The Hot Button: Where would Tech finish in the SEC?
There's a difference between ACC speed and SEC speed. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
It’s clear – to me, if not to C.J. Spiller and Dabo Swinney — that Georgia Tech is the class of the ACC. But the ACC is often described as the least of the six BCS leagues, and another conference in the neighborhood is regarded as the best. So now, today’s question:
Where would Tech rank in the SEC?
My first inclination is to say the Jackets would finish wherever Mike Slive’s refs got together and decided they should be, but that’s my little joke. Getting serious, I’d say …
Second in the East behind Florida. Third in the West behind Alabama and LSU. Fourth overall.
That wailing you hear are the cries arising from the confluence of North Avenue and Techwood Drive, but hear me out. As good as Tech is — and it is very good — there’s still a difference between the personnel of a top-shelf SEC team and of everyone else. (Ask Jim Tressel.) This doesn’t mean Tech couldn’t up and beat Florida or Alabama or LSU on a given Saturday; it simply means that, on most given Saturdays, talent would prevail.
We’ve seen the difference between the SEC and the ACC three times in this city in the past 15 months. Alabama beat Clemson in the 2008 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic and then whipped Virginia Tech in the 2009 installment. LSU beat Tech 38-3 on Dec. 31, 2008. Three games on a neutral field, three emphatic SEC victories. Anyone who says there isn’t an imbalance between leagues, at least at their respective summits, isn’t dealing in reality.
On the other hand, SEC zealots are wrong to suggest the Jackets would finish far up the track in that famous league. Tech is better than Ole Miss, better than Auburn, better than South Carolina, better than Arkansas … yes, better than Georgia. To be placed below Florida and Alabama is no great failing, for those are two of the three best teams in the land, and to be deemed less gifted than LSU is no demerit, given that the Tigers have lost only to the Gators and the Tide.
Loading ...(And yes, I have noticed that Tech beat both Mississippi State and Vandy by one more point than did the mighty Gators. Whatever that means.)
Since you asked, I don’t think it’s a question of Paul Johnson’s offense not working in the SEC. It’s an issue instead of the SEC’s Big Three having superior defensive manpower. Nobody else in the ACC has the speed to keep up with Dwyer and Nesbitt and Roddy Jones; certain teams in the SEC do.
OK, there’s my take. Feel free to call me an idiot — pretty much everybody does — but know this: I do speak from observation. I’ve seen Tech and Florida and LSU in person both this season and last, and I saw Alabama in the imposing flesh twice in 2008. And I’m not trying to denigrate the Jackets, who might well be the nation’s fifth-best team. (After Florida, Texas, Alabama and LSU. Though I’m not suggesting LSU, with its two losses, should be ranked ahead of Tech in the polls.) I’m just telling you how I see it.
You’re now free to express yourselves on this weighty matter. Why do I feel you won’t need prompting?
And now, because fair’s fair: Where would Georgia rank in the ACC?
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901 comments Add your comment
willie martinez
November 11th, 2009
1:04 pm
the guy who writes this column is not really named Mark Bradley. its Vince Dooley.
Cuttysark
November 11th, 2009
1:04 pm
Tech would be able to compete, but are still a few years away from having the type of interior linemen on both sides of the line of scrimmage to make this team very scary. But it is coming faster than anyone thinks.
Go to http://isportsweb.com for more Georgia Tech Football articles.
DawgFan
November 11th, 2009
1:05 pm
JacketFan,
Tech has always been a rivalry game, but it’s just down on the list. Maybe our 4th biggest rival at best. Unlike tool fans, we don’t eat, sleep and crap with thoughts of GT on our minds.
nick pagett
November 11th, 2009
1:06 pm
yes I think tech is a good football team, but let me bust that bubble you put up to be popped. ” no one can match up with nesbitt dwyer, and r. jone. let me remind you… Miami hung them out to dry. dwyer and company took advantage of the freshman last year… Miami knocked the option train off the track. good day
jdawg14
November 11th, 2009
1:06 pm
Paul Johnson is winning because he has Chan Gailey’s recruits. When they are gone he’ll just dry up and blow away.GO DAWGS!
willie martinez
November 11th, 2009
1:06 pm
sorry Mark/Vince. i just couldnt keep the secret any longer.
JacketFan
November 11th, 2009
1:08 pm
STUPID – okay, and take away the lines on the field and the goalposts and you have a soccer pitch. That is the lamest argument ever. Let’s go back and look at UGAg’s SEC championship years and I’m sure we can find some penalties and takeaways to reverse and you have a couple of 6-7 seasons at old UGAg. Whatever. Good teams find a way to win. Tech has done it this year. UGA has not. End of argument.
Go Jackets!
To Hell With Georgia!
Pi$$onaDawg
November 11th, 2009
1:08 pm
UGA as of 2008
UGA 24-36-3 vs Bama
UGA 49-49-6 vs Auburn
UGA 47-38-2 vs Florida
UGA 12-14-1 vs LSU
UGA 16-19-2 vs Tenn.
Yes UGA has been competative but still a losing record.
Tech was even that is better than the DAWGS yes or NO?
knob
November 11th, 2009
1:10 pm
Mike,
I think in 2008 the ACC and SEC split including bowl games. This being the best season the ACC had EVER had as a whole, and one of the worst the SEC had ever had as a whole, yet the ACC could only muster a .500 record against them.
Thanks
Losers with class
November 11th, 2009
1:10 pm
HBTD – 45-42. 9-1. 5-4. Because you like numbers, here are some very current ones for you.
Pi$$onaDawg was OWNED!!!
November 11th, 2009
1:11 pm
You just got slapped silly with some realities. Why don’t you post Tech’s records against FSU or UGA? What a douchebag.
Pi$$onaBee
November 11th, 2009
1:13 pm
As usual, PissonaDawg is forced to latch on to other teams’ coattails since the Dawgs own his sorry a$$ program.
Please, keep on humiliating yourself.
HBTD
November 11th, 2009
1:13 pm
Mike. It’s called RESPECT. When you see the SEC teams week end and out playing the schedules they do, you respect their programs. Tech gets no respect from the dawg nation (or anyone else outside the ACC for that matter) because of the schedules you guys play. You can’t beat up on weak sisters, pound your chest and yell about how great you are and expect to get it. Conversely, your fans make the program a ponit of laughter! Keep it up!
Richt, the jersey rotating queen
November 11th, 2009
1:14 pm
It’s official. His name is now “I Am Stupid”.
willie martinez
November 11th, 2009
1:14 pm
i give up
JacketFan
November 11th, 2009
1:14 pm
DawgFan, actually, for me, the rivalry that keeps me up at night is FSU. I have more “old fashioned hate” for the Criminoles than any other team on Tech’s schedule. I don’t really “hate” Georgia that way. My ideal season would be one that had UGA and Tech matching up undefeated or damn close to it. I want success for all of the teams in this state – my pride as a Georgian supersedes my “hatred” of Athens A&M.
Go Jackets!
To Hell With Georgia!
NikkiFree
November 11th, 2009
1:15 pm
Well, just rub it in why don’t you, Mark.
Richt, the jersey rotating queen
November 11th, 2009
1:16 pm
The only people that respect the fleabags is Nike because of all the jersey orders.
bawhahahahhaha!!!
November 11th, 2009
1:16 pm
This blog is classic!!! There’s nothing more funny than reading Yechers getting blasted with facts and watching them squirm!!!
#1 BAMA FAN
November 11th, 2009
1:17 pm
Hey TECH fans check the schedule for 2011. You will get your wish with BAMA on the schedule. Hope you have the rest of Grant Field finished two years later when we come to Atlanta cause they ain’t enough seats. RTR
Pipepimp
November 11th, 2009
1:17 pm
Moot Topic, F.Y.I.’Bama has played 4 ranked teams this year, Va. Tech, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and L.S.U.! Some may not be ranked now, but theu were at the time they played!
20+ more wins isn't respect?
November 11th, 2009
1:18 pm
Only douchebag tool fans would talk trash about a team that owns their program like a slave. Hilarious!!
JacketFan
November 11th, 2009
1:18 pm
DawgFan,
I really don’t think of UGA all that my much. My big rivalry game is FSU. I really “hate” the Criminoles. Personally, I don’t “hate” UGA – my ideal season would match up Georgia Tech and UGA with undefeated (or damn close to it) records every year. My pride as a Georgian supersedes by “hatred” for the boys at Athens A&M.
Go Jackets!
To Hell With Georgia!
D-fense wins championships
November 11th, 2009
1:18 pm
Have you seen GT’s?
lets have another Blue out!!!
November 11th, 2009
1:19 pm
Hey nerds. How did that “BLUE OUT” workout for ya last year in the Chick-fil-a Bowl?
Here we go again
November 11th, 2009
1:19 pm
OK – for all of you who like to talk about the “mighty” SEC – tell me this: Why do they play such a wimpy non-conference schedule?
AL – Fl Intl, North Texas, Chattanooga (let’s get real)
FL – Charleston Southern (that’s a team?), Troy, FL Intl (just like AL) – FL has only played one team this season that should have been a decent game – LSU
LSU – Washington (big deal at 3-7), LA-LFT, Tulane, LA-Tech – LSU has only played two decent teams this year – AL, FL, and maybe AU
AU – LA-Tech, Ball State, Furman, West VA (some of you will say that they have a good record, but just look at WV’s schedule, South FL beat them) – besides that, AU hasn’t played anybody except TN and LSU
TN – Western KY, Ohio, Memphis, lost to 5-4 UCLA – Once again, TN hasn’t played anyone besides FL, AL, and maybe AU.
People who don’t know the real facts talk about the “mighty” SEC’s record against non-conference opponents – when more than 80% of their NCOs are cream-puffs.
Tim
November 11th, 2009
1:20 pm
Who has Tech beaten? The Jackets beat one above-average team in VA Tech. Who else? Five of their wins have come against teams with losing records and another against Jacksonville State. Put Tech in the SEC and the Jackets would usually be playing for fifth or sixth place over-all. They beat two of the SEC’s dreg teams in Vanderbilt and Miss. State. It’s not as if they played Florida or Alabama. And do you remember what happened to them against LSU in last season’s bowl game? Mark, your recent articles make them sound like one of the great teams of all-time, which they are not.
JacketFan
November 11th, 2009
1:21 pm
EVERYONE!!!!
Please stop with the underlying racist talk on here. I have read too many comments on this thread (SEE 20+ wins). We can rip on each other all day, but there is no room for derogatory comments about players or fans. It’s just trashy.
Tim
November 11th, 2009
1:22 pm
Who has Tech beaten? The Jackets beat one above-average team in VA Tech. Who else? Five of their wins have came against teams with losing records and another against Jacksonville State. Put Tech in the SEC and the Jackets would usually be playing for fifth or sixth place over-all. They beat two of the SEC’s dreg teams in Vanderbilt and Miss. State. It’s not as if they played Florida or Alabama. And do you remember what happened to them against LSU in last season’s bowl game? Mark, your recent articles make them sound like one of the great teams of all-time, which they are not.
DawgFan
November 11th, 2009
1:23 pm
JacketFan,
In all honesty, I think if we took a fair poll of Tech fans, and had them list the top 5 teams they’d wish to beat, it’d be the order of:
1. UGA
2. FSU
3. Clemson
4. Va. Tech
5. North Carolina
For UGA it’d be:
1. UF
2. UT
3. Auburn
4. GT
5. LSU
I think those are pretty accurate assumptions
HBTD
November 11th, 2009
1:23 pm
Here we go again
November 11th, 2009
1:19 pm
OK – for all of you who like to talk about the “mighty” SEC – tell me this: Why do they play such a wimpy non-conference schedule?
ONE MORE TIME. BECAUSE THEY PLAY AN SEC SCHEDULE THAT INCLUDES NUMEROUS TEAMS IN THE TOP 5, 10 AND 20!!!! HOW MANY TIMES MUST WE SAY THIS BEFORE YOU PEOPLE GET IT. DANG. I THOUGHT YOU PEOPLE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WELL EDUCATED.
Here we go again
November 11th, 2009
1:24 pm
jdawg14 – You said “Paul Johnson is winning because he has Chan Gailey’s recruits.” Oh, OK, then I guess your CMR beat FL (the first year) and won the SEC with Donnan recruits?? So – maybe we need to reevaluate CMR and state that since Donnan’s recruits have graduated – UGA/CMR hasn’t done much.
willie martinez
November 11th, 2009
1:24 pm
43-4-1 my record 1980-1983. techies never had a run like that.
Les Miles
November 11th, 2009
1:25 pm
Tech would beat LSU….what a riot…..I think we saw what happened last year with our 8-4 team against basically the same team Tech has this year. These nerd fans are quite the delusional sort. Try having acc teams not lose to I-AA teams and then maybe just maybe you will not be a laughing stock.
$tEpHoN MaRbUrY
November 11th, 2009
1:25 pm
I bEe aGrEeIn’ wIt mAh MaIn HoMiE jAcKeTfAn! StOp dA HaTiN’!!!!!
willie martinez
November 11th, 2009
1:26 pm
here we go again: well, donnan’s recruits didnt exactly graduate. more like ran out of eligibility.
JacketFan
November 11th, 2009
1:27 pm
DawgFan,
Maybe so. My list looks like this:
1. FSU
2. Clumson
3. UGA
4. VA Tech
5. Duke
Also, I think that list for UGA is based on who has handed UGA the most and the most recent losses (e.g. UF and Tenn). If we hand it to you for a couple more years, I imagine that list will change up a bit.
LSU
November 11th, 2009
1:28 pm
Does 38 – 3 mean anything? That was last December!!!
Les Miles
November 11th, 2009
1:28 pm
Jacketfan,
How about bringing me another bowl of the curry.
Techman '95
November 11th, 2009
1:29 pm
Lets be serious for a moment, gentlemen. We are quite possibly witnessing the beginning of a dynasty with what Coach Johnson is doing. We have the best team in the nation this year, handsdown. It’s criminal that Nesbitt isn’t in Heisman discussions, but that’s ok, he’ll get it next year along with our second National Championship in a row.
THWG!!!!
POGO
November 11th, 2009
1:29 pm
Who annointed the SEC as the standard bearer? RIDICKLIST!
Pi$$onaDawg
November 11th, 2009
1:30 pm
UGA vs ACC: I think UGA should join the ACC and maybe they could play for the MNC every year. But DAWGS don’t talk to bad about Wake.
UGA 02-02-0 BC
UGA 38-15-4 Clemson
UGA 01-00-0 Duke
UGA 06-04-1 FSU
UGA 55-38-5 GT
UGA 02-03-1 Maryland
UGA 07-04-1 Miami
UGA 15-06-2 UNC
UGA 06-01-1 NCSU
UGA 09-06-3 UVa
UGA 02-01-0 VT
UGA 01-02-0 Wake
Richt might want to join the ACC or find a new job in the ACC.
Les Miles
November 11th, 2009
1:30 pm
Jacketfan,
Duke as the 5th team you would most like to defeat. That is hilarious….Duke rarely fields a competitive team and this is whom you rank as the 5th team you would like to beat. You did not get this confused with basketball did you? Maybe cricket?
Shaye
November 11th, 2009
1:30 pm
Hey, Here we go again , you left VA Tech (ranked #7 at the time) out of the Tide’s non-conference schedule, Sure, there are some cream puffs in there, but don’t leave that one out.
For the most part, I agree with Mark, not only on where I’d put GA Tech, but also on why (basically, defense). I disagree with the folks who say the ACC is the worst of the “big” conferences. FSU and Miami have just not been up to par lately, which I think accounts for a lot of that, and other conferences are overrated. (How else explain USC?) I have watched many SEC games this year (and many, many other years) and have managed to watch at least parts of many GT games. Sure, they’ve stumbled here and there, but who hasn’t? You certainly can’t say Florida, Bama, or Texas has looked dominant in all their games, either, and yet they are still–correctly–ranked as the top 3.
That said, Roll Tide!
JacketFan
November 11th, 2009
1:30 pm
20+ (Marbury) – Alright, wonderbread. That’s about enough of that. Just like a racist, lowlife to hide behind a computer. Real tough, big man. Bring that talk to the Varsity on Nov. 28th. I’ll be in the parking lot, champagne-colored F-150, grilling ribs and steaks with some of my “homies.” We’ll be glad to feed you.
TomB
November 11th, 2009
1:31 pm
If we are comparing stats then just look at how Miss State’s defense shut LSU down, but couldn’t come close to stopping Tech. Tech punted once I believe in that game. This doesn’t mean anything because GT’s achilles heel has been it’s defense this year. But I’m sick of all you UGA fans throwing stats around defending the SEC so lets compare. Vanderbilt was suppose to have this great defense(look at their stats in the mighty SEC), but couldn’t come close to stopping Tech(600+ total yards). How do you explain this UGA fans critical of Tech’s high school offense? Two of the better defenses in the SEC(stats support this) couldn’t come close to stopping Tech’s offense. Go figure.
DawgFan
November 11th, 2009
1:32 pm
JacketFan,
Yes and no. UF has always been our biggest rival though, dating back to when they first decided to play the game in Jacksonville. We have had a bitter rivalry with UT over the years and the Auburn/UGA game is the oldest rivalry in the south. So, I think the list I gave for UGA stands the test of time more so than Tech’s. But yes, recent results does fuel the games a lot depending on the win or losing stretches.
red5.ws
November 11th, 2009
1:32 pm
Mark you and Jeff are gonna enjoy some crow on 11-28-09.
JacketFan
November 11th, 2009
1:34 pm
Les – the list was about rivalry games. For me, beating Duke in football is a moment to retaliate for their owning us in basketball. It’s just a personal thing. Kind of like LSU and Ole Miss. LSU owns Ole Miss every year, but the rivalry is still strong from the 1950s.
POGO
November 11th, 2009
1:35 pm
National Championships and the best record of any conference in BCS bowls gives you bragging rights. By the way…..acc is 2-9 in BCS games. The way you get to claim you are the best is by proving it on the field…..hope this clears it up for you.