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
JacketFan
November 11th, 2009
2:18 pm
Ga Tech Sense, give me a break. We’ve been eating crow for the past 3 decades. I don’t mind the taste of it so much as long as I get to serve it to my Dawg brethren now and again.
scared big time
November 11th, 2009
2:20 pm
ya’ll have a good one and remember its just game, not much in the eyes of eternity!!!!
TomB
November 11th, 2009
2:21 pm
SEC Fan: Tech played both of their SEC games on the road this year. You say Miss State and Vandy are not good so maybe compare how they played against the best in the SEC, Fl and LSU. Miss State lost in a tough game against LSU, 30-26, and lost 29-19 to FL, both respectable games, not blow outs.
SEC Fan
November 11th, 2009
2:22 pm
I’m not contradicting anything. We had 3 teams in the National Title talk until 2 of those teams had to play each other. The ACC has had one team scratch and claw its way into the National Title picture (on the extreme outskirts of the picture) and the ACC is somehow on a closer level to the SEC? As in your top team finishing in fourth? So Tech loses to 2 of the 3 top teams (Bama, Florida, and LSU), splits with the middle of the pack teams (S. Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Auburn…not in that order), has a touch time and possibly loses to on of the bottom of the teams in the conference (just like you Jackets have said Vandy and Mississippi are up and coming SEC teams) and wins the rest of their non-conference games and that would put them 4th in our conference? Our conference is that good. You can’t argue with results and we’ve gotten results for ohhhh the past 100 years!!!! I know the arrogance is killing everyone but someone has to be the best.
SEC Fan
November 11th, 2009
2:22 pm
I’m not contradicting anything. We had 3 teams in the National Title talk until 2 of those teams had to play each other. The ACC has had one team scratch and claw its way into the National Title picture (on the extreme outskirts of the picture) and the ACC is somehow on a closer level to the SEC? As in your top team finishing in fourth? So Tech loses to 2 of the 3 top teams (Bama, Florida, and LSU), splits with the middle of the pack teams (S. Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Auburn…not in that order), has a touch time and possibly loses to on of the bottom of the teams in the conference (just like you Jackets have said Vandy and Mississippi are up and coming SEC teams) and wins the rest of their non-conference games and that would put them 4th in our conference? Our conference is that good. You can’t argue with results and we’ve gotten results for ohhhh the past 100 years!!!! I know the arrogance is killing everyone but someone has to be the best.
Dave from GT
November 11th, 2009
2:24 pm
Huh???!!!! What is all this crap about talent? FL had talent when they had the Zooker. GA has talent and the have Richt.
GT has talent and they have a new Johnson. So… it really comes down to the Johnson…. doesn’t it?
kgb
November 11th, 2009
2:27 pm
GT would consistently beat one of those three, possibly 2 depending upon the time each team has before the game with GT. But, of course, you would have to take into account all the favorable calls that the big 3 in the SEC constantly get.
1eyedJack
November 11th, 2009
2:28 pm
If tech wishes to ever be truly relevant in college football they should relocate their campus to the suburbs and raze that dump in the middle of the ghetto.
JacketFan
November 11th, 2009
2:30 pm
So much of the perceived SEC dominance and rankings has to do with preseason polls. I say no polls until the BCS is released. That would certainly level the playing field.
SEC Fan
November 11th, 2009
2:32 pm
Favorable calls have gone for and against every team this year. As the players and coaches say the refs don’t put the ball in the end zone and can’t score points. I’ve seen bogus calls go against the 3 top ranked teams too. Everyone seems to be ignoring those. Tech would have nightmares about those 3 defenses. Don’t kid yourself, Bama and Florida are on a whole different level and you could throw LSU into that group too and Tech would get beat by all 3 teams 9 times out of ten….the latest beating happening last year in the Bowl game.
JacketFan
November 11th, 2009
2:32 pm
1eyedJack – I love having a campus in the middle of the city. As to the crime, I remember several instances of serial rapes happening in and around the UGA campus. Not to mention, Athens smells like a dirty, urine-soaked dog every time it rains there. No thanks.
Dave from GT
November 11th, 2009
2:32 pm
Hey one eyed OFF, you mean like Southern Cal did?
Ah…. Athens in the summer, how intriguing!
Reck in e
November 11th, 2009
2:33 pm
You should ask how would Georgia fair in the ACC.
Dean George Griffin
November 11th, 2009
2:33 pm
We all like to write, and speculate. What is of ultimate importance, just now, is that Tech whip Duke, three days from now, and Georgia,
seventeen days from now. I believe both those victories will be ours, although I respect certain strengths that both those teams have.
Pi$$onaDawg
November 11th, 2009
2:36 pm
SEC FAN The problem is that the POLS start too early. Tech was #15 then lost to what was thought to be a top 10 Miami. We got so far behind in the polls it was hard to come back. If Tech went down from 15 to say 18 than Tech would have been in the top 10 earlier and talked about more. The POLLS are a JOKE and so is the SEC/NCAA beauty contest called the National Championship. Every league play all your teams and have a Championship game and then the winners play for the CRYSTAL FOOTBALL. Leave dumba$$es like Tony BLOWHARD out of the picture.
DawgFan
November 11th, 2009
2:37 pm
JacketFan,
You’ve managed to lose a few screws here in the last several minutes. First off, UGA is 2-1 in BCS games. They have just as many BCS wins as the entire ACC combined. So you really have ZERO room to talk trash about UGA. And anyone with a lick of sense realizes UGA has a beautiful campus with the perfect downtown small town atmosphere to boot. Tech is stuck in the slums and ghetto of Atlanta where students are getting mugged on a weekly basis.
UKnowY
November 11th, 2009
2:38 pm
Tech would finish at least third or forth in either division of the SEC. They would lose to Bama and LSU in the west maybe even Arkansas this year since their D is not all that great. Florida, Tennessee, and maybe UGA and UK in the east. GT will beat Duke then lose on the 28th and lose on the 5th and wind up in the Gator or Chick-fil-a Bowl again. Write it down so you can say UKnowY told you so.
Reck in effect
November 11th, 2009
2:38 pm
The should really set up an ACC/SEC challenge held at the Georgia Dome and Carolina Panthers Stadium. You should have a total of 8-10 teams play on Friday,Saturday and Sunday. This would settle the whole dispute.
Tres Option
November 11th, 2009
2:40 pm
Georgia would be last in the ACC cause they suck vienna sausages. Eww, that sounds pretty grody!
gtphotographer
November 11th, 2009
2:40 pm
If Georgia Tech could concentrate cash and resources to being a Top 10 recruiter every year, then the tides could turn.
Comparing $EC to ACC is like comparing apples to oranges. Jan Kemp would agree with me on this–there is an academic expectation in being a student athlete at an ACC school.
Hell, even FSU had a potential med student on their team last year, and they’re the worst academic school in the conference! Vandy, you stand alone in the $EC.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/best-colleges/2009/03/03/college-rankings-by-athletic-conference.html
Center Sean Bedford (Aerospace Engineering) would have to agree. Football + AE has gotta suck.
jemmy
November 11th, 2009
2:41 pm
TomB,
You’re looking like a desperate inbred here. You’re trying to compare how teams do against other teams, as some method of measuring how good another particular team is? Grow up. Tech got their a$$es kicked by Miami, while Miami got the snot kicked out of them by Va Tech, and Tech beat Va. Tech. So yeah, your childish theory gets thrown out the window.
Dave from GT
November 11th, 2009
2:41 pm
Dawg Fan….. I think that Athens smells like a dirty, uring soaked dog when it rains, and come to think of it…. even when it doesn’t.
UKnowY
November 11th, 2009
2:42 pm
Polls start to early????? You’re ranked seventh in the nation, if you look at those ranked one through six you will see one glaring difference between them and GT. Here’s a hint, look at the column with the L over it and you may figure it out.
Webster
November 11th, 2009
2:43 pm
I like reck in effect’s idea, an all weekend ACC/SEC challenge would settle this whole SEC is better than ACC, oh the ACC has no talent and doesnt compete with the SEC. The Big 12 would kick the SEC’s but so whats ur pizzoint?
Robert
November 11th, 2009
2:43 pm
The bottom line is the essence of the charm of college football is the unpredictability of it. Tenn almost beat Bama for chrissakes!! Georgia can certainly come into Atlanta and beat tech but by the same token tech could rout georgia. no way of knowing until we actually see the game. Tech could beat any SEC team on any given saturday and vice versa. The radically partisan comments from tech and uga people are ridiculous mouth breathing sentiments. Bradley is probably spot on in his analysis.
Nawls
November 11th, 2009
2:44 pm
Reck,
That would be awesome, but you know it would never work out. Odds are, the best ACC and SEC teams from the previous year would be down the following year when the challenge would be taking place. The only real way to do it would be at the end of the season, but that would never happen.
In every bowl game last year, the SEC team was the lower seeded team out of their conference as compared to their opponent, and they still managed to go 6-2 in a very down year. Pretty cool.
michelle
November 11th, 2009
2:45 pm
Personally, as a Tech girl I love having to run and hide from all the homeless, rapists and drug dealers as I walk to and from class everyday. I feel as though I’m very fortunate to get so cultured.
What about Bob?
November 11th, 2009
2:46 pm
Last time I went to Athens it was like walking into the stadium mens room, smelled and looked like someone wee wee’ed all over the place and there were trash everywhere and frat boys who needed a haircut and an attitude adjustment!!!!
Pi$$onaDawg
November 11th, 2009
2:46 pm
UKY yourself in the shower too? No POLL is worth a crap before the 5th week of the season. If the Gators didn’t start at #1 they would not be ther now with the weak games they have played.
Dave from GT
November 11th, 2009
2:47 pm
Isn’t U KY a member of the SEC?
Nawlens, Looosiana
November 11th, 2009
2:48 pm
This news just in: SEC is overrated…………………. Get over urselfs!
UKnowY
November 11th, 2009
2:48 pm
Dave if one of the best college towns in America smells like this to you I’m wondering what a cesspool like the ATL is like, in your opinion.
Les Miles
November 11th, 2009
2:48 pm
Time will tell when the bowls roll around……and just like every other year the SEC will dominate once again. The mighty nerds were slain 38-3, the big bad Texas Tech Red Raiders go down to a “lesser” Ole Miss team 47-34. The overrated every season Sooners lose to Florida 24-14…. and the Tide well they did not do too well. Care to trot out the statistics for the acc in the bowls? That should be a hoot…….
JacketFan
November 11th, 2009
2:49 pm
DawgFan – You’re talking to someone who lived in Athens for three years, friend. UGA does have a lovely campus, but Athens-Clark County is not some safe, insulated haven from crime. The major difference between the two locations is the rate of unforced segregation in regard to income level. In other words, all of the poor folks live in the outskirts (northside) of Athens, with the campus in a cushy bubble of higher-income and student housing. You can’t do that in the city. However, UGA still has a high rate of on-campus violent crime, including rape and armed robbery. Not to mention, all of those moronic drunk frat boys speeding up and down Milledge Ave in their raised trucks.
Tres Option
November 11th, 2009
2:50 pm
Yeah good queshun Dave, UK is the most boring SEC team to watch play football! I would rather watch paint dry or glue dry or something. Uhh, huh huh….
ACC = Bowl losses
November 11th, 2009
2:50 pm
The ACC is great for making money off of. If you can find anyone dumb enough to take a ACC team as a winner in a bowl game, just beat on their opponent and you win!!! It’s like stealing candy from a baby!!!
UKnowY
November 11th, 2009
2:51 pm
The Gators may not be ranked #1 but they would still be ranked higher then the nerds!!! Lose column UF 0; GT 1!!!
UKnowY
November 11th, 2009
2:51 pm
Loss column*
Pi$$onaDawg
November 11th, 2009
2:51 pm
Atlanta the place that Makes the State of Georgia work? It smells like a Big City that has problems yes, but it does generate MONEY. How many students at UGA get money from the Lottery to attend Lawn/Landscape class?
Gator Fan
November 11th, 2009
2:53 pm
Look at UGA fans counting a win against little Hawaii as a BCS victory!
WOW UGA beat up little Hawaii!
Dave from GT
November 11th, 2009
2:53 pm
Ahh… the ATL has the sweet smell of International Competition, (aka Olympics), plus the aroma of good paying JOBS (not a concern in Athens), not to mention The Cheetah and Alluvia.
You said it yourself…… Athens- a college town. Nothing more.
And it still smells like a dirty, urine soaked dog.
Webster
November 11th, 2009
2:54 pm
We all know half dem lil frat boy sissys in Athens havent seen or better yet even been close to a ghetto in they lives, they really is in a bubble. Reality check, college doesnt last forever sissy boys!
Les Miles
November 11th, 2009
2:54 pm
Who are the idiots posting the Big 12 would dominate the SEC? Look at last years results in the BCS and then revise your statement. It’s all fun and games until reality strikes……..
Pi$$onaDawg
November 11th, 2009
2:54 pm
No answer? I will tell you that the Lottery players from what is called Metro Atlanta sends kids to UGA more than the Lotto players form Athens-Clarke County. Athens-Clarke County people to pay taxes to house UGA players every so often though.
JacketFan
November 11th, 2009
2:55 pm
Athens-Clarke County Crime Stats:
Murder: 1.13 times the national average
Forcible Rape: 1.37 times the national average
Yeah – pleasant
Urban Myer
November 11th, 2009
2:55 pm
Les, either way you suck!
UKnowY
November 11th, 2009
2:56 pm
Yeah Atlanta that makes the state operate that’s why the state was so eager to help out the city with all their recent monetary needs. And no not a UK Wildcat here, actually got the name from one of my favorite movies.
Shirley Franklin
November 11th, 2009
2:56 pm
Atlanta the place to make money………Ok and then the green cards expire for all the tech graduates. The only ones left are those bottom feeders witht the mgt degree.
DawgFan
November 11th, 2009
2:57 pm
I too lived in Athens and was one of the “moronic drunk fat boys” you refer to. If not for all the schools (not just UGA) the “forced segregated income” people would more than likely not have any jobs. Without UGA, Athens wouldn’t even show on the map. While I was at UGA there was a horrible string of rapes that occurred. Eventually they caught the perv, and shockingly enough he lived in the projects right across the street from the freshman dorms. But there is no comparison in which campus is more safe. UGA wins that debate in a landslide. And I rather have drunk coeds to deal with over random terrorists building bombs on campus.
Les Miles
November 11th, 2009
2:59 pm
Thank you, Urban. Whatcha doing tonight?