Live from Tech-UGA: Dogs are doomed (because I pick them)
Just for the record: I also picked Georgia back in 2008. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
I’ve seen Georgia Tech play five times in person; I’ve seen Georgia six times. Of the teams’ five losses, I’ve covered them all. (Which I guess makes me bad luck. But you knew that already.) I’m not claiming this season’s worth of close observation makes me an expert — you all know better, don’t you? — but it does render me duty-bound to offer this:
I wouldn’t be shocked if Tech wins today. But I would be surprised.
The two best units in this game — Tech’s offense and Georgia’s defense — will deploy against one another. I don’t think Georgia’s D will shut down Paul Johnson’s O, but I don’t see Tech gaining 500 yards again. Say Tech gets 20 points. Will that be enough to win?
Don’t think so. Georgia’s offense isn’t the smoothest-running assemblage, but I don’t see Tech’s defense holding the Bulldogs under 20 points. (Even though Kentucky just did.) If the Bulldogs can find a tailback — a big “if,” I’ll concede — they should be able to keep the ball and keep Johnson’s offense off the field long enough to matter.
Then again, I’m often wrong. But let me note that I picked Georgia to go 10-2 and Tech to finish 8-4 … and both things would happen if the Bulldogs win. I’m saying they will. But maybe you disagree.
And that, as luck would have it, is why we have these live chats. Feel free to disagree. Or agree. Or abstain. I’ll be here until one team or the other actually wins, and I welcome your company. But let me also say this: I’m not inclined to let extraneous issues derail this exercise. So let’s try to keep this installment of Old-Fashioned Hate somewhat clean, OK?
As ever, I thank you in advance.
By Mark Bradley
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2,134 comments Add your comment
19
November 26th, 2011
1:36 pm
Lousy call by Johnson. Kudos to the Bulldogs. Tech must get a pass rush to try and stop Murray. Hope Murray throws a few interceptions.
Go Jackets!
kybodawg
November 26th, 2011
1:37 pm
braves win the series in game 6
TheItalianDawg
November 26th, 2011
1:37 pm
you know what is funny! when Georgia scored the first TD a few of GTech event organizers who are wearing Gtech jackets jumbed of Joy and cheered for the dawgs! HAHAHAHAHA. LOL!
.
November 26th, 2011
1:37 pm
@dawg gone — Of course NFL coaches ice kickers, so do CFB coaches. It is a common practice, but when we read every other MB article that tells us CPJ is a “GENIUS”, we are left to conclude these kind of mis-calculations should not happen.
Demosthenes
November 26th, 2011
1:38 pm
I don’t think trying to ice Walsh is a bad idea. He’s had a good two games in a row, but has shown his head isn’t straight this year. Attempting to ice Walsh is fine, but again, the fault here is Groh’s defense.
JB
November 26th, 2011
1:38 pm
We gotta score with every possession and it looks like Tech will also.
dry dirt road
November 26th, 2011
1:38 pm
Tech cannot pass short passes over the middle like Georgia can; Tech needs to blitz on every defensive down; Tech supposedly had Hill wide open on first play of game, 30 yds open, and rb did not look at all receivers which a qb would have done; Tech cannot committ any penaltys, not one; Washington had rb wide open on short pass to the sidelines and overthrew him like Nez used to do; Tech keeps running and passing to sidelines, Georgia does this downfield toward the goal line, not to sidelines; Tech will never score if they run/pass only toward the sides of field
katherine
November 26th, 2011
1:38 pm
did everyone have a good thanksgiving?
TampaGator
November 26th, 2011
1:38 pm
Demo….
What defense?
Reggie
November 26th, 2011
1:39 pm
Tech does keep games close with their offense because of how much clock they eat up. Close enough to pull em off in the end. Game isn’t over. But if we score and go up 24-10, GT has to start thinking about passing because running the ball and eating up 7 minutes at a time won’t win for you.
I think we need to start running the ball in the 2nd half. Use Malcome, Thomas, Harton, etc. Wear Tech out.
Mark Bradley
November 26th, 2011
1:39 pm
Pregame was barbecue. I passed. No halftime food at GaTech. But there is postgame Papa John’s.
And Dean Buchan, ace Tech publicist, was kind enough to buy me a burrito — I have no money, and they don’t take MasterCard — from the Willy’s stand downstairs. I owe him $7. Don’t let me forget.
katherine
November 26th, 2011
1:40 pm
aww mark you should have brought a turkey sandwich
TampaGator
November 26th, 2011
1:40 pm
I can see the posts now if Tech comes back and wins this game (which I don’t think they will):
“We lost because we saved all our best players for LSU…..and the Tech game was not important to us.” Yep…..I can see it now.
1 4 GT
November 26th, 2011
1:40 pm
Ya’ll forgot ‘08–we were down by 12 at the half and won by 3 45-42.
JB
November 26th, 2011
1:40 pm
We would run the ball, but kudos to Tech for stuffing it, even knowing we pass at will, they are doing a good job of knocking our runners down at the line
Demosthenes
November 26th, 2011
1:41 pm
LOL. Exactly.
1 4 GT
November 26th, 2011
1:41 pm
CAN YOU SAY COMEBACK??
katherine
November 26th, 2011
1:41 pm
tampa….why dont you just let the second half play out first…and I mean you ARE a gator fan
.
November 26th, 2011
1:41 pm
Mark — A free Coke and a free Hot Dog are standard issue with all Tech tickets. Apparently this policy does not apply to press credentials?
Reggie
November 26th, 2011
1:41 pm
And I can see Tech’s excuse if Georgia wins:
“We lost because CPJ has man boobs!”
Nanner Puddin
November 26th, 2011
1:41 pm
whos getting the ball at half people?
James K Polk
November 26th, 2011
1:42 pm
Well played game so far. Tech’s O-Line is good. We need to score with this first drive.
Ward
November 26th, 2011
1:42 pm
Enter your comments here
katherine
November 26th, 2011
1:42 pm
how can we forget that loss….you all had rings made for gods sake lol which btw is so funny to me
Reggie
November 26th, 2011
1:42 pm
I do remember 08 but this is more of a mentally tough football team. Grantham has instilled so much discipline into this team and defense. They just play tougher, and smarter.
dandydawg
November 26th, 2011
1:42 pm
Hey Bradley, looks like a lot of red in the stadium today… Georgia fans really show up and show out!! Go Dawgs!!!!
Demosthenes
November 26th, 2011
1:42 pm
I wonder where they got this chich to play drums for the Tech commercial? Certainly not on Tech’s campus.
katherine
November 26th, 2011
1:43 pm
the dawgs get the ball first in the second half
Dawg
November 26th, 2011
1:43 pm
Paul Johnson must be nutz. Only a retard would call that time out knowing how inconsistant Walsh has been.
Ol'JacketFan
November 26th, 2011
1:43 pm
Tech can’t stop the pass and GA can’t stop the run. Let’s see if either DC can get their adjustments carried out on the 2nd half.
bugsquacher
November 26th, 2011
1:43 pm
what was the spread at the beginning of this game?
Peadawg
November 26th, 2011
1:43 pm
Are y’all going to get rings if you come back and beat Ga again?
katherine
November 26th, 2011
1:44 pm
dawg…please dont say “retard”
War Jacket
November 26th, 2011
1:44 pm
Reggie, do remember what the score was at halftime in 2008?
Reggie
November 26th, 2011
1:44 pm
I think our defense has played about as well as you can play against this Tech offense. Not many big plays. Keeping it to a minimum. Tech is on pace to score 20. We’re on pace to score 34. So 34-20 doesn’t sound too bad to me. I know Tech could come back, but Georgia could just turn it on and start being explosive. We’ll just see.
How long are these halftime shows? Dang. Did Georgia and Tech take a nap back there? Could have. Got long enough.
jack bull
November 26th, 2011
1:44 pm
need to score 7 coming out of the half
.
November 26th, 2011
1:44 pm
Mark — If you don’t get your free Coke and free hot dog, I would at least demand some of CPJ’s special recipe — a basket of fried fish
Ward
November 26th, 2011
1:45 pm
I never really hated Tech until the last few years; I didn’t like them, but I never passionately hated them like I do now…I hope we come out and drive it down their throats and then get a big turnover and then just hit them, hit them, hit them until they don’t want to get up…We need to hit the offensive linemen low while engaged in blocks and hit the QB every play no matter what he does with the ball. I want to squash them like the pest that they are…
bugsquacher
November 26th, 2011
1:45 pm
btw, is florida bowl eligible this year?
Reggie
November 26th, 2011
1:45 pm
@ Ol’JacketFan….we’re #2 in stopping the run. It’s not going to look pretty against an offense like Tech’s. Hell, Georgia Southern rushed for over 300 yars on Alabama and they’re #1 in the country in stopping the run. It’s just different.
Demosthenes
November 26th, 2011
1:45 pm
Georgia’s excuse would be that they started their 5th string tailback. A legitimate problem, but not a legitimate excuse. Dawgs should win this game by double digits against this defense.
If do right, no can defense
November 26th, 2011
1:45 pm
@Demosthenes: she’s in our drum line.
TampaGator
November 26th, 2011
1:45 pm
Wow……I can’t believe I posted that. I told someone at UF I would never do it. But I did. Sorry Urban.
dandydawg
November 26th, 2011
1:45 pm
TampaGator, you can’t be the real one. Who pi$$ed in your cereal bowl this morning. Leave the “What IFs” out! There is still 30 minutes of ball to be played on the filed. You may want to be concern with what happens to your Gators tonight, than what happens with the Dawgs this afternoon!!!
K-City Dawg
November 26th, 2011
1:45 pm
tech dominating time of posssession, running the ball at will, 150 rush so far, murray is on fire w/best game of year so far—king–charles–mitchell all playing well. Murray leads team in rushing too.
dawg555
November 26th, 2011
1:46 pm
Thanks @Mark Bradley. Hope it’s not too serious
katherine
November 26th, 2011
1:46 pm
exactly reggie
War Jacket
November 26th, 2011
1:46 pm
Demos, she is a Tech student.
If do right, no can defense
November 26th, 2011
1:46 pm
By the way, some of you guys need to stick two coherent thoughts together before you start typing.
BobDog
November 26th, 2011
1:46 pm
Really nice promo for Tech with the drummer girl and the robot playing the xylophone.