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
stiggywiggy
January 5th, 2010
1:34 pm
Maybe if you dawgies spread that 1.4 million amongst you, you can each buy a souvenir weedeater to help remember your big win over that 6-7 team, since no one else in the nation seemed to have cared.
Nathan
January 5th, 2010
1:34 pm
Shane before you start running your mouth about the great white hope (I mean the SEC) you might want to check and see the teams with the most appearances in BCS bowls and look at how many of the SEC wins were against horrible opponents such as Cincy and Hawaii who while they had great seasons can’t stack up with college football powerhouses. The SEC is a three horse race (LSU, Alabama (only since Saban arrived), and Florida). Once you get past those teams (even though I believe Kiffin will bring tennessee back) the SEC is nothing. Every conference can point to their top teams and state how good they are its the talent level throughout the conference that matters.
Dawgrulz
January 5th, 2010
1:35 pm
Good Luck against Iowa tonight in the Orange Bowl. Anyone picking Iowa has not seen them play this year. The Iowa offense is awlful and will not be able to exploit the GT weaker side of the ball. On the flip side Iowa has not seen anything like GT’s option attack and I am guessing on that. Tech should roll tonight. This blog or post has nothing to do with the SEC dominance or trash talk. However, all that being said UGA fans had to hear from MB and MS how bad the UGA team, coaches were for 3 months and how bad UGA was going to lose. The GT coach was shrined in the hall of fame and the fact is the AJC agenda had the 4th highest winning coach (CMR)in last 9 years to be an idiot. Once the game was over everyone acted like the game did not happen and did not mean as much to GT.
CMR= 8-1 against GT over 3 coaches.
Robert
January 5th, 2010
1:35 pm
So now that the coach with the b-cups takes you to 1 BCS game….you’re the bees knees? Nah. I’ll take a program and conference that wins on a consistent basis. Yes, Tech had a good year. But, and I’ll say it again, this offense will take a HUGE step back when Gailey’s recruits leave.
How in the world can you start bashing the SEC? Is it envy? You have to be blind or stupid to think that the SEC isn’t the benchmark in college football. Kinda like the ACC sets the standard in basketball. Inferiority complex says it all. You beat us in ONE game and the morons start talking all year. Sorry tech fans….you’re getting all the smack talk you deserve. (((30-24))) with alot more to come. 28-17 Iowa in a close game until the 4th, where their offense wears you down. Congrats on your first BCS appearance.
Ehhhh
January 5th, 2010
1:37 pm
Not that worried about it. If I had a dime for every time they were wrong, well I’d have a lot of dimes.
Ramblinwreck83
January 5th, 2010
1:37 pm
dawgfan
Tech fans aren’t dillusional about how the team is. Tech is playing great with a new offense and new staff. There is a lot of work to do, but all i keep hearing from the UGA fans is the same old stuff they were saying during the Gailey days. Why is that? We have a better record, better coach, the players are really good and we won the conference. We’re not walking around like UGA fans are and thinking that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Why hasn’t UGA played in a NC since MR been there. They have the talent and supposedly they have the coach and they’re in the supposed “best conference in america”, but they still come up short. Explain? I really don’t know. Tech has a couple good years and all UGA fans can do is devalue their accomplishments. Sounds like your a little bitter about how things have gone for you. That’s life.
Ehhhh
January 5th, 2010
1:39 pm
And what is with the mediocrity of the SEC this bowl season. I mean, teams are losing, some are barely beating teams that couldn’t win a high school state championship. Bama better win, cause other than UF, they are about all the SEC has right now.
Robert
January 5th, 2010
1:40 pm
AND….Mark….Please respond to this. Even though I know you won’t. Who’s the better coach….cpj or CMR? And please explain your answer….even though I have no doubt who’ll your going to pick. (hint- he needs to be smacked in the face for being a sore loser)
Mark
January 5th, 2010
1:41 pm
My dawgs aren’t in this hunt so, GO Tech. Sting ‘em.
If anyone wants to see a boring, over-hyped bowl, re-run last night. What a pair of pretenders. I am looking forward to watching the Orange because it is fun to see two quality teams square off. The same thing for Thursday. Last night was a waste of time. The Tostitos people should consider that lack of value for their money.
TECH
January 5th, 2010
1:41 pm
Robert, What was your record in the SEC this Year?? When is the next time UGA will be relevant in the SEC again?? Yes, you beat TECH 30-24, What’s new. Run your mouth and this state because Sonny Perdue sure doesn’t not what the hell he is doing??
stiggywiggy
January 5th, 2010
1:42 pm
Sorry, Robert. If the SEC is the “benchmark” in college football, someone needs to remove those stinking splinters from the bench: Kentucky sucks, as we saw the other day. Mississippi State sucks. South Carolina blows, as we just saw verified. Vandy bites as usual. And we already know how bad the Dawgies suck. Benchmark, my ass. Or did you mean that a lot of SEC starters would be sitting on the bench in the Mountain West, whom dawgie Shane seems to think is the best conference in the land.
Citizen
January 5th, 2010
1:47 pm
Mark, while it is true Tech won it conference, let’s remind ourselves that Tech plays in the “Athletically Challenged Conference”, which equates to no more than 6th place in the SEC East. It is true Tech has a soft defense. I predict the Hawkeyes win 51 to 7.
LuvMachine
January 5th, 2010
1:49 pm
DawgFan, how does the UGa defense measure up against the UNC defense in your opinion for next year. Be honest, not “cute”. If you don’t have the info on both defenses, then research them before you mouth an invalid opinion.
Ramblinwreck83
January 5th, 2010
1:50 pm
I can’t wait until tonight when GT beat Iowa in the Orange Bowl. I bet you UGA fans that keep talkin out your behinds won’t be on here tomorrow.
Robert
January 5th, 2010
1:50 pm
Let’s comapare the head to head then…SC beat Clemson….UF beat FSU….UGA beat the Gnats….Yikes. We’ve had 2 teams is the BCS the whole decade….won national titles like crazy.(although I will say UGA hasn’t been there, we’re talking about the SEC though) Are you guys that deluded that you cant admit what EVERYONE else in the nation already knows? Ok then….lets work backwards….if we aren’t the best….who is? It’s funny hearing the angst in your posts. The ACC is mediocre at best and you know that order in the state has been restored.
JASon
January 5th, 2010
1:51 pm
I’m bored of hearing about picks. What good does it do me to hear what someone thinks is going to happen when I can just watch the game and know what really happened.
Citizen
January 5th, 2010
1:52 pm
It would be more appropriate to compare the UNC defense with that of Pope High School, as they play in comparable leagues. Please no offense to Pope High School.
Ramblinwreck83
January 5th, 2010
1:54 pm
I bet next year UGA has about the same season they did this year. Pretty much a freshman QB to run the offense. Young undisciplined players (as usual). UGA probably will lead the NCAA in penalties again and be up there in the minus turnover margin just like this year. I hope you MUTTS don’t get too excited because it could be another sad year for you in 2010.
LuvMachine
January 5th, 2010
1:56 pm
Citizen, you should use the moniker, “uninformed citizen”. You are much like a pro wrestler – fake.
Citizen
January 5th, 2010
1:56 pm
This year we learned that UGA can have its worst year of about 10 years, and still kick Tech’s @ss.
JJ
January 5th, 2010
1:57 pm
StiggyWiggy-
Haha, momentary spelling lapse. “Coffers” is the word I was looking for, but anyhow–UGA brings in more revenue and profits on a yearly basis (ask Forbes) than GT or pretty much any other ACC team could ever dream of. We’ll add that $1.4 mil to our coffers in addition to the payouts from our THREE BCS bowl games this decade.
I chuckle to myself when fans of ACC teams try to insult the SEC. So Duke (no bowl), NC State (no bowl), Wake (no bowl), Boston College (lost in the bowl game to a mediocre SC team), Maryland (awful) and Virginia (yech) aren’t just as bad as an 8-win UK team, an improving Mississippi State club, and a decent USCjr team? C’mon, use some sense before you sound completely hypocritical.
Tralee
January 5th, 2010
1:57 pm
Congratulations Tech fans, for having your team make it to a BCS game. Before you go bashing the bowl game that UGA was in this year, let us look back at the last 8 years, where each GT and UGA team have been in a bowl game. Looks like GT has been to far more lower tier bowls than UGA. One trip to a BCS game does not make a dynasty. Next year let us see if you are back out in Idaho, or SAn Francisco for an exciting game that is not even on the same tier as the bowl game that UGA went to this year-
kerryb
January 5th, 2010
1:58 pm
Wow, ESPN picks against Tech and Johnson. They should.
Scrap
January 5th, 2010
1:58 pm
Mark,
Welcome back to work, I hope you enjoyed your vacation.
The facts speak for themselves, your record on GT football this year is better than ESPN’s.
By the way, how did you match up with Schultz?
BuzztheKiller
January 5th, 2010
1:59 pm
Game day finally! I think the only ones as excited for tonight as Tech fans is the jealous UGAers on here that need something to do between posting about the next coach to turn them down for DC…
LuvMachine
January 5th, 2010
1:59 pm
Citizen, what’s your problem? Do you suffer from chronic acid reflux? Because what comes out of your mouth smacks of something undissolved.
JJ
January 5th, 2010
2:00 pm
RamblinWreck83-
Gonna have to disagree with you there. Murray might struggle some early (if he beats out Gray/Mett) but once he gets his feet under him, the kid is as talented as it gets. Ealey and King will continue to pound the ball efficiently behind a healthy O-Line, the D has playmakers in Boykin, Rambo, B. Smith, Dowtin, Justin Houston, Cornelius Washington, Abry Jones, and some new guys coming in like Ogletree and Hitman Hamilton.
With a new, solid DC hire, CMR will have the train back on the tracks.
Alabama Jack
January 5th, 2010
2:00 pm
Ignore all dawg comments – they are not relevant.
UGA Valedictorian
January 5th, 2010
2:01 pm
YEEEEHAWWWWW!!!!! Where’s mah DIP-loma ??
Jacketman
January 5th, 2010
2:02 pm
Since the inbred white trash redneck known as Shane wants to post up facts, here is a couple of more
ACC 2-0 vs SEC in Bowls this year.
UGA is 0-2 vs those Same two SEC teams this year.
GT is 3-0 vs those ACC teams that spanked the SEC teams that embarrassed UGHEY this year.
Just food for thought.
GO JACKETS.
Alabama Jack
January 5th, 2010
2:02 pm
Way cool. I was gonna post something about the dawgs and the AJC software said that had already been said. So there.
Ramblinwreck83
January 5th, 2010
2:02 pm
Correct me if i’m wrong, but i think only UF, ALA, LSU and UT (sometimes, not against VT) have good defenses and the rest are just mediocre at best. All this talk about SEC dominating Defense was really shown this year with the other 8 teams in the conference. Please enlighten me.
Bo Williams
January 5th, 2010
2:03 pm
Mark, UGa doesn’t just UNC’s DC next year, they near players like UNC has on defense. What do you think?
gtyj2
January 5th, 2010
2:03 pm
I love all these classy uga fans wooooo
Uneasy Dawg
January 5th, 2010
2:04 pm
Dawgs are uneasy about next year (at least the smart ones are. OK that’s a miniscule number of them is.) They know their defense won’t be improved with the same personnel, QB won’t be improved, since Cox arguably had a pretty decent year, play calling and discipline won’t be improved either. And they know that next year, the best team will probably win the Tech-GA game (that being GT.) I think most of them would take 8-5 right now.
stiggywiggy
January 5th, 2010
2:05 pm
Selective stats, Robert? You tell us how SC beat Clemson. You mean the Clemson team which beat SEC Kentucky, which beat SEC dawgies? Oh, and how did SC do in their bowl against MIGHTY UCONN????
Yay
January 5th, 2010
2:05 pm
I’m going to waste my dad on a blog arguing that a conference my team plays in is better than another conference. Yay!! I have no life! I don’t care that the economy and debt in this country are about to implode. I don’t care we are on the verge of massive inflation. For you uneducated uga’ers, that means your ticket prices will be so high, you won’t be going. Yay I don’t care about the gov’t taking over health care and half the economy! They do it so well!! All I care about is arguing that my conference that MY team is in is better than your’s. Haha na na na na. You people are ignorant fools and need to move to europe.
Shane be educated
January 5th, 2010
2:05 pm
I sorry i never made it thru sckool.
a lot not alot nice grammer.
Russ
January 5th, 2010
2:07 pm
Tech 24 Iowa 14.
Scott
January 5th, 2010
2:09 pm
Clemson had beaten sc 4-5 times in a row and 8/9. They were due for a win. Uga only won because the players finally stepped up knowing their little coach was coaching his last game AND our qb was out 1 1/2 quarters. Even with that, we still nearly won. But hey, we’re playing today. You are last week and played last week. Your team is on the decline. No one wants your dc position. Your junior defense, those that are worth anything, are leaving. And you talk trash about next year like you did this year with a high school qb who hasn’t played in 2 + years. Yep you dawg fans sure are stupid just like Zeier said. You’ll be 7-8 wins again next year because you will get to play vandy ky miss st and that easy ooc schedule you have.
scott
January 5th, 2010
2:10 pm
I remember last time you blogged from a Jackets game, I believe it was FSU and FINAL 4 TALK!:) HAHAHAH!!! Dawgs will give them a run tonight.
As for football, no way GT loses to Iowa tonight, Vegas knows more than Scouts Inc. …..I promise you that! Just as jackets were favored in all those other games you mentioned (other than Miami which they lost) they are favored tonight by 5 and a half.
Ramblinwreck83
January 5th, 2010
2:13 pm
JJ,
talent doesn’t always win for you. He’ll be new to being in the game. He only played a little this year. Do you remember him in the UF game. I think his only pass was completed to Spikes who’s on UF team. It was a pick 6. I know UGA has as much talent as anyone in the nation but as this year showed, a team can have a bunch of talent but if they don’t put it together then they lose. It’s really hard to have a first year DC come in a make everything change right away. I’m sure UGA will be better next year on D, but to get back to Van Gorder days is a far cry. They probably will win around 8 games next year or 9 at best. I think that’s a pretty good record considering how things went this year. I just hope UGA fans can just stop dismissing Tech they way i’ve been hearing on this blog by other UGA fans. The last time they started to do that alot was back in 1998 and Tech won 3 in a row and bought Donnan a one-way ticket out of Athens.
Jacketman
January 5th, 2010
2:13 pm
Hey citizen, explain to me how Tech would finish 6th in the SEC East considering the ACC Coastal #2 SPANKED the SEC East #2??? The SEC is NOT the greatest conference in the world. It has 2 great teams & 10 Mediocre teams as has been demonstrated in the bowls. This is NOT debatable it is a fact. SC got embarrassed by a mid tier BIG EAST team in the Pizza bowl, Auburn got lucky in overtime against NW, Arkansas can thank ECU’s kicker for giving them the win in their game. Its funny to see that redneck UGA AJC blogger post that “UGA’s Win over Texas A&M shows SEC’s Dominance of the Big 12″ I could be wrong but didn’t UGA get SPANKED by OK State earlier this year?
Citizen
January 5th, 2010
2:14 pm
If Tech is the Athletically Challenged Conference champion, and as the result thereof, gets an automatic bid to the Orange Bowl, then the Orange Bowl has lost its credibility. You want proof? Look at all of the vast sections of empty seats in the Orange Bowl tonight. Point to Ponder: If Tech plays in an empty stadium, and nobody watches, does it really matter?
kerryb
January 5th, 2010
2:17 pm
Rushing Defense IA #30 Tech #66, Scoring Defense IA #9, Tech #56, Total Defense IA #10 Tech #52. Defense wins championships IA 24 Tech 17.
T-MAN
January 5th, 2010
2:17 pm
Hi Billy Mays here…..tired of that constant whining at the back door…listening to trash on your favorite blog…then try Dawg-be-gone.you”ll receive you’re dawg-be-gone e-mail block,plus anti delusional creme all for the low price of $19.95….and that’s not all order now and you’ll recieive this CD featuring Larry Munson singing(there’s Weedeater’s falling from the sky)….and to the first 100 order’s we’ll throw in Russ the Stand-in Mascot’s new tell all….I was accosted and had my a$$ painted white by the UGA Athletic Dept.
59bulldawg
January 5th, 2010
2:18 pm
I don’t think it’s out of disrespect for CPJ. He’s a heck of a coach and because of what he did at Navy and now at GT he’s nationally recognized. I think it’s because in the recent past the bees have been underwhelming to say the least. How else do you explain GT’s best team in years losing to a very mediocre Georgia team this year. The trouble with Tech, besides being located in a bad Atlanta neighborhood, (and also with their fans)is that they always start believing their press clippings when they do well. In 2008 Tech surprised the Dawgs because Georgia played lousy defense. And then from all the bee bravado spewed on these blog pages, you would have thought Bobby Dodd had been resurrected and a national championship was all but guaranteed. The AJC is doing again today! I like CPJ a lot from having watched his Navy teams do exceptionally well. He is a very good coach. But he don’t coach defense and that’s where Tech is weakest this year. So if they win, it will probably be in a shootout. I used to pull for Tech when they played anybody else but Georgia. But not after all the crap I’ve seen written here during the last 13 months. For one night and one night only I’m a Hawkeye and I hope it’s a beatdown!
GT
January 5th, 2010
2:19 pm
I don’t see CPJ losing two anythings in a row. I will be very surprised if they lose tonight, but bowls may not be his thing, who knows. I hope they have sodded that mangy field in Miami, and the heat won’t be a factor this time like last. I also hope CPJ spent a little extra time on special teams, the disease that killed us against LSU last year. No matter this team is for real and the ACC should be ours again next year, so maybe CPJ just will go ahead and buy a second home down there while they are cheap.
Robert
January 5th, 2010
2:22 pm
This year’s SEC vs ACC stats. Alabama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina beat VT, GT, FSU and Clemson. VT, GT beat Tennessee and MissST. We can go in circles about this team beat that team who beat this team….but facts are facts.
As to next year…the only thing I am worried about is the QB play. We have the athletes to accomplish all of our goals on defense, we just need someone to make us play disciplined, aggressive and fundamental football. I have faith that CMR will get the right man for the job. I think it’s funny that our “bad” season was 8-5. That’s a really good year on the Flats…right my Tech friends?
And to the person that said that garbage about this isn’t important…I think we can all agree that sports are the best stress relief for us. Regardless of what school we root for….college football is the greatest sport in the land.
I don’t start back to work for a couple days….(school isn’t in session) so I guess I can spend my time how I want to….right?
Blue
January 5th, 2010
2:24 pm
Really, Hell’s Bells? ACC can’t beat 7-5 SEC team? I know this year you guys (SEC) beat both ACC champs the same weekend. But last year, did not the ACC have a winning record over the SEC (and no, they were not all Vandy)? And did not VT just throttle TN last weekend? And is not the SEC currently 5-4 in bowl games? How did 4 SEC teams get beaten, and another (Auburn) have the game given to them by the opponents field goal kicker choking by a team who has not won a bowl game since 1939??? I’m not sitting here saying that the ACC or Big 10 are better than the SEC, but the kind of crap you are spouting here JUST doesn’t pass the BS test. The top of the SEC this year (FL and AL) were obviously the cream of the crop. However, several programs (GA, TN, Auburn) who typically have had elite programs were anything but elite. So overall, the SEC was NOT as good this year as they have been in the past…and seems to be validated by less than dominant bowl performances (Florida excluded).