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.
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
1,540 comments Add your comment
Bud
November 30th, 2009
10:35 am
Hey Gt fan all the way…. When you find yourself in a hole you need to quit digging.
GIVE ME A BREAK
November 30th, 2009
10:35 am
UGA players not allowed to graduate. They’ve had “NO CLASS.”
The UGALY Truth
November 30th, 2009
10:36 am
Yeah, The Grinch…Getting fitted for rings that proudly proclaim “7-5, 4-4 in SEC”…LOL
Ghost of St. Simons
November 30th, 2009
10:37 am
((((((( 30-24 )))))))!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Formerly No. 7 in the BCS.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
The two “best” teams in the ACC lost to their in-state SEC rivals Saturday.
Since Georgia beat S. Carolina and Goober Tech, Georgia should be named the champion of the ACC and invited to play in the bowl that winner is entitled to play.
George Holman
November 30th, 2009
10:37 am
Hey, let’s all forget about GA and SC Clemson and Tech fans. It was disappointing for all, but I say Spiller and Clemson sends Tech to more disappointments on Saturday night.
GIVE ME A BREAK
November 30th, 2009
10:37 am
GEORGIA TECH #10 in the nation. 100% CLASS. THWG!!!!
GT FAN ALL THE WAY
November 30th, 2009
10:38 am
The Grinch – We can’t use calculus as an excuse, because then all the Georgia fans wouldnt even understand the excuse!!!!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
DawgFan
November 30th, 2009
10:38 am
Do you really call an ACC Title a “real” title. No one cares about the ACC Football program. Ask Jacksonville, and ask Tampa after this week. Ask ABC after they try and get any ratings at all going up against the SEC Championship game. Ask the Orange Bowl if they want to get out of their ties with the ACC? And on the note that Georgia Tech has bigger plans than beating Georgia, they are just upset that yet another mid-tier SEC team handed them their butts, just like LSU (which was also 7-5) in the Chick Fil A bowl last year. Plus they cannot put the UGA/Tech score on their rings this year. What a joke. Next scheduled win for Tech against UGA is 2016. Oh, and looks like UGA is going to the Chick Fil A this year. ACC #2 against SEC #5/6. Another whipping for the ACC against a mid tier SEC team.
Joe M
November 30th, 2009
10:38 am
GT Fan All the Way,
You can hide behind your little scrimmage w/ Clemson on Saturday all you want. 30-24 is plenty enough for us when comparing the two programs.
It hurts more than you say. WE KNOW IT, and WE LIKE IT!!!!!!!!!!
The Grinch
November 30th, 2009
10:38 am
The UGALY Truth
November 30th, 2009
10:36 am
Was there room in your ring last year to include the 38-3 azz whippin’ LSU put on you in your bowl? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA
GT FAN ALL THE WAY
November 30th, 2009
10:40 am
Bud – It is not a hole sir, it is a grave for Clemson (and UGA VII)!!
TechIsBad
November 30th, 2009
10:40 am
The “Joke by Coke” has returned and their name is Georgia Tech losing to UGA once again. I believe 7-5 in the SEC outshines 10-2 in the ACC ANY day. What a joke of a conference.
Bud
November 30th, 2009
10:40 am
As usual the Tech game was just an exibition for the Dawgs. It gave us a chance to play some of our Seniors and also give the 3rd and 4th strings some game time.
The UGALY Truth
November 30th, 2009
10:41 am
The Grinch, what’s YOUR bowl payout this year? Buy One, Get One FREE Papajohn’s Pizza Coupons??? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
tech man
November 30th, 2009
10:42 am
UGA fans do you even know what happen.You beat a Tech team that plyed very bad by 2 (field goals)! and still almost lost the game at the end.
That is all you have done all year that means anything.Every good team don’t win them all.Your great SEC team have come close to blowing it this year more than once. UGA are not Florida or Alabama.You are a 7 and 5 team that got beat by kentucky.Enjoy your pizza this weekend when good team are still playing. GROW UP!!!!!UGA FANS GO TECH
The Grinch
November 30th, 2009
10:42 am
GT FAN ALL THE WAY
November 30th, 2009
10:38 am
But we do understand that this game wasn’t important to you tech fans, right? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Tommy Tubberville
November 30th, 2009
10:42 am
Just wait until I coordinate the UGA defense next year nerds. Our offense will have 10 starters back with a new and improved qb. Man, I can hardly wait to get started!!!
GIVE ME A BREAK
November 30th, 2009
10:42 am
CPJ said it best,” Small minded teams base their success for the year on winning the state rivalry. GO JACKETS!!!! Win the ACC Championship. GEORGIA/BULLDOGS, ya’ll can just GO.
matt magnus
November 30th, 2009
10:43 am
Mark you should be fired for writing such a crappy article. The fact is that if Tech cannot beat UGA this year, and Tech thinks if they beat Clemson they should play in a BCS Bowl is pure stupidity. Boise State and TCU deserve more of chance than Tech does. Dabo and Paul could not even be assistant coaches in the SEC.
MCJACKET
November 30th, 2009
10:43 am
Whether we win or lose Saturday to Clemson, we still have the RIGHT coach that is putting us on the right path. I love the way he coaches and what he instills in our players. If Gailey was still here, we would have beaten by 40, instead of playing really bad on defense, but still having a chance to win the ballgame in the end.
As far as the conference comparison, I guess GT would finish higher in the SEC than the dogs because we have a better winning percentage than the dogs in the SEC, we are 2-1 and they are 4-4. So, we are better in the SEC than they are. My comparison is about as stupid as yall’s on here about uga being the ACC Champions!!!
What’s still the good word? THWG!!!! Georgian by Birth, Tech by the Grace of God!!!
East Atlanta
November 30th, 2009
10:44 am
Could, woulda, shoulda GT fans! You got dominated the whole game (wasn’t as close as the score would indicate, the statistics back that up), you had every writer at the AJC and across the South with their lips firmly wrapped around CPJ’s you-know-what, you smugly predicted the eradication of the Georgia team on the field and the subsequent firings of every coach in the UGA athletic department…and then you went out there and stunk up your own joint. Got run over all night long (349 yards), your tissue-soft players kept dropping like flies (maybe your beloved engineering department can develop a system of weights and pulleys to somehow increase strength and endurance? You run the triple option…YOU should have been wearing US down!), and yet all you can do is come up with hypotheticals to try and numb the reality: ALL THE WAY…FAILURE! “If Nesbitt hadn’t gotten injured, if we hadn’t miss that FG in the first quarter, if he hadn’t dropped that pass in the fourth quarter…” STFU! None of those things happened! the reality is, your mouths wrote checks that your a$$ can’t cash, you are second place in the state (AGAIN!), and the ACC is nothing but a basketball conference. Deal with it.
DawgWhipping
November 30th, 2009
10:44 am
All the Tech players going over to Morehouse for help to pass any class at Tech is the truth. I agree that Tech is a great school, but only in certain fields. I doubt you go to Tech to be a Doctor, Journalist, etc…so get over the Oh so mighty Tech talk. Oh and your football team got shown the door once again by a mid tier SEC team. Put that on your ring and Love it! LOL
The UGALY Truth
November 30th, 2009
10:45 am
Dawg Fans are GIDDY…Just a little over a week after LOSING TO KENTUCKY – Yeah, The Grinch…K-E-N-T-U-C-K-Y!!! LOL…
Georgia Tech: BCS Ranking #10 in the country…Playing for a Conference Championship and a COVETED BCS Bowl Berth…Coastal Division Champs…10 Wins, 2 Losses. “Beating UGA” didn’t even SHOW UP on the Tech PLAYERS’ list of goals this year.
UGAY: No Ranking in ANY POLL in the country…Watching other teams play for Conference Championships on a big screen at Hooters…4 games BEHIND the East Division Champs…7 Wins, 5 Losses. Dawg Fans, Coaches and Players are elated by “SAVING their miserable season” with a 6 point win over the better, RANKED team in the state. How PATHETIC and DESPERATE we must have appeared to Dawg Fans when Chandler Gailey drove our football program off a cliff…
2009 Projected Bowl Payouts
Orange Bowl ACC Champ v BCS at large January 5 8 pm FOX $17 million
Chick-fil-A Bowl ACC v SEC December 31 7:30 pm ET ESPN $3.25 million ACC,
2.4 million for SEC
Liberty Bowl C-USA v SEC January 2 5:30 pm ET ESPN $1.7 million
Music City Bowl ACC v SEC December 27 8:15 pm ET ESPN $1.6 million
Independence Bowl SEC v Big 12 December 28 5 pm ET ESPN $1.1 million
PapaJohns.com Bowl SEC v Big East January 2 2 pm ET ESPN $300,000
Now obviously GT still has to win next Saturday for the Orange Bowl (while the Dawg Nation sits at home watching other teams play for Conference Titles and BCS Bowl Bids)…But are there any mutts out there who still think that THIS Sat’s game is LESS important for CPJ and the Jackets than last Sat’s game?
Sure, it would’ve been GREAT to beat UGAY Sat night, but in the grand scheme of things, you guys are just another out of conference SEC game just like Miss St and Vandy. Glad to know you can’t control yourselves after beating GT. Didn’t know we meant that much to you anymore…But clearly it’s understandable coming from fans of a 7-5 team.
It’s GREAT to be a Yellow Jacket and it has to absolutely SUCK to be a Dawg Fan as YOUR football program goes sailing off a cliff…7-5, Pizza Bowl, KENTUCKY…Just say it outloud now and everything will be OK. I promise…LOL
Black Panther
November 30th, 2009
10:45 am
Now all of a sudden, the UGA game doesn’t matter after we beat the crap out of Tech!! It matters MORE than the ACC championship to everyone at Tech including PJ. He is just downplaying it now because he doesn’t want his team to have a hangover from the GA game. If it didn’t matter so much, why in an unprecedented move last year did Tech pass out rings for beating GA? It was their championship, that’s why!! Now they have 363 more days to think about how GA just ran three running plays all night and they couldn’t stop it. Nothing fancy, no gimmicky offense needed, just good ole fashioned I formation Gawga football. This one feels so great because UGA just manhandled the bees and physically imposed our will on them. It is one thing to win, but it feels way better when we just run the ball down their throats. Keep in mind that UGA whipped the “so-called” #7 ranked team without our best player, AJ Green. Saint Simons won’t be back on this blog because he and his gay Tech friends are taking it in the beehole for the next yr!! Good luck with your ticklepile friends!! Oh, and one more reminder. If Tech loses to Clemson, they will have accomplished NOTHING this yr. Just another typical Yellow Jacket Season. The icing on the cake is if they lose their coach to Notre Dame also!! That would make for a great Christmas!!See you for another GA beatdown next year in Athens insects!! (((((30-24))))) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA
GIVE ME A BREAK
November 30th, 2009
10:46 am
GEORGIA wins state rivalry, trashes the rest of their schedule. LOSERS!!!!
Gt Fan All The Way
November 30th, 2009
10:46 am
We are not ready to play against the SEC yet but I think we’re making a little progress. I still like Phil Johnson and hope he stays. He does’nt even need a play sheet. Wow! Go Tech.
The Grinch
November 30th, 2009
10:46 am
The UGALY Truth
November 30th, 2009
10:41 am
I’m not playing in a bowl game. What number were you wearing for tech saturday night? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
The Grinch
November 30th, 2009
10:47 am
GIVE ME A BREAK
November 30th, 2009
10:46 am
That’s right. Georgia won the state rivalry. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA>
Ghost of St. Simons
November 30th, 2009
10:48 am
Where is the follow up on article to the one from earlier this month contemplating where Gay Tech would be in the SEC? You know, the one that followed GT beating Miss. State and Vandy?
The follow up article should contemplate where Georgia and S. Carolina would be ranked if playing in the ACC.
UGA and S. Carolina are two mediocre teams in the SEC East and they defeated the two “best” teams in the ACC.
What does that say about the quality of competition in the ACC?
stings to lose
November 30th, 2009
10:48 am
I did not know he had a choice…
Triple Lindy
November 30th, 2009
10:48 am
Yes, and what a proud ACC championship it will be: two teams, not even the highest ranked within their conference, coming off losses to two, at best, mid-level SEC teams fighting in front of a spectacular crowd of hundreds in Tampa for the chance to lose to a non-BCS team in the Orange Bowl.
Ahh, the Almost College Conference.
Keep trying. Maybe you can convince Notre Dame to join your band of sorry sacks.
The UGALY Truth
November 30th, 2009
10:49 am
Dawg Fans are GIDDY…Just a little over a week after LOSING TO KENTUCKY – Yeah, The Grinch…K-E-N-T-U-C-K-Y!!! LOL…
Georgia Tech: BCS Ranking #10 in the country…Playing for a Conference Championship and a COVETED BCS Bowl Berth…Coastal Division Champs…10 Wins, 2 Losses. “Beating UGA” didn’t even SHOW UP on the Tech PLAYERS’ list of goals this year.
UGAY: No Ranking in ANY POLL in the country…Watching other teams play for Conference Championships on a big screen at Hooters…4 games BEHIND the East Division Champs…7 Wins, 5 Losses. Dawg Fans, Coaches and Players are elated by “SAVING their miserable season” with a 6 point win over the better, RANKED team in the state.
How truly PATHETIC and DESPERATE we must have appeared to Dawg Fans when Chandler Gailey drove our football program off a cliff…
Reggie Ball
November 30th, 2009
10:49 am
Mark Bradley fondles PJ’s man boobs on Sunday mornings. 30-24 Nerds. Eat it…
Tech Sucks Kock
November 30th, 2009
10:50 am
Give me a break,
Were you one of the 25,000 dorks that had his pointed to the ground at the end of the game walking out of the stadium not saying anything when I was in your face last Saturday Night yelling “nerd”.
GIVE ME A BREAK
November 30th, 2009
10:50 am
An OXYMORON is a GEORGIA fan talking about EDUCATION.
shannon1776
November 30th, 2009
10:50 am
Funny, as Tech built up its 10-1 record, I NEVER heard that. All of a sudden, they get skull drug by UGA and it doesn’t matter??????????
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahha
april glaspie
November 30th, 2009
10:50 am
PJ is right. Beating Clemons, that got schooled by South Carolina is really going to impress recruits. ACC, Big East? Flip a coin.
The Grinch
November 30th, 2009
10:50 am
GIVE ME A BREAK
November 30th, 2009
10:42 am
If, as you say, CPJ doesn’t consider the UGA game to be very important, then you better prepare yourself for a few more losing streaks. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
The Grinch
November 30th, 2009
10:51 am
GIVE ME A BREAK
November 30th, 2009
10:50 am
An even bigger oxymoron is a tech fan talking about football. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Ghost of St. Simons
November 30th, 2009
10:52 am
GA Tech trashed its schedule last year and was embarrassed in a bowl game 38-3, but all of you thought the win against UGA last year (which was a give away by Georgia and nothing else) was a big deal. Your team even got rings made.
And now your team choked and you try to minimize it.
Georgia Tech was highly overrated and choked in prime time, just like the bowl game last year.
Ga. Tech will not win a bowl game this year either with its high school offense.
Then we’ll see what you losers have to say about PJ and his gimmick offense.
GO CLEMpSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Crush the yellow larvae!
The UGALY Truth
November 30th, 2009
10:52 am
2009 Projected Bowl Payouts
Orange Bowl ACC Champ v BCS at large January 5 8 pm FOX $17 million
Chick-fil-A Bowl ACC v SEC December 31 7:30 pm ET ESPN $3.25 million ACC,
2.4 million for SEC
Liberty Bowl C-USA v SEC January 2 5:30 pm ET ESPN $1.7 million
Music City Bowl ACC v SEC December 27 8:15 pm ET ESPN $1.6 million
Independence Bowl SEC v Big 12 December 28 5 pm ET ESPN $1.1 million
PapaJohns.com Bowl SEC v Big East January 2 2 pm ET ESPN $300,000 + BOGO Pizza Coupons for UGAY Fans who bother to show up
DawgWhipping
November 30th, 2009
10:52 am
MCJacket, Your two wins in the SEC? Against the ONLY two SEC schools NOT going to bowl games this year, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. I bet Miss. State could beat you now. Why don’t you and your beloved PJ decide to play up some? Play UGA, Alabama and Florida for a change. Heck, play South Carolina or Kentucky, or Ole Miss. Let’s see your record then. Oh and BTW, count the butt kicking LSU put on you last year on Dec. 31 and say you are 2-2. Also, on your other wins against Jacksonville State, Wake, Virginia, Duke, great victories for a team that wouldn’t be in a bowl if in the SEC, period. Your conference hopes to try and one day be like the ACC, but it will NEVER happen. The country knows where real football is played and it’s not in 30 to 50K seat stadiums.
WreckLB
November 30th, 2009
10:52 am
Congratulations to GA for a great rivalry win. in my mind we were out-coached and out-played Saturday. The game plan to control the ball and the clock, keep our offense of the field and remove the risk of Joe C’s passing was really smart. Our defense has been the Achilles heel all year and we have under-performed every game. This was a real reality check though so nice job GA.
It’s too bad we can’t all comment on the game as Sportsmen respecting the game and each other as rivals and gentlemen. There’s nothing that communicates “low class” more than making asinine and rude comments in a forum like this. If this game defines the high point of achievement for your life each year, you might want to look at that. Personally, I’m thankful that Tech is competitive again and look forward to a hard fought game every year, win some lose some.
DawginLex
November 30th, 2009
10:53 am
Mark,
When you get beat by your in state rival for the 8th time in 9 tries with your arguably best team in 20 years, all that is left is to rationalize it away.
Nice try about it not meaning anything to them.
Nice try.
The Grinch
November 30th, 2009
10:53 am
The UGALY Truth
November 30th, 2009
10:49 am
According to you, UGA is a lousy football team. UGA beat tech. Nice compliment you paid your team there, dude. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
GIVE ME A BREAK
November 30th, 2009
10:54 am
Mark, sorry about all the abuse from the uga fans. They haven’t had their MEDS this morning. THWG!!!!
tech man
November 30th, 2009
10:55 am
Tech fans out there you need to know that Uga is a very over rated program and they think they are superman. Ignore all of that,because you know even when they have there great players and do play a good game they can get beat (08).Uga fans take your 6 piont ball game and go have a good time at a burger place.We will see you in athens in 2010 and if you are bored this sat. night turn the tv on and watch a lot better team than you are at 8pm. GO JACKETS
TC
November 30th, 2009
10:55 am
If you bone headed UGA fans could read, GT players did not get a ring just for beating you mutts last year, it was for being co-divisional champs. They added the score to the ring. Besides, don’t you all claim this rivalry is not relevant any more and that Florida is really your rival?
Was UGA better prepared for the game this year? Yes, but Tech has another game this week with bigger implications. Who is UGA playing this week? Oops, I forgot, I guess they will be playing with their TV remotes during the Florida-Alabama game.
So you beat Tech this year, who has had the better season? If you had lost, you all would have been whining about Richt and Martinez and calling for their heads on a platter.
Halberstram
November 30th, 2009
10:56 am
Lame, this is just a crutch for Johnson to fall on since he couldn’t beat UGA. He’s also now been there and done that by losing to UGA. Sure it’s nice to say the ACC Championship is bigger than one game, but what happens if Tech loses again this Saturday. Then what will Johnson have to say? Last year was a fluke, Tech did what needed to be done to win but a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.
The UGALY Truth
November 30th, 2009
10:56 am
The Grinch, according to EVERYONE, UGAY is a lousy football team. Sure, it would’ve been GREAT reach ELEVEN Wins Sat night, but in the grand scheme of things, you guys are just another out of conference SEC game just like Miss St and Vandy. Glad to know you can’t control yourselves after beating GT. Didn’t know we meant that much to you anymore…But clearly it’s understandable coming from fans of a 7-5 team.
It’s GREAT to be a Yellow Jacket and it has to absolutely SUCK to be a Dawg Fan as YOUR football program goes sailing off a cliff…7-5, Pizza Bowl, KENTUCKY…Just say it outloud now and everything will be OK. I promise…LOL