Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech on Labor Day: Who benefits?
Which Tech will fly higher? (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
Georgia Tech hasn’t confirmed that it will move its game against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg to Labor Day evening, but an announcement should be forthcoming. (The holdup is because the Jackets are shuffling some other games.) So if Tech-Tech, which has become a midseason ACC marquee game, becomes a high-profile opener instead, who benefits?
Tech, I say. (Heh, heh.)
Virginia Tech benefits in that it gets the only other team to win the ACC Coastal since the league moved to divisional play at its place so early. As we know, Paul Johnson’s offense is unlike most others, and teams that have extra time to prepare tend to fare a bit better than those that don’t. (Johnson argues that this bit of conventional wisdom is overblown, but here we note that, of Georgia Tech’s five losses in 2011, three — against Virginia, Virginia Tech and Utah — came against opponents who had more than one week to ready themselves.) That said …
Georgia Tech benefits in that Virginia Tech is a famously slow starter. The Hokies lost their opener in 2008 (to East Carolina in Charlotte), in 2009 (to Alabama in the Georgia Dome) and in 2010 (to Boise State in Washington, D.C.). They also lost their second game of the 2010 season to James Madison, and last season they were tied with East Carolina in Week 2 with 7 1/2 minutes remaining.
The Jackets could return as many as 15 starters on offense and defense. The Hokies are scheduled to retain eight starters on D, but they lose four offensive linemen, two wide receivers and tailback David Wilson. And Virginia Tech, at least in the post-Vick days, has never been all that impressive on offense. If Georgia Tech can score three touchdowns on Labor Day night, it can win.
When last these teams met, Georgia Tech’s third touchdown gave it a 26-21 lead late in the third quarter, and the surging Jackets were poised to take the ball again when Jeremiah Attaochu sacked Logan Thomas on third down. But officials were slow to blow the play dead and the massive Thomas refused to go down and an agitated Attaochu took a swing at him and was flagged for the personal foul that changed the game. The Hokies kept the ball and scored, stopped the Jackets on fourth-and-1 and scored again and won 37-26.
We think of the 2011 Georgia Tech season as having unraveled at its end, but the Virginia Tech game was there to be won. Had Georgia Tech prevailed that Thursday night, it would have played Clemson for the ACC title, and the Jackets had already beaten Clemson once.
Most years, I’d say Georgia Tech wouldn’t profit from playing its chief division rival so soon on the road, but I’m thinking 2012 might be the one time it does. I’m thinking Georgia Tech will arrive in Blacksburg on Sept. 3 with a point to prove. I’m thinking the Hokies might find themselves behind 14-0 before they realize they’re in a game.
So: Am I picking Georgia Tech? As Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend.” On Aug. 27, 2000, Georgia Tech was scheduled to play Virginia Tech in Blacksburg in prime time. Corso picked the Jackets to win, whereupon his rental car — he wasn’t in it — was struck by lightning. The game was washed out and never rescheduled. We all know the Bradley Jinx is mighty, and I’d hate it if I conjured up a storm of my own.
By Mark Bradley
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142 comments Add your comment
Burdell
January 26th, 2012
3:08 pm
You mean like stopping Clemson’s offense last year, JB?
Mark Bradley
January 26th, 2012
3:08 pm
Yes, yes. It was James Madison, not App. State.
I am, as we know, an idiot.
Stinger2
January 26th, 2012
3:09 pm
The result will be that we get one of our losses earlier
than normal.
Mayor Reed
January 26th, 2012
3:10 pm
Didn’t Clemson give up 80 points in their Bowl. Bad example. They were a fraud.
DawginLex
January 26th, 2012
3:14 pm
GT struggles because of the lack of athletes on the lines of scrimmage, especially defense.
You put 4 and 5 star athletes out there running the TO AND playing defense, you have a strong strong team that is more than capable to win big.
Problem is, Tech doesn’t get those kind of players.
Hankie Aron
January 26th, 2012
3:16 pm
JB- It would be nice for Dawg fan to start civil conversations instead of the Dragoncon, nerd comments, crime. That way maybe they would not say hicks, trailer trash, mullets, Jan Kemp and the like at us. You see what I’m saying?
rduck
January 26th, 2012
3:16 pm
Mayor Reed- if we are using bowl game failures for identifying frauds, then what would that say about LSU getting shut out after dropping the hammer on UGA in the SEC title game?
George Stein
January 26th, 2012
3:17 pm
Maybe, Lex. Good news is that we learned last year an early conference loss doesn’t keep a team from reaching the conference championship game.
The biggest issue with this game is the following Saturday. I don’t want us to burn the bye week so early, but even playing a girl scout troop is a problem on four days rest.
Hankie Aron
January 26th, 2012
3:17 pm
Dawginlex is speaking the truth. Need bigger, talented guys. More Uzzi and Derrick Morgan type guys
Bob
January 26th, 2012
3:18 pm
Depends on the qb. VT loses their stud running back. I think it benefits gt.
Hankie Aron
January 26th, 2012
3:21 pm
I do believe Paul Johnson and staff do a good job of coaching but it’s the talent gap that gets em in trouble against better teams.
Dr. Knockafuji
January 26th, 2012
3:21 pm
didnt say I went to harvard, said it was 26 times the size of GA tech endowment. said my school endowment was 4 times that of Ga Tech. just think it is funny you are playing the endowment card when Ga tech endowment is $1b and dwarfed by numerous schools.
Focus on the task at hand which is high school offense, washed up defensive coordinator. May need to use some of that endowment for campus safety and crime prevention.
rduck
January 26th, 2012
3:22 pm
I really don’t understand how people try to make it out like we were reeling in top 10 classes when we ran a pro style offense years ago. We have had a few high ranked players here and there, just as we do now. The TO allows for us to better utilize the guys we can get. Even back when “lil” Joe was tearing the scoreboards up, we ran a spread out – option based offense. Never did our offense put fear in anyone under Chan the gunslinger Gailey and his NFL offense…
Hankie Aron
January 26th, 2012
3:23 pm
For UGA it’s somewhat a talent gap between LSU and UA but the main things are the coaching and the depth chart. Just not enough yet to beat the top tier teams
rduck
January 26th, 2012
3:23 pm
that is a fair statement Hankie…
bucket
January 26th, 2012
3:24 pm
In my opinion Virginia Tech will regret this move.
rduck
January 26th, 2012
3:26 pm
Not one GT fan would disagree that we could certainly use more talent on the field. Unfortunately, the 2007 class was an one- time deal for us. Before that class, we were ranked yearly at or below where we recruit now
GT Dude
January 26th, 2012
3:27 pm
it is more about depth of talent than starting talent that the Jackets suffer from as the season goes on…
over the last several years the end of year losses piled up in part due to the injuries that the starting talent takes as the season wears on. The 2nd and 3rd string just isn’t up to the job; unfortunately
rduck
January 26th, 2012
3:28 pm
I do believe though that CPJ and this staff are making alot of inroads with really good recruits.
rduck
January 26th, 2012
3:29 pm
well put GT Dude… that also is a big factor in the poor special teams we have…
Mike
January 26th, 2012
3:31 pm
Im not so sure about this one. Va Tech with all offseason to prepare for the option sounds like a loss to me. Remember, Alabama and Boise St. were some very good teams those years, and Va Tech didnt just roll over for them. Tech hasn’t played too many tough early opponents since Johnson took over. It was mid-season last year before they played their first tough game. This Tech team also did not play well at all on the road last year.
I say this is a bad move for Ga Tech. If I’m Johnson, I fight to keep this game in the middle of the season when Ga Tech might be able to ambush Va Tech without extra time to prepare.
juvenal
January 26th, 2012
3:32 pm
UT-Austin has a really big endowment-& a really big drum they got from a school that gave up football(only problem was, it was slightly radio-active)
DDPO
January 26th, 2012
3:32 pm
UGASlobberknocker:
Maybe some of the UGA ladies could use that kevlar vest to protect them from their football playing boyfriends?
GIVE ME A BREAK
January 26th, 2012
3:34 pm
GT will be fine with better QB and better play calling. CPJ gets tunnel vision sometimes and needs some help.
Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech on Labor Day: Who benefits? – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) » Hot Tech Blog
January 26th, 2012
3:37 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
JB
January 26th, 2012
3:37 pm
Who starts at QB on National TV, Vad Lee or Washington?
Supersize that order, mutt
January 26th, 2012
3:40 pm
I was in Blacksburg the last time we were scheduled to open with them. That was a SCARY night
Supersize that order, mutt
January 26th, 2012
3:41 pm
I went to that game in Blacksburg that got cancelled because of the weather. The lightning was FRIGHTENING!!
Supersize that order, mutt
January 26th, 2012
3:42 pm
We called it the lightning bowl
Supersize that order, mutt
January 26th, 2012
3:43 pm
JB, unless Vad just has an incredibly terrific spring and August, I think TW STARTS, but I think Vad will replace him during the game.
Go Tech
January 26th, 2012
3:46 pm
Glad to see that we will be beating the Va. Tech Hokies on Labor Day.
Don
January 26th, 2012
3:50 pm
Played vt in the 3rd game in 08 up there and lost by 3. I think it benefits ga tech
Paul in NH
January 26th, 2012
3:50 pm
Rickster
January 26th, 2012
2:54 pm
As as the game is announced, I’m calling by bookie Vito and putting $50 on VaTech.
———-
I’ll give you VT -35 1/2 and you don’t even have to throw in the vig.
You are giving points, right?
JB
January 26th, 2012
3:55 pm
Will help Tech work harder in the off season knowing this replaces Western Carolina at 11:00 in the morning.
Buckeye
January 26th, 2012
3:55 pm
It’s freakin’ January. HTF cares.
JB
January 26th, 2012
3:58 pm
Shouldn’t that be WTF…… as in who
JB
January 26th, 2012
3:59 pm
Buckeye…………….Can we officially call ya’ll ” squirrel heads ” Now?
Supersize that order, mutt
January 26th, 2012
4:02 pm
JB, I guess he means HOO TF cares, Typical troll spelling.
rduck
January 26th, 2012
4:10 pm
I think Tevin has the upper hand, but i really hope Vad makes a serious push at the starting job. I have nothing against Tevin, but i think he has taken us as far as he can go. We need that lightening in a bottle at QB, even if it is a tough first career start. Just my opinion…
and Buckeye- we care. that is the reason we are blogging here and not on an Ohio news website. So why are you here?
rduck
January 26th, 2012
4:12 pm
JB- they only use spell check before applying tatoos, not blogging or trolling…
Davis Traburne Watson 50-YL East Stands
January 26th, 2012
4:19 pm
I remember when Tech QBs had names like Pepper, Stan, and Billy. I suppose a Labor Day game means union activities prior to the game. I don’t think the engineers are union members but I suspect some of the UGA fans are and will be bussed in and sing “Look for the Union Label . . . wuff, wuff!”
T-Bone
January 26th, 2012
4:19 pm
I still fear that if you give a Bud Foster defense that much time to prepare–basically all summer–it bodes poorly for the Jackets. As a Ga Tech grad, IMHO Johnson still hasn’t proven that he can consistently beat the better teams. There is only way for Johnson to disprove the “extra week” argument and he hasn’t done it yet.
To me, this is the year for Johnson to prove himself. It will be his recruits and his system. He has a couple of good QBs coming in to challenge Tevin. He needs a WR to replace Hill and then the ones he has need to catch the ball. We’ll see . . .
Gorilla Biscuit
January 26th, 2012
4:25 pm
GT catches a break as Mark Bradley refuses to pick a winner. He’s already doomed the Dawgs with his picking them to win the SEC East.
This is your main rival for the division crown. I would think you would like to play them early, before they get in tune, and while the Jackets still have the confidence they can win.
Supersize that order, mutt
January 26th, 2012
4:26 pm
T-Bone, actually, I don’t think the extra week to prepare helps the other team as much as an extra week off hurts Tech. Whenever we have a week (or more) off, we tend to come back sloppy. BUT, we also seem to play better early in the season, 2010 notwithstanding, so I think our extra preparation time will help us more than theirs will help them.
Left Coast Dawg
January 26th, 2012
4:37 pm
What is a “Dwag”?
limp stinger
January 26th, 2012
4:39 pm
THAT’S why the ladies don’t like us…our endowment isn’t big enough…
stingembuzz
January 26th, 2012
4:44 pm
rduck
January 26th, 2012
3:22 pm
I really don’t understand how people try to make it out like we were reeling in top 10 classes when we ran a pro style offense years ago. We have had a few high ranked players here and there, just as we do now. The TO allows for us to better utilize the guys we can get. Even back when “lil” Joe was tearing the scoreboards up, we ran a spread out – option based offense. Never did our offense put fear in anyone under Chan the gunslinger Gailey and his NFL offense…
Not completely true, I was afraid I was going to hurl at times watching it. If Megatron had a QB just imagine the numbers he could have put up.
Supersize that order, mutt
January 26th, 2012
4:51 pm
Left Coast, I have tried 3 times to respond to your question, but something in my response is not getting past the filters.
Supersize that order, mutt
January 26th, 2012
4:51 pm
“dwag” was on a sign held up by a UGA fan during the bowl game
stingembuzz
January 26th, 2012
4:53 pm
Dam wet a$$ gator