Bradley’s Buzz: ESPN again picks against Tech and Johnson
Not the flavor of the month per Scouts Inc. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
I’m not covering the Orange Bowl. I’ll be in Athens tonight watching Georgia and Georgia Tech play basketball. But I found it amusing to note that, once again, ESPN.com’s Scouts Inc. has picked against the Jackets (in football, not basketball).
A review (and all these links require registration): Scouts Inc. picked Miami over the Jackets in September and was correct; it picked Virginia Tech over GT in October and was incorrect; it picked Clemson over the Jackets in September and also in the ACC title game and was twice wrong. Now it likes Iowa to win 28-24 tonight. And that’s legit: This will be a difficult game for the Jackets, and a lot of people are picking against them.
What’s of greater interest is that Scouts Inc. again gives the edge in coaching to Tech’s opponent. And maybe that’s also fair: Kirk Ferentz is well regarded in the business. Scouts Inc. did the same for the Virginia Tech game — again, Frank Beamer is a proven commodity — but it also gave Clemson the nod in coaching for the ACC title game, and I can’t imagine too many folks see Dabo Swinney as more established than Paul Johnson. (Interestingly, Scouts Inc. rated Tech’s coaching as better than Clemson’s in September. Guess Dabo had a better season than Johnson.)
Maybe I’m being unfair: Scouts Inc. did pick Tech over Georgia and give Johnson the edge over Mark Richt. (Georgia won, as I recall.) But when I see a category breakdown so imbalanced — the Jackets are rated above Iowa at only three of eight positions (quarterback, running back and, interestingly enough, special teams) — you’d have to think the coach of the presumed lesser team has done something right to get his side to 11-2 and a BCS bowl.
And maybe this expression of non-love for PJ simply balances the scales: I’m aware that many among you (read: Georgia fans) believe we at the AJC have fallen all over ourselves in our admiration for the Tech coach. And I’ll concede to a bit — OK, maybe more than a bit — of gushing on my part. Still, I think the man has done a fabulous job. He’s 20-6 in two seasons and has won his conference. As I recall, we around here also sang the praises of Richt when he went 21-5 and won his league in his first two years on the job.
But enough of that. I close with two notes: Scouts Inc. isn’t to be confused with ESPN’s ACC blogger Heather Dinich, who has also picked against the Jackets a few times but likes Tech tonight. (Also by the score of 28-24.) And Mr. Always Wrong — that’d be me — likes the Jackets to win twice this evening. First at the Stegasaurus, then at Land Shark Stadium.
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349 comments Add your comment
CPJ's Sportsbra
January 5th, 2010
12:57 pm
How do you make GT cookies?
Put them in a big bowl and beat them for three hours!
stiggywiggy
January 5th, 2010
12:57 pm
If kirby’s smart, he’ll stay away from a program headed for Tulane-ville.
Gen Neyland
January 5th, 2010
12:58 pm
Trailer Park Logic : The combined records of the 2 SEC teams GT ‘crushed?’ were 7-17 and both finished last in their respected divisions as the #11th and #12th place teams in a 12 team conference. GT was beaten by the #6 or #7 (depends on your angle) best team in the SEC. Iowa comes in as the 3rd best team in the Big 10. By my calculations, this puts Iowa easily on par with UGA. Iowa wins…
theTruth
January 5th, 2010
12:58 pm
TO ALL TECH FANS, first, good luck tonight. This is a mismatch IMO, and Tech should roll although MB has to be smart enough to realize that media pundits such as himself offer different views to make a more compelling bowl game. I hate it, but this will be the lowest rated BCS bowl. The Ga kids deserve to play someone better. Who really wants to watch Iowa? They are way overrated.
But for the whiners on here talking trash about UGA’s bowl game versus Tech’s bowl game. Do you really want to compare bowl payouts? One team has been to 3 BCS bowls this decade. I’m not really sure how much the Humanitarian Bowl pays out.
John
January 5th, 2010
12:58 pm
Great column mark! I like the end especially. I think we have a bigger chance of losing in Athens tonight than in Miami!
Go TECH!
GATA RUSS
January 5th, 2010
12:59 pm
How do jackets schedule a basketball game the night of the ACC bowl?
They are nerds but so is Iowa. It will be hard to watch that game with the ugly colorson both side. Boring football that should have been scheduled for Charolette.
Kay
January 5th, 2010
12:59 pm
Thanks for the information, Mark.
This will certainly be more motivation for the Jackets.
And for Paul Johnson!
As though they need more motivation. I do think Tech will
be well prepared!
FLDAWG
January 5th, 2010
1:00 pm
Maybe with the 14 million Tech gets they can get all their students bullet proof vest for walking to and from class. Oh yeah 30-24!!! Tech still second best in Georgia!!!!
GT Offense Too Simple
January 5th, 2010
1:00 pm
Come on, GT stinks in Bowls against good defenses like LSU or Iowa. Give Iowa over a month to prepare, and all they have to do is stop 1 play, triple option, 2 direction, right or left. No NFL team runs the High School 1 trick pony offense because it’s imbalanced and too simple for defenses to figure out.
to stop triple option:
Stop dive, tackle QB, tackle pitchman.
Ramblinwreck83
January 5th, 2010
1:00 pm
Call me sour grapes, but……
As I recall, college football is full of lucky plays and call that should of been made. Case in point, When UGA got lucky as hell against ASU at home who isn’t very good. Real lucky against USC, AUB and ARK. how many holding penalties did they get away with in the UGA/Tech game that weren’t called? Every team gets help during the year and if they don’t, then it comes back around the following year. I remember plenty of games that UGA got lucky against Tech to win. It’s college football so quit whining.
Nathan
January 5th, 2010
1:02 pm
To everyone singing the praises about how the SEC is the best conference and saying the ACC is weak please go review the Clemson-Kentucky game and the Tennesee-Virginia Tech game. I believe Clemson played like crap and still beat Kentucky (who beat Georgia)while Virginia Tech dominated Tennessee(who destroyed Georgia and almost beat Alabama while having a close game against Florida). Those were the only match ups of ACC-SEC teams in the bowls but it seems to me that the ACC was 2-0 against the SEC in bowl games this year. You can call the ACC a weak conference but based on bowl results the almighty SEC has been dominated by the ACC this bowl year.
JJ
January 5th, 2010
1:02 pm
Hey ATLBUZZZZ–
Just realize that the UGA athletic department has more money than GT could ever dream of. Enjoy the $14 million while it lasts, but we’ll add the $1.4 mil to our coiffures and enjoy a win over the Nerds all year!
THWGT!
stiggywiggy
January 5th, 2010
1:03 pm
Yeah, that’s brilliant, Shane. You’re trying to make a case that the Mountain West is the best conference in the land. Uh, OK. I think you’ll have a hard time selling that to knowledgeable football fans. But then again, you probably meant your stats for dawgie fans.
I really don’t think statistics are your thing, Shane. Better just type “How ’bout them dawgs” or something. You’ll look less stupid.
Shane
January 5th, 2010
1:05 pm
how many holding penalties did they get away with in the UGA/Tech game that weren’t called?
How many chop blocks did Tech get away with?
Shane
January 5th, 2010
1:06 pm
Yeah, that’s brilliant, Shane. You’re trying to make a case that the Mountain West is the best conference in the land. Uh, OK. I think you’ll have a hard time selling that to knowledgeable football fans. But then again, you probably meant your stats for dawgie fans.
I really don’t think statistics are your thing, Shane. Better just type “How ’bout them dawgs” or something. You’ll look less stupid.
Huh? No im not.
Let me make it simple for you
The SEC is
13-5 in BCS Games
the ACC is
2-9 in BCS Games
Easy enough for you?
EW
January 5th, 2010
1:07 pm
Sick of morons ruining this blog. UGA won the 2009 bragging rights, GT had the better season. It doesn’t really matter if the SEC is better or the ACC or any of the others. At the end of the year, the best teams in each conference rise to the top and get the chance to play in big games. That’s it.
Asheville Dawg
January 5th, 2010
1:08 pm
Where is Shultz?
VaIllini
January 5th, 2010
1:08 pm
Big Ten bias???? Are you kidding me? The SEC and ABC/ESPN are in bed together. Like most SEC fans, Dawg whatever is delusional. Go Big Ten. Go ACC.
Opinion
January 5th, 2010
1:08 pm
UGA only won the SEC championship when the SEC was down……..(Every other SEC team to win the SEC championship went on to play for a National Championship)
Sorry Dawgies………you are no help to your conference regardless of your win in the funnel cake bowl
stiggywiggy
January 5th, 2010
1:10 pm
S, JJ. Your dawgies are going to add 1.4 million dollars to their “coiffures,” eh? How’s that work? Does someone wad the bills up and rub your dawgie scalps with them?
(Dang, is there anything more fun than reading dumbass things that dawgies write on blogs?)
sec
January 5th, 2010
1:10 pm
As an UGA fan, congrats to Tech and good luck. Bring another victory to the great state of Georgia
VegasGT
January 5th, 2010
1:11 pm
Sour Grapes – You are surely that, as self-proclaimed. Clemson had a similar “illegal” play if you go back and check the articles. You ought to go watch the games again, if you ever did in the first place, because Clemson got away with more holding on Morgan than I have ever seen not called. It goes both ways.
Face it, Clemson lost.
This game tonight is going to be close. I don’t think Iowa’s defense will be able to hold GT’s offense the whole game and I don’t believe GT’s defense (if you can call it that) will miraculously bring back the key injured players and play flawlessly.
After reading almost everything I could find about the Orange Bowl, I truly believe this moght actually be the best game out of all of the BCS bowls.
To those UGA fans on this GT blog, congrats on your bowl win and thanks to those Alum who manage to post their words of encouragement. The best thing to happen to both teams is for them to meet late in November with equally untarnished records.
Vince Dooley
January 5th, 2010
1:11 pm
me being the former coach of UGA, and a pretty intelligent person, there is no question that I would much rather have our big brother Tech’s 4 shinny National Championship trophies any day of the week over that silly one-on-one record……National Championships is what makes a team great now State Championships……just common sense I tell ya !
John
January 5th, 2010
1:11 pm
Hey Hells Bells, South Carolina (of the SEC) went 7-5 and lost to UCONN! UCONN! Oh yeah, the SEC is suuuuuuuuch a power house. Alabama, Florida, LSU and then…. no one else…. Don’t mention those underachievers in Athens, they’re a joke.
Remember friends, it’s all about THE U! Got 5? We do!
Thrashers27
January 5th, 2010
1:12 pm
GO HAWKEYES!!!
stiggywiggy
January 5th, 2010
1:12 pm
Yeah, we got it, Shane. You think the undefeated-in-the-BCS Mountain West is the best conference in the land. We got it already. And we’re laughing. (At you that is, not with you.)
CPJ's Sportsbra
January 5th, 2010
1:13 pm
I think the Yellowjackets should change their names to the Opossums because they play dead at home and get killed on the road.
Vince Dooley
January 5th, 2010
1:14 pm
why don’t I get an award named after me?????? dead gum Tech coaches !!!!
PJ JOHNSON
January 5th, 2010
1:15 pm
We will lose even though I will be a genius as usual…the boys will lose it!
Artie
January 5th, 2010
1:16 pm
We all saw what Les Miles can do (to the Tech scheme) with a month’s worth of prep!!!!!!
Richard Dawson
January 5th, 2010
1:18 pm
Just a scintillating article there, Mr. Wishy Washy. Keep ‘em coming.
Vince Dooley
January 5th, 2010
1:18 pm
good thing we intentionally injured Tech’s quarterback…..we never would of ever beatin them
Shane
January 5th, 2010
1:19 pm
S, JJ. Your dawgies are going to add 1.4 million dollars to their “coiffures,” eh? How’s that work? Does someone wad the bills up and rub your dawgie scalps with them?
No we well get a much bigger check than GT. See the money teams get from bowl games are put in a pot and shared with all the other teams.
So by playing in the SEC UGA will get a much bigger check than Tech playing in the ACC
Brad
January 5th, 2010
1:20 pm
Gator fan here, so I have no dog in this fight, but…
For everyone on here picking Iowa on account of Tech’s suspect defense are forgetting the fact that for as bad as the Bees have been on D, the Hawkeyes have been equally bad on offense. Even when Stanzi was in the lineup, they still were not an offensive juggernaut. We all know that Tech is exceedingly proficient on offense and we also know that Iowa’s MO this year has been the steady, disciplined play of its D, therefore, we have strength versus strength. What we don’t know, however, is what will happen when Tech’s D squares off against Iowa’s offensive attack… that, friends, is the key to this matchup. That said, I’m taking Tech in a close, hard fought game with Nesbitt coming up big.
Shane
January 5th, 2010
1:20 pm
Yeah, we got it, Shane. You think the undefeated-in-the-BCS Mountain West is the best conference in the land. We got it already. And we’re laughing. (At you that is, not with you.)
No. Im saying the SEC by being 13-5 in BCS games is the best conference
And that the ACC is only 2-9 ( 2-10 if Tech loses) by far the worst of the BCS conferences.
And the Mountain West is now 2-1 with the TCU loss
This really isnt that hard dude.
VegasGT
January 5th, 2010
1:21 pm
Artie – Did you even watch that game? GT did it to themselves.
LuvMachine
January 5th, 2010
1:21 pm
(Per the Raleigh N&O): “North Carolina should have the best defense in ACC football for the 2010 season.
That much was settled Monday when five key juniors – tackle Marvin Austin, backs Kendric Burney and Deunta Williams and linebackers Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter – announced their intentions to bypass the NFL draft. Add in sophomore end Robert Quinn, who rates as first-round draft material in 2011, and it’s for certain UNC will have the talent to clear the eight-win barrier, contend for the ACC Coastal Division title and have an even chance to win its opener against LSU in Atlanta.”
Vince Dooley
January 5th, 2010
1:21 pm
Texas and Alabama better be happy they arn’t playing Tech…..no one can stop that dead gum Triple Option
Shane
January 5th, 2010
1:23 pm
Artie – Did you even watch that game? GT did it to themselves.
huh?
dawgfan
January 5th, 2010
1:24 pm
Ramblinwreck83, I was thinking more along the lines of Florida, Alabama, LSU, or even Georgia kind of defensive lines. Clemson, UNC, and VT are all cute little teams, but beating them won’t get you anything more than an occassional All Crap Conference title. You Techies have been talking a mighty big game lately about national prominence and respect. I’ve even heard some national title talk. Do you think you’ll be facing 8-4 Clemson in the BCS Title game Techie? You Tech fans simply don’t get it. You want everyone to hold you in the highest regard possible but then go comparing yourselves to UNC and Clemson. It is laughable.
Heather, I didn’t go to Shreveport. I did however go to Mark Richt Stadium the last Saturday in November and witness 30-24 with my own eyes. Were you there? I swear it really happened. It wasn’t just a bad dream. It is very real.
30-24.
stiggywiggy
January 5th, 2010
1:24 pm
CPJ Sportsbar: If you want to force your lame possum joke (heard that one years ago) on us, why not at least make sure it is applicable? Tech is 6-1 at home this year and 5-1 away.
Maybe you meant a jackrabbit instead of a possum?
Do you dawgies ever think about what you type before making a buffoon of yourselves?
a
January 5th, 2010
1:24 pm
Georgia fan, not here to talk trash. I just get amused when I see the following things from Tech fans (and granted, they’re being said because dumbass Georgia fans are on here talking trash in the first place):
1) “At least we know how to get to a real bowl game!” So do we. A lot of them. We don’t need to be told how it feels to have a good season, win your conference and go to a top tier bowl. We’ve been there, too – more than you have lately.
2) “Shreveport = 1.4 million, Orange Bowl = 14 million.” Again, we know, because Mark Richt is probably framing pictures from our victory over Tech this year in left over $100 bills from our last Sugar Bowl. Don’t think you want to get into a pissing match with Georgia over money in the Athletic program piggy bank, folks.
p.s., 30-24.
UGA gets a bigger check
January 5th, 2010
1:26 pm
No we well get a much bigger check than GT. See the money teams get from bowl games are put in a pot and shared with all the other teams.
So by playing in the SEC UGA will get a much bigger check than Tech playing in the ACC
TECH
January 5th, 2010
1:27 pm
Shane, Why don’t you do us all a favor and change your screen name back to BuLLdawg??? Today is Georgia Tech football. Post your meaningless statistics tomorrow and until Nov. 28. For now, get a life man!!
stiggywiggy
January 5th, 2010
1:27 pm
Yeah, Shane we got it. You think 13-5 computes to a higher percentage than 2-0. Must be dawgie math. Kinda like JJ’s dawgie spelling of “coffers.”
Bud
January 5th, 2010
1:28 pm
Hey Heather & MR….. Congratulations! Tremendous accomplishment this year, #1 in the ACC and now you have the distinguished honor of playing Iowa. Who could ask for anything more out of life.
Dawg Days
January 5th, 2010
1:29 pm
Hey Dawg Days,
No way you are a dawg fan. Your blog makes some sense. I am not sure you are correct about the choking. I think there were reasons Tech lost to Mia and not all of it had to do with coaching and talent. As far as UGA, there should have been enough incentive to win that one but UGA had the better game plan and executed it perfectly. Something they had not done all year. GT will be just fine in the future. they will win ballgames and they will lose ballgames. Mark is corret, the AJC had it’s nose for far up CMR arse his frist to years that if he stopped real quick they would have broken their neck.
Hey MR,
Tech lost to Mia, LSU, and UGA because those teams players jacked up and ready to play, they had better game plans, and executed. The ;last time I checked, that is related to coaching. Bradley’s column is centered in ESPN dissing PJ, which isn’t supported by those games.
And as far as what the AJC did with CMR in 2002 is irrelevant to this, CMR won the big games.
Again, dont let the facts get ya.
Ramblinwreck83
January 5th, 2010
1:29 pm
Shane
How about the dirty play by UGA defenders when they kept twisting Nesbitt’s ankle when he was on the ground and the wistle had blown. I think that’s about even par for how UGA players play football (very undisciplined). I guess you couldn’t muster up an answer about the difference between Tech getting lucky and UGA getting lucky. Every team gets lucky, so deal with it and quit complaining.
AS
January 5th, 2010
1:30 pm
Uga losing to players on defense to the nfl. That will hurt
TECH
January 5th, 2010
1:33 pm
dawgfan, Didn’t that weak little VT defensive line push that big bad UT offensive line around on Dec. 31. Don’t you remember what UT did to UGA this year?? It’s all perception man. You play the game and whoever wins, wins. Bama and UF have been carrying the SEC for the last couple years. Win a SEC championship then start running your mouth. Until then the only thing thing you can say right now is 30-24. Stay classy..