Tech versus Georgia: This year it’s the duel of the dual duds
Georgia's Ben Jones after the upset of Tech last season. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Call this the season of dual lead balloons. Georgia was ranked No. 23 in the preseason Associated Press poll, dropped from the Top 25 on Sept. 12 and hasn’t received a vote since. Georgia Tech was ranked No. 16 in the preseason poll, dropped from the Top 25 on Sept. 12 and received its last votes on Sept. 19.
Add their records together and you get 11-11, which is the essence of mediocrity. Add their conference records together and you get 7-9. Add their road records together and you get 3-7 (or 3-8 if you count Georgia losing in Jacksonville, which was technically Florida’s home game this year).
Total the records of the teams they’ve beaten and you get 44-76, and that’s skewed by the 9-2 of South Carolina State, which Tech defeated on Sept. 4 and which will face Georgia Southern in Round 1 of the FCS playoffs today. Together, Tech and Georgia own victories over two FBS bowl-eligible opponents, and both North Carolina and Kentucky are 6-5. (And are, not to put too fine a point on it, basketball schools.)
And yet … all duds are not created equal. Our friends in Las Vegas favor Georgia, which has a losing record, by 13 points over Tech, which has a winning record, if just. Strange as it sounds, that line seems about right: To see Georgia play is to wonder how it lost six games; to view Tech is to wonder how it won that many.
Tech is 61st among 120 FBS teams in points scored, 59th in points yielded. It’s first in rushing offense, next-to-last in passing offense. Georgia has scored more points and yielded fewer and ranks 18th nationally in turnover margin and 36th in penalties — the Jackets are 54th and 87th in those key categories — but it has lost five times to Tech’s six. Part of this can be explained by noting that the SEC is stronger than the ACC. Part, but not all.
Georgia’s closest victory of the season was 44-31 over Kentucky. Tech has won four games by a narrower margin. Georgia clearly has better players — and Tech has been without its best man, quarterback Joshua Nesbitt, since the second quarter of the Virginia Tech game Nov. 4 — but the Bulldogs have developed the distressing habit of losing every losable game. You can say, “That’s just bad luck,” but is it luck when it happens all the time?
Two weeks ago Georgia led the nation’s No. 2 team by two touchdowns on the road. Auburn rallied to tie 51 seconds before halftime, whereupon the Bulldogs ran a draw play and let the clock expire, secure in the knowledge they’d get the ball to start the second half. Whoops. Auburn perpetrated a slick onside kick and took the lead without Georgia touching the ball. From 21-7 ahead, Georgia would lose 48-31 on a day when it didn’t turn the ball over. That wasn’t bad luck. That was bad coaching.
This will be Mark Richt’s 10th game against Tech; he has lost only once, wasting a 28-12 halftime lead in the wink of an eye two years ago. That was the game that made Paul Johnson the toast of Georgia Tech, the new coach having done in Year 1 what Chan Gailey couldn’t manage in six tries — he beat Georgia. But Richt upset the Jackets last season when Tech was ranked No. 7 and bound for the ACC championship game, and now there are questions about Johnson, too.
That ACC title was achieved largely due to the production of five Gailey signees, four of whom left early for the NFL. The fifth is Nesbitt, who’s a senior. Before the season Johnson hailed this as the deepest of his three Tech teams, but what the Jackets added in numbers they’ve lost in high-end quality. And early recruiting returns for 2011 aren’t glowing. (Scout.com has Tech 38th; Rivals.com doesn’t list the Jackets in its top 50.)
As we approach our latest installment of Clean Old-Fashioned Hate, so much is murk. It’s unclear if Richt, who has presided over three consecutive seasons of diminishing results, can again maximize Georgia’s resources. It’s unclear if Johnson, who has fallen from a conference championship to 6-5, can again find enough players to win big. Likewise unclear is when, or even if, this proud football state will again matter nationally.
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403 comments Add your comment
Paul in RDU
November 26th, 2010
2:12 pm
How many UNC grads does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Zero – they hire NCSU grads to do that
Old School
November 26th, 2010
2:14 pm
Tech fan for nearly 50 years and obviously seen more wins by UGA than I would
like. Hope the players have a heckuva lot more faith that they can whip the Dawgs than I do.
I just can’t see it though, primarily because of UGA’s superior offensive and defensive lines— compared to Tech. Tech has virtually no pass rush. The Duke QB had time to walk up to The Varsity, order a Naked Dog Walking, walk back to Grant Field and still have an eternity to find an open receiver. I can see Aaron Murray picking my Jackets apart and A.J. Greene catching bombs right and left.
And we know what happened last season with King and Ealey against a much better Tech defense than we have this year. Sorry fellow Tech fans, but I have seen nothing in the previous 11 games that show me otherwise when it comes to the Dawgs lighting up the scoreboard.
Offensively, Washington is still unsure of himself on many plays,as he should be after starting only two games. Plus, the Tech O-Line has not shown that it can get the job done run blocking consistently (emphasis on ‘consistently’). And they don’t have a clue on how to pass block. Washington was running for his life most of the time against Duke—against DUKE, the worst defensive team in the
ACC.
Throw in the fact that the Dawgs have a plethora of major incentives: winning season, bowl eligibility, beat their arch rival, seniors go out a winner on their home field, and end a disappointing/under-achieving regular season on a positive note.
Add it all up, and I think the 15-point line is legitimate, if not conservative. Again, it is what it is.
And before anyone says it, “Well, if the players felt like you they wouldn’t even get on the bus.” Like I said, I hope the Jackets have a lot more faith in themselves than I have in them. But when looking at their drive and conviction this season—save the Virginia Tech game—those are commodities that I have not seen on a consistent basis from this team.
A final note: please don’t bring out the ol’ “You can throw out the records when these two old rivals play.” Unfortunately, they may sound good, but as one AJC scribe pointed out a few years ago when he thoroughly researched the series the favored team usually wins, the 2008 season withstanding.
For the Jackets to have any shot at all, they will have to give an even better effort than they did in Blacksburg. Hopefully they will. In any case, I’ll be cheering for them Saturday night and again next year and the year after that.
SugarHillDawg
November 26th, 2010
2:14 pm
Hey yellow fizz. nobody wants to debate your one sided bullshat here. Than a hike “little man”.
Dawglasville
November 26th, 2010
2:15 pm
JB – also, I know that we have a large fan base of those who did not attend. That comes with being the state school. I do remember that when your basketball program was doing well under Cremmins there were quite a few locals ditching their Georgetown Hoya gear and wearing GT stuff. I also noticed that when Tech beat us two years ago that the Cracker Barrels were filled with Tech gear for Christmas. I know that you can’t picture your fellow Tech grads frequenting Cracker Barrel.
JB
November 26th, 2010
2:18 pm
Dawglasville and Paul in RDU – I agree with both of you. I get tired of reading garbage passed along as facts. Like so many other aspects of our society nowadays posters on these blogs have no real accountability with little regard for the facts.
Regarding football, I don’t see how UGA loses this game unless they give it away. Both are miserable teams that are their own worst enemies. I think it comes down to who makes the fewest mistakes. If both teams play well I think UGA wins with superior talent. If both teams play poorly it favors Tech I believe. If one team plays superior to the other then I think it could become a blowout for the superior team. My money would be on the Dawgs but my heart is always with the Yellow Jackets. Good thing I’m not wagering on this one!
Old School
November 26th, 2010
2:18 pm
Georgia Tech fan for nearly 50 years and obviously seen more wins by UGA than I would
like. Hope the players have a heckuva lot more faith that they can whip the Dawgs than I do.
Just can’t see it though, primarily because of UGA’s superior offensive and defensive lines— compared to Tech. Tech has virtually no pass rush. The Duke QB had time to walk up to The Varsity, order a Naked Dog Walking, walk back to Grant Field and still have an eternity to find an open receiver. I can see Aaron Murray picking my Jackets apart and A.J. Greene catching bombs right and left.
We know what happened last season with King and Ealey against a much better Tech defense than we have this year. Sorry fellow Tech fans, but I have seen nothing in the previous 11 games that show me otherwise when it comes to the Dawgs lighting up the scoreboard.
Offensively, Washington is still unsure of himself on many plays,as he should be after starting only two games. Plus, the Tech O-Line has not shown that it can get the job done run blocking consistently (emphasis on ‘consistently’). And they don’t have a clue on how to pass block. Washington was running for his life most of the time against Duke—against DUKE, the worst defensive team in the
ACC.
Throw in the fact that the Dawgs have a plethora of major incentives: winning season, bowl eligibility, beat their arch rival, seniors go out a winner on their home field, and end a disappointing/under-achieving regular season on a positive note.
Add it all up, and I think the 15-point line is legitimate, if not conservative. Again, it is what it is.
And before anyone says it, “Well, if the players felt like you they wouldn’t even get on the bus.” Like I said, I hope the Jackets have a lot more faith in themselves than I have in them. But when looking at their drive and conviction this season—save the Virginia Tech game—those are commodities that I have not seen on a consistent basis from this team.
A final note: please don’t bring out the ol’ “You can throw out the records when these two old rivals play.” Unfortunately, they may sound good, but as one AJC scribe pointed out a few years ago when he thoroughly researched the series the favored team usually wins, the 2008 season withstanding.
For the Jackets to have any shot at all, they will have to give an even better effort than they did in Blacksburg. Hopefully they will. In any case, I’ll be cheering for them Saturday night and again next year and the year after that.
Paul in RDU
November 26th, 2010
2:20 pm
Dawglasville
I don’t understand the “holier than thou” attitude of some GT supporters about having fans who are non-alumni. When GT was doing well at b’ball under Cremins there were plenty of sidewalk fans for the b’ball team. I was at the home opener in b’ball and GT could use getting some of them back.
edumacated
November 26th, 2010
2:20 pm
JB, that’s fine, but I could have swore that Bradley’s article had something to do with football, and nothing at all to do with academics. So, if you guys can’t manage to put a decent gridiron team together, then devote more of your time to winning awards in the academic world.
JB
November 26th, 2010
2:21 pm
Dawglasville – I have ventured into a cracker barrel more than once; I particularly like their cobbler! But I get your point and you are correct sir.
Paul in RDU
November 26th, 2010
2:21 pm
Cracker Barrel? I’m more of a Waffle House guy
Lindale Scott prediction
November 26th, 2010
2:22 pm
Tech wins by a field goal late, 45-42.
http://www.dontorchourhedges.com
Old School
November 26th, 2010
2:23 pm
Enter your comments here
fair and Balanced
November 26th, 2010
2:23 pm
Too much confidence in the GA camp. Could spell problems. I don’t know why in the world anyone in the GA camp would feel confident about winning ANY game. Lets hope, but talking now about a win – dumb and overconfident.
dawg
November 26th, 2010
2:24 pm
Dawg Tired…interesting article. thanks for sharing.
Joe Tech
November 26th, 2010
2:24 pm
I’m really starting to wonder what that yellowish, fuzzy stuff is on Ben Jones chin in the picture above.
Quinn
November 26th, 2010
2:24 pm
if UGA wins UGA 35 GT 24
if GT wins UGA 28 GT 31
PAUL JOHNSON IS AWFUL RECRUITER
November 26th, 2010
2:25 pm
I’d give dude 2 more recruiting classes, and if he continues to sign duds that only have offers to Troy, Maryland and Idaho State, I’d say hit the road.
Get used to 5-6 loss seasons if he can’t bring in better players.
JB
November 26th, 2010
2:25 pm
edumacated – you might want to take your own advice and actually post something useful about football instead of reacting to posts about academia.
Old School
November 26th, 2010
2:25 pm
I am a Tech fan of nearly 50 years and obviously seen more wins by UGA than I would
like. Hope the players have a heckuva lot more faith that they can whip the Dawgs than I do.
Just can’t see it though, primarily because of UGA’s superior offensive and defensive lines— compared to Tech. Tech has virtually no pass rush. The Duke QB had time to walk up to The Varsity, order a Naked Dog Walking, walk back to Grant Field and still have an eternity to find an open receiver. I can see Aaron Murray picking my Jackets apart and A.J. Greene catching bombs right and left.
We know what happened last season with King and Ealey against a much better Tech defense than we have this year. Sorry fellow Tech fans, but I have seen nothing in the previous 11 games that show me otherwise when it comes to the Dawgs lighting up the scoreboard.
Offensively, Washington is still unsure of himself on many plays,as he should be after starting only two games. Plus, the Tech O-Line has not shown that it can get the job done run blocking consistently (emphasis on ‘consistently’). And they don’t have a clue on how to pass block. Washington was running for his life most of the time against Duke—against DUKE, the worst defensive team in the
ACC.
Throw in the fact that the Dawgs have a plethora of major incentives: winning season, bowl eligibility, beat their arch rival, seniors go out a winner on their home field, and end a disappointing/under-achieving regular season on a positive note.
Add it all up, and I think the 15-point line is legitimate, if not conservative. Again, it is what it is.
And before anyone says it, “Well, if the players felt like you they wouldn’t even get on the bus.” Like I said, I hope the Jackets have a lot more faith in themselves than I have in them. But when looking at their drive and conviction this season—save the Virginia Tech game—those are commodities that I have not seen on a consistent basis from this team.
A final note: please don’t bring out the ol’ “You can throw out the records when these two old rivals play.” Unfortunately, they may sound good, but as one AJC scribe pointed out a few years ago when he thoroughly researched the series the favored team usually wins, the 2008 season withstanding.
For the Jackets to have any shot at all, they will have to give an even better effort than they did in Blacksburg. Hopefully they will. In any case, I’ll be cheering for them Saturday night and again next year and the year after that.
JB
November 26th, 2010
2:26 pm
Paul in RDU – me too! Covered and smothered!
White and Gold
November 26th, 2010
2:27 pm
I’ve been a Tech fan for nearly 50 years and obviously seen more wins by UGA than I would
like. Hope the players have a heckuva lot more faith that they can whip the Dawgs than I do.
I just can’t see it though, primarily because of UGA’s superior offensive and defensive lines— compared to Tech. Tech has virtually no pass rush. The Duke QB had time to walk up to The Varsity, order a Naked Dog Walking, walk back to Grant Field and still have an eternity to find an open receiver. I can see Aaron Murray picking my Jackets apart and A.J. Greene catching bombs right and left.
And we know what happened last season with King and Ealey against a much better Tech defense than we have this year. Sorry fellow Tech fans, but I have seen nothing in the previous 11 games that show me otherwise when it comes to the Dawgs lighting up the scoreboard.
Offensively, Washington is still unsure of himself on many plays,as he should be after starting only two games. Plus, the Tech O-Line has not shown that it can get the job done run blocking consistently (emphasis on ‘consistently’). And they don’t have a clue on how to pass block. Washington was running for his life most of the time against Duke—against DUKE, the worst defensive team in the ACC.
Throw in the fact that the Dawgs have a plethora of major incentives: winning season, bowl eligibility, beat their arch rival, seniors go out a winner on their home field, and end a disappointing/under-achieving regular season on a positive note.
Add it all up, and I think the 15-point line is legitimate, if not conservative. Again, it is what it is.
And before anyone says it, “Well, if the players felt like you they wouldn’t even get on the bus.” Like I said, I hope the Jackets have a lot more faith in themselves than I have in them. But when looking at their drive and conviction this season—save the Virginia Tech game—those are commodities that I have not seen on a consistent basis from this team.
A final note: please don’t bring out the ol’ “You can throw out the records when these two old rivals play.” Unfortunately, they may sound good, but as one AJC scribe pointed out a few years ago when he thoroughly researched the series the favored team usually wins, the 2008 season withstanding.
For the Jackets to have any shot at all, they will have to give an even better effort than they did in Blacksburg. Hopefully they will. In any case, I’ll be cheering for them Saturday night and again next year and the year after that.
just plain bad
November 26th, 2010
2:28 pm
this is a very bad read. of course both teams in our state will be better and i think sooner than later. you got to do better mark bad job!
Russ the temporary mascot
November 26th, 2010
2:31 pm
Is it just me or did they also spray paint some yellow fuzz on Ben Jones’ chin and lips?
edumacated
November 26th, 2010
2:32 pm
JB, here’s something useful about academia and football. Quit acting like you guys are the 9th member of the Ivy League, because you are not, and go hire a coach who runs an offensive system that uses the forward pass.
Just saying
November 26th, 2010
2:33 pm
Do ya think Ben Jones knows where DawInLex hangs out on Lexington Avenue?
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 26th, 2010
2:36 pm
Bedn Jones has had white crap all over his mouth the first half of the year. He was caught kissing on Russ’ Painted butt.
Herschel Talker
November 26th, 2010
2:37 pm
“To see Georgia play is to wonder how it lost six games; to view Tech is to wonder how it won that many.”
And that is EXACTLY why Mark Richt should be fired. To lose 6 games in a year with such a pathetic SEC East is a disgrace.
FIRE MARK RICHT
JB
November 26th, 2010
2:40 pm
edumacated – no problem. Your moniker says it all. Good luck to your Dawgs.
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 26th, 2010
2:43 pm
I don’t think GOD is a Dawf fan. Whe they play in Athens the weather has been cold and nasty the last few times. God loves seeing 90k+ dawgs cold wet and crying.
budman
November 26th, 2010
2:44 pm
Drunk, tattooed and toothless but thats just the women at UGA…Go Tech buzzzzzzzzzzzz
Dawglasville
November 26th, 2010
2:46 pm
JB and Paul in RDU – Let’s get, “scattered, covered, and smothered” on Satuday and have the, “Uncle Hershel’s” on Sunday. I hope that you both have a great weekend (but not a perfect weekend for you JB).
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 26th, 2010
2:52 pm
Bama with a TD on their first Possession. I guess the DAWGS are HAPPY. Dawgs pulling for BAMA and So. Carolina is just too funny.
JB
November 26th, 2010
2:52 pm
Thanks Dawglasville, and same to you! May the better team win (sorry, I just can’t say “best” when thinking of either team right now).
builder dawg
November 26th, 2010
2:56 pm
fred, you are so gay, you are lame just like your tech buddies. plumber eh ? I BET YOU ROCK THAT PLUMBERS CRACK. we dont need you in Athens anyway, might just get lost and wind up at the swine farm, which for you would be heaven, but for normal people its just alot of crap. bite me.
UGA 42, git 17
GT84
November 26th, 2010
2:56 pm
i think tech plays its best game of the year tech wins 35-21 even i will be surprised how good tech will play
FLA DAWG
November 26th, 2010
3:00 pm
Bama (with 2 losses) is now two TDs ahead of Auburn (undefeated).
With the weakness of The SEC East this season The Dawgs could have had a real shot at going to The Big Dance if they had put a team on the field.
What a wasted season. What a pity.
What a bunch of loser coaches.
GT84
November 26th, 2010
3:06 pm
1st
Can Georgia Tech upset 5-6 UGA?
November 26th, 2010
3:08 pm
Yes sir.
GT84
November 26th, 2010
3:12 pm
tech wins vs ga
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 26th, 2010
3:15 pm
BS call on FAIRLEY. He was not over celiberating.
T-MAN
November 26th, 2010
3:32 pm
Close game till the 3rd quarter,then tech keeps the ball,the fleaabag only have 4 possessions in the 4th quarter….Yellow Jackets win 38-24….Go Jackets THWG
Brooks
November 26th, 2010
3:32 pm
WHATS UP WITH THE YELLOW FUZZ AROUND THE GEORGIA PLAYER’S MOUTH?
Should Have Gone To Harvard
November 26th, 2010
3:36 pm
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-top-public
US News and World Report ranks Tech seventh and Georgia 18th in the country for Best public Colleges. So, yes, Tech is ranked higher. But both are top 20 so neither is exactly a reform school.
heeldawg
November 26th, 2010
3:41 pm
Tech/Georgia observations (all academic):
1. Georgia has a higher APR and graduates more of its football players than Tech. Look it up.
2. Georgia has nearly as high a freshman class SAT and a higher freshman class GPA than Tech despite having a freshman class that is twice as large. Translation: in sheer numbers, Georgia has more academically outstanding students.
3. Georgia is more selective in admission than Tech, admitting 57% of this year’s applicants as opposed to 61% for Tech. Look it up.
4. Georgia has had yet another Rhodes scholar this year, giving it more Rhodes scholars this decade (4) than Tech has had ever in its history.
5. NOT INCLUDING FOOTBALL, Georgia has won 36 NCAA championships, in sports as diverse as baseball, mens’ golf, womens’ golf, gymnastics, equestrian, mens’ tennis, womens’ tennis, and swimming and diving. Tech? One, in womens’ tennis. And the Dawgs have won 133 SEC titles in 15 sports. Tech’s total conference haul in both the SEC and the ACC combined isn’t even close.
6. I don’t need to talk about the football record. Georgia’s superiority there is unquestioned via a dominating head-to-head record (including winning 75% of the matchups since Dooley took over at U.Ga. in 1964). That superiority will be re-affirmed on the field tomorrow.
The University of Georgia has the better football program, a better overall athletic program, is comparable academically, and has better-looking women. We also have the best mascot, a victory bell we get to ring after a win, a competent basketball coach and a lower crime rate. And our students have fewer zits.
So there.
Wally BUTTs
November 26th, 2010
3:45 pm
Jackets win this one 223 -0 over the uga squad.Heres hoping for a safe injury free game uhmm uhmm wheres my booze Bobo.?you did what???Jane who?ok ok soo how many points do you get if you make a 3 point basket???
Wally BUTTs
November 26th, 2010
3:57 pm
@heeldog…uhmmm but GT has more NCs in football than us,GT in ALL sports has ALOT more pro Athlete’s…GT has people that build Space ships cause I saw one just a second ago,,,DANG there it went again..did u see that…GT does have a higher amount of grads that are Millionaires than us..(not even close) even though we have 10 times the Alum…look it up….uga has 50 times more liberals than GT..look it up…But I do think our girls for the most part are prettier than GTs ( cause we got like 20000 more of um…Like just last night I was with that uga cheerleader in the cow pasture…she mooed alot but she be HOTT….GT sends ALOT more athletes to the pros,and they are ALOT higher Academically than uga ..look it up..GO THUGS
poopdawg
November 26th, 2010
4:11 pm
Kind of like the dual duds at the AJC Bradley and Schultz .
sasquatch
November 26th, 2010
4:15 pm
TD good post.
Mark is really trying to keep our interest in a game that would not be tv’d except that they always tv it. hope the dogs get competitive in their conference some day. hope gt gets a few players in February…. like someone to block for allen.
T'VILLE DAWG
November 26th, 2010
4:19 pm
Everyone including you sports writers tend to forget that the game 2 years ago that Tech won was in a hard rain and a veer offense has a tremendous advantage in those games. I’ve watched several of them at about the only school in Georgia that runs it, Thomas County Central.
Yellow Fuzz
November 26th, 2010
4:24 pm
Like the double dawg dual duds of the AJC Bill King and Tim Tucker. Hahahahahahahaha