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
RedKneckerson
November 11th, 2009
9:13 am
I noticed Tenn. was nowhere on the Bradley list of SEC rankings. He did throw a bone to UGA and Carolina ( Iguess he thinks they are the teams closet to UF) Odd that UT beat the piss out of both of them. Also odd that only Carolina scored an offensive TD on the UT defense. Odd too that defense would be a way to stop the GT offense. Perhaps I missed something?
TC
November 11th, 2009
9:14 am
GT is no better than 4th in either division of the SEC right now. With their defense they would have problems with even teams like Arkansas, USC, and Auburn. Tennessee would kill them with their running attack and Monte Kiffin would kill that triple option. GT might be able to beat Vandy and Kentucky consistently but forget it against the rest of the league. GT would be a perrenial 6-6 or 7-5 team and a mid tier to bottom feeder in the conference. With the recruiting classes (49th and 52nd) that PJ has signed they would fare even worse in the future. Of course their recruiting would probably get better were they in the SEC.
SEC Fact Check .com
November 11th, 2009
9:15 am
15 fans . . .
We aren’t throwing out diplomas at every stop light along North Ave. 35,000 students compared to 18,000. Our alumni move further out than Lilburn or Lawenceville after graduation.
GThor
November 11th, 2009
9:16 am
‘GT has the worst rep in America when it comes to supporting their team with their attendance and travel’. Oh, please, cease with the Dawg propaganda. No, we don’t travel well to the dang Chan Gailey Nut Bowl across the country, but we travel as well or better than the majority of ACC teams locally (except Clemson and VT definitely- FSU fans are fickle depending on whether their team is good or not, and Miami doesn’t have a lot of loyal fans, they are a media creation) . If we keep winning and whipping what Randy Cross of CBS Sports called ‘The most overrated and underachieving program in America’, UGA, we’ll draw more fans. But hopefully not the snaggle-toothed moron variety who carry on romantic affairs with their farm animals. You can keep them up in Athens.
dan..dork..bug
November 11th, 2009
9:16 am
you wouldn’t be ranked in the top ten in the bcs..you benefit from your ACC schedule and you still can’t get ranked ahead of tcu, boise and Cincinatti, thats what the bcs thinks of the acc schedule you play
Poorbrave
November 11th, 2009
9:16 am
Enter your comments here
cherokee
November 11th, 2009
9:17 am
oh but tech will beat Georgia …..November 11th, 2009
9:04 am we always beat Georgia, they aren’t even a threat this year! Tech has beaten Ga once in 8 years. Please explain your thinking. You may beat them this year, but they are your biggest rival so they will be a threat
SEC Fact Check .com
November 11th, 2009
9:17 am
TC . . . We had a Home and Home with Auburn under Chan Gailey. Enough said . . .
A new Direction
November 11th, 2009
9:17 am
2008 was Coach Paul Johnson’s first year for God’s sake. Was there suppose to be a big surprise that GT finished 9-4? It is like you want the SEC to put shame on GT. Give it another year before you start to point the finger. The shame lies in UGA, after years of talk of five star recruiting, blah, blah blah what have they done lately? NOTHING
Tom
November 11th, 2009
9:18 am
Gt4ever, not quite….
From a simply quantifiable standpoint, the admissions requirements for Tech student-athletes are still higher than the NCAA minimums (even with the bump in NCAA req’s from a year or so ago).
sec fast check bugman
November 11th, 2009
9:18 am
where do they move …dorkville? u couldn’t travel much to decent bowls , heck you nerds have played on the blue field in boise almost as much as the home team there…course you lost to the bulldawgs out there too…the Fresno State bulldawgs..roflmao
Tech sucks
November 11th, 2009
9:20 am
Yeah we saw what Tech could do against an LSU team that UGA crushed last year AT LSU. GT got their asses handed to them. They would finish 4th in the East at best.
soon to be 2/0
November 11th, 2009
9:20 am
against the Slightly Educated Conf dogs.
Cherokee..we own Georgia
November 11th, 2009
9:20 am
Tech has dominated Georgia since the rivalry Began…roflmao
TC
November 11th, 2009
9:20 am
GThor you really showed for the ACC tite game didn’t you. And that was after all you whining little girls said win and we’ll show. Yeah right! You still aren’t showing in your own stadium for the biggest games of your season. You guys are monumental posers when it comes to supporting your team with meat in the seats. And facts back that up. Attendance figures just don’t lie and empty seats show up on TV.
Tom
November 11th, 2009
9:21 am
d..d..b,
Then how does Tech have a strength of schedule ranking of #12, playing an ACC schedule? Why are there 6 ACC teams in the top 15 SoS’s? (compared to one SEC team).
GT Bob
November 11th, 2009
9:22 am
Mark has really leaned how to stir the blog pot, but GT is not in the SEC and never will be. GT needs to just keeping winning games one at a time and let everything else take its course.
DHD
November 11th, 2009
9:22 am
Stupid article. If Mark Bradley was at the NY Times, he would be in dead last….if he could get a job at all. How about writing about real news instead of a hypothetical?
A new Direction
November 11th, 2009
9:23 am
that Bama record sure is something to be proud of beating powerhouses like Troy, FIU and North Texas. and Florida with FIU, Charleston Southern(Baptist College) and Chattanooga…Shameful cr@p…wow so intimidating
Saint Simons
November 11th, 2009
9:23 am
sec plays alot of cupcake teams, thats why they look so good !!!
I AM a Homer
November 11th, 2009
9:25 am
want to talk difference in SEC and ACC?????
SEC- finsih the season with only one loss, and a conference championship, you are all but guaranteed a sopt in the BCS Nat’l Championship Game
ACC- finish the season with only one loss, and a conference championship, nobody outside of Mark Bradley and Jeff Schultz talks about you. You are given a spot in the Orange Bowl where you will play overranked Cincinnatti, TCU or Boise State, who will still beat your gimmick high school offense.
Can somebody PLEASE tell me who Georgia Tech has beaten, and just what exactly they have accompished under their High School Offense??? YES, I know they beat UGA last year, who was struggling heavily at the time, and problems were obvious. Other than the techies getting a partial over that win, WHAT IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU ACCOMPLISHED????
to follow up that heralded win over UGA, not only did you get rings made, you got embarassed against a struggling LSU team in the CFA bowl.
Who have you beaten this year?? Jacksonville State (AL)?, Clemson?, UNC?, SEC powerhouse MIss St?, SEC Powerhouse Vandy?, 1990’s powerhouse FSU?, Virginia?, Wake Forrest in Overtime
You Techies are hillarious. you beat UGA for the 12th time since 1965 under a gimmick driven head coach and you paint him gold and think your team is the best in the nation. I would LOVE for UGA to have your schedule this year and every year. You wouldn’t make it 4 games in the SEC with your coach and gimmick high school offense before your fans were calling for his head.
Good luck recruiting a QB, RB or WR to play your gimmicks after this non-PJ recruitment class is gone. NOBODY wants to run that if they desire to play at a higher level. What NFL scout or team says “oh, check this kid out, he knows the wittle twipple option so well, he would make it past Ray Lewis or John Abraham!!!
TO HELL WITH GEORGIEA TECH AND IT’S BLIND FAN BASE!!!!!
willie martinez
November 11th, 2009
9:27 am
I get so tired of the criticism of Mark. He is an excellent, incisive and intellegent writer. Just go back and check all those columns when he’s called me the greatest defensive coordinator in the state of Georgia for proof.
George Askew
November 11th, 2009
9:28 am
Can you imagine these blogs if UGA beats Tech. Stranger things have happened.
Dooley's Cardiologist
November 11th, 2009
9:28 am
I am a little confused here…While I think GT would be in the top 4 easily, I am baffled by those who say Tech would finish last. There are only three teams worth mentioning here: Florida, LSU, and Bama. Other than that, the SEC is FILLED WITH MEDIOCRITY. Tech will probably go 3-0 vs. the SEC this year. Albeit three of the SEC’s worst. I don’t understand how you can make the assumption that Tech wouldn’t make it in the SEC. This is just something that is said to try and take away from the fact that UGA CAN”T MAKE IT IN THE SEC!!!
sec football is cupcake anyway
November 11th, 2009
9:28 am
Duke , Wake, virginia , north carolina, boston colleg they are known for quality football!!!!! and TECH owns Georgia, year in and year out SINCE THE RIVALRY BEGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom
November 11th, 2009
9:29 am
Methinks Homer’s a bit nervous.
GThor
November 11th, 2009
9:29 am
TC, actually we did show pretty well for that game, considering it was in a monsoon and against Wake, who brought a very small contingent. My issue is not with saying we don’t show as well as the football factories of the Suspiciously Eligible Conference, it is the statement that we have a reputation for being ‘the worst’. That’s nonsense. Did you see the last FSU game on tv? Half the stadium was empty, but no one accuses Seminole fans of poor support for their team. Last time I went to Tally I scalped a ticket on the 50. The attendance for the VT/BC ACCCG was poor last year. Do you acccuse VT fans of having ‘the worst’ reputation for support? It’s a Dawg generated myth. The ‘Tech has no fans’ schtick is all a part of the Dawgs obsession with pretending we’re Vanderbilt to their Tennessee, when we’re really more like Michigan St. to their Michigan.
see you in 17 DAYS...bullpups
November 11th, 2009
9:30 am
your redneck team doesn’t stand the remotest chance against the mighty Yellow Jackets!!!!!
Tech82
November 11th, 2009
9:30 am
Teddy @ 6:53am writes: “Tech can’t throw the ball a lick. That won’t work in the SEC. They will put nine in the box and shut down the run.”
Wrong on both counts Teddy. Tech’s quarterback has a higher passer rating (144.8) than all but three of the starting quarterbacks in the mighty SEC. As for the “put nine in the box to stop the run” comment – that hasn’t worked very well so far this year. Tech is averaging 315 rushing yards per game which ranks second in the nation behind Nevada.
GO JACKETS! THWG!
wiley
November 11th, 2009
9:31 am
I agree for the most part. Alabama and UF are great teams but I think it would be interesting to see how tech played them. Now for LSU….we moved the ball against them and had over 400 yards…it was turn overs that absoulutley killed us….special teams fumbled multiple times. Now that we have a kick returner who can fair catch…I think we could beat LSU…..in a shootout. Call me crazy…but LSU was 4 inches away from losing to MSU…
Hmmmmmmm
November 11th, 2009
9:32 am
Homer is VERY nervous!
Sec is cupcakes conference!
November 11th, 2009
9:32 am
join the acc dawgs, with proven winners like duke, wake , virginia and b.c., throw clemson and tech up there too!!!!!! the sec is weak!!!!!
Dannyboy
November 11th, 2009
9:32 am
Sure wish we could settle all this with a playoff…I’m just sayin’…
Lou Vales
November 11th, 2009
9:33 am
A Florida alum, I’ve adopted Tech as my 2nd favorite team. I really believe Tech would be undefeated now if Miami had not been 3rd game in 11 days. I agree with you about the SCC results,however, I believe that tech would win about 30% of the matchups against Florida,Alabama and LSU. Johnson must get some talent in here on the defensive side. The very fact they are only a 10 point favorite against Duke demonstrates the woeful lack of talent on the defensive side. And we must recognize that Tech’s offense insulates the defense or it would be far worse if Tech had to punt a lot.
GThor
November 11th, 2009
9:33 am
TC, the ACCCG never has good attendance. It didn’t last year when VT/BC played, and nobody accuses VT of having poor support. Did you see the last FSU home game on TV? The stadium was half full. Last time I went to Tally I scalped a ticket on the 50 yard line for 30 bucks. Nobody accuses Seminole fans of having ‘the worst support’. Dawg fans like to pretend in their mind that their state rival is a joke the way Vandy is to Tennessee, but it’s closer to Michigan/Michigan St. You have the upper hand, and you have more fans, but we are a traditionally strong program.
Old Gold Britches
November 11th, 2009
9:33 am
Homer is crying he is so pissed………… plus he got fired last night from his pizza delivery job.
Wiley Dork
November 11th, 2009
9:34 am
if you play the same turnover game against Georgia you’ll get beat by 35 too just like LSWHOO did too
okiemon
November 11th, 2009
9:35 am
I think you’re exactly right, Mark. As a life-long Tech fan – and that’s longer than I care to disclose – it pains me to admit it, but it’s true. The top-echelon SEC teams do have superior talent overall, and of course there’s a good reason for that: they’ve been winning for years, and success breeds success, especially in the recruiting world. PJ is just getting started, and given time, he can raise the talent level at Tech, but he – we – are not there yet. It’s still fun to beat up on the SEC, though, when we have the chance
cherokee
November 11th, 2009
9:35 am
Cherokee..we own Georgia
November 11th, 2009
9:20 am
Tech has dominated Georgia since the rivalry Began…roflmao Do your research GA leads all time 59-37-5
wiley
November 11th, 2009
9:35 am
SEC is Cupcakes…duke is better than half your conference this year. Also where did Matt Schaub, Matt Ryan, Phillip Rivers, Devin Hester, Calvin Johnson, and numerous other top draft pics play college football? Ya we dont have any quality football players in the ACC…your right.
Bo Williams
November 11th, 2009
9:37 am
Mark, which SEC defenses are clearly better than UNC’s defense? And, aren’t all of UNC’s defensive players coming back next year?
What in the world
November 11th, 2009
9:37 am
When it comes to the over all college experience – the ACC is far superior to the SEC – where there is much less emphasizes placed on academics and academic integrity of the schools – particularly when involving athletes. Let’s put it this way – if I were a very talented high school athlete from the inner city or from the sticks, and all I wanted to do is make it to the pro level (college is only a stepping stone to the pros mentality) – then I would choose the school that allowed me the least resistance to getting there. I would choose a school that doesn’t have the academic rigors and demands that a GT, UVA, UNC, Duke, etc has (which, academically speaking, whips the likes of FL, UGA, AL, and TN, with the lone exception being Vandy).
In other words, I would choose UGA over Tech, because I don’t want to have to take a years’ worth of calculus, and where at UGA, I can major in such majors as General Studies (yes, that is a major at UGA), Sports Mgmt, Rec Mgmt, Education; though there is nothing wrong with Education majors, my wife got hers at UGA, but that is a major that is not offered at Tech. So, while the SEC may be superior in athletics (particularly football), it has also been proven to be about the weakest in over all academic standards and athletic graduation rate. I would dare say that 90% of the college football players who play in the SEC could not even come close to getting in their respective schools if it weren’t for the fact that they are “football players”. Heck, most of them wouldn’t even be in their own local community college. In fact, my wife, who I previously mentioned obtained a degree in Education at UGA in the late 1990s told me that several of the football players were in her classes and it was so pathetic how unprepared and uneducated the “players” were. And how they could really care less about being in the classroom and how they all seemed to get by without doing much at all – and still (somehow?) made great grades.
SEC powerhouse NOT
November 11th, 2009
9:38 am
Mark Richt was 8 and 4 in his first season at Georgia, CPJ was 9-4 which is remarkable. But according to you finger pointers, CPJ should have gone 13-0. You mentioned on a given day, GT could beat Fl or Bama, I agree. If they were on the schedule, this team led by Nesbitt would find a way despite the less than desirable defense. When this offense comes back in 2010 as seniors do not think you have to worry about who they can beat…they can beat any of them.
wiley
November 11th, 2009
9:38 am
Exactly genius…that was my argument…thanks for picking the obvious out. We could beat LSU just like we beat UGA last year…
Future engineer
November 11th, 2009
9:40 am
Great discussion topic, Mark!!! I think if my Jackets were in the SEC, we’d finish 3rd in the East, and 5th in the West. We can’t handle the SEC, which is why we bolted for the ACC before their invite was ever put in the mailbox. The ACC provides a cake walk for us, well, it should anyway. THWG!!!!
Hayseed Dixie
November 11th, 2009
9:40 am
Dear I AM a Homer
Your rant is amazing. I love that you’re yet another UGA fan, somewhere behind a computer, losing his mind.
We Tech fans love you UGA guys going over the edge in droves. You couldn’t have *planned* this season any better.
Have another drink, and fantasize about CPJ coming to coach the mutts. Cheers!
Buzzed
November 11th, 2009
9:41 am
MB – There may be some merit to what you say. But, where would you have ranked Tech in the SEC two years ago? As has recently been noted in the AJC, Tech’s program is moving in the right direction.
wiley has a little peepee
November 11th, 2009
9:41 am
Wiley,
Hmmm…you’re basing beating LSU because you beat UGA LAST YEAR, yet, I seem to remember the last game of Tech’s season LAST YEAR being against LSU. How did that one turn out again?
rico43
November 11th, 2009
9:42 am
It would be a nice holiday gift if Tech could play the Bama-Florida loser in a bowl. Guess the tie-ins make that unlikely.
It will be OK
November 11th, 2009
9:44 am
To I AM a Homer – “could you please tell me what GT has done??” – yea – GT kicked your little puppies butts last year. BTW – what the heck has UGA done? Particually with their so-called Top 10 recruiting class?? CPJ has done much more with the talent that they have than CMR will ever do.