Tech will grace a BCS game, but not THE BCS game
The good news: Georgia Tech should — not could, should — play in the Orange Bowl as the ACC champion. The less-good news: Georgia Tech cannot reasonably aspire to anything better than the Orange Bowl, and there is one game better. It will be played in Pasadena, and it’s for the BCS title.
Tech was ranked No. 11 in the BCS standings announced yesterday, and to play for the BCS title a team must be no lower than No. 2. It sounds overly simplistic to say that for Tech to climb nine spots nine teams would have to lose, but that’s essentially how it is. With the Jackets’ schedule, they aren’t apt to jump anybody ahead of them so long as those teams keep winning.
A few of those teams must lose. Alabama and LSU will meet, and the winner of that game will surely play Florida for the SEC championship. And Southern Cal and Oregon face off this weekend. So that’s three teams ranked above Tech that are guaranteed having one more loss than they do today. But only three.
It’s unlikely Boise State or TCU will lose. (Cincinnati could, though: The Bearcats have West Virginia and Pittsburgh remaining.) And if the current standings suggest anything, it’s that an unbeaten team from a non-BCS league figures to trump a once-beaten team from the ACC.
The Jackets have four games remaining in their regular season. They’ll be favored in each. The cumulative record of those four teams is 14-16. Not one is ranked. Nothing Tech does in those four games is going to impress anyone the way, say, Oregon beating Southern Cal or LSU beating Alabama would. The meat of Tech’s schedule is behind it, and even the ACC title game in Tampa figures to offer no heavyweight opposition. Every Atlantic Division team holds at least three losses.
Put simply, a once-beaten conference champion from the Big 12 — say Texas loses to Oklahoma State this Saturday but then wins out — or the Pac-10 would surely shade Tech in the final rankings. The ACC has lost cachet by the carload these past few seasons, and history teaches that the teams extended the benefit of the BCS doubt are those that have already caught someone’s eye. (Think LSU in 2007, which was ranked No. 1 twice only to lose and still wound up the national champ.)
For all its splendid work, Tech isn’t yet in the top 10. The guess here is that it will be somewhere around No. 5 come Dec. 6, the day the final BCS standings are revealed, and that in the grand scheme is really good. (The obvious assumption is that Tech won’t lose again this calendar year, which it shouldn’t.) But the BCS will never be a truly grand creation simply because different teams and different leagues are held to different standards.
Were Tech still in the SEC with its one loss, it would stand a fighting chance to reach Pasadena. Because it plays in a conference that has lost whatever sheen it once possessed, it has next to no chance. Sad but true.
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378 comments Add your comment
How2fish
October 26th, 2009
1:07 pm
Nov 28th aside , Congrats to CPJ and Tech great win in just terrible conditions.
GT 1990 NatlChamps
October 26th, 2009
1:09 pm
I am proud of my football Yellow Jackets! They play hard and with class! They’re #1 in my book!
blazer
October 26th, 2009
1:16 pm
THEY SHOULD WORRY IF FLORIDA IS GOING TO HIT 50 ON THEM THIS YEAR?
TriJackets
October 26th, 2009
1:21 pm
Funny that Dawg fans come to a Tech blog to insult fans about a game that doesn’t matter. It’s not really a rivalry game, anyway, right?
GTRich
October 26th, 2009
1:38 pm
FedEx Orange Bowl
January 5, Miami Gardens, FL, 8 pm Fox
BCS vs. BCS (ACC Champion, if available)
Projection: Georgia Tech vs. Penn State
Saint Simons
October 26th, 2009
1:38 pm
Me sure do like them tight ends. Me likes gt football players.
bugsquacher
October 26th, 2009
1:40 pm
hey augusta jacket, one year in eight….. give me a break!
ToHell with Georgia
October 26th, 2009
1:49 pm
Did you see the Colin Peek is now starting for Alabama. He left the game on Saturday with an injury, but he will be back.
uga ranked #58 tech ranked #11
October 26th, 2009
1:53 pm
there is nothing funnier than reading what dumb georgia people write. i am currently at Tech and get into sports arguments everyday with people from miami, florida, alabama, uga, and so on. the thing i have learned more than anything in sports arguing is that your team is only as good as your most recent. Let me explain for some of “those” people. History arguments are only viable to the most recent. Techs most recent Natl Champ was 1990. that was awhile ago. Uga’s 1980 even longer. Tech’s most recent game verse uga win 45-42. Sorry uga but until you win this game or the natl championship your trash talk carries zero weight. its the same for tech we beat up miami last year but they beat up on us this year and i have to live with that to our next meeting
TheForgottenMan
October 26th, 2009
1:58 pm
These blogs are just one more forum for people to display their stupidity in public.
And I’m not sure who is more stupid, the ones with moronic posts or the ones who reply to the moronic posts.
Good god, what a bunch of imbeciles, idiots, and morons.
Pi$$onaDawg
October 26th, 2009
1:59 pm
When If’s and But’s become Candy and Nuts we would all be happy at Christmas. I think Atl-X will soon find if TECH wins out that we will not have a hard time recruiting like he seems to think.
Trade School Junkie
October 26th, 2009
2:03 pm
If the Gators DO NOT make it to the BCS NC game, The Gator Nation will surely want Tebow’s last college game to be played “at home” in the State of Florida.
With a SEC-CG loss to Bama, a 12-1 Florida team would be a LOCK for the Orange Bowl against the ACC Champ.
Since I think Bama will be the SEC Champ,
I foresee a GT-Florida or Clemson-Florida Orange Bowl match-up.
Jerry Kendall
October 26th, 2009
2:46 pm
45 to 42 in Athens, between the weeds!
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 26th, 2009
3:04 pm
ALABAMA and FLORIDA look mediocre. SEC officials are the reason they are undefeated.
the real Old Gold
October 26th, 2009
3:18 pm
This ain’t Chan Gailey and Reggie Ball bulldogs fans.. one team in this state is headed UP and one headed DOWN can you guess which is which? My bet is you can’t even read, so never mind.
the real Old Gold
October 26th, 2009
3:28 pm
I guess it’s like they say.. when your team sucks it’s time to start living in the past.. and UGA fans are right on track as this blog shows, as well as their team’s record.
booger
October 26th, 2009
3:39 pm
Mark – why do you waste the space when you know all you do is start the dorgs trying to pissover to Bobby Dodd when they can’t even manage their own crappile in little a.
C.J.
October 26th, 2009
3:56 pm
Awww, look all all the jealous doggies. Your precious team isn’t getting the undeserving press they usually get, so you have to congregate in a Tech newsfeed. How does it feel to be mediocre?
ThePounded
October 26th, 2009
4:09 pm
Tech will be 3 & 0 against the SEC this year. One down, 2 to go. Last year, 2 & 1.
TechBuzz
October 26th, 2009
4:33 pm
Hey UGA(Y) fans, here’s one for ya….when you guys get THREE, count them THREE more National Championships, then come talk to us Tech fans. UGA(Y) has ONE National Championship to Tech’s FOUR (1917, 1928, 1952, and 1990). Unfortunately for UGA(Y) fans, Vince Dooley and Herschel Walker doesn’t coach and play every year for you guys like they do in your nostalgic imaginations!!
I’ve NEVER meet a UGA(Y) fan that doesn’t start of a college football season by saying something like,
“Shut, I ‘member whin Herschel ran 60 yards fur dat tuchdown aginst dem Flurda Gaturs back in 1980!! Shut, bubba, dems wus da godd ‘ole dayz to be a dawg fan.”
Every year for you PUPS is the 1980 National Championship year. You guys have a seriously hard time living in the NOW of college football. And you never can just accept a lose, you guys have to blame everybody else (ref’s, cheap shots, bad calls) on why you shouldn’t have lost.
News Flash…your not going to ALWAYS be good and dominate in every game, every year!!!
Reggie Ball
October 26th, 2009
4:58 pm
CJ,
You have to ask how it feels to be mede okra? dog, we was that last year. sho glad i was gone and did not get slapped round by lsu……those pencil necks in the stands sure looked liek someone crapped in their dark vader mask on christmas
Dawgfan1911
October 26th, 2009
5:10 pm
The ongoing debate over who plays the toughest schedule, or who is in the toughest conference, is nonsensical. There are so many different methods of calculation that it only leads to an endless debate. However, here are a few of the “better-known” websites that provide such information.
http://www.teamrankings.com/college-football/ranking/strength-of-schedule-by-conf … ACC ranked 1st
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc09.htm … ACC ranked 3rd (or 1st, depending on which calculation is used)
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/polls/119 (VaTech ranked 1st, GT ranked 15, Ala ranked 27, UGA ranked 29)
http://www.zonqsports.com/ (SEC ranked 1st, ACC ranked 6th)
The point is this … the ACC is either the strongest conference in the country (doubtful) or at least among the top few (probable). In any event, almost every site shows that GT has a stronger schedule than Alabama … and EVERY site shows that our schedule is stronger than Georgia’s. So for all of those Dawg fans who want to criticize … stick with criticizing your own program. Goodness knows there are enough problems there to keep you busy for a while.
South FLA Jacket
October 26th, 2009
5:17 pm
All of my dawg friends hate the Jackets. I think that’s why I hate the dawgs, so much. They have taken every opportunity to scoff and make fun of GT since I can remember. Every now and then you run into a dawg fan in a bar in South Florida (you can always tell–loud and obnoxious) where they pontificate about the old days and the sheer Glory of being part of the SEC. I would like to feel badly for them as they wallow in their unspeakable misery; but I don’t recall any kindness from them.
Suffice to say it’s good to be a Jacket fan of late. The future looks bright, but only time will tell. UGA’s future…hard to say, thank God for them their past is so AWSOME! Let’s put butts in the seats in Tampa. It’s a short drive and smells better than Athens.
TechMD
October 26th, 2009
6:37 pm
Good article Mark and I totally agree. Tech’s rated a little low right now but we’ll move up if we take care of business. 11-1, ACC championship and Orange Bowl sounds great to me.
Dawghater
October 26th, 2009
7:13 pm
First, bugsquacher you’ve got NOTHING. And after the GATORS spank the dawys you’ll be back blogging against Tech. And it’s because the Dawgs are insignificant nationally and in the SEC. A lot less puppy dawgs fans but the best one was how Tech will only get to the Orange Bowl if we win out. Not stating we will but like that’s not a reward. And where exactly will UGA go. Shreveport? Here is a fact puppy dawg fans:
- Tech is overacheiving
- UGA is again underachieving
- Tech is doing this with recruiting classes well under UGA’s ranked classes. That’s called “coaching”.
- UGA regularly gets highly ranked recruiting classes that don’t match their performance.
- And Tech can’t put these athletes in Housing or Parks & Recreation degrees.
ENJOY THE JACKSONVILLE BEAT DOWN!
Alan
October 26th, 2009
7:20 pm
Good article and unfortunately I believe you to be correct. As a Tech fan we would love to play again for the championship again but not this year. It is funny how the “dawg” fans comments are not about your article point. GT last won a national championship in 1990 and I don’t remember UGA winning once since 1980 with Hershel. W/O Hershel how long would it have been?
Reggie Ball
October 26th, 2009
7:21 pm
That right’s Hater……….you tells them. I so smart that why i go to tech to get my mgt degree. Take that you fleabags……….
Tech will play in a BCS game, but not THE BCS game | Mark Bradley by กิ๊กก๊อก : ตามหาฝันบนโลกออนไลน์ !!!
October 26th, 2009
7:38 pm
[...] Excerpt from: Tech will play in a BCS game, but not THE BCS game | Mark Bradley [...]
GT For You And Me
October 26th, 2009
7:45 pm
Bugsquasher just got out of juvenile detention. He has been confined to his room and is monitored with a ankle bracelet. He has nothing else to do but annoy us with his dumb rants. Please have sympathy for him. He can’t help it! GO JACKETS!
GT For You And Me
October 26th, 2009
7:47 pm
Virginia Tech safety Kam Chancellor told the Virginian-Pilot on Sunday that he was blocked below the waist at least four times during the Yellow Jackets’ 28-23 win two weeks ago. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said one of those illegal and “dangerous” blocks occurred on Josh Nesbitt’s touchdown run in the fourth quarter that sealed the win.
Story continues below ↓
“That’s a joke,” Johnson said. “Put the tape on and watch. Tyler Melton cracked the free safety. He doesn’t even block him. He shields him.
“They got outschemed. So, it’s illegal to outscheme them, I guess.”
Earlier this summer, Chancellor said that he thought he had picked up some of Tech’s tendencies on film and could tell where the ball was going before the snap. ESPN singled him out after the game at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Oct. 17 and showed several instances where Chancellor didn’t know who had the ball.
“We blocked them the same way we blocked them a year ago and they weren’t complaining when they won,” Johnson said. What’s up with that Chancellor? GO JACKETS!!!!!!!!
GT For You And Me
October 26th, 2009
7:52 pm
Mark Bradley! Your a homer. Seems to me,you think the Orange Bowl has no merit..BOW WOW!.
GT For You And Me
October 26th, 2009
8:01 pm
The Forgotten Man.: You are right about one thing! You are forgotten!!! GO JACKETS!!!!
Pi$$onaDawg
October 26th, 2009
8:18 pm
Hey St Simon, I likes GT football players too!
dawes
October 26th, 2009
9:29 pm
paul johson you that was par of the game so what you are saying that you coach your team to cheat so you don.t see any wrong with cheating that why you are the sorry coach to ever coach the game get of coaching and go back where you come come from
kick the puppy when its down
October 26th, 2009
9:42 pm
i love how all the whiny uga fans have so little to cheer about this season that when they talk about history they only talk about 45 years of rivalry. heres a history lesson for you:
Longest win streak-8 GT
JOHN HEISMAN!!! whose your best coach?
4 titles. how many do you have?
oh, history is in the past and you dominate the present now?
you have how many wins this year? youhad how many wins last year? you were ranked what last year? this year? you finished what last year? your ranked what now?
your right yall are amazing!
45-42
P.S. it wont be that close this year!
kick the puppy when its down
October 26th, 2009
9:48 pm
oh by the way, have fun with florida this weekend!
GT For You And Me
October 26th, 2009
10:10 pm
dawes: Go back to grammar class………. Good grief………..
GT David
October 26th, 2009
10:43 pm
I am so gratified by all the uga fans taking such an interest in our Yellow Jackets. And I am glad, for them, that they aren’t in the ACC. I fear that Va.Tech,Clemson,B.C., and Miami would send them yelping in terror back to their little burg between the weeds. Tech should win out easily. That includes the uga game (no, I will not capitalize it) and whoever they play in the ACC title game. You dawgs (your spelling, not mine) need to go chase another parked car. T.H.W.G.
hOBODOG
October 26th, 2009
10:43 pm
For you georgie fans who live in history…
1917
1928
1952
1990
….. (well have another before you doggies do)
Hm and the most recognized post-season awards for best player and coach…both named after Tech coaches…
bugsquacher
October 26th, 2009
10:46 pm
ONE MORE TIME…..Since 1964, the Jackets have managed just 12 wins against Georgia. Let me say that again for all of you Jacket fans out there…12 wins in 45 games. To say that Georgia has dominated this series in the past 45 seasons would be a slight understatement. During that stretch of dominance, Georgia has posted win streaks of five, six and seven (twice). Tech has won three straight once (1998-2000). go dawgs
mash the bug
October 26th, 2009
10:48 pm
GT have you been drinking the kool aid again?
mash the bug
October 26th, 2009
10:51 pm
The record between the two teams is 59 Georgia wins, 39 Georgia Tech wins, and 5 ties. Georgia’s longest winning streak in the series was seven straight games from 1991-1997 and again from 2001-2007.
swat the jacket
October 26th, 2009
10:53 pm
GO DAWGS! BEAT FLORDIA, GOD SAKE BEAT TECH!
Pi$$onaJACKET
October 26th, 2009
10:55 pm
GT is living a pipe dream, soon to be a nightmare!
GTRich
October 26th, 2009
11:26 pm
So what bugsquasher?? What has Ga done lately? You sound like a broken record. Move on man!!!
TechBuzz
October 26th, 2009
11:41 pm
Hey Mash the bug, UGA(Y) may have a set of 7 straight wins against Tech, but Tech owns the LONGEST win streak between the two…8 straight wins 1949-1956.
UGA(Y) fans are just like Liberals and Democrats, you present the debate/argument with ACTUAL facts, they have nothing to say and they can’t defend their point(s)
Terreal Bierra
October 27th, 2009
2:51 am
Yeaah Reggie, tell em. I know you iz smarter than me and can’t count to four, but can you come visit me in the lockup. Yeah dawg, they got your boy for murder. I though coach richt prayed the demons away. Thats how we do at uga…murder mang
booger
October 27th, 2009
7:10 am
Thanks Mark for giving the dorgs something to read about that will make them feel better. Go Herschel – Beat Florida!!!
Ezekiel
October 27th, 2009
9:07 am
Don’t count out Georgia Tech’s opportunity to play in the national championship game. There’s still a lot of games left in the year and many teams choke it up as they get close to the brass ring. Tech will put a punctuation mark on the season by blowing out The Bullpups and use that as a springboard to the national championship game. You heard it here first. Talk Tech football:: http://www.bbuzzoff.com
Kam “Kan’t Tackle” Chancellor
October 27th, 2009
9:19 am
ACC champions, 13 wins, #5 final position? I can live with that!