Bradley’s year in picks: Good on Tech, bad on the Vols
Not to say I told you so ... (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
It was the best of years, it was the …
OK, that’s a a lie. It wasn’t the best of years, prediction-wise. It was only OK. I’ve had better. I’ve also had worse. (Lots worse, as you know.) And our annual Accountability Scoreboard begins with the obvious high point:
I picked Georgia Tech to go 10-2 and win the ACC title. It went 10-2 and won the ACC title. I was wrong about the the games Tech lost — I had the Jackets succumbing to Florida State and, for reasons I’ll never understand, Vanderbilt — but I was, big-picture-wise, dead on.
Regarding Georgia, I wasn’t dead on. But I was pretty darn close. I had the Bulldogs going 8-4, which many among you insisted was way too low. They went 7-5. Until the season’s 11th game, I had picked every game save one (Tennessee) correctly. Then things went ka-blooey. Georgia lost to Kentucky, which I didn’t think could happen, and then it beat Tech, which I insisted would never happen.
I was half-right about the participants in the SEC title game. (Right on Florida, wrong on LSU.) I was half-right about the participants in the ACC title game. (Right on Tech, wrong on FSU.) I’m half-right about the participants in the BCS title game. (Right on Texas, wrong on Alabama.) I was wrong about Colt McCoy winning the Heisman, more wrong about Tech’s Jonathan Dwyer finishing fifth.
This year I endeavored to pick every SEC game, and I did OK, if I do say so myself. I picked Florida to go 13-0 and win the conference title; it went 12-1 and lost to Alabama. I picked South Carolina to go 7-5; it went 7-5. (I also maintained Steve Spurrier would resign, which hasn’t happened.) I picked Kentucky go 7-5; it went 7-5. I picked Vandy to go 5-7; it went 2-10.
I picked LSU to go 11-1 and win the West; it went 9-3 and finished second. I picked Alabama to go 11-1; it went 12-0 (now 13-0). I picked Ole Miss to go 8-4; it went 8-4. I picked Arkansas to go 8-4; it went 7-5. I picked Auburn to go 6-6; it went 7-5. I picked Mississippi State to go 4-8; it went 5-7.
Where I really messed up (other than Vandy) was on Tennessee: I thought the Vols would stink. They didn’t. I picked them to go 4-8, losing to Georgia and Vanderbilt and Kentucky. They went 7-5 and beat all three. (I was also wrong about Florida scoring 63 points on Tennessee; the correct total was 23. But what’s 40 points among friends?)
I also sought to predict the postseason destination of every SEC bowl-eligible team, and I got exactly one (of nine) correct — Ole Miss to the Cotton. But I did have Virginia Tech opposing an SEC opponent in the Chick-fil-A. Half-credit, right?
Turning to professional doings: The Falcons will not go 10-6 and win the NFC South. Good news: Through 14 games, my preseason breakdown has been right 11 times. (I had them losing to Carolina here and winning there, and it was the other way around. And I had them beating the Saints here.) Bad news: I didn’t see anyone in this division flying past them, which New Orleans rather obviously did.
The Braves did not win the wild card. (Though they had a chance with six games to play, whereupon they neglected to win again.) I had them winning 89 games and finishing second to the Mets. They won 86 and finished third behind Philadelphia and Florida. Brian McCann didn’t win MVP, as I maintained he would. Jeff Francoeur did not hit .285, as projected in this space, nor did Kenshin Kawakami win 12 games.
The Hawks did, however, beat the Heat in Round 1 of the NBA playoffs. I had them prevailing in six games. They needed seven. Details.
I picked three of the correct Final Four — Villanova, North Carolina and UConn — in the annual Fiasco, an achievement for which I’d ordinarily award myself a passing grade. Alas, the one I missed — Louisville — was my national champ. More details.
I’m sure there were one or two predictions I’ve forgotten — write 520 posts in a year and you try keeping track — and if you find one feel free to bring it to my attention. And, as has become Accountability Scoreboard tradition, I leave you with one forecast for the new year. The last time it didn’t pan out: I picked the Falcons over the Giants in the NFC title game. I’m thinking this one just might.
Nov. 20, 2010; Tuscaloosa, Ala.: The Georgia State Panthers cap their inaugural football season by shocking the world. They score against Alabama! Three whole points!
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369 comments Add your comment
ratherBgambling
December 26th, 2009
11:49 am
Mark
Please include moral victory predictions for UGA and UT next year.
Thanks for the column.
Lilburn Dawg
December 26th, 2009
11:51 am
Mark….switching gears here….wanted to give you a thought for an upcoming column. Could you put together the seating capacity at all of the bowl games and then compare with the number of tickets sold? I realize you can’t do this before the games are played, but it would be nice. The reason I am curious is what looked like the very low number of fans who attended the Hawaii Bowl. It looked like that UGA would have more fans watching their spring game than the number present in Hawaii. I just wondered how all of the bowls will make out financially and which ones are dragging the bottom of the barrel.
Mark Bradley
December 26th, 2009
11:55 am
That’s a good idea, Lilburn Dawg, but I can tell you already that all bowls — save the Rose and the BCS title game — figure to be hurting. People aren’t traveling the way they did five years ago, and the BCS has had the effect of marginalizing every bowl except the title tilt.
And think about this: Georgia Tech and Iowa are playing on Jan. 5. That’s a Tuesday night after most people have gone back to work/school. People who might be happy to travel over New Year’s will thinking twice about doing it so long after the holidays.
GT Fan...
December 26th, 2009
12:02 pm
From Dec 26th 10:28am post …..
“It all falls apart for Tech in year 3 of the PJ experiment. Dwyer, Morgan and Burnett are all turning pro, so they end up 6-6 after a loss in the “Somewhere-out-west Bowl”. Clem’s sons will win the weak ACC but their record…”
Comments like these are what’s so funny about delusional dog fans. Gee, in PJ’s 13 years as a HC or the previous 13 as OC (Navy, Hawaii, Ga Southern) not a single team has “fallen apart” once PJ arrives on the scene. But, this DDF (delusional dog fan) thinks it will suddenly happen at GT. Sorry my friend, I know it’s probably the one thing you want most to happen next season, but it ain’t gonna happen. PJ’s too good of a coach, and he’s got the program headed in the right direction. Facts that are obvious to you, but you are too delusional to actually admit it.
WonderDawg
December 26th, 2009
12:11 pm
I agree GT Fan. It’s idiotic to call PJ an experiment. Even if somehow teams figured out the PJ’s option, he would change to the spread or pro set in the blink of an eye. He’s a great coach.
GT Fan...
December 26th, 2009
12:13 pm
Mark B …. I totally disagree with you saying Nesbitt is irreplacable. The 2 redshirts (Luallen & Sims) are atheletically gifted recruits more suited to run this offense at their current level than Nesbitt was coming out of high school. It might be one of those two or he might be just a sophomore in high school right now, but PJ will get a QB that reminds football fans of the Jamel Hollloway, Tommy Frazier, Tracy Hamm QBs that have shined in this type of offense in the past. That is something all GT fans can look forward too, and their opponents can fear – it’s going to happen, sooner or later.
On the Orange Bowl & Jan 5th ….. that’s exactly why I can’t attend. It’s a Tuesday night AFTER the (company) Holidays, and my COMPANY isn’t emotionally invested to the Jackets, so it’s work, work, work for me. Yeah, I’d say the BCS (bunch of dam# crooks) is doing GREAT things for the bowl system!
B'Ham Jacket
December 26th, 2009
12:14 pm
Mark, do you know how the sell of GT tickets for the Orange Bowl is going?
Indicted
December 26th, 2009
12:17 pm
SatchelBuzz, if not for the automatic tie in GT woudn’t even be in a BCS bowl. As for TCU, check back and see how hard the ACC lobbied to keep TCU out of the Orange Bowl. TCU would beat the mortal hell out of GT and the ACC knows it.
Not Disappointed
December 26th, 2009
12:19 pm
Mark, I really appreciate you, Jeff & Doug the for info and input. “A Helluva lot of fun on the blogs. Win or Lose it has been fun.” I just hope the up coming year is fun. Hell, I would settle for half as fun. What a year! So, thank you and we look forward to many more blogs…..
In 2010 the Dawgs will improved. Also. Paul Johnson’s Jackets will improve with a better offensive line. I really don’t think the defense can get much worse. It should be another 10 win season.
Ramblin Wreck for life!
SSIgator
December 26th, 2009
12:23 pm
WonderDawg -
So does that mean UGA will be pre-season #1 for 2010 also? I guess in a puppies mind it equates to that. UGA should consider 8-4 very good next year. Might even make it to the Outback Bowl again. Wait until next year – the mating call of the dawggies.
GT Fan...
December 26th, 2009
12:25 pm
Mark B,
I totally disagree with your comment about Nesbitt being irreplacable. Luallen or Sims, both gifted atheletes, are way more suited to run this offense coming out of high school that was Nesbitt. It might be one of these 2 or he might be a freshman in high school right now, but guaranteed is this….PJ will have a QB at GT that reminds everyone of the Jamel Holloway, Tommy Frazier, Tracy Hamm, Raymon Gross type QBs who have previously shined in this type system.
On the Orange Bowl & Jan 5th … that’s exactly why I can’t be there – it’s AFTER the (company) holiday season, and since my company is emotionally invested to the Jackets like I am, it’s work, work, work in this crappy econmoic environment we’re in right now. Yeah, the crooked BCS is doing wonders for the Bowl system.
Rating my predictions
December 26th, 2009
12:31 pm
[...] the story on Topix Posted in [...]
PN
December 26th, 2009
12:37 pm
Lilburn dog-
This is clearly an attempt by you to try to show a weak GT following to the Orange Bowl. Fair enough. But, I defer to:
“Georgia has sold about 6,000 tickets — half of its allotment –- to the Dec. 28 Independence Bowl against Texas A&M, associate athletics director Alan Thomas said.”
ttp://www.ajc.com/sports/uga/georgia-candidate-ko enning-hired-246396.html
Georgia’s ticklefest is in the middle of the holidays, not on a Tuesday night after the holidays are over. UGA’s fanbase is 3 times as large as the GT fanbase in metro Atlanta (150,000 to 50,000 living alumni in Atlanta), yet UGA has sold 6,000 tickets. Impressive.
Prediction
December 26th, 2009
12:38 pm
NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!! NERDS!!! 30-24!!!
Hillbilly Deluxe
December 26th, 2009
12:39 pm
It’s admirable that you go over your picks and show how you stacked up. You had a pretty fair year looks to me like.
While you’re predicting, assuming I live 40 more years, you think I’ll ever see the Cubs in the World Series?
Clint
December 26th, 2009
12:42 pm
Hey Mark,
Have you heard anything about John Chavis from LSU being a possible DC replacement at UGA?
GT Fan...
December 26th, 2009
12:42 pm
should say “company is NOT emotionally invested……”
Indicted, you are a great assumption artist. TCU would kill GT b/c why – b/c they have lost 2 less games than GT? Their D stats are ranked so high? B/c you believe everything you read? Are you also ASSuming that Ok St, UK, UT, or LSU would beat GA if they played again? Things that actually happened ON THE FIELD, and I’ll guarantee you’d say GA would beat them all if they played again. TCU & GT have a common opponent this season – Clemson. TCU won 14-10, GT won 30-27 & 39-34, and you have somehow surmised that TCU would “beat the mortal hell” out the Jackets.
Yeah, good one – the ACC “lobbied” to not have TCU in the game. If you haven’t noticed it yet DA, the BCS is crooked & flawed. It’s not about who the fans & schools want in these games, it’s about who the BCS wants in them.
willie martinez
December 26th, 2009
12:43 pm
clint, i can answer that for you: NO
willie martinez
December 26th, 2009
12:47 pm
hillbilly: NO
robdawg
December 26th, 2009
12:53 pm
Bradley, Who cares.
You are still a tech loving/prejudiced NERD. You will pick them again next year, and we will beat them with a freshman at QB.
Happy New Year NERD!!
Sam
December 26th, 2009
12:56 pm
He’s right GT Fan. The ACC lobbied to keep TCU out of the Orange. Of all the teams GT could have faced, TCU woud have been a nightmare matchup for Tech on both sides of the ball. The ACC is becoming panicky over their pitiful image and are praying for something other than their annual bowl humiliation. The ACC couldn’t afford to have TCU beating their champion.
I bet MB knows a little about what went on behind the scenes to keep both BSU and TCU away from BCS teams.
Lilburn Dawg
December 26th, 2009
1:01 pm
Mark, you are right about people not wanting to travel after the holidays so I’m sure that will hurt the bowl attendence. You mention the Rose Bowl and the BCS title bowl are not hurting….and of course the Bowl here in Atlanta is sold-out. I thought it was telling in an earlier AJC article that said that Ga. Tech’s bowl tickets were selling for about $125 each but that UGA’s bowl tickets were only selling for $30-35 and that UGA couldn’t sell all of theirs at that low price. So I was wondering about all of the rest of the bowls and how they were doing.
Sam
December 26th, 2009
1:01 pm
And btw GT Fan. Your’e a loudmouthed moron. And a DUMBAZZ! On top of being ignorant.
Dan D.
December 26th, 2009
1:06 pm
Same old shi%! GT fans have an excuse for everything. You mites are perennial NCs when it comes to excuse making.
GWB
December 26th, 2009
1:08 pm
If you love your Jackets so much GT Fan, burn some vacation. Isn’t that what most of the TRUE Tech fans will be doing?
Nachos
December 26th, 2009
1:10 pm
The 2010 SEC Championship game will feature…… Alabama vs. Tennessee.
and Allbarn will still be 7-5
Hey Mark, 2010 predictions?
December 26th, 2009
1:16 pm
O…..M……G!!!!!!!!!!! This is a “dear diary” moment!!!!! I’m actually going to agree with “GT Fan” on something. I absolutely agree that the BCS is “crooked and flawed”. But as for TCU vs Tech? Forget about it dude. Their defense is the real deal man. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad you got Iowa in the Orange bowl my yellow and black clad friends….you might actually win.
bigdawg
December 26th, 2009
1:16 pm
Too bad Bush never looked back all the bad predictions HE made. And, yes, I remember when Dave Kindred was at the AJC…he was cut from the same cloth as Rice and Smith (Grantland and Red, not Jerry and Mike).
GWB
December 26th, 2009
1:17 pm
Maybe in Futbol, Nachos.
Mark "Crimson Crier" Ingram
December 26th, 2009
1:20 pm
WonderDawg says “UF “morphed” into a pretty sorry team two years ago (even with Teabow!!!!!). After we kicked your sorry butts, lowly Michigan did the same…”
UGA did not lose to UF in 2005 nor UF to UGA in 2007 due to Shockley’s or Tebow’s injuries. They both loss because the winning team had a superior experienced defense. After the 2006 BCS Championship UF loss 9 out of 11 starters on defense and played close to half true freshman due basically to Urban’s poor first recruiting class that he had less than 1 month to work (only 4 players out of that class ended up starting any significant games).
UF will have a falloff in 2010 but not as much as in 2007 due to good recruiting classes since 2006. How much falloff will depend on how many Gator juniors make the jump to the NFL, for the big bucks, before any new salary cap. If the majority of the juniors jump, I predict the Gators will win 9 games next year losing to atleast 2 SEC West teams.
GWB
December 26th, 2009
1:20 pm
Does anybody else think Ed Orgeron and Tom Cable were separated at birth?
TampaGator
December 26th, 2009
1:26 pm
Woonderdog…I thought Wille was your DC and not your DB coach…am I wrong on that one? At Florida, they have a DC and a DB coach, one being not the same as the other. Maybe the Georgia head coach needs to look into that similar coaching organizational system for effective player skill development and they might not be 7-5 next year. Just saying……
LOL
December 26th, 2009
1:26 pm
“The 2010 SEC Championship game will feature…… Alabama vs. Tennessee.
and Allbarn will still be 7-5″
And Nachos and his gay lover Fleischman will still be completely classless!
Vince Dooley
December 26th, 2009
1:28 pm
dead blam it, I’ll never be as good as those darn Tech coaches Heisman, and Bobby Dodd, I will never get an award named after me!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sandman1
December 26th, 2009
1:31 pm
LMAO! That’s funny GWB. You would think that all those Jesus pictures and crucifixes on the wall and that huge family bible on the coffee table would have clued ole Ed in before he dropped all those F bombs on Marlon Brown’s grandmama. Of course a couple of Scotches too many will do that. I wonder if lil Kiffy fined ole Ed for RUI for that screw up.
Sandman1
December 26th, 2009
1:33 pm
TampaGator, Willie was BVG’s DB coach and he personally coached the DBs when he was the DC.
TampaGator
December 26th, 2009
1:34 pm
Additionally…for you Dawg fans “dreaming” of a big Gator downfall next year…better first take a look at the talent coming back next year on their roster (even with some of the Jrs. leaving) and I think you will wake up from dreamland. The depth of young talent on the Gator roster is truely amazing…and they will most likely have the number one recruiting class this year to add to it. And, again, Brantley is the real deal. Dream all you want. The Gators will win the SEC East next year…again…and play Bama (or possibly LSU) for the SEC title. This time, the motivation will be on the Gator side of the ball. Trouble is, none of those teams will be #1 or #2 going into the game next year because of the schedule both teams play…and they also play one another in the regular season. Georgia is at least another year away from competing with the Gators in the East…and by then it will probably be the Gators and the Vols…as much as I hate Kiffin’s coaching style and all that.
TampaGator
December 26th, 2009
1:37 pm
Sandman1…like I said, maybe the Dawg’s HC should look into that approach to managing his team…as how did that work for you…or Willie for that matter? I personally think the guy is a good coach and a great recruiter and hope he ends up on the Gator staff…but not as the DC.
Vince Dooley
December 26th, 2009
1:40 pm
2010 Prediction,
Georgia goes 8-4 and its fans claim another National Championship even though it is not quite as good as Alabama’s 13-0 record.
The Dude (Andrew Sherwin)
December 26th, 2009
1:53 pm
I’m not 100% positive about this, but I’m pretty sure the Orange Bowl got first pick of the at-large teams. They chose Iowa because Iowa has proven in the past it’s fan base travels well. It’s pretty much that simple ($$ ticket sales). I think that might quell the conspiracy theorists.
Sandman1
December 26th, 2009
1:54 pm
TampaGator, Kirby Smart also coaches the DBs at Alabama. The DC handling a position is common. Willie’s soft zones, cover 2s, and fear of playing man up is the problem most have with him. Personnel could have something to do with that but UGA did seem to play better D when Willie went man and used his blitz packages.
jumbeauxtiger
December 26th, 2009
1:57 pm
Thanks Mark for reminded us of your predictions. Whether anyone agrees with you or not, you do a great job of bringing up issues that generate discussion.
I was wrong about the Vols too and they have had a surprisingly good season.
TampaGator, 2010 will be an interesting year for the Gators without Tebow and the loss of some assistants. I still believe the Gators will win the East and go 10-2 or perhaps 11-1.
Geaux Tigers
Go SEC
Sandman1
December 26th, 2009
2:04 pm
b/r
Featured Columnist
What’s Next For Georgia Tech
1) TCU —The Horned Frogs ought to lobby hard for an Orange Bowl berth but the ACC fought just as hard to keep them out. The Orange Bowl would make sense, so would the Fiesta Bowl for TCU.
Statistically speaking, this would probably be the least-appealing opponent for Georgia Tech. Gary Patterson’s crew are a wicked second in the nation defensive, third against the run and third against the pass. Additionally, TCU’s got the kind of strong, physical defensive line that can wreck Tech’s offense in a bad way.
The ACC wanted Iowa and in the end got them. On paper, this is probably the most appealing match-up for Georgia Tech, but Ferentz is not a coach to be trifled with, and Iowa has had a lot of luck run its way this season.
Read it and weep The Dude (Andrew Sherwin). The ACC wanted no part of TCU.
GWB
December 26th, 2009
2:05 pm
Appears you “quelled” nothing huh little Andrew?
GT4EVER
December 26th, 2009
2:11 pm
spirited discussions as usual. A few things to clarify though::
GT’s official colors are White and Old Gold … not Yellow and Black (those are Iowa’s colors). Yeah call me picky … now bring on some asinine comments …
Didn’t know about GT lobbying against playing TCU in the Orange Bowl …. Mr. Bradley can you confirm??
Admittedly, and I repeat Admittedly, GT and the ACC in general have not performed well in bowls during the current BCS era (GT has lost its past 4 bowls and has a 23-15 bowl record overall). But if you look at conference performances overall, the PAC 10, SEC and ACC are the 3 conferences with the highest bowl game winning percentages. Not trying to incite any crazed arguments here … just pointing out a fact to keep in mind. Now bring on more asinine comments …
Obviously, GT needs to “right the ship” immediately regarding its recent history in bowl games. There would be no better way to do so than make a big statement in the Orange Bowl against Iowa. Current “experts” have GT +4 pts in the spread, and I tend to agree … the game is gonna be close.
Pago Flyer
December 26th, 2009
2:14 pm
So is there a state law that says all college football teams have to have so many pony-tail so called trainers to run out and stand??
that game meant everything to tech
December 26th, 2009
2:15 pm
30 to 24….not long till next year’s game tech fans..enjoy the offseason…things are back right in the state of
Georgia as the state’s best football team won 30 to 24 after the fluke win by tech in 2008
You notice
December 26th, 2009
2:18 pm
how all the dog fans are talking about Tech’s bowl game but not at all about theirs. Where are the mighty dogs playing again?
You notice
December 26th, 2009
2:21 pm
How they have nothing good to say about their team this year, so all they can do is try to tear down Tech’s
Can't wait
December 26th, 2009
2:25 pm
for the dogs to collapse again between the hedges against the yellow jackets in 2010