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?
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
901 comments Add your comment
F-105 Thunderchief
November 11th, 2009
8:44 am
If Tech were in the SEC, would they necessarily have SEC talent? Hmmm. Vanderbilt is in the SEC, is academically challenging and doesn’t have SEC talent. I’m guessing the scholarship benefits are the same, or do even scholarship players at Vandy face high private school costs?
dcbl
November 11th, 2009
8:44 am
LSU played a hell of a game against Abalama (sic)
I’m a GA boy living in Hoover (which is Birmingham’s version of Dunwoody or Alph-forever…)
GA Tech would be at LEAST the 3rd best team in the SEC & maybe the 2nd best team. BUT, anyone who thinks they would have ‘no shot’ to win the conference is deceiving themself.
UGA had LSU probably beat. But for an insane call, LSU would have likely lost to the Georgia Bulldogs. Sure, the Tigers ripped off a hell of a drive, but that bad penalty & the resulting field position that the Tigers got really took the wind out of Georgia’s sails.
Don’t get me wrong. Nothing would make me happier than to see the Dawg’s ruin Tech’s season (unless it resulted in CMR deciding that his staff is just fine as it is…). But it ain’t going to happen (or rather, it ain’t likely).
LSU may not even be able to beat Ole Miss (we’ll find out soon enough). They would be at least a 3.5 point dog to the Jackets.
Not gonna say that MB is an idiot
BUT – I will say that my picks this year (both against the line and straight up) are better than Jeff Schultz’s…
http://perspectives.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=216484&forum_id=53
http://perspectives.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=216486&forum_id=53
http://perspectives.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=216440&forum_id=5
Would love to see Mark join the fun on the weekly picks…
greg
November 11th, 2009
8:45 am
Let’s see. Tech got killed by Miami, dominated by Clemson for most of the game after a few lucky plays in the 1st quarter and won at the end after a blown call against Clemson, took overtime to beat an average Wake Forest team, and just beat Florida State. They easily could have 4 loses and would not be in the top 25. Come on…they ain’t that good. Clemson wins big in the ACC championship game.
3 DAWG KNIGHT
November 11th, 2009
8:45 am
Third place in both SEC East and west.
Paddy
November 11th, 2009
8:46 am
Teddy…you got part of it correct. That 9 in the box analogy does not wash. Early this pre-season CPJ was asked the same question. More or less he answered it this way. Teams have stacked the line against me and we still won. I have seen it all. Eventually somebody is going to make a mistake and we are going to score. The man knows his offense! Don’t have any stats to disprove you Teddy but my guess is that there is not a 5 lbs difference overall in the size of the lineman in the SEC vs the ACC. Hope somebody checks this out.
VT Yellow Jacket
November 11th, 2009
8:47 am
Tech loses to LSU 38-3 last year. I think there are 2 major reasons for that.
1) Tech’s level of success was completely unexpected last season, and there was a let down. That was based on immaturity. I don’t think it’ll happen anymore.
2) LSU had 4 weeks to prepare for the spread option. Time will tell if this type of prep time makes a difference. If it does, then we’ll see a lot of disappointing ends to otherwise successful seasons. If CPJ is right, the extra time won’t matter. I think he is right!
BTW, what’s with the stupid “first!” posts? Sheesh, get over it.
WRECKED TECH
November 11th, 2009
8:47 am
Third place in either division.
3 DAWG KNIGHT
November 11th, 2009
8:48 am
What are you crazy dude!
Saint
November 11th, 2009
8:48 am
I’m a die hard Jackets fan, but i’m also realistic. So with that said, i would have to agree with you on that.
3 DAWG KNIGHT
November 11th, 2009
8:50 am
Bradley…I see you are censoring your column…what ever happened to freedom of press and speach?
Tiger Fan 29229
November 11th, 2009
8:51 am
GT looked like Apollo Creed at the end of Rocky I in the 4th qtr of the Clemson game. They were scared. They knew they were going to escape, barely. However, they didn’t want to get hit anymore. ACCCG is neutral site and Clemson’s defense and offense are in a much better place than the first go around. GT stay in the ATL for the Chik-Fil-A Bowl and the Tigers go the the Orange to avenge their loss against TCU. Mark it down GT is our next Tombstone on the practice field.
The Real SugarHillDawg
November 11th, 2009
8:51 am
You Tech fans have forgotten what happened when you all left the conference and played a team from the SEC with superior talent didn’t you??CPJ is a good coach and does the best with what he has BUT he can’t compete with Good coaching with GREAT talent! I know the truth hurts.UGA will be the second team you all play this year that has comparable talent to Miami and what happened then??Our running game is gonna be going then and AJ well……. is gonna be AJ and it’s gonna be a shootout again.
WRECKED TECH
November 11th, 2009
8:51 am
Possibly as high as #2,but without much of a passing game I don’t know.
NY Jacket
November 11th, 2009
8:52 am
Mark,
We are going to find out when Tech starts playing Alabama again. Seems to me when GT was in the SEC, they had no problem beating Florida, Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee, et al. Even Bear Bryant had real respect for how tough Georgia Tech was.
My high school coaches in Jacksonville played at Florida and Alabama and they told me that Georgia Tech was the hardest hitting team they ever played and let me know that I would fit in at Tech and get a great education.
Things have not changed.
Does it matter where TECH would finish
November 11th, 2009
8:53 am
The fact is, this is a rediculous conversation. We don’t know where Tech would finish in the SEC, they could finish first or tenth – we really don’t know. Just like we don’t know where Georgia would finish in the ACC. Teams can only schedule non-conference games to challenge them the most and then play the schedule in front of them. Kudos to Tech for scheduling three SEC teams this year and upcoming series against Kansas, Alabama and Auburn (again). Shame on Florida for Charleston Southern and FIU.
67King
November 11th, 2009
8:53 am
Tech would be close to the top. Folks, it doesn’t matter if you give up 30 points when you score on darn near every drive. Vandy punted 7 times, Tech once. We did NOT punt against FSU. What types of teams give Tech’s defense a hard time? Good passing teams. Wake had 20 yards rushing against us. We’d take Bama to the woodshed. We’d be competitive against UF. Ole Miss may be the most threatening team in the SEC, because of the matchup. What you miss with the point about “speed” is that when you can gain 4-6 yards on nearly every play up the middle, you nullify the speed. And sheesh, it almost helps us in the event you didn’t see the 11 minute drive against Va Tech. If you just look at the 2008 score against LSU, you miss that they only outgained us by 10 yards. Scores don’t mean anything if you are speculating. Look at yards gained, yards per play, etc. Those are the stats that give the better indication. Besides, in 2008, we beat the third place team, UGA……since you use 2008 to justify the position. BTW….in 2008-2009, since the article pulls up both, Tech is 4-1, going on 5-1 against the SEC.
Not to mention the fact that every coach we face talks about the near impossibility of preparing for us in a short period of time. Urban Meyer is the only coach in the SEC who even belongs in the same breath as Paul Johnson.
GT_Paula
November 11th, 2009
8:53 am
Tech would do better in the SEC than UGA does. And Tech is on the way up, while UGA is tanking, probably to become a 2nd-tier team for at least the next few years until they decide to hire a new coach to turn it around.
My opinion.
acowa
November 11th, 2009
8:54 am
I wish GT would schedule more games with SEC teams. We have a home and home with BAMA coming up in a few years. Should be interesting enough. Wonder if Saban and CPJ will still be coaching when it hits.
GThor
November 11th, 2009
8:54 am
greg, so then by your standards a UF team that beat Arkansas on a blown call, let Miss St hang around just as much as Tech did, let Tennessee hang around early in the season when they weren’t very good, barely got by LSU, played an EMBARRASING OOC slate, and only scored 27 on a Vandy team Tech hung 56 on must not really be very good?
Old Gold Britches
November 11th, 2009
8:54 am
I have to agree with Calvin except Tech is pretty good offensively, and they are getting better defensively each week. This team believes in what they are capable of doing and has the mind set to get it done. I cannot think of another coach I would want to get me there.
Also, let’s take a look at the “Sagarin strength of schedule” for the top of the rankings:
Florida 42
Alabama 25
TCU 47
Texas 52
Cincinnati 67
Oregon 8
Boise St. 82
LSU 17
At least give the mutts a little credit for the S of S.
Dawg Tired
November 11th, 2009
8:55 am
I think if Tech played Tennessee today that UT would win. I believe that Florida, Bama, LSU and UT would all get penetration with their front four and that is the key to busting up the option. Let’s be honest with each other. Tech’s defense is as bad as ours. I’m not hating on Tech. They are better than we are and I’ll have to live with that fact for another long year.
BankerDawg
November 11th, 2009
8:56 am
I agree with most who have Tech third, ahead of LSU. I cannot understand what LSU has done this year to garner so much respect, other than lose to Bama and Florida, which, I guess some view as “impressive”.
Here is their schedule:
9/5 at Washington W 31-23
9/12 Vanderbilt W 23-9
9/19 UL Lafayette W 31-3
9/26 at Miss State W 30-26
10/3 at Georgia W 20-13
10/10 Florida L 13-3
10/17 OPEN DATE
10/24 Auburn W 31-10
10/31 at Tulane W 42-0
11/7 at Alabama L 24-15
11/14 Louisiana Tech
11/21 at Ole Miss
11/28 Arkansas
I just don’t see it. The fact they are #8 in the BCS is a testament to the idiocy of preseason polls versus any on field achievements this year.
Honestly, I haven’t seen anything terribly impressive in the SEC all year, but we are getting the benefit of the doubt from the media, and Florida, Bama, and LSU were all highly regarding coming into the season, which is how LSU has hung around.
It’s not just the SEC, look at the Pac 10 with USCw #9 with two losses, one of which is to a SIX LOSS Washington….and tOSU in the Big Televen, ranked # 11 with two losses, one to a SIX LOSS Purdue team.
Awful.
Anyway, back on topic, I think Tech would have performed very well this year, at least #3 in the SEC….and no one wants to play them in a playoff, I guarantee it.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS! SIC ‘EM! BEAT AUBURN!
j
November 11th, 2009
8:56 am
Mark,
I hate to break the news to you, but you are wrong. LSU almost lost to UGAY. UGAY, as we all know, is horrible! They would be first or second in the west. Tennessee showed the country that Alabama is not all that. What a horse $hit shock jock story. It is pathetic that you have nothing to do now because UGAY is so bad!
The Real YellowJacket
November 11th, 2009
8:56 am
Always ahead of the puppies.
XXXVII
November 11th, 2009
8:57 am
I assume they’d be in the SEC east. So it would depend on which SEC west teams they played in a given year. If they play Ole Miss, LSU, Bama they’ll lose those plus they’ll lose to Florida, UGA, and maybe Tennessee in the east so that’d put them near the bottom. If they had Miss St and Arkansas on the schedule they’d have a few less losses and be somewhere in the middle.
Gt4ever
November 11th, 2009
8:57 am
F-105, GT can and does elect to take marginal student athletes. We could recruit with the big guys and would be a very good football team. I have NO idea what Vandy’s requirements admitting football players have been, we can speculate that they don’t put as much priority in allowing marginal students, which would explain their win loss record. For all the GT fans who would disagree with the fact that we have different guide lines for athletes…. We recruit the same players that UGA does and all the rest of the football factories.
GT_Paula
November 11th, 2009
8:58 am
“Tech is pretty good offensively, and they are getting better defensively each week. This team believes in what they are capable of doing and has the mind set to get it done.”
A perfect assessment, and this is exactly what UGA does not have and will never have with the kind of undisciplined, unprincipled players that Mark Richt recruits.
skydawg
November 11th, 2009
9:00 am
I can’t wait for the Dawgs to once again beat down the Nerds and shut all this “Tech is this and Tech is that talk”. I can’t wait to see all those dejected looks on the faces of the 2/3 full stadium. Tech is a joke and this flash in the pan mentality cracks me up. You can bank on this Nerds…the Dawgs will ruin your season. So make sure not to bring any sharp objects, like a compass point or sharpened slide rule. Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself when you realize how much of a joke you are. That a mediocre (by Dawg standards) UGA team beats you down like the redheaded step child you are. It will happen..take it to the bank.
good morning buggies!!!
November 11th, 2009
9:01 am
absolutely lmao, 17 days till tech goes up against the sec again, hmm, good luck between the slums at grunt stadium
VegasGT
November 11th, 2009
9:02 am
First of all, the whole point of this article was to say where MB thought this year’s GT team would finish in this year’s SEC. I do not think he is that far off if everyone performed to expectations. I think it would be a toss-up with LSU. I also think they could end up higher or lower, but the assumption is based on averages.
What would happen if GT’s defense got better or when PJ’s recruits fill out the ranks is just another if. You could easily say “if Meyer went to ND, if Sagan had a stroke, if Miles choaked on some crawfish, if anyone’s recruiting did not live up to expectations (talk to Richt about this one), etc.”
It just doesn’t matter because it is not reality. Reality is that anyone can win on any given Saturday. That is why they play the games. Each game has it’s own unique set of circumstances and challenges that can turn a game one way or another.
I thought it was an interesting topic, but not of much consequence to deliberate too long.
tech is afraid to join the sec
November 11th, 2009
9:03 am
tech doesn’t have the athletes to play a full sec schedule , maybe to compete with vandy and miss.state, but not Georgia, tenn, fla. , alabama, and lsu all in the same year, Stay in that weak forest sister of a conference insect team and thrive in your feminine little beehive, roflmao
Bama Aaron
November 11th, 2009
9:03 am
I agree with you Mark. The Tech’ers would be about 4th…maybe 5th as I think the Vol defense is probably good enough to stop them.
But for all the crying their fans are doing on here they’ve really got to take a step into reality. Option offense is based on the fact that the opposing D won’t show enough displine to play all the options. UF and Bama…especially Bama have two of the most displined D’s in the country…couple that with speed that is probably greater than your offense and you’ll be lucky to score 10.
oh but tech will beat Georgia
November 11th, 2009
9:04 am
we always beat Georgia, they aren’t even a threat this year!
Gringo
November 11th, 2009
9:04 am
Sorry but I gotta roll with Tech beating UF. Maybe not Alabama, but UF for certain.
Steady GT Fan
November 11th, 2009
9:06 am
I agree with Mark on his placement of Tech and his rational. Tech’s offensive system is now proven and gives Tech some advantages (most teams do not see it often, it wears down defenses, it doesn’t give them a break, it reduces the advantages of one or two great defensive players to reak havock on an offense, it lifts all levels of players through a good system). We should be competitive each year if Paul continues to have the passion he presently has on the offensive side.
But, for Tech to take the next step, recruiting on the defensive side is the key. To play with the best of the best you need defensive talent (big, athletic, quick, fast, intelligent players). That will come over time as players want to play for winners.
Go Tech!
Tampa Wreck
November 11th, 2009
9:06 am
I’ll give you Florida and Alabama. They’re undefeated and likely better than GT this year based on strong defenses, but I think we finish ahead of LSU.
Gt4ever
November 11th, 2009
9:07 am
skydawg…. Lay off the caffeine. It will be your undoing! UGA could beat us, but the odds are against that happening. Here is hoping for GT to hang 50 on your sorry azze team!
Jim R.
November 11th, 2009
9:07 am
GT fans that keep making statements like “GT will be consistently competing for NCs” are deluding themselves as they do on a variety of subjects. NO ACC team will consistently compete for NCs anytime soon because of the overall weakness of the conference. Another factor is that unless you are FSU, VT, and maybe Cemson, ACC fans are notorious no shows at bowl games with GT maybe the worst. GT has the worst rep in America when it comes to supporting their team with their attendance and travel. For the time being the SEC and Big 12, USC, and Ohio St. are the odds on favorites to remain the teams most likely to see NC games. Hell, GT can’t even jump johnny come latelys like TCU and Cincinnati. There’s a reason for that. GT killed the city of Jacksonville when they last made it to the ACC title game and now just mention of GT in that game makes the sponsor city cringe.
why are we discussing tech and the sec
November 11th, 2009
9:07 am
stay with duke, virginia, wake and unc, and definitely Jacksonville State, are they in the Acc , what state is Jacksonville state in , roflmao, nice schedule buggies!!!!!! ole miss would be ranked 7th in the bcs with that sister of schedule!!! roflmao
SEC Fact Check .com
November 11th, 2009
9:08 am
Mark, I agree with AL and FL but I would at least call the LSU a draw. Yes, last year’s LSU whooped up on Tech. Turnovers and special team screw-ups cost that game for Tech.
Comparing how VA Tech played AL just after losing their starting running back and how LSU played AL, I would say VA Tech and LSU are fairly even. In fairness GA Tech in not hugely better than than VA Tech but did indeed beat VA Tech. So, this is my only bases for comparing LSU to GA Tech.
Need a playoff system to prove me wrong, or to prove you wrong, or to prove . . . .
BartBuzz
November 11th, 2009
9:09 am
It must be a slow blog day. I didn’t even finish reading the article because it’s a dumb question to ponder. GT’s not in the SEC and won’t be. Tech is leading the ACC and will be 3-0 against the SEC come December.
Go Jackets….beat Duke! Then it’s up with the White and Gold, down with the Red and Black! THWG.
Dan
November 11th, 2009
9:09 am
I’m a bit confused by some of the comments. Some have said that we can’t throw and so we could not win. But, Tennessee can’t throw either and they seemed pretty competitive against UF and Bama (I won’t even mention what happened in UGA game). Others have said our defense isn’t good enough. But has anyone bothered to watch Auburn, UGA, or Arkansas. We’d likely finish second or thrid in the SEC.
EDGE
November 11th, 2009
9:09 am
All I’m saying is, you can’t ignore facts! We may have just beaten UGA for the first time in years, but look at some of the other SEC matchups we have had. We beat Auburn both times we played them when they had Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams, good thing they didnt play us that undefeated years-huh. We beat Vandy two years when they had Jay Cutler, and we did all that with Chan Gailey at the helm. Now with Coach Johnson we are 4-1 against the SEC foes we have played. So really, why do people keep saying we can’t compete or are they just biased SEC homers?!
15 fans!!
November 11th, 2009
9:09 am
I thought the bugnation took 15 fans to Jacksonville last time they made a bowl there, roflmao, nice fair weather fan base!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SEC Fact Check .com
November 11th, 2009
9:11 am
Jim R.
FSU did so for a LONG TIME. Your point is not valid. Back then, the knock on the ACC was we ONLY had FSU. Now, we have alot of good teams but no one dominant team.
I think it is the non-ACC spin . . . .
Edge..as in dull edge
November 11th, 2009
9:11 am
cause you can’t beat Florida, Alabama and Lsu, moron…and you are 1 and 7 against georgia this century!! clue in
Otto
November 11th, 2009
9:11 am
Vandy and Miss st. both hung 31 on GT?
The only games Vandy put up more were 34 on Rice and 45 on Western Kentucky. Miss St. put up 45 on Jack St the only game where they scored more.
Vandy and Miss St. are last and tied for their last in their divisions.
IMO GT could finish 3rd in the west and possibly as high as 2nd in the East if they had an easy schedule from the west. If the played Bama, LSU, and UF I think they could drop to 4th in a division.
LSU in the Top 10? No they are not as good as years past but who is?
Thanks to the parity that is destroying college football the top 3 are clear and past that 25 teams can flip a coin for their ranking.
chess conference
November 11th, 2009
9:12 am
i hear the acc is good at chess! maybe just a rumor, roflmao
Dan
November 11th, 2009
9:12 am
Also, do ACC folks get to point out that when Wake beat Ole Miss last year all we heard was how it was only Ole Miss so it didn’t really matter…except that when that same time beat UF we heard how that proved how tough the SEC is. But don’t let facts get in the way of your point.
BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA
November 11th, 2009
9:12 am
GT would absolutely not be in the top 2 or 3 in either side of the SEC. That’s the funniest thing I’ve read in a while. Way to stir up the pot on a rainy Veterans day.
Instead, how about a good journalistic story on some Georgia vets who played sports in the state. Maybe high school standouts who went to war from our state. Anything? Bueler???