I’m thinking PJ sees a real title as bigger than beating UGA
Paul Johnson and Josh Nesbitt can still be champions. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
I had this conversation with a Georgia Tech booster last night: If Paul Johnson had to pick between beating Georgia and winning the 2009 ACC title, which would have chosen?
“As fans, we’d always pick beating Georgia,” the booster said. But that’s from the fan’s perspective, which isn’t the same as a coach’s. And if I had to guess — and I don’t have to guess, but just for grins I will — I’d say PJ would take being the champion of a BCS conference. (Yeah, yeah. Even if it is only the ACC.)
I base this on something PJ said last week about beating Georgia — “Been there, done that” — and on his stated desire to win championships at Tech. “We almost did it last year,” he said, and the Jackets did. They shared first place in the Coastal Division but lost to Virginia Tech on a tiebreaker. And now the moment is here. Beat Clemson in Tampa and the Jackets will play in the Orange Bowl in Year 2 under Paul Johnson. And that’s pretty darn impressive even if they did lose to the hated mutts.
A year ago, I think PJ would have chosen the other course: He needed to beat Georgia to establish credibility among his constituency. And that had to come first lest he run the risk of turning into Chan Gailey. (Who was fired because he couldn’t beat Georgia, fired 51 weeks after he played for the ACC title in Jacksonville.) Having done the deed in Year 1, Johnson has more global goals.
Which is why, I submit, he talked down the rivalry last week. (Indeed, he came tantalizingly close to channeling Reggie Ball and saying of Georgia: “It’s just a game, dog.”) PJ said this flat-out: “I’m going to get Georgia Tech to the point where our program is bigger than one game.”
Georgia fans will crow that the ACC title game now holds no currency, but that’s not true. (The Tech fan’s comeback: “So who are you playing this week?”) Tech was the best team in its conference, which isn’t to be confused with the SEC but isn’t the New York-Penn League, either. And that was the Jackets’ stated goal from spring practice on — win the ACC.
Remember Tech’s rings from last season? They weren’t presented for beating Georgia, although they did bear the famous score. (I’m pretty sure this year’s rings won’t be engraved with “30-24.”) The rings were for tying for the Coastal title. This year GT and PJ don’t have to share a division with anyone. This year they can win the whole conference. And I’m thinking, in this coach’s mind, that was Job 1 all along.
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1,540 comments Add your comment
great article
November 30th, 2009
9:07 am
there goes the King of North Avenue…his first name is Caleb….
Dawg Fud
November 30th, 2009
9:07 am
Ah, RAMBLE ON!!!…there you are.
how goes it this morning my fair lady?
GT IS A 4TH RATE HIGH SCHOOL TEAM
November 30th, 2009
9:08 am
MARK BRADLEY, PAUL JOHNSON IS A LIFETIME UGA HATER, HE USED TO DANCE IN THE SIDELINE OF GSU EVERYTIME GA LOSSES IN THE PAST. AND TO SAY THIS GAME IS NOT IMPORTANT. HILARIOUS. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA FOREVER AND EVER.
The Grinch
November 30th, 2009
9:08 am
Scrap
November 30th, 2009
9:03 am
As I said earlier, UGA isn’t playing anyone this week. They’re taking time off to get measured for rings. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
thanks
November 30th, 2009
9:08 am
a jacket fan with some class…you guys laid it on heavy before the game and most uga fans like me were nervous..the rivalry is back for sure and it is fun…Tech has had a great season..but go dawgs
UGASlobberknocker
November 30th, 2009
9:09 am
How do you expect CPJ to spin that asswhuppin? He cant say the truth which would be something like this:
“Well, boys, we got our butts handed to us by our biggest rival. Thank goodness we dont play in the SEC where we would get beat up like this every week. Im sorry we had to have this meeting in the trainers room, but since you guys were dropping like flies; most of the team was here. Now its time go back down to our level of competition; the big ACC champ. game..which will be a huge crowd (for us) of 20,000. Wow, what a buzz this game has. Go team!”
wiley
November 30th, 2009
9:09 am
These comments are quite hillarious. Another year of having to listen to non alumni dog fans blab about tech being irrelevant and terrible and a high school team. Its just the nature of the rivalry I guess. We can still get to 12-2 and at the very worst we are 10-4 at the end of the season…no matter what this season was a success compared to previous ones under gailey. Fans were expecting way too much coming into this season…like 12-0 and 11-1…but I knew with the amount of talent we lost on defense we would be in trouble a few times this year. Despite this terrible defense…PJ has won 10 games and deserves the credit that he is getting right now(a top ten BCS ranking despite that ugly loss) for the coach of the year. Our fanbase is way to concerned with beating UGA and we will never be a national program if all our focus is on one game and not the automatic BCS bowl bid that winning the ACC provides. Man up people and quit complaining….UGA beat us and that is the highligh of their season…ours should be getting to that orange bowl and winning.
CrackerJacket
November 30th, 2009
9:09 am
Dawg Fud – Congrats! A tip of the hat to you and your team. A fan with class.
The Grinch
November 30th, 2009
9:10 am
RAMBLE ON!!!
November 30th, 2009
9:05 am
…and Boo Boo Thomas just dropped the ball again…..
personally i am glad this season is over
November 30th, 2009
9:10 am
awesome win for our dawgs but we have some soul searching to do and some serious needs in recruiting some guys that can tackle or be taught to tackle!!!!
SCJacket
November 30th, 2009
9:10 am
Good Joke, Mark. We proved (as did Clemson) that we are a good team in a mediocre conference. Winning the ACC means alot less now that we know where we rank in the whole world of college football. LSU proved it last year and UGA confirmed it this year. We and the whole ACC have a long way to go. I hope PJ stays here long enough to catch us up. I am wondering how much he wonders how good his offense would be with SEC talent and a legitimate defense to back the O up.
CrackerJacket
November 30th, 2009
9:12 am
I hope we win the ACC and the bowl game. That should put us in the top ten, which is a good season.
Dawg Fud
November 30th, 2009
9:13 am
Thank you, CrackerJacket. I am sure CPJ will be unleashing a brutal practice this week with Clemson eventually receiving the brunt of it.
DR.J
November 30th, 2009
9:13 am
Hey M and Ramble on…How did that new sheriff in town thing work out for you? Pathetic…Johnson will leave this wannabe program devoid of Div 1 athletes after a couple more of his recruiting classes. The West Paces Techies will go to pieces when they wear their Annapolis South shirts…it’s coming…just a little more time.
The Grinch
November 30th, 2009
9:13 am
wiley
November 30th, 2009
9:09 am
Based on the latest BCS rankings, just which top 10 team did tech beat this year? Hell, for that matter, what top 10 teams did you even PLAY? BWAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Right, great season.
BJohnDawg
November 30th, 2009
9:13 am
Spin Control Central!
Robot Roll Call…AKA Spin Control Central
We listened to YEch fans talk about the Georgia Game.
How yech would be 11-1 and playing for the ACC Champ
How UGA would be 6-6.
They have ASSUMED for months that this was a check mark for them in the win column. And you all know want happens when you assume.
NOT! They were smoked by the DAWGS( remember in yech language a 3 point win is a blow out).And a bad Georgia team at that.
And now they and the AJC want to downplay the lose.
You know Yech fans are probably say ” nine out of ten times, we would bet this Georgia team.”
I got news for you, Ten out of Ten times, This poor tackling, penalty ridden, ball fumbling,no kick coverage Georgia team, would run it down the Yech’s defense throat.
Wait for Wait…wait for it 30- 24. And Ealey is still running!
Well, it is not an important game.
UGASlobberknocker
November 30th, 2009
9:14 am
It’s time for all Tech fans to crawl back under their rock for another 6 or 7 years til they beat GA again.
Richard Dawson
November 30th, 2009
9:14 am
30-24 BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
That was for St. Simons.
Still, I say FIRE MARK RICHT.
Ga Tech Old Timer
November 30th, 2009
9:14 am
Mark – Let me ask you this. Since when does a coach openly state that it’s not a big deal to lose to the rival game and in the process plant the seed of mediocrity in the players minds? Burnett says “I guess we were complacent”. At NO time for ANY game on the schedule should players or coaches stoop to the level of complacency but year after year that’s exactly what’s happened at Tech. That type thinking by coaches and players only means one thing – neither coaches or players have the fire in the gut or the correct mental toughness to be champions. While I fully agree that an ACC championship is and should be the ultimate goal – to discount any other game against a non ACC opponent, and especially against Georgia, is just flat inexcusable. I have been a season ticket holder for many years and have gone through many disappointing seasons of losses to Georgia – but to cop out and start making excuses before the ball is ever kicked off because we’re basically looking ahead at bigger things is just flat out wrong – EVERYONE on that team needs to ashamed re-evaluate their reason for playing the game in the first place.
I saw absolutely no adjustments on defense when they kept ripping us up the gut for big yardage or on offense (205 yard rushing) – and what the hell was three bombs at the end and then waiting for 4th down and hoping to make it. It was as poorly a played and coached game as I’ve seen under Johnson. When the hell are our kids going to get it in their heads that polls and past history of wins don’t mean a damn thing. Each game is a battle unto itself – period.
Yes, Georgia has some really good players and played a good game – much better than Tech. Too bad Tech didn’t show up to prove to everyone on national TV they are legitimate – that they also have really good players. All this game did for Tech was to re-enforce the fact that they were over rated and that the ACC is a weak conference. Exactly the opposite of the two thoughts I’m sure the coaches and players were thinking about before taking the field Saturday night.
Habersham Dawg
November 30th, 2009
9:15 am
Haven’t been able to post in a while, but I do appreciate and recognize the good sportsman posts of GT fans like Jacket2009. It’s good to see the great quieting of St. Simon and his ilk.
Good luck on Saturday against Clemson because here’s one Dawg fan that will be watching both the ACC and SEC championship games. That’s while remote controls were made.
superDawg
November 30th, 2009
9:16 am
This game was very important it shut the nerd herd up and next week will put them into permenant hybernation!
Barry from Eastenders .
November 30th, 2009
9:16 am
Mark — This is becoming a running joke. We are watching a journalistic career unravel before our very eyes. Did you lose a bet with Dan Radacovich or Paul Johnson? Do they have your child hidden in a well somewhere as ransom? I keep thinking, this is the day where Bradley does a mea culpa after 12 months of CPJ groveling and genuflection, but you continue to out do yourself. You have become a caricature.
Pray tell, why does it have to be either or? Help us with your logic here. If CPJ is such a bad a– then why can he not win his conference and beat a bad Georgia team (you know that team that couldn’t beat Kentucky)? Why does he get special dispensation for having to do what most great or even good coaches can accomplish, which is win their conference sub-division and beat a just over .500 team whose program is disarray (as told to us by you and Schultz)? If Georgia were ranked in the top 10, with 10-1 record going into the game and got beat at Sanford Stadium — would you be writing this article today on Richt’s behalf? Would you?
Whatever dude. Make yourself feel better about your year long emotional investment in Paul Johnson and the Maggots can medicate on your ridiculous assertions. However, you really have become a running joke, just so you know.
thanks for the insight....
November 30th, 2009
9:17 am
Mr. Wiley bug.. by the way the score was 30 to 24 and we won’t have to listen to you nerds for a year about how you beat GEORGIA!! 30 to 24..good luck against Clemson saturday, most folks won’t even bother watching it include 1/2 of Tech’s 10,000 true fans!!
Bill. B
November 30th, 2009
9:17 am
You GT fans are hysterical. Last year, when you didn’t win the ACC, you said beating Georgia was more important. Now, when you lose to Georgia, suddenly the Goergia game is unimportant. Here’s a clue, winning the ACC means nothing in the “big picture” that Johnson loves to talk about. And you’re never going to be a national program when half your stadium is filled with Georgia fans and you were scrambling to sell out the biggest game of your ACC season against Virgina Tech. You GT guys love to crow about how smart you are, but apparently you have a hard understanding the meaning of the word hypocrite. Enjoy your ACC title, if you happen to beat a crummy Clemson team, and your game in a half-filled Orange Bowl. Just understand, the rest of college football won’t be paying any attention to it and the national TV audience will probably be the smallest in history.
SEC-NO Comparison
November 30th, 2009
9:17 am
SECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSECSEC!!!!!!
Rich Brooks
November 30th, 2009
9:19 am
Why would you call Tech a high school team? They could have won that game. You should have beat a high scool team by 100 points. You guys are more like a one game wonder that barely competed with a high school team.
TEch on another 7 game slide
November 30th, 2009
9:19 am
keep Paul Johnson..please as his 1950’s offense lends to Hail Mary’s at the end when he needs to pass, course i guess it work at Army!
Dap01
November 30th, 2009
9:19 am
An ACC Championship is ok but the ACC is definitely a 2nd level conference. South Carolina and GA are AVERAGE SEC teams that beat the best of the ACC.
I keep forgetting but all AJC writers keep reminding me that Paul Johnson is smarter than all of us and all other coaches. He invented football.
realDwagFAN
November 30th, 2009
9:19 am
If so walgreens has chapstick by two get on free this week. Oh yeah, and for you tech fans that think this was a one year deal and your program will remain the best in state: #11,#7,#1,#17,#8,#35,#18,#42,#15,#24,#4 are just a few reasons they will not. Its about the the long haul folks. This year was not a good one for UGA but the future is still Very bright(maybe the resignations of a asst coach or two will help as well).By the way, where the hell is Saint Simons? 30-24 D-bag HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! 7-5 has never ever been sweeter!
bandwagon
November 30th, 2009
9:21 am
yellow tops brown bottoms
Paul Johnson
November 30th, 2009
9:21 am
Bibb Stinger
November 30th, 2009
6:40 am
Agree 100% Mark, going to the conference championship game and a chance to play in the Organe Bowl, the UGA game become just a non conference loss.
Nothing more.
ROTFLMAO…..Getting beat down like that on national tv, and its ‘just another non conference loss’…..ROTFLMAO…..
Barry_from_Eastenders
November 30th, 2009
9:21 am
Mark — This is becoming a running joke. We are watching a journalistic career unravel before our very eyes. Did you lose a bet with Dan Radacovich or Paul Johnson? Do they have your child hidden in a well somewhere as ransom? I keep thinking, this is the day where Bradley does a mea culpa after 12 months of CPJ groveling and genuflection, but you continue to out do yourself. You have become a caricature.
Pray tell, why does it have to be either or? Help us with your logic here. If CPJ is such a bad a– then why can he not win his conference and beat a bad Georgia team (you know that team that couldn’t beat Kentucky)? Why does he get special dispensation for having to do what most great or even good coaches can accomplish, which is win their conference sub-division and beat a just over .500 team whose program is disarray (as told to us by you and Schultz)? If Georgia were ranked in the top 10, with 10-1 record going into the game and got beat at Sanford Stadium — would you be writing this article today on Richt’s behalf? Would you?
Whatever dude. Make yourself feel better about your year long emotional investment in Paul Johnson and the Maggots can medicate on your ridiculous assertions. However, you really have become a running joke, just so you know.
The Grinch
November 30th, 2009
9:21 am
Hey tech fans, which is worse – reggie ball SPIKING the ball on 4th down or boo boo thomas DROPPING the ball on 4th down? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Saint Simons is my caddy
November 30th, 2009
9:21 am
(((((((30-24)))))) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
VW
UGASlobberknocker
November 30th, 2009
9:22 am
St Simons, you should start a Tech blog since you have established such a presence here. I wish I had a buck for every time you have been mentioned this weekend. it’s amazing. You really hit a raw nerve all yr and obviously got under a lot of skin.Take advantage; I bet you would get a lot of hits. And im not kidding.
Richard Dawson is a dumba$$
November 30th, 2009
9:23 am
Richard Dawson
November 30th, 2009
9:14 am
Still, I say FIRE MARK RICHT.
Dumba$$.
Bill
November 30th, 2009
9:23 am
I guess Richt saved his job and staff from all the dawg haters last week. UGA had to win to make their season, ConGrad to dogs.
Good luck to GT . Go win that Championship .
superDawg
November 30th, 2009
9:24 am
It’s great to be a GEORGIA BULLDOG!Nuff said.
Big Dawg
November 30th, 2009
9:24 am
I propose this, South Carolina and Georgia deserve to play for the ACC championship due to the fact that they both dominated the two division winners. Say what you want but Tech was lucky the game did not get more out of hand than it did. Examples, two UGA penalties insided the redzone that resulted in field goals; one dropped Wooten pass that no one from the tech side would have caught up and a missed field goal from potentially the best kicker in the south if not the country. PS I love the Tech reasoning for putting this loss in perspective… this seems like the same analytical logic that put them in the positio they were in 8 out of the last 9 seasons.
GO DAWGS! 30-24
7-5 against that schedule in a rebuilding year
November 30th, 2009
9:24 am
lost knoshon, stafford and massequoi, didn’t have Green against the bugs..getting a new d- coordinator, and we lost to 3 teams that were ranked in the top ten at the time we played them..ok st., fla. and lsu..thank god tech was on the schedule..lmfao
I RUN THIS STATE
November 30th, 2009
9:24 am
Washaun and Caleb just ran to Tampa, grabbed the ACC trophy, and ran back. I still think they ran further during the game….
SadDawg
November 30th, 2009
9:24 am
On behalf of the Dawg Nation, RAMBLE ON!!!, I thank you. This was a win over a really good Tech team. You still have a lot to live for, however. A shot at having a 12-2 record and top 10 final ranking is something all teams strive for.
To some of my fellow Dawg fans, why not can the “Overrated!” crap. Tech has a great season going and we were fortunate to hold them off. Everything they accomplish only makes our victory more important and sweet…
Craig
November 30th, 2009
9:25 am
Let’s see, the two teams battling this Saturday for the ACC title lose to two SEC teams that had terrible seasons by their standards and the GT fans, CPJ,and Bradley are blowing off the loss? Bradley, you have lost your mind and some credibility with this article. UGA gets a solid win against the number 7 team in the country and you make it sound like GT does not give a damn about the game. It cost them in the BCS standings and may cost them in recruiting.
The Grinch
November 30th, 2009
9:26 am
FWIW, UGA played 4 teams presently in the BCS top 20. Tech? They played 2.
GT45
November 30th, 2009
9:26 am
Not trying to be a smart as-. okay? But honestly, how good do you guys think ya’ll will be next year, with who you are losing and what is coming in? Just looking for sincere responses from THUGA fans-
B@rry from E@stenders
November 30th, 2009
9:27 am
Mark — This is becoming a running joke. We are watching a journalistic career unravel before our very eyes. Did you lose a bet with Dan Radacovich or Paul Johnson? Do they have your child hidden in a well somewhere as ransom? I keep thinking, this is the day where Bradley does a mea culpa after 12 months of CPJ groveling and genuflection, but you continue to out do yourself. You have become a caricature.
Pray tell, why does it have to be either or? Help us with your logic here. If CPJ is such a bad a– then why can he not win his conference and beat a bad Georgia team (you know that team that couldn’t beat Kentucky)? Why does he get special dispensation for having to do what most great or even good coaches can accomplish, which is win their conference sub-division and beat a just over .500 team whose program is disarray (as told to us by you and Schultz)? If Georgia were ranked in the top 10, with 10-1 record going into the game and got beat at Sanford Stadium — would you be writing this article today on Richt’s behalf? Would you?
Whatever dude. Make yourself feel better about your year long emotional investment in Paul Johnson and the Maggots can medicate on your ridiculous assertions. However, you really have become a running joke, just so you know.
Georgia Treck
November 30th, 2009
9:28 am
What else can you say, Mr. Bradley? You were so sure that Paul Johnson was the greatest coach maybe ever…of course the Dawg game doesn’t REALLY matter or Tech would have won. I always loved reading you before, now you’re just another Terrence Moore:(
Lowcountry Bulldawg
November 30th, 2009
9:28 am
Reggie forgetting it was 4th down, was MUCH worse than the young man dropping the ball. Not even Jerry Rice caught everything, well unless Charles Dimry was covering him.
jarvis
November 30th, 2009
9:28 am
Winning the ACC is a real title?
Yes, the world has respected Wake like no other since their victory in 2006.
Rudolph
November 30th, 2009
9:28 am
Ridiculous column. Just plain ridiculous. PJ had that “who farted?” look on his face Saturday night.