last year not because Tech was so good, but because so little was expected of it. That’s not the case anymore. Last year many looked at the underclassmen dotting the starting lineups and penciled in the team for 3-9.
My two cents: I could’ve sworn Tech was good in 2008 — it finished 9-4 and beat Boston College, Florida State, Miami and Georgia. And I’m inclined to think a team that won nine games in Year 1 under an exceedingly stylized coach would get better with time and a deepened knack for nuance. That’s why I think the Jackets will win the ACC. But I have, as we know, been wrong at least once in my life.
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271 comments Add your comment
haney
June 16th, 2009
9:47 am
I am a UGA alum but I think Paul Johnson is one heck of a coach. He will take his talent and beat other folks with better or equal talent. That being said, I can’t see Tech being much better this upcoming season for one big reason, line of scrimmage. Their offense line returns with most everyone back but they were not that great last year and their best guy went to the pros. The good news is, with their backs it doesn’t take a great OL. I think the big difference is the DL-there is no way a program like GT has the talent/depth to replace those stud DL they had last year. What does this mean, I think Tech can win 8-9 games this upcoming year but I would imagine most games are going to be along the lines of 31-28 or 38-35. Turnovers will play a huge role as they did for Tech last year, in the games they lost, turnovers killed them for the most part-but hey, that is typical of all teams. UGA, we turned the ball over twice against them and lost by 3. One of our turnovers was a defensive score while the other was basically a score giving that offense the ball at about the 20 yard line.
Another key will be health of Nesbitt. If he gets hurt, they are in trouble because the Shaw kid to me does not look capable of running that offense-I think there is a reason he was bound for East Tenn State before Johnson offered him for some reason. That offense is brutal on a QB so I look for Josh to get hurt and miss 2-3 games. I predict Tech goes 8-4 this season. UGA likely goes 8-4 or 9-3. It could be that both Tech and UGA enter the game with 8-3 records.
snapshot
June 16th, 2009
9:48 am
mutt fans are not concerned with GT but you better believe their players are.
GOTech610
June 16th, 2009
9:50 am
The dude….Simply put Paul Johnson can pretty much do what he wants as far the clock goes. His Navy team had taken as much as 8 -10 minutes off the clock in one game. So he can do it if he wants, see at Navy he had too because of talent restriction. Now that he is at GT, he has the talent to score a lot of points.
Sprow’s a moron. GT will go 11-1 this season!
exNFLplayer
June 16th, 2009
9:50 am
Joe Schmoe, can you explain how with the exception of Morgan Burnett, who is really the only proven player back there that the secondary can be called close to “top notch” They got torched repeatedly last year with a D line loaded with NFL talent. How do you arrive at your assessment? And the addition of Jarrard Tarrant doesn’t mean anything right now. He hasn’t played a meaningful down and has been off the field for over a year.
BLAZER
June 16th, 2009
9:51 am
they have that date circled-they must have lost last year! 45-42
did they circled 49-10 team??
GOTech610
June 16th, 2009
9:51 am
Haney,
GT’s O line last year…what O line. Most of them were injured. Paul Johnson said last year “they were being held together by bailing wire and duct tape”. Don’t let them fool you this year. They are warriors. They will win and will be more cohesive all around…Read the ACC blog on ESPN they did a nice little write up on the GT O line.
JB
June 16th, 2009
9:52 am
Snapslut…………Very few people are concerned about Tech football……except the off duty cops and pizza vendors……..
RAMBLE ON!!!
June 16th, 2009
9:53 am
VT, UNC, WF, FSU, Clemson, and Miami are all better teams than UGA.
I think UGAg is a little better than missy st. and Vandy.
I hope with these three SEC teams, our SOS doesn’t get hurt too bad.
Arob
June 16th, 2009
9:53 am
TommyP:
That is the big question this season. Our secondary and LBs should be markedly improved. The DLine returns our best pass rusher (D.Morgan) and little else. It will be crucial for some others to step up there. If they do, defense should be fine. Plus, the offense will score more this year and turn it over less, resulting in less pressure on the defense. Offensively, more of a passing game will be crucial to take the next step. Gotta have faith in PJ…
Joe Schmoe
June 16th, 2009
9:54 am
Haney, I agree with you about Shaw. To me, as long as Nesbitt is in their, the jackets win most of their games, and go to the Orange bowl. Defense doesnt concern me, as much as it does others.
Coach D
June 16th, 2009
9:55 am
Georgia Tech is a tough team to gage. On paper, they never look like they’re going to be very good each year, and somehow they seem to exceed expectations which is to say that they often beat teams they shouldn’t and lose to teams they shouldn’t.
As for the UGA vs. Tech game, I think a lot of it depends on which team has the most momentum coming in. Tech’s offense had a coming out party versus Miami on a Thursday prior to playing UGA last year. I remember telling my Dawg friends that if the Dawgs continued to play half ass like they did against Kentucky and Auburn, that Tech would win. UGA had a bye week prior to that game, and usually that works in a teams favor. The only exception to that rule is if one team is on a roll and playing with confidence, and that was Tech at the end of last season. UGA was also playing uninspired football after the Florida game. So instead of playing hard the rest of the season, they instead chose to feel sorry for themselves, which in turn led to C effort, especially on defense.
If you have a team with B or C talent giving A effort and playing with momentum versus a team with A and B talent playing with no momentum and giving C effort, the lesser talented team will win.
Chip
June 16th, 2009
9:56 am
Winning the ACC is much easier than beating UGA.
Les Miles
June 16th, 2009
9:57 am
If I could play GT every week I’d be 12-0 and winner of the mythical NC. Practice without the ball and just blow the play up at the line of scrimmage. With Nesbitt under center you can blow it up every down. Nesbitt is not a quick thinker and will lose composure at warp speed. Can’t throw a lick.
GOTech610
June 16th, 2009
9:57 am
exNFLplayer…..They have a corner who was tied for first in the nation with INT’s. I am sure you remember him for the UGA game, as he got a pick 6 on UGA and Fatt Matt. exNFL Player also have you not been keeping up with recruiting over the last weekend. GT picked up number 12 ranked CB Bostic and GT will likely steal Ayers from UGAG anytime now. We have 6 highly touted defensive players committed and it’s only June! If you think defense will be a problem you should look elsewhere. Tarrant, Morgan, Burnett, and Cooper Taylor will quickly remind you how hungry they are this year as a unit. Mark it down. GT will have a better defense this year!
gtfanfrom1951
June 16th, 2009
10:04 am
If PJ could win at Navy with Div. II player why can’t he win at GT with some of the best players the state has. You win with running the ball and defense it has and always been and will be.. thats football
exNFLplayer
June 16th, 2009
10:05 am
He was a safety GOTsch610. Likelys don’t count (Ayers) and Bostic hasn’t covered 1 down in collegiate competition. With the exception of Burnett your secondary’s returners aren’t going to intimidate too many OCs. Your D has issues. Don’t believe it. No problem.
enginequeers make me lol
June 16th, 2009
10:06 am
You nerds are a funny bunch.
What do you nerds do between DragonCon & Nerd Football?
enginequeers make me lol
June 16th, 2009
10:07 am
Those best players in the state??? WHO?
Name one
Les Miles
June 16th, 2009
10:08 am
Is that why my Tigahs beat the living sh%t out of GT gtfanfrom1951?
Les Miles
June 16th, 2009
10:09 am
Well we know straight up who the biggest poser on this blog is. GOTech610 doesn’t even know what position their best defensive player lines up at. MORON!
Ramblinwreck1378
June 16th, 2009
10:11 am
Cooper Taylor’s moving to linebacker this year.
GOTech610
June 16th, 2009
10:17 am
Les Miles…..I made a mistake big deal. Tigers suck anyways.
The Dude
June 16th, 2009
10:17 am
Ramblinwreck1378… he’s actually moving to a hybrid safety/linebacker position created for him by the DC. They have some name for it I can’t remember. He’ll cover TE and RB when they run routes and will be a run stopper/pass rusher when they don’t. Something to that effect, anyway.
Melinda
June 16th, 2009
10:18 am
I think this guy is proof that “analysts” spend very little time truly looking at the teams they analyze…. sometimes they get caught up in insisting they are right, even when facts don’t back them up.
Paul Johnson and his offense have one losing season in the last 12 years… and that one season was his FIRST year at Navy. This offense took a bunch of no-stars at Navy and beat Notre Dame (I don’t care what kind of season Notre Dame was having, Navy beating them in the modern era is pretty much a miracle).
Last year, Tech was the second youngest team in the nation, implementing both a new offensive AND a new defensive scheme, suffered some pretty significant injuries in the O-line and linebacking corps, no returning starters in the backfield, new kicker/punter, long snapper on special teams…. and they still went 9-4 and beat a pretty good Georgia team and a pretty good FSU team…. And this guy says we should have passed it more? Did he see our O-line? Has he looked at game film to see the number of missed blocks… even in the dominant wins? How on earth did he think they’d pass protect? They didn’t, if I remember right…. which is probably why we didn’t pass it more. Once you have the base offense in (and if he simply looked at our formations, he would see that you can pass out of them quite easily) before adding in passing packages, wrinkles, etc.?
I believe that the AJC reporters have noted that Tech spent a significant amount of spring practice devoted to implementing more passing schemes and working on technique.
Ramblinwreck1378
June 16th, 2009
10:19 am
Ahh. Thanks for clearing up the confusion. In any event, he’s the fastest player on our team…
enginequeers make me lol
June 16th, 2009
10:19 am
If the Tigers suck then GT REALLY sucks, and if GT REALLY sucks, then UGA must REALLY, REALLY fu#kin suck. All things considering.
But UGA>LSU
LSU>GT
UGA>GT?
I think so.
enginequeers make me lol
June 16th, 2009
10:20 am
Orson Charles > Cooper Taylor
Tech
June 16th, 2009
10:20 am
haney-
That’s a very accurate assessment. I too worry about the depth at QB. Johnson is building the depth, but it’s not there yet. Our two backups don’t impress me at all. There is a highly recruited freshman coming in(Luallen), but it would be nice to redshirt him. Nesbitt must stay healthy.
The D-Line will be fine. Who knows about the O-Line? All of the starters were hurt in the Spring.
Dan
June 16th, 2009
10:21 am
Defining a team based on one horrid game — be it Tech’s loss to LSU, or Georgia’s loss to Florida — is ridiculous. Bad games happen even to very good teams sometimes. LSU outgained Tech by what, 10 yards? Tech just played poorly across the board, and LSU, with a month to prep for Tech’s 10-month old offense, didn’t. Georgia got waxed by the Gators, but let’s not forget that early in the 3rd quarter, the score was only 3-14 and Georgia was well into Gator territory before a turnover and the floodgates opened. Crappy games happen. Defining a team’s ability based on one such game is silly.
Jay
June 16th, 2009
10:21 am
Yep, AJC writers better pump the nerds up so they can maybe sell out a couple home games this year.
enginequeers make me lol
June 16th, 2009
10:22 am
They’ll sell out when the Dawgs come to town.
Jaded Jacket
June 16th, 2009
10:30 am
It’s typical garbage from ESPN. Let’s face it, it’s because they’re in bed with the SEC with the huge TV contracts so they have pump up the SEC as much as possible.
enginequeers make me lol
June 16th, 2009
10:45 am
ESPN covers the SEC perhaps because they’ve won the last 3 NC’s & 7 since 1992….
Perhaps ESPN doesn’t cover the Jackets & the ACC because other than FSU & Miami (been in down years recently) No other teams from the conference have proved to be consistent contenders.
Can GT? Possibly, I don’t know.
But I do know they’ll have to play more consistent football.
If Tech can eliminate the fumbles that killed them in a few games last year the sky is the limit.
That being said, I still don’t think they can beat UGA this year.
Our D is going to be too strong. Jeff Owens is going to be pushing the center straight back into Nesbit, then my boys Houston & Washington are going to wreak havoc of the edges.
Different football game in November this year boys.
GT
June 16th, 2009
10:46 am
College football will be like pro wrestling in a few years. They will keep a pint of fake blood in the trunk with the footballs.
enginequeers make me lol
June 16th, 2009
10:46 am
ahem, ahem… not of the edges, off the edges.
enginequeers make me lol
June 16th, 2009
10:48 am
Wrestling ain’t fake
MattG
June 16th, 2009
10:53 am
Based on his grammar and spelling, Kevin obviously graduated from UGA…
Diamond Dawg
June 16th, 2009
10:54 am
Tech may score some points with that highschool style offense but cant stop anybody else from scoring either. Nor does the Tech fans make it an intimidating place to play either. Hardley no home field advantage. Worst fans in America. Guess their all studying on game day. And you wonder why you cannot get any recruits. Boring Boring Boring
ex-NFL player my arrss
June 16th, 2009
10:57 am
I’m calling BS on this guy. How many ex NFL players would ever sign on with that kind of handle? None.
WTF???
June 16th, 2009
10:59 am
Me thinks with offensive line from Hades that UGA possess we should line up in Power I & run football up Nerd’s anus all day.
GT Rich
June 16th, 2009
11:00 am
Mark,
Sprow’s assessment is fair. The disparaging remark was about ave. point differential of 4.1 per game. It was short-sighted of Sprow to not discuss GT leading the ACC in total yards per game. Tech stalled out too many times because of the lack of a passing threat which allowed defenses to stack the box. Lots of yards, not many TDs to conclude drives. Coach Johnson’s teams always do better in year two when the offensive players have more practice time learning and growing in the system. A good reporter would post those stats in their analysis…
RAMBLE ON!!!! aka ex D&D Player
June 16th, 2009
11:00 am
What you talking about?
WTF? Come again?
June 16th, 2009
11:01 am
Very articulate WTF. Well done.
2D
June 16th, 2009
11:01 am
Tech’s defensive problems late last year had more to do with their lack of coverage skills (more like lack of depth at CB) with Word-Daniels out. He was the guy who could both defend the pass and the run on the perimeter. His absence forced all of the young guys to move up one spot in the rotation which left our defense exposed. Word-Daniels would have made the difference against UVA (Tech would’ve won) and possibly even UNC (would’ve at least been closer).
I actually expect the defense to be BETTER than last year.
- Our secondary has more experience.
- Derrick Morgan is ready to explode on the line.
- Jarrard Tarrant, a CB with coverage skills penciled in to start last year before off the field issues, is now back.
- The OFFENSE will be better, which will keep the defense off the field, not continually put them in poor situation and allow them to play with a lead (that tends to make the other teams one dimensional).
rainman
June 16th, 2009
11:02 am
Anyone who want’s to argue that Tech’s secondary and LB’s won’t be stronger than last year — bring it on!! Any moron who does a minimal amount of research could see that the talent, depth, and experience at these positions is better overall than it’s been for quite some time. By the way Ram1378 — Cooper Taylor is a safety who will be playing a lot of the new ‘wolf’ position which is a hybird safety/linebacker. Mario Edwards S, and Anthony Barnes LB are also training at this position.
The defensive line is a valid area of concern, but I feel that it really boils down to the defensive tackles. At DE, you start with Derrick Morgan who is the undisputed leader of the unit and a better pro prospect than any of the three that we lost from last year. I always thought Michael Johnson was overrated — he would make some big plays, but was invisable on many others. Robert Hall had considerable playing time last year, and from all reports, has stepped up to become a solid starter opposite Morgan. For depth, they have Jason Peters and Anthony Eqbuniwe on the first rotations, and many talented youngsters hoping for a chance to emerge (Emmanuel Dieke, Izzan Cross, Antonio Wilson, Euclid Cummings, etc.)
So,that brings it down to the defensive tackle position. I’m not sure how much penetration we can expect up the middle, but CPJ needs to at least figure a way to clog it up against the run. T.J. Barnes (6-7,353) could go a long way toward’s accomplishing this goal if he has a good year. Ben Anderson has the current lead at the other tackle with Jason Hill and Logan Walls backing up. The wild card that could provide the unit with size and depth might be freshman J.C. Lanier (6-4,335). When the opposing team is intent on running it between the tackles, It would be interesting if a ‘jumbo set’ of Barnes and Lanier could hold line.
WTF???
June 16th, 2009
11:04 am
I’m not completely sold on Tech’s abilitly to line up & pass block.
I’m sure with reps they can run an option pass, but everytime Nesbit dropped back last year he was running for his life.
Les Miles
June 16th, 2009
11:10 am
ex-NFL player my arrss
June 16th, 2009
10:57 am
I’m calling BS on this guy. How many ex NFL players would ever sign on with that kind of handle? None
Maybe one that actually played the game dumbazz. By the way sissy boy. You can’t argue with what he’s saying. Does the truth hurt too much? I’m calling BS on you. And next time try someting akin to your real purpose in life. How about GayMaleEscort or something appropriate.
38-3 girlyboy!!
WTF? Come again?
June 16th, 2009
11:11 am
WTF, for once I can agree with you. I’m not sold on GT’s pass blocking skills either. Question for you, though: Why do UGA fans seem to be sold on Joe Cox and any of your laundry list of RB’s to replace Knowshon?? There are clearly way more unknowns in Athens than there are in Atlanta.
SEC Fan in Texas
June 16th, 2009
11:13 am
All of this just goes to show why they play the games on the field rather than at ESPN headquarters. The longer that the myth persists that Johnson’s offense is not for real, the more it plays into his hands. If I were a coach with Ga. Tech on my schedule, I’d be worried and I’d take them very seriously. They may not be good enough to win the ACC title or even be nationally ranked, but they are good enough to win any given game and ruin someone’s BCS hopes in the process. And in the past that’s been known to cost coaches their jobs.
Jared
June 16th, 2009
11:14 am
I think Tech’s defense will actually be pretty good this year, and halfway into the season could be better than last.
The secondary, no doubt, will be much better. We are basically returning 8 players, because Word-Daniels didn’t play any substantial minutes after the Clemson game. Cedric Griffin, our best linebacker will be back after an injury, as well. Also, one person who is not really “returning” but will be playing is Jarrard Tarrant. He was going to be a starter at CB until that, shall I say, young “lady,” charged him with rape. The Safeties are solid.
Yes, we lose the 3 big names from the line, but Derrick Morgan will be a strong anchor on one end and I actually think we might be better against the run. #93 took a lot of plays off. Logan Walls, Ben Anderson, and TJ Barnes are going to be pretty good players and we’ve got them all together for at least 2 more years.