All-Football Friday! The questions facing Georgia Tech
A surprise a year ago, Georgia Tech will surprise us this time only if it stinks. Which it probably won’t. But that doesn’t mean it has no issues. Every team does, and thank goodness. If teams had no issues there’d be no place for folks like me. Forty-three days ahead of its opener against Jacksonville State, here’s what we should be asking about the Jackets:
• Is Paul Johnson’s offense, as Paul Johnson contends, going to make an exponential jump in Year 2? Are there really that many different ways to hand or pitch someone the ball? Or will the going get tougher for the option-based spread the second time through the ACC?
• Will the passing game become more than a diversionary tactic? Does Tech need to bring the disparity between rushing and passing yards — 73 percent of the offense against 27 percent last season — into closer harmony? (Say, 65 to 35?) Will the Jackets, who could well be playing for a championship, throw the ball effectively when the day comes when they’re behind with five minutes to play?
• Will Jonathan Dwyer improve on 1,395 yards rushing, or will the Jackets’ increasing familiarity with the nuances of Johnson’s offense call for the A-backs — Dwyer is a B-back — to get the ball more? Is there a capable backup should Dwyer tweak an ankle?
• Are the A-backs about to get even faster? Will Roddy Jones, last seeing fleeing down the Sanford Stadium sideline, recover from his offseason hand injury in time to wreak immediate havoc? And is Marcus Wright, even smaller and faster than Jones, about to have his breakout moment?
• Is there a stranger case in college football than Demaryius Thomas? Is there a receiver in college football who caught a higher ratio — 52.7 percent — of his team’s completions? Are there 10 more talented receivers in the land?
• Will the defense, gutted by high-profile losses to its front four, hold up its end? Or will Derrick Morgan, who’s among the best defensive ends in the land, catch the same disease that befell Coleman Rudolph in the early ’90s — a season’s worth of double- and triple-teaming?
Loading ...• If your defense can’t stop the other team, doesn’t that undercut the whole premise of Johnson’s offense? Can you run, run, run if you’re always playing from behind? Can you win games 41-38 with a team that passes as an afterthought? Will Josh Nesbitt, who’s talented enough to do almost anything, improve his completion percentage (an unbecoming 43.9 last season) so Thomas can work some downfield wonders?
• Will the special teams, which essentially dealt Tech out of the Chick-fil-A Bowl before it had begun, no longer be a liability? Don’t running the ball, defending and being sound in the kicking game historically go together? What if one aspect fails? Will it be 38-3 (the score of LSU’s blowout bowl victory) all over again?
• Will the new weight of expectations turn Johnson, who doesn’t suffer fools gladly, into a season-long sourpuss? If Tech loses a big game early and fans and writers start sniping at his offense, will he snipe back? Is his honeymoon, which continued unabated even after the bowl loss, apt to end anytime soon?
Bradley says: Tech will go 10-2 in the regular season, losing at Florida State and at Vanderbilt, and will beat FSU in the ACC title game.
(If you’re interested, here are the questions regarding Georgia. And check back at 3 p.m. for those concerning the Falcons. It’s All-Football Friday!)
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260 comments Add your comment
GTVille
July 24th, 2009
9:37 am
The key is fumbles. Last year they fumbled away games agains UVA, VaTech, LSU, and…I can’t remember the UNC game. Stop fumbling means keeping the ball longer, scoring more, and keeping the D off the field.
Speaking of UNC…I predict they will be 10-2 and win the ACC. GT will be 5-3 in ACC and 9-3 overall.
reservoirDAWG
July 24th, 2009
9:37 am
51-7 hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Pi$$ of Saint.
Mark Bradley
July 24th, 2009
9:38 am
Why Vandy? Because that just seems the sort of game — non-conference, on the road, against an opponent that won’t stimulate the senses — a team on the rise might trip over.
But I’m often wrong.
GT4Ever
July 24th, 2009
9:38 am
I don’t get the statement, “Defenses will be more prepared this year since they’ve seen it already”. Isn’t that the case with every offense from every team in the NCAA’s? teams don’t drastically change their scheme unless they hire a new coach. What’s the deal? That’s absurd. It’s the OC’s job to change things up a bit to keep the “D” off balance, isn’t it? Funny how GT was 4 in the country last year in rushing ypg. The object is to strike first and keep the pressure on the other team and that’s what this offense does. CPJ will have his guys ready, no exceptions!!!
PB
July 24th, 2009
9:39 am
ANOTHER DAWG,
Who would you take Cox or Nesbit?
Ty
July 24th, 2009
9:44 am
” but we stayed in and fought til the end when a lot of teams would have mailed it in and i would love another crack at those guys.”
we lost 38-3. how is that fighting til the end. what a stupid comment. we got our butts kicked from the start to the end.
GT4Ever
July 24th, 2009
9:50 am
Mark,
GT will be ready for every game. LSU lose reminded them not to get to hyped. CPJ will have the team ready for every game. Maybe in the past with you know who in charge but no more. CPJ will not allow it!!!!!
ANOTHER DAWG,
Nesbit came from a passing team in high school so he’s use to it. I agree his numbers weren’t that good last year. He was in new system and I believe he tried so hard to understand the nuancies of the ground portion of the offense that it hendered his developement in the passing game. If you saw him play last year, you would know he played hurt for most of the year including the CF bowl. This year he understands the offense much better and that will help his passing stats. He will be much improved and so will the offense. That’s scary isn’t it!!!!
jacketbacker
July 24th, 2009
9:50 am
doesn’t matter if we only throw, or complete, 1 pass a game ( see 2008 ugag game) as long as we win…..that said, i am concerned about the D….we have to play better on defense than we did in the 2nd half of last season to reach a championship level…….can’t wait for the sesaon to start!!!
Go Jackets and THWG…..
LawDawg
July 24th, 2009
9:50 am
GT Rich,
You certainly don’t know UGA football if you think the DL is the weak spot. The UGA D-line will be a VERY dominating force this year, especially with Jeff Owens back. Stick with your own team’s evaluations and leave the Dawg’s to their fans.
KG
July 24th, 2009
9:51 am
Whats all of this FSU loss bs? Complete and total domination until Nesbitt got hurt last year. Same Tech team with “two” capable backups for Nesbitt (maybe 3 w/ J.Luallen) this year and FSU is a worry? That makes no sense. Key losses to the DL don’t play a role either, nice try.
VT and the UNC games at home are the only games to fret about.
Im content with the fact that the AJC is gonna post ALL UGAy news and totally overlook the incredible growth of a football program in its own backyard, I’m just curious where all of these know it all UGAy fans get all of their TECH info.
Don’t claim to know it all, but TECH might lose two games this but neither will be to FSU or the sister banging trash from athens. Trash, trash, trash, oh yeah! Its friday, somebody tell Sugarhill Dawg to come and pick up my trash!
LawDawg
July 24th, 2009
9:52 am
PB,
I’d rather have Joe Cox in our system. You probably would rather have Nesby in yours.
GTtech78
July 24th, 2009
9:52 am
Its looking like another 7-5 year. Hopefully we can go 8-4 this year but at Miami, North Carolina, at FSU, Virginia Tech, at Vandy, UGA and at Virginia. We’re going to lose atleast 4 of these. Hopefully, we’ll get another trip to the Chick-fil-a bowl. Cross our fingers!!
GT4Ever
July 24th, 2009
9:56 am
I’ll bet GT finishes with a better record than UGA!!!!
Supes
July 24th, 2009
9:56 am
Now that teams have seen their HS gimmick riddled offense…they’ll be lucky to win 8 games!
BankerDawg
July 24th, 2009
9:58 am
Another-
I think you are seriously underestimating Josh Nesbitt.
Keep in mind he played his freshman season under Gailey, where the extent of his play calling was to line up in the gun and run straight ahead….not really a method in which to improve one’s skill set.
True sophomore year he has an entirely new system under Paul Johnson, that by his own admission takes more than one year to learn to operate at even a modicum of efficiency.
I think his leadership of the Tech team was amazing given these facts.
The numbers will come for Nesbitt…remember, he was a 4 star kid that we recruited, so the talent is obviously there. I just think it is dangerous for defenses to continue to underestimate Josh and the rest of the Tech team.
Regarding in state receivers, are you already claiming that Marlon Brown is a better receiver than Damaryius Thomas? A.J. Green, no doubt, he may be the best in the country, but what data are you using to rank Brown above Thomas at this point?
GT4Ever
July 24th, 2009
9:58 am
Supes,
That’s what they said about the spread offense.
Mark Bradley
July 24th, 2009
10:01 am
I also think Tech will have a better record than Georgia.
Sting 'em Buzz
July 24th, 2009
10:02 am
Tech will not lose to Vandy
Try selling out a 55,000 seat stadium......
July 24th, 2009
10:03 am
JOKE of a program. Tech fails MISERABLY running that Pop Warner offense. Too much game footage of it available now. Sorry Techies. You were a one-season wonder….. and a lousy 9-4 one-season-wonder at that……….. GO DAWGS
GTOne
July 24th, 2009
10:04 am
No. UGA is not under our skin. It is just that the FIRST comment on a TECH blog is made by a UGA fan. UGA will probably surprise this year and win more than predicted. Then, they will be ranked in the top 5 next year and fall flat again. Wasting all that talent. You are starting to become like Texas used to be. America’s best team….in February.
Baba O'Riley
July 24th, 2009
10:05 am
Supes,
CPJ has run this offense 20+years. Didn’y your DC have 2 weeks to prepare for it last year? Remind your defensive backs that we’re not playing flag football
WADE
July 24th, 2009
10:05 am
I BELEIVE WE HAVE A CHANCE AT A CHAMPIONSHIP AND POOR GEORGIA DOESN’T HAVE A CHANCE IN HELL!GO TECH!
Baba O'Riley
July 24th, 2009
10:07 am
Try selling out…why don’t you use your regular screen name?
Angus
July 24th, 2009
10:08 am
The LSU game magnified GT’s weaknesses. Up against a strong OL or DL (God forbid both in the same game), they’re in trouble. Could lose a game, maybe two with poor special teams play.
Still, they’ll stay in ACC race til the end – coming up a game short again.
9-3.
Baba O'Riley
July 24th, 2009
10:08 am
Mark Bradley…pi$$ing off more rednecks than the Iron Sheik ever did.
Trade School Junkie
July 24th, 2009
10:08 am
I am just stunned by all the GT fans comments here.
8-4, 9-3, 10-2, WTH are you folks drinking ????????
GT will go 12-0 in 2009. UGA fans…Piss Off until you can ACTUALLY beat GT’s new CPJ regime.
Call BS if you want, doesnt matter to me, because it did happen.
I called into Brandon & Woolvy radio show on 790thezone on Saturday August 16th(before the season) and laid out a logical argument as to why GT would not only beat UGA in Athens, but that GT would win the ACC-Coastal. I also said that Clemson wouldnt come ANYWHERE close to winning the ACC, and that all the ACC Media hype over Clemson was a HUGE mistake. The pre-season Clemson “Kool-Aid parade” was a bad joke that was utlimately exposed. I also said there was NO FREAKIN WAY IN HELL VT was gonna play: at BC, at FSU, and at Miami, over a 4 week stretch and win all 3. In fact, VT lost ALL 3.
Naturally, I was ridiculed by B & W and every other caller (including GT fans)as being totally delusional. Doesnt look so delusional now, does it? B & W, SI, the AJC(anybody else remember Terrence Moore’s 08/22/2008 column about the 2008 GT season) Athlon, Sporting News, etc. ALL missed it. GT beat UGA in Athens, and GT came within one TO, one bad pass, one personal foul of winning the ACC-Coastal.
So, with repsect to my fellow GT fans: Get your heads out of your asses!! Get on the damn bandwagon, NOW !! GT will go 12-0.
Forget FSU. Theyre gonna a mere shadow of the team that GT PUSHED ALL OVER THE FIELD last year. That game wasnt close until Nesbitt went down. FSU lost ALL of their Def starters from last year, their #1 RB, and all of their veteran WRs, and the FSU program itself is in almost complete chaos…..and FSU is somehow going beat GT. Gimme a freakin break !!!! WTH are you GT fans thinking ?????
Knowing that Miami beat VT the weekend before GT CRUSHED Miami, is there ANY GT fan that doesnt think that GT would have TOTALLY DESTROYED VT in Blacksburg, if we had played VT later in the season. Thats the point, this year we will play them in mid-October, not mid-September. MArk it down, NOW: VT will lose these 4 ACC games: Miami, GT, UNC, NCST.
The 3 key games for GT are: 1. UNC, 2. Miami, 3. Clemson, in that order.
All 3 have GT early enough in the season that they will have time during the pre-season workouts to do the extra prep specifically for defending against the GT Offense. NO OTHER TEAMS WILL HAVE THAT ADVANTAGE. Not FSU or VT. Clemson & Miami both have GT the earliest on the schedule. Clemson will be better than last year, but lost a lot of Off talent last year. Miami has a new OC & DC and will better than 2008, but the early season learning curve with the new staff will be too steep to beat GT early in the season.
The KEY game is UNC.
They will also have some pre-season prep time. Key for UNC is they probably have the most talented & veteran D in the ACC. With all the Off talent they lost last year, I just dont think theyll have anywhere near the same Offenseive production in 2009. THIS GAME WILL DECIDE THE ACC-COASTAL TITLE, not the GT-VT game.
Mark it down folks: if GT wins these 3, and especially the UNC game, then GT is gonna S-T-E-A-M-R-O-L-L everyone else on the schedule.
CPJ & Nesbitt have a goal of Nesbitt having 1000 yds rushing and 3000 yds passing for 2009. Look here folks, if Nesbitt comes ANYWHERE close to that, GT is going wipe-oput EVERYONE on the schedule. And I do mean…EVERYONE.
You heard it here first.
UGA Grad: "Mr. Burdell Would you like fries with that?"
July 24th, 2009
10:10 am
Are the A-backs about to get even faster? Is there a capable backup should Dwyer tweak an ankle? Yes. Anthony Allen.
A Realist
July 24th, 2009
10:11 am
I just hope that GA Tech can continue to build on the momentum gained from last year. It would be great to FINALLY have a local collegiate team doing good that can shut up the over the top Georgia fans. GO TECH!!!!
Boss Man
July 24th, 2009
10:11 am
KG quit wasting company time and get back to your cubicle. SugarHill Dawg needs his printer fixed right away!!
Baba O'Riley
July 24th, 2009
10:15 am
Enter your comments here
Boss Man
July 24th, 2009
10:15 am
Trade School Flunkie,
you should quit your day job of driving children’s trains and get into college football prognostication. You are a freakin’ genius!!! Did you also predict that a very mediocre LSU team would beat your beloved Jackettes to death, not even allowing a TD?
Trade School Junkie
July 24th, 2009
10:16 am
Excuse me, but to all UGA fans:
Just exactly how much game film does GA have on Florida’s Spread Offense? And, just exactly how well has that worked for ya?
Yeh, thats what I thought.
Mark Bradley
July 24th, 2009
10:17 am
I think what the LSU game magnified was that Tech, for the one and only time last season, wasn’t ready to play.
Hawk Fan
July 24th, 2009
10:20 am
Another dawg, you lost all credability with me when you said the there are 2 better receivers than Thomas in this state and one of the 2 of said is a recruit who has never played a down of college ball. UGA fans alwsys think that 4 or 5 stars means they are a stud. Brown may be good or he may be a flop. Its just funny to me the mind set of UGA fans about recruiting.
Try selling out a 55,000 seat stadium......
July 24th, 2009
10:20 am
Baba O’Riley….. why don’t you try selling out a 55,000 seat stadium. I was watching my Superior Dawgs last year in a close game while at a bar just blocks from the Bobby Dodd cracker box, while a game was in progress there as well. While Tech was losing, they spent more time watching the Dawgs, cheering against them. Explain to me why there is a NON-SOLD OUT stadium a few blocks away, and the Nerd-Herd is in a bar watching UGA?? Jealousy my friend. I cannot wait til you fools are calling for “CPJ”s head after the MISERABLE season facing you. GO DAWGS!!!!
PB
July 24th, 2009
10:24 am
LawDawg,
Yes. I have seen enough of Nesbitt to think he is special, right up there with Hamilton and Jones.
And, if Cox is as advertised, should make for an interesting meeting in late November. I have always been an anomaly as far as Tech fans go. I always hope UGA is 11-0 coming into that game. 11-1 afterwards…of course.
KG
July 24th, 2009
10:25 am
Look guys! Sugarhill Douche got a promotion to “Boss Man!” Head garbage man, way to aim high brother!
Steve from Atlanta
July 24th, 2009
10:25 am
Ummm …. go check your source. Its actually four times in the last 35 years.
1984/1985
1989/1990
1998/1999
1999/2000
Nice counting – strengthen that stereotype. If we built bridges as well as you count, then only 50% of those bridges would be standing. today.
All-Football Friday! The questions facing Georgia | Mark Bradley
July 24th, 2009
10:25 am
[...] next: At 3 p.m., check out the questions facing the 2009 Atlanta Falcons. And look here for an appraisal of Georgia Tech. It’s All-Football [...]
45-42, bleah
July 24th, 2009
10:27 am
Okay, that Texas comment really hurt GTOne. Here’s mine, Texas, where the men are men, and the steers are nervous.
The bane of the option offense has always been fumbles. If GA Tech has a couple of games where they put the ball on the ground three to four times, they’re going to hurt. I foresee that in the FSU, VaTech and Georgia game, which is why I’ve predicted GaTech to go 9-3.
reebok
July 24th, 2009
10:29 am
the idea that people will be able to stop Johnson’s offense because they’ve seen it once or studied it on film is laughable. it’s not like defenses have to wonder what USC, Ohio State, Texas (or Georgia, for that matter) will do on offense…and when those teams run their offenses efficiently, they put up lots of yardage and points. also, Johnson’s offense evolves constantly…what teams saw last year will not be what they see this year.
btw, MSNBC’s sports site has a link to a Sporting News article predicting GT will go undefeated this year. I’m serious.
I agree
July 24th, 2009
10:29 am
I agree, Clemson and UNC will be the toughest games because they come early in the year.
I’m less worried about Miami because they have FSU before us and VT and Oklahoma after us, so they have a lot to prepare for.
UNC has three cupcakes before us, and has a stout defense. Clemson, UNC, and VT are all at home. That sets up nice.
As much as the SEC likes to toot its own horn, I would put UGA as our fourth toughest game behind UNC, VT, and FSU. Miss St and Vandy are probably our easiest besides Duke and Jax St.
Slobberknocker is an idiot
July 24th, 2009
10:30 am
“Then they would have to beat Georgia for the second straight year, and that has happened ONLY TWICE in the past 35 years.”
‘84 & ‘85
‘89 & ‘90
‘98, ‘99 & ‘00
2009 will be the 4th time in 25 years. Glad to see you’re getting value from that UGA math course you paid for.
Baba O'Riley
July 24th, 2009
10:30 am
SuperiorDawg- You never said they were Tech fans, you just said the bar was close to Bobby Dodd. Why is it MY job to sell out a stadium. The Inferior Dawgs can’t win the game on the field, so their fans resort to “our stadium is bigger” and “we have more fans”.
GT fan
July 24th, 2009
10:33 am
Mark,
Has a team that’s in a conference ever played 3 other teams(sec for gt) from the same conference for their out of conf games? The wording may sound weird. Obviously ND has since they are indy. Maybe way back before the conferences expanded. What if…one can dream…GT goes undefeated and plays the Gators in the NC game. That would be 4 sec teams. We could still play another sec team in another bowl like last year(chik-fil-a).
GT4Ever
July 24th, 2009
10:33 am
Mark you’re right about the LSU game. CPJ won’t let that happen again!!!!
I agree
July 24th, 2009
10:34 am
Yeah Baba, everyone knows selling out your stadium leads to great success, just ask Ole Miss, NC State, and South Carolina. Those teams have great winning traditions and always sell out.
kshizzle
July 24th, 2009
10:36 am
My early prediction is 10-2 with a shot at undefeated. I just see the offense averaging between 35 and 40 points a game. With that amount of offense the sky is the limit given that it is guaranteed our defense will not stink. Our defense has not stunk since the 90’s (since we started getting actual talent) and we have an all american in the secondary, an All ACC on the D-Line and capable linebackers. All our defense has to do is be able to give up less then 25 points a game (a certainty imo) and we will win most if not all games.
GTNuke
July 24th, 2009
10:37 am
UGASlobberknocker – GT has only defeated georgie 2 straight years twice in the last 35 years? It has happened at least double that with 84-85, 89-90, 98-99, and 99-2000 that I can think of, and that is the last 25 years. 08-09 will be much like 98-99, another two in a row and at least three in a row with 08-10. In fact EVERY GT coach has done it, except B*** L**** and Gailey. Johnson is just going to check his off in his first two seasons.
Steve
July 24th, 2009
10:39 am
GA Tech either 7-5 or 8-4 just like always. Miami and FSU will work Tech on the road and UGA owns Tech so there’s 3 loses right there. Either Va Tech or Carolina will beat them at home and just like Bradley said they will probably lose to Vandy. Can you say Mediocre?? Tech fans are so delusional, its hilarious!!! hahaha!!!