A tale of two seasons: UGA rights itself; Tech is going wrong
Florida usually wins this game. But maybe not this time. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Seasons can be confounding things. Georgia lost its first two games and its coach was thought by some to be a goner. Now Mark Richt stands one game from solidifying his position once and for all. (Well, at least until 2012.) The game will be played in Jacksonville, the place where Richt fares worst, but still: If the Bulldogs win Saturday, they’ll surely finish no worse than 8-4 and they could well win the SEC East, and either way significant improvement will have been shown.
Consider, on the other hand, Georgia Tech. The Jackets won their first six games and rose to No. 12 in the Associated Press poll. They’ve since lost to two unranked opponents and figure to be underdogs in three of their remaining four games. What appeared to be a bounceback season could become something far less, and a 7-5 record wouldn’t satisfy anyone. Not after the 6-7 of 2010. Not after starting 6-0. Should Tech prove unable to arrest its slide, it would represent the first real reversal of Paul Johnson’s stewardship.
Here we pause for stipulations: Tech’s 6-0 start was largely a function of schedule, the same as Georgia’s 0-2 beginning, the same as the Bulldogs’ five consecutive victories. (Georgia’s four SEC wins have come against opponents that are an aggregate 1-15 in league play.) But you can only beat the teams you play, and you can only play the teams on your schedule. And football, for all its intricacies, is often a game of sheer momentum. Georgia and Richt have found it. Tech and Johnson have lost it.
There are moments where you’d swear this Georgia team is scarcely an improvement over last season’s, but this team — key difference — hasn’t fumbled away so many winnable games. (Only one so far, that against South Carolina.) A starving Bulldog Nation will take the thinnest of victories over the hated Gators and treat it like fiilet mignon. And even if Georgia somehow contrived to lose to Auburn and Tech, it would be hard to part with Richt after a season in which he finally negotiated his tripwire game.
See you soon. Paul Johnson with Clemson's Dabo Swinney. (AP photo)
Tech could lose every game from here until New Year’s and Johnson wouldn’t be going anywhere. He remains in high esteem among his constituency. But here’s a cold slice of truth: The man who beat Georgia in Year 1 and won the ACC in Year 2 has gone 7-7 over his past 14 games. Last season’s collapse could be attributed to the loss of quarterback Joshua Nesbitt, who broke his arm at Virginia Tech on Nov. 4. These past two losses have been far more troubling.
When all else failed, Tech under Johnson could always be counted on to do one thing as well as any team in the land — run the ball. Heck, the Jackets rushed for 411 yards behind a backup quarterback against Georgia last year. In the losses at Virginia and Miami, Tech could muster only a total of 406 yards rushing.
If you’re a Tech fan, that’s scary stuff. It suggests the Jackets’ talent has grown so thin it can no longer power an offense that has been proved to work. After the Miami loss, Johnson suggested Tech was getting the five-blockers-on-four-defenders looks that mandate running up the middle as opposed to pitching wide, but that “the four [defenders] are winning.” That’s not a schematic issue. That’s a failure of manpower.
Most all the players he inherited from Chan Gailey are gone, and in four recruiting classes Johnson hasn’t yet found a talent on the order of Nesbitt or Jonathan Dwyer or Demaryius Thomas. (Unless it’s freshman quarterback Vad Lee, who’s being redshirted.) And if Tech can no longer do well what it has come to do best … well, what hope is there?
But that’s another thing about seasons. Just because you look awful one week doesn’t mean the next will yield greater misery. Georgia stunk out the joint in its opener against Boise State, but here the Bulldogs are, back in the Top 25. Even if Tech still has to face Clemson, Virginia Tech and Georgia, all three games will be staged at Bobby Dodd Stadium, and Johnson is a fairly daunting figure as an underdog. (Ask Georgia.)
Tech could still make something of its season. Georgia could still find a way to mess up. Right now, though, only one team is on the upward trail, and that’s the one bound for Jacksonville.
By Mark Bradley
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
363 comments Add your comment
Hamburger
October 24th, 2011
9:17 pm
Herschel Talker
Alabama lost by one point in Saban’s big “blowout” loss, didn’t they? To Auburn – 2010 BCS Champions. That was a bad loss. So was the loss to Utah – in spite of the fact that they were undefeated in 2008.
Those were bad losses. I’m sure that Coach Saban is disappointed.
The hot seat....
October 24th, 2011
9:17 pm
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:11 pm
I agree, tech sucked back then. Oh wait…..
bugsquacher
October 24th, 2011
9:18 pm
Yeah, but no one beat us in 80…..ND was twice the size as our players….they were well coached….we were just the better team that year….. the Dawgs had heart that year…..
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:18 pm
howdy, JB. I met somebody who knows you today—-professionally speaking, that is.
Hamburger
October 24th, 2011
9:18 pm
Tech was among the “also receiving votes”. Look, you lost two in a row that you weren’t supposed to lose.
JB
October 24th, 2011
9:19 pm
Don’t believe a word they say…..
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:20 pm
The hot seat……so did just about every other team you played that year……INCLUDING a HIGHLY OVERRATED Notre Dame team.
JB
October 24th, 2011
9:20 pm
Supersize….See you’re catching hell tonight in the middle of all this.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:20 pm
JB, he really didn’t know you personally; he has just met you professionally, buying stuff.
Dawg- at the drive threw
October 24th, 2011
9:22 pm
Lol I’m just trying to joke with you! I like hearing your comments and your comebacks!
JB
October 24th, 2011
9:22 pm
Supersize…You guys looked awful Saturday. I just watched some of it on CSS tonight. Washington is getting worse by the game….
The hot seat....
October 24th, 2011
9:23 pm
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:20 pm
But we did go undefeated. And tech this year?
JB
October 24th, 2011
9:23 pm
Dang Supersize….I’ve posted 3 times to you and they were all blocked. Guess they don’t want civil Dawg/Jacket chatter.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:25 pm
JB, if you use the name of the day that comes between Friday and Sunday, or the word which we use to describe the day before today, then they will be blocked. I’m sure there are quite a few other innocuous words that get blocked too. They really need to do something about the filter
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:26 pm
hot seat…. I wasn’t aware we were talking about this year. You brought up 1980, and I simply reminded you that Notre Dame was not a worthy opponent, since they had had to come from behind to beat a pretty bad Tech team that, if I remember right, had only one won game that year.
JB
October 24th, 2011
9:27 pm
innocuous,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Darn super, you know I’m a Georgia guy….easy with those words….LOL
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:27 pm
@ drive threw——RIIIIIGHT !! LOL
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:27 pm
LMAO @ JB
GT Fan
October 24th, 2011
9:28 pm
Mark, at this point in the season, GT is exactly where you predicted they would be. I’m trying to find the big story here. Is it that you yourself got caught up in the Jackets start and didn’t stay objective yourself? You were the one that was singing CPJ’s praises. I guess it was an attempt by you to hold the program higher than it deserved so you could then tear it down when things unraveled. Quit overreacting.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:28 pm
JB, just in case you are wondering who I talked to, it was a guy from House Doctors
The hot seat....
October 24th, 2011
9:30 pm
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:26 pm
Sorry to have confused you.
You were saying none of UGA’s opponents in 1980 were any good. I was merely giving you the benefit of the doubt regarding the quality of our opponents. We beat them. Tech has played lousy teams all season and lost their last two.
JB
October 24th, 2011
9:30 pm
I think I know the guy. We’ve got 1200 active customers and It’s hard to keep up them all, as sometimes I go months without seeing or talking to some of them
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:31 pm
hot seat, UGA has played two good teams all year and lost to both of them. So what’s your point?
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:32 pm
JB, it was not the owner. It was Frank, if you recognize that name. Very nice guy
The Ghost of Wally Butts
October 24th, 2011
9:32 pm
1. Bama beats LSU, but LSU looks very respectable in the loss
2. Boise St. stays undefeated
3. Both Bama and LSU win out after their game
4. It’s Bama vs. Boise in BCS Champ Game, and Bama wins by, oh….say, about 65-0
5. After the dust settles, NO MORE BCS – yipee!
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:33 pm
Ghost, unfortunately, even though I think they would deserve to be there, they’re not going to let Boise State play in the BCS championship game, even if they and LSU or Bama are the only undefeated teams left.
JB
October 24th, 2011
9:34 pm
The Georgia season is all about boise,Sc,Fla,AU and Tech. The rest is like making sausage, just filler. We flunked the first two test. We have three left.
Dawg48
October 24th, 2011
9:34 pm
Why are we talking about 1980
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:35 pm
JB, for what it’s worth, I think the dawgs will beat Florida and lose to Auburn
JB
October 24th, 2011
9:36 pm
Supersize, for what it’s worth, I think we win the rest of our games. Not pretty, but win. There is so much talent on this team, I just wish it was better coached.
JB
October 24th, 2011
9:38 pm
Having Ogltree and Washington back on D will be huge, for talent and depth.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:38 pm
Well, good talent only goes so far. You definitely had better talent than Tech in 2008, and we saw what happened. Anything can happen.
The hot seat....
October 24th, 2011
9:39 pm
Dawg48
October 24th, 2011
9:34 pm
Someone was griping about Richt and how UGA never dominated teams anymore like the used to. I was merely pointing out our NC team didn’t “dominate” good teams back then.
The hot seat....
October 24th, 2011
9:40 pm
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:35 pm
I could see that happening.
JB
October 24th, 2011
9:40 pm
Against Tech, I think we will play a 3-5-3 and stop the run, leaving few options for you guys.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:40 pm
see what happening, hot seat…? beating FL and losing to Auburn?
The hot seat....
October 24th, 2011
9:41 pm
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:40 pm
Yep.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 24th, 2011
9:41 pm
GT sucks, but UGA has not had their stress test yet, and are just hitting their stride in terms of testing their season. CMR will do just enough to keep his job, which is what most anti-UGA fans are hoping for. Keep up with the great work CMR….
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:42 pm
JB, at any other time, I would say you would never stop the run. But Tech hasn’t had much of a running game since the first half of the NC State game. I don’t know what’s happened, but mainly it’s uncertainly or fear by the QB and a weak O-line
athdog
October 24th, 2011
9:42 pm
Just as was predicted in some circles (me) when PJ got the job at the Atlanta Institute of Plumbers and Pipe Fitters, the first time or two a defense sees this offense, it’s new and unusual, making it hard to defend. It becomes easier to defend, however, after facing it a few times. We are starting to see this now. Even as a Dog fan I enjoy watching the triple option when it’s run well, it’s just that it runs its course a little quicker than other, more diversified offenses.
The fortunate thing is that of all of the remaining games that the Atlanta Institute of Mechanics and Nail Drivers have are at the home stadium, so not that many people will see the implosion, other than the last game and most of the people there on that day will enjoy seeing it.
HBTD
JB
October 24th, 2011
9:42 pm
Auburn looks like they have gotten worse the last few weeks, but I think LSU would give Green Bay a good game.
JB
October 24th, 2011
9:44 pm
Supersize, the Tech/Ga game usually comes down to the Refs, bad breaks and luck.
UGA Junior
October 24th, 2011
9:45 pm
mark i told you before and i’ll tell you again. don’t ever say anything positive about UGA. you are worse than the sports illustrated cover jinx.
JB
October 24th, 2011
9:46 pm
Checking out. early meeting. See ya supersize.
athdog
October 24th, 2011
9:46 pm
Greatest line I’ve heard on College Game Day was that Alabama and LSU are the class of the West…..SEC, AFC or NFC.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:46 pm
athdog, Tech is NOT running it well this year, but it’s not because it has become easier to defend. Johnson has been running it long enough with great success to have the answer for any kind of defense IF he has the QB to make it work. Nesbitt was a pathetic passer, but he was a warrior, and nobody except Iowa ever actually stopped us, and if he could have passed, even that might have turned out differently. Regardless of the level of competition in Tech’s first few games this year, you don’t run up 700+ yards of offense with no talent. The talent is there, but for whatever reason, Washington has gone into a big-time funk, and it’s just not working.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:47 pm
have a good one, JB
Supersize that order, mutt
October 24th, 2011
9:54 pm
I’m outta here, guys. Enjoyed the back-and-forth…….for the most part. GO JACKETS !!!!
No end to Mark Richt's sleaze
October 24th, 2011
9:57 pm
The biggest change that CMR needs to make is to stop recruiting the low-class illiterates and thugs who he seems to think will win for him and keep his oversized paychecks coming in. People like Marcus Dowtin, A.J. Green, Washaun Ealey, Caleb King, Cornelius Washington, and others too numerous to mention are not team players, they’re “me first” jerks who don’t give a rip about anyone else.
It’s sickening to see goons like these representing the state’s flagship university.
Note to the swillers
October 24th, 2011
10:02 pm
Attention all dawgtards: Kroger has a BOGO sale on Kool-Aid this week. Time to stock up!
Florida 31, Georgia 20