Tech in 2012: It’s a chance for Paul Johnson to look smart
That's Paul Johnson on the right, in case you wondered. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
On the morning of Nov. 28, 2009, Paul Johnson was poised to become the unchallenged king of football in a state that takes the sport seriously. He was 19-5 in two seasons as Georgia Tech’s coach. That night his Jackets would play Georgia, whom they’d famously beaten 45-42 in Athens the year before.
Tech was 10-1, ranked No. 7 nationally and champion of the ACC Coastal Division. Georgia was 6-5, having just lost at home to Kentucky. Not since George O’Leary was working against Jim Donnan had Tech beaten the Bulldogs twice in a row – Chan Gailey, O’Leary’s successor, hadn’t done it even once – and now Johnson was roundly favored to make it 2-for-2 against the hated Mutts.
But Georgia won. The Bulldogs pounded the Jackets on the ground, and Tech’s final chance was wasted when Demaryius Thomas dropped a fourth-down pass. For Tech and for Johnson, nothing since has been nearly as good.
From Johnson’s 19-5 start, Tech has gone 15-14. (The sweetest of those 15 on-the-field victories – the 2009 ACC championship game over Clemson – was vacated by NCAA sanctions involving Thomas’ eligibility.) Tech went 6-7 in 2010, 8-5 last season after starting 6-0. Tech hasn’t beaten Georgia since 2008 and hasn’t won a bowl game under Johnson. All of which means …
This is a mighty big year for Tech and its coach.
The first blush of success has faded. The big names Johnson inherited from Gailey are gone. Tech hasn’t fallen to pieces — on Oct. 15, 2011, it was ranked No. 12 in the land, and two weeks later it would beat No. 6 Clemson by two touchdowns – but it hasn’t consolidated the gains of 2008 and 2009.
Which isn’t to say it’s in complete retreat. Tech has been picked to finish second in the ACC Coastal Division, and if the Jackets can beat Virginia Tech on Labor Day night in Blacksburg they’ll become the front-runner. (The Tech-Tech winner has taken the Coastal every year of its existence.)
Speaking at Tech’s media convocation Saturday, Johnson nodded to his opener and also beyond, to early games against Virginia and Miami. “Clearly the month of September is going to be huge,” he said. “We may be the only team in America with three division games in September.” (Actually, it’s not the only team in Georgia that does. Check UGA’s schedule.)
The Jackets have an incumbent quarterback in Tevin Washington, an excellent A-back in Orwin Smith and a defense that has, in two seasons under coordinator Al Groh, made incremental improvement. Johnson called this team the deepest “since I’ve been here,” but depth isn’t to be mistaken for top-end talent.
Going on available manpower, this wouldn’t seem much different than last season’s team, or 2010’s. Once again, Tech isn’t apt to out-talent many ACC opponents. If you handed this roster to another coach, you would hope he could bleed out six wins. But Johnson by himself constitutes a mighty X-factor.
He is, as has been noted, a really good coach. He’s capable of winning games you’d swear he shouldn’t. (Clemson last season is the most recent example, though Clemson offers the flip side of that X: On any given Saturday, it can lose to just about anybody and yield 70 points in the process.) Johnson has always come across as the smartest guy in the room, and through the 2008 season and most of 2009 he seemed the sharpest coach in this state.
But those seasons were a while ago, and the clock’s ticking. Georgia Tech has again assumed also-ran status in the not-exactly-top-heavy ACC and, having lost three consecutive in-state collisions, is again staring up at the Bulldogs. This remains a proud and resourceful program, but it could stand a jolt.
That jolt could arrive Labor Day night. (Full disclosure: I think it will.) Even as Johnson tried to downplay the Virginia Tech game – “Is it the end-all be-all to the season? I would doubt it,” he said Saturday – there’s no doubting the opportunity it presents. It’s a big game on the road against a brand-name opponent, which means it’s a prime-time chance for Paul Johnson to remind us he’s still Paul Johnson.
By Mark Bradley
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454 comments Add your comment
TechLB
August 5th, 2012
9:42 am
Mark, Great article, I was saying these exact things LAST year and was starting to think the media was giving CPJ too much of a pass. How does his record stack up against Chan’s at this point? Not very different except for the single UGA win – with players Chan recruited.
2002 7-6 Georgia Tech Silicon Valley Classic
2003 7-6 Georgia Tech Humanitarian Bowl (W)
2004 7-5 Georgia Tech Champs Sports Bowl (W)
2005 7-5 Georgia Tech Emerald Bowl
2006 9-5 Georgia Tech ACC Coastal Champs, Toyota Gator Bowl
2007 7-5 Georgia Tech Bowl Game TBA
I love the guy, but I don’t care how smart he is, how perfect the offense is, etc. not anymore. He needs to win consistently, beat UGA at least once every four (against the pros that’s OK), win out of conference including win a bowl for gosh sake.
He needs to show us all he can recruit athletes who can not only run his system but block and tackle the FBS-level opponents we play. I’m tired of excuses and being patient. This year needs to be the year of proving it.
Having said all that, feels like it could be a big year! GO JACKETS!
Randy Carson, IMGT '83
August 5th, 2012
10:33 am
@Jfreak13713-
I agree with you completely. Tech is never going to be able to recruit the kind of players that the football factories in the SEC bring in each year. As a result, we have to make do with less.
I kinda think we’re in the same boat with the service academies and Duke, Vandy, etc. We want a big-time football program, but those darn classes keep getting in the way. As a result, I think we should be pleased as punch averaging eight wins every year with an occasional breakout year and conference title.
Most of time, I’m happy as a clam watching Tech run wild against defenses that don’t know what hit them…a last-second pitch and it’s 60 yards to the end zone.
Against the bigger, faster defenses, we’ll have to develop some pass threat to keep them from loading the box. Nesbitt hit a few of those throws, but Washington missed way too many.
Admiral Obvious
August 5th, 2012
10:37 am
heeldawg can I can get some of what your smoking? Since Georgia beat them in 2009 the failures of his High School offense has been glaring. Paul Johnson is arrogant and self absorbed. He’s the worst game day coach in Division I football. The only saving grace and saves his job is that he plays in the weak ACC. You will not beat VT nor Clemson or Florida State. So enjoy the Weedeater Poolan Bowl again this year.
Gorilla Biscuit
August 5th, 2012
10:41 am
ORWIN SMITH for HEISMAN!!!
Mr. Smith you can have a seat over there by Josh Nesbitt.
Orwin averages 10 yards a carry. Why don’t ya’ll give him the ball on every play? Then you would never have to punt and you could score on every possession. That would be awesome!
Coach Johnson is just dreamy. He reminds me of a big Ewok.
Gorilla Biscuit
August 5th, 2012
10:43 am
The Hokies have a pretty good front seven. Going to be a long night Labor Day. But ya’ll got Tevin Washington at QB, so no worries, right?
Randy Carson, IMGT '83
August 5th, 2012
10:47 am
@Admiral Oblivious-
Which is harder?
To be a fan of a football factory that breaks your heart year after year by failing to produce conference championships or a national title?
Or to be a fan of an elite academic institution that plays decent football and occasionally does something special?
The dawgs are gonna come up short again this year, and you’ll be grinding your teeth in frustration when another school raises those trophies.
Old Gold
August 5th, 2012
10:47 am
8 cokes and 8 hot dogs if you will come to a Tech game! How about free parking? Johnson needs to go!!
Birmingham Jacket
August 5th, 2012
10:53 am
Stop playing the “academic card” excuse for poor recruiting.
Is Georgia Tech going to sign recruiting classes like UGA, LSU and Bama? NEVER!
But there’s no excuse to finish in the bottom of a sucky football conference like the ACC, and in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s nationally.
Wake up folks. Johnson has never had to recruit, and doesn’t know how.
jimbob
August 5th, 2012
10:56 am
Haven’t been that thrilled with the cpj era, but I’ll take it over the Chan Gailey era any day. Even with all of his ‘great’ recruits, Gailey put Ball at starting qb for 4 years, and only seemed to win about 7 games per year.
Those were the most boring teams to watch that I’ve ever seen. The PJ offense sometimes gets stuffed, but there are many games where it rushes for 5-7 yards per carry while busting some pretty long runs.
Biggest disappointment to me: failure to beat UGA after year one, horrible bowl losses year after year, with the latest probably being the most inexcusable.
Smerk Russell
August 5th, 2012
11:02 am
Admiral Oblivious, that “high school offense” has averaged 408 yds a game against UGA.
When Tech loses a game, 90% of the time it’s because of their sorry defense, not the offense.
But I wouldn’t expect you to know that, you’re a UGA fan. Dawg fans don’t know much about most things, bless your heart.
flamboyant defense
August 5th, 2012
11:23 am
Move J.C. Lanier and T.J. Barnes to Defensive Tackle and scrap the noseguard,
where is the flamboyant beef up front AL Groh?
flamboyant defense
August 5th, 2012
11:27 am
That big hokie QB needs some big Defensive Tackles closing in.
Birmingham Jacket
August 5th, 2012
11:30 am
We have little chance to beat VT because of the difference in rosters.
It will take blind luck to get it done.
That’s the price we pay for not getting it done in Feb.
the price is right
August 5th, 2012
11:36 am
Oewin Smith will get it done.
son_sir
August 5th, 2012
11:36 am
Biggest diappointments for me has been watching the DL get manhandled by bigger and stronger OL’s, weak special teams play, lack of a sustained passing element to this offense, which IS possible if you are lucky enough to have a true dual threat QB. Also at times, CPJ takes a few unneccesary gambles when it’s 4th and 3+ yds to go. Having said that, I’ll take CPJ over Gailey any day of the week. Win or lose, Tech has been exciting to watch for the most part under CPJ. CPJ is the anti-Gailey. However, when it comes to records, the results are about the same. The painful truth is, Tech can’t get the type of athletes that UGA can get on a regular basis. Like it or not, this offensive scheme counter balances that difference in personnel. So far, no such scheme has been found for the defense. It’s an uphill battle all the time, but if you’ve been a Tech fan for many decades as I have, it’s a battle to be embraced. The victories are all the sweeter. And yes, although the head to head battles against UGA are usually lost, it’s very satisfying to see their underacheivement on a regular basis. I don’t think 2012 will be an exception despite their suspect schedule.
the price is right
August 5th, 2012
11:37 am
ORWIN SMITH,
23.5 YARDS PER CATCH,
10.1 YARDS PER CARRY
gt4ever
August 5th, 2012
11:41 am
I for one don’t like the trend of GT football… But, he does have all his pieces in place, as these are his guys… It’s time for CPJ to put up or shutup… I seriously hope he puts up, and I am 100 percent wrong about his offense and his recruiting… The simple fact is that his record against good football teams are not good… This season will be his make or break season, and I think if he has another lackluster year where we win 8 and go to a bowl game just to lose, then he is gone… Win or lose, Go Jackets..
TX Rambler
August 5th, 2012
11:42 am
Another great article by Bark Madley. An article about Tech that is full of U[sic]GA undertones. Will the AJC please just let Ken write all GT related articles.
BS Patrol (genius)
August 5th, 2012
1:14 pm
Rush passer, tighten pass coverage, kick into end zone, hold onto ball, run football. WIN!
Woofy One
August 5th, 2012
1:37 pm
Paul is smart. He got his player courses added this year so the caliber of the body will rise even if the mind won’t.
WnE
August 5th, 2012
1:38 pm
re:
biggtfan
August 5th, 2012
9:34 am
@Birmingham jacket – let me make sure I understand your comment. Recruiting results are determined by coaching effort and CPJ isn’t trying hard enough. Saban tries MUCH harder and that’s why his classes are #1. The academic requirements have nothing to do with the results. Did I get that right? If so, then no Tech coach since 1975 has cared much about recruiting.
__________
Too many GT fans use Academics as a crutch!
During the CPJ Era, the numbers of Academic Qualifiers that were 4* & above that CPJ could NOT close on is staggering, I’m talking about guys from Ga. that went to places like Stanford, ND, Bama, UGA, USCe, Tenn, Auburn, you name it.
A lot of the guys have started by their RS-Fr. year or their Soph. yr. for other teams.
Curry, Ross, and maybe GOL could use the Academics excuse, but CPJ CANNOT use the Academics excuse.
For some reason in the last 4-5 years a much higher percentage of the Top-50 HS Recruits in Ga. have been Academic qualifiers for GT.
I have no idea why, maybe lottery money filtering into the K-12 schools, No Child Left Behind, but for some reason there have been a lot more of the Top-50 HS players in Ga. that are Academically Qualified for GT but CPJ couldn’t close the deal on them.
I can remember the Days of Bill Curry when we were lucky to see 8-10 of the Top-50 HS recruits in Ga. Academically Qualified for GT, now we see 30-35 of the Top-50 that are Academically qualified for GT.
Prior GT coaches can use the “Academics Excuse”.
CPJ cannot use the Academics Excuse!
macrotech
August 5th, 2012
2:07 pm
SOMEBODY throw WnE a milkbone….dang dog is STILL barking!
BS Patrol (genius)
August 5th, 2012
2:09 pm
Weenie,None of the schools you named have a concept of what the academic rigors of Tech entail, especially Uga who you ridiculously included in your group. You doggies accept recruits who can’t even read and most of those come because they know Richt means soft practices and most are gone or in jail before they become Jrs.
TechLB
August 5th, 2012
2:33 pm
Doesn’t matter if there were any classes CPJ got added (he didn’t – that’s not how it works at Tech), the bottom line is you have to pass a lot of MATH classes at GT, period.
The academic flexibility of a Liberal Arts school versus an Engineering School will never go away. The right way to argue the point is we need to stop using it as an excuse. Bobby Ross, George O’Leary, etc. proved you can recruit big time players and win.
Time for Paul to prove it. THWG!!
kerryb
August 5th, 2012
2:58 pm
Big year for the Jackets? I guess that means they are going to win 8 games. That’s a big year for the jackets.
Pete Van Weird
August 5th, 2012
3:00 pm
Excellant? Exellent? Excallent? Excellnt? excellet? Oh, Coach Jammies, help us! Never mind, we have bigger fish to punch in the mouth.
JDH GT
August 5th, 2012
3:03 pm
Looks like Intellectual Ninja has pulled the ultimate ninja trick…disappearing.
blf
August 5th, 2012
3:10 pm
Every school wants to have a winning program. Some teams will recruit anybody who can play football regardless of their character issues ( Crowell ) and hope they can keep enough of them out of jail and off suspensions to win. Win at any cost and to hell with the critics. Not so Georgia Tech ! Go Jackets
Pitbull
August 5th, 2012
3:10 pm
Tech is a horrible team in the weakest BCS conference.
In fact, the ACC should be put out of the BCS and replaced by the Mountain West Conference or the Big East.
That said, please take note all of you Yellow Jackets out there:
I am now president of the Athens chapter of the Paul Johnson Fan Club.
You would not believe how the club is growing. We had to move the meetings from the IHOP to the Western Sizzlin because of the crowds.
We love Paul Johson in Athens. Don’t you guys ever fire him.
Ignor the fact that he cannot recruit at the 1A level. I mean face it, ever since Chan Gaileys players left, the only decent guys you have had are the ones that transferred in because they wanted to be closer to home – or were run off by their origional schools.
Yep, Paul Johnson will soon have Tech as the strongest 1AA team in America. You might even venture to schedule Georgia Southern without the fear of being beat.
We sort of look at Paul Johnson as the coaching equivalent of Reggie Ball at Tech. And you know how much we revere Reggie.
Reggie!!! Reggie!! Reggie!!
So you guys take good care of Paul Johnson because we want him in Atlanta for a long time.
Sincerely, your fellow Paul Johnson fans in Athens.
PS Has his 2012 recruiting class hit double digits yet?
GTBob
August 5th, 2012
3:18 pm
In fact, the ACC should be put out of the BCS and replaced by the Mountain West Conference or the Big East.
The Big East is already in the BCS.
GTBob
August 5th, 2012
3:22 pm
Bobby Ross, George O’Leary, etc. proved you can recruit big time players and win.
George O’Leary pretty much single handedly caused flunk gate which lowered the number of special admissions in the future and raised the admissions requirements for incoming players. I’m not sure his recruiting should be praised. He recruited too many guys who couldn’t hack it at a school like Tech.
dawgfan
August 5th, 2012
3:30 pm
Pitbull, don’t forget Johnson’s ho hum attitude towards the UGA rivalry and how its just another game to him. That’s my favorite thing about him.
Pitbull
August 5th, 2012
3:34 pm
GTBob, I believe the Big East was in the BCS but has been excluded with the loss of West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Syracuse.
You might want to check and see.
GTSteve
August 5th, 2012
3:35 pm
Enter your comments here
GTSteve
August 5th, 2012
3:35 pm
Supersize…are you back buddy?
Big Crimson 75
August 5th, 2012
3:46 pm
Bull — the Big East is still an auto-qualifying Conference.
VT is long gone. Pitt & Cuse are still playing this Season.
They quite possibly could be left out of the Playoffs beginning in ‘14 — but this helps :
NBC is reportedly offering the Conference a TV contract.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
3:52 pm
@ GTSteve……yes, I am back; I have been back for 3 weeks. I tried to email you once a few weeks ago, but it got returned for unknown address. Have you deleted your old account?
GTSteve
August 5th, 2012
3:55 pm
no sir, that is my work email, I will email you from there in the morning, I hope you enjoyed your trip
TourtureB4uga
August 5th, 2012
3:56 pm
Gotta love Georgia’s non-conference schedule this year. Buffalo, Florida Atlantic, and Georgia Southern. Seems like someone learned this lesson after last year.
Big Crimson 75
August 5th, 2012
3:57 pm
Bob — Take it easy on the Irishmen.
You were front & center, hooting & hollering when He was winning Football games for your beloved jackets.
Winning games & beating ga wasn’t good enough? I see You turned your back on him after the Resume debacle.
Love em & leave em, right Bob.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
3:58 pm
Steve……I just emailed you again, and it appears to have gone through. Maybe my memory is bad, and that was somebody else I had a problem with. Or maybe it was some kind of screw up by the email service. At any rate, PLEASE DO email me in the morning just to let me know that you received what I just sent. And, yes, I enjoyed my trip a HELLUVA LOT !!!! Thanks
1 4 GT
August 5th, 2012
4:01 pm
God, I hate UGeorgie!! Why, you ask?? Because of the attitudes of the so called UGeorgie fans one sees on this blog. Until I started reading this blog, I was just a “Clean Old Fashioned Hate” kinda guy. But not now! I HATE the “dwags” There are a few, repeat, a few Georgie fans that post here that are cool and seem to be good people. But, by far, the dwags FAR out number these good dawgs. It is sad that these low lifes can spoil things for others. These dwags think they are being cute & clever. Puppies are cute & clever. Dwags are uuuuuuuuuuuuuugly & stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupid. Selah!!
GTSteve
August 5th, 2012
4:03 pm
I will….Im starting to look forward to the season…I think this could be a special season this year…
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
4:08 pm
1 4 GT……now you know how I feel. I HATE THEM !!!!!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
4:09 pm
Steve…..I agree with you 100%, and I think this year will only be the beginning
Big Crimson 75
August 5th, 2012
4:12 pm
14 — Their miserable people.
That’s what 32 yrs will do to ya!!
That shiny Trophy has hit the South like a Hurricane, making stops at ALL the important locations, except one!!
Paul in NH
August 5th, 2012
4:18 pm
Birmingham Jacket
August 5th, 2012
10:53 am
But there’s no excuse to finish in the bottom of a sucky football conference like the ACC, and in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s nationally
——
Under CPJ GT has gone 5-3, 7-1, 4-4 and 5-3 in the ACC.
The thing I love about obvious trolls is how they just make things up.
GTSteve
August 5th, 2012
4:25 pm
I agree supersize….I think CPJ might really open the offense up with some plays out of the shotgun and more passing….but I think we all agree, until they get better on the defensive line, the defense will always be a problem..you have to be able to stop the run…
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
4:27 pm
Steve……I think he finally has the beginnings of a terrific D-line. They will be pretty young there this year, but with a year of experience or redshirt, I look for the “international wrecking crew” to be a real force.
1 4 GT
August 5th, 2012
4:34 pm
I can sit here reading their sh!t so long & I gotta say something. I really didn’t hate Georgie before, I just didn’t care much one way or another what happened in Athens. But to make the trolls suffer, I don’t want them to win at all. Sorry about the good guys like 48 being lumped in with the dwags.