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
Big Crimson 75
August 5th, 2012
4:37 pm
Steve – Supe — As an outside observer, I wanna see some old school smash mouth Football.
If you’re an Option Offense or spread offense — be the best at it!!
Pound Teams…….alas Nebraska/Colorado in the 90s.
Tech should be a top 10 rushing team every season.
GTBob
August 5th, 2012
4:40 pm
Love em & leave em, right Bob.
I don’t have any hard feelings for him. He was a decent coach and did ok at GT. People seem to think he was a recruiting machine though and he really wasn’t. Plus of the recruits he did get, he took several chances that he shouldn’t have taken. Seeing huge academic problems bothers me a lot more than losing.
Pitbull
August 5th, 2012
5:01 pm
I love this time of year when Tech folks are optimistic.
Watching them deflate as the season progresses is pure entertainment.
Say what you will about Georgia, we won 10 straight games last year.
When was the last year that Tech won 10 straight games? Never.
I know you won 10 games in 1990 but there was a tie in there.
Besides,m Colorado won the real national championship that year from the AP.
Tech got the UPI award and the UPI doesn’t even exist any more.
Even Bobby Ross gave up and left after 1990.
GTBob
August 5th, 2012
5:13 pm
When was the last year that Tech won 10 straight games? Never.
Wrong.
Tech got the UPI award and the UPI doesn’t even exist any more.
The UPI became the coaches poll. From what I hear, the coaches poll is still used.
George Stein
August 5th, 2012
5:17 pm
The sheer volume of responses by UGA fans on this blog should offer some proof that they still care deeply about their neighbors to the west.
Olympic Viewing: Era ending for Gaines, too – Atlanta Journal Constitution » Black Conservative Thought
August 5th, 2012
5:38 pm
[...] Mark Bradley: Tech in 2012: It’s a chance for Paul Johnson to look smart [...]
Pitbull
August 5th, 2012
5:56 pm
GTBob, lets be honest.
The UPI no longer exists. Yes there is a coaches poll but there is no UPI which stood for United Press International anymore as it is no longer an organization.
I am sure Tech probably won 10 straight games sometimes back in the 1940’s or 1950’s when Tech had good teams. But I am talking the Common Era at least from the time when Bobby Dodd retired in 1966 and that was 46 years ago for you math majors, when most of you were not yet born.
Here is an interesting fact for you to ponder and check. Since Bobby Dodd retired, what is the Tech football team’s winning percentage against 1A teams? Now you have to exclude the 1AA teams like Furman and Coastal Carolina and Presbyterian. So no cheating now.
Hint the answer is not good if you are a Tech fan. It is barely a losing record with a winning percentage of .498 Not exactly something to be proud of is it?
BTW Tech’s record against 1AA teams during the same time period is 30-1.Question who is the one 1AA team that beat Tech during that time period and what year did it happen? I will help you with the team. It was Furman.
Anybody remember the year? Anybody? Anybody?
Also GTBob, I think we both may have been right and both been wrong about the Big East. All conferences that have teams whose teams go to bowls rather than NCAA playoffs are generally considered to be members of BCS conferences. However it appears that the Big East has lost its automatic qualifier status as a BCS conference. I think there are 11 BCS conferences but only 5 or 6 automatic qualifier conferences.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
5:59 pm
Actually Tech went 30 games in a row without a loss from 1949 to 1953. There were two ties in that streak, but even so, Tech had a string of 18 straight wins at one point. When has UGA EVER even come close to doing something like that? NEVER!!!!
TechWreck
August 5th, 2012
6:00 pm
Mark,
I don’t any stock in Phil Steele’s take on GT. He seems to be an SEC guy.
He has been wrong and underrated GT every year under CPJ.
I like us to score a lot of points with what CPJ calls the best offensive line he’s seen at GT. With Smith bangin at 10 ypc, I just don’t see Miami, NC, VT, or UGA outscoring us in 2012.
I also like our Special Teams Coach, Coach Walk, a bunch, and have heard nothing but praise on this hire around the country. A lot of teams beat UGA, NC & Miami on special teams, Coach Beemer is a Special Teams coach, but their offense can’t score this year, so I like us there.
14-0.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
6:03 pm
@ Pitbull…..what exactly is the “Common era”? There is no such term used in college football. Why do you insist in only counting the years SINCE Dodd retired? ALL of the Dodd years should be included. Has Tech been that good since then? No, of course not, but with the exception of 1980-1981m UGA has only been mediocre at best too, regardless of how many times they have beat UGA since then.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
6:05 pm
@ TechWreck…….I LOVE your optimism, but I think the likes of a 14-0 season won’t happen this year. Maybe 2013, but not this year. I still think it’s going to be a helluva season though. GO JACKETS !!!!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
6:07 pm
In my 6:03 post, I mean to say with the exception of 1980-1981, UGA has only been mediocre at best, regardless of how many times they have beat Tech.
GTBob
August 5th, 2012
6:08 pm
The UPI no longer exists. Yes there is a coaches poll but there is no UPI which stood for United Press International anymore as it is no longer an organization.
UPI published the coaches poll until 1991 when CNN and USA Today took it over. GT won the coaches poll. It doesn’t matter what you want to call it.
However it appears that the Big East has lost its automatic qualifier status as a BCS conference.
The Big East has not lost its automatic qualifier status. Where are you getting that from?
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
6:10 pm
BCS qualifying conferences —
Atlantic Coast Conference (Orange Bowl)
Big 12 Conference (Fiesta Bowl)
Big East Conference (not tied to any specific BCS bowl)
Big Ten Conference (Rose Bowl)
Pacific-12 Conference (Rose Bowl)
Southeastern Conference (Sugar Bowl)
GBall
August 5th, 2012
6:11 pm
Smith reminds me of Reggie Bush, and has the same average yards per carry to back that up. Up for the Doak Walker, he’s gonna be something special in 12′.
Bugs Bunny
August 5th, 2012
6:14 pm
So Pupbull advocates a “5th” down. I agree, every team U(sic)ga plays should get 5 downs per offensive series. U(sic)GA gets four. Fair? It evidently is in your world.
I also love this time of the year as U(sic)GA racks up Richt points and “fans” claim the dogs Universal MNC. It’s lovable and cute and sort of pathetic in a thuggish sort of way. Go chase a car.
Hoot
August 5th, 2012
6:14 pm
VT lost their top 2 receivers, and their top rb, and their off line has less experience than UGA (only 17 starts). They’re going to have a difficult time scoring more points than anyone this year. Big down year for VT. Thy’re not going to be in the hunt.
Bugs Bunny
August 5th, 2012
6:16 pm
Pitbull wants to be honest. LMAO! You would not know honesty if it bit you in the arse. Run along you miserable mutt.
Samori
August 5th, 2012
6:17 pm
UGA should have some issues of it’s own. Still no Special Teams Coach, 31 starts on off line where they lost 3 guys to the NFL, Mitchell had to move over to DB so T King is only long ball threat–and he only had 2 decent games. They also lost their top 2 rb’s again, so they’re down to 4th & 5th string at RB. UGA also lost both of their top 2 TE’s. I think they will have a tough time putting points on the scoreboard. I got us winning this one easily 31-17.
Bugs Bunny
August 5th, 2012
6:22 pm
I remember U(sic)GA played LSU tough for 2 quarters. The problem is a football game is 4 quarters unless Pupbull would like to add a 5th. You like to throw out stats (very dubious ones) yet ignore Colorado’s 5th down play to beat Mizzou.
Fact, Tom Osborne played both teams and said Tech was a better team, but what does he know. Right Pupbull? Go chase a parked car!
TechhieVille
August 5th, 2012
6:23 pm
As far as North Carolina goes, their offensive line unit and QB are solid, but they don’t have much besides that at RB, or WR. So I don’t see them scoring more than 21 on us. The 3-3-5 they run isn’t a good answer for the option, and I see us rolling in this one. The NC defense is weak on def line, they lost their two best lb’s, and the 5 DB’s won’t come in handy against us because we just don’t throw it that much.
gt 42, nc 21
GoldMan
August 5th, 2012
6:28 pm
Let’s talk Miami.
Nothing at QB, RB, WR, or o-line, d line, lb, db’s are ok, but no concern as we’ll just run it till they drop.
Miami has problems on both lines, and particularly on offense, just doesn’t have a single unit that you’d call top 40.
They won’t be able to score more than us, and we really turn it on these guys, 52-14.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
6:28 pm
@ TechhieVille…..unfortunately, Tech has a very bad history AT UNC. Remember 1990??? The players just need to stay on their game and keep their heads on straight. But anything can happen.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
6:30 pm
I’m not worried about Miami either. Honestly, only Clemson and UNC really bother me, because we play AT both those schools, and have a bad history at both places. As far as playing AT UGA, I think we have more wins against them lately when playing there than when playing in Atlanta.
TechhieVille
August 5th, 2012
6:30 pm
North Carolina? CPJ has beat them every year he’s been here, no problem there.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
6:32 pm
@ TechhieVille……like I said, ANYTHING can happen. We SHOULD win, obviously, but you got to admit, lots of very good Tech teams have slipped up and at least struggled really hard against at least one team they should have easily beat, often losing.
Pitbull
August 5th, 2012
6:33 pm
We may or may not have won 18 straight in our history, but then again we have never had to vacate two conference championships for cheating.
I know, you got one back by begging for it but still if you have to beg to not get stripped of a conference title…..
And how many victories have you had to vacate due to cheating? You are currently on your second straight 4 year probation, right?
Come to think of it, with those victories vacated your winning percentage since Bobby Dodd retired in 1966 which is 46 years ago is much lower than .498
But you have not vacated those wins on your website. Perhaps a call to the NCAA is in order.
No, I would never do anything to get Paul Johnson in trouble. I want him on North Avenue as long as possible. You will soon be the best 1AA team in America and may even have enough confidence to schedule Georgia Southern without worrying that you may lose face further by possibly losing to them.
Hahahahahaha!!!!!!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
6:36 pm
@ Pitbull……even the most loyal of TRUE UGA fans willingly admit that Tech got screwed by the NCAA. Obviously, you are just a petty sidewalk fan. NEXT
Buzz2011
August 5th, 2012
6:36 pm
GT should take another ACC title to go along with our 2009 trophy!
When we are finished we will take out the Thugas………
GoldMan
August 5th, 2012
6:37 pm
Clemson.
Good QB, great WR’s, but, we had a top 30 pass def, and have gotten better the last 2 years, so I expect a top 20 pass def this year. We have 6 DB’s back. We’ll be ready.
But Clemson has serious issues at rb and offensive line. So I’d expect lots of blitzes, and also jamming the receivers to upset their timing, like we’ll do against the inexperienced O lines at VT and UGA.
Clemson only has 1 starter back on dline, linebackers are weak, and db’s too. No defense.
Clemson’s Special Teams are terrible, look for Coach W to have a field day.
We handle Clemson pretty well, 2-1 under CPJ, so I expect another win there, in a close one,
31- 24.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
6:39 pm
@ Pitbull……whatever. You know as well as I do that the latest probation, and the vacating of those wins was BS. It may be on the books, but it doesn’t take a thing away from what Tech accomplished on the field.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
6:40 pm
Tech gets probation and OSU gets slapped on the wrist for far worse violations. You call that just???
GTBob
August 5th, 2012
6:50 pm
We may or may not have won 18 straight in our history, but then again we have never had to vacate two conference championships for cheating.
Which two conference championships did we vacate?
Pitbull
August 5th, 2012
6:52 pm
Tech: Sir, can we please keep our ACC championship because we won it the way we have always won, by cheating our rear ends off.
NCAA: No. You are unclean vermin and have no business even playing college football. Take your dirty filthy selves and get out of our offices.
Tech (once outside the NCAA office): That settles it. we have to get better at cheating.
GoldMan
August 5th, 2012
6:55 pm
Georgia.
Georgia lost 3 Off lineman, only return 2 starters, just 31 starts of experience. So you have to take advantage of that with blitz packages and run stunts. Their dline is really heavy, so look for CPJ to counter with speed, I expert Smith to have a big day against these guys, like Harvin used to at UF. UGA goes for weight over speed on their d-line. Murray tends to throw picks when you blitz him, so look for 2 or 3 turnovers from him.
CPJ FINALLY has the offensive line he wanted. All 5 starters back, and these guys rolled for 300+ yards per game, only allowed 13 sacks. o-line is top 10 in the country, and we got our top 2 rb’s returning, which is why GT will be so good in 2012.
Look for Smith’s speed to drive 350 lb’rs crazy. And for the off line to wear the over-sized out of shape hamburger lovin UGA dline out, like everybody else does, as UGA has a reputation for weak Strength & conditioning, they usually fade in the 2nd half.
Look for Coach Walk on Spec Teams to make this game his statement game. UGA is known as one of the weakest special teams in the country, and with most of the specialists returning, we’re loaded there.
GT 35, UGA 21
GTBob
August 5th, 2012
6:57 pm
Tech: Sir, can we please keep our ACC championship because we won it the way we have always won, by cheating our rear ends off.
How did Tech cheat?
GoldMan
August 5th, 2012
7:00 pm
Georgia.
We might continue to rest our guys if we have the ACC Championship the next week. But if CPJ decides he needs to win this one, look to blitz the 31 start inexperienced o-line till the cows come home. AM usually throws a few picks, and then with CPJ having FINALLY a top 10 O-Line, look for us to wear UGA down, as they tend to fold in close game in the 2nd half.
Also, look for Coack Walk to have a field day against UGA, as they have nothing on special teams, lost everybody, kicker, punter, Boykin, all gone, and lousy on punt/kick return defense. Look for Coach W to get a punt block agains the Freshman punter from UGA, since Coach W averages 3 puntblocks a year, has 24 over 8 seasons.
GT 42, UGA 21
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
7:00 pm
@ Pitbull……why don’t you tell us about the Jan Kemp affair and the Jim Harrick affair? I guess you’re really proud of the image UGA presented to the country during those two sordid eras, huh?
Pitbull
August 5th, 2012
7:00 pm
GTBob, it was 1998 and 2009. You’re the Tech guy so you should know.
The NCAA ordered Tech to vacate it’s 1998 ACC title but Tech begged and promised and was finally allowed to keep it on appeal.
Then you were ordered to vacate the 2009 ACC title and begged and promised (again) but the NCAA was not buying it that time so you lost it.
For a Tech fan, I am surprised you did not know that.
Pitbull
August 5th, 2012
7:07 pm
GTBob,
well in the late 1990’s you played 11 academically ineligible football players over a 7 year period.
And the second incident involved your excellent receiver (whatever his name was) who was reported to take some freebees and the Tech athletic department knew about the charges and played him anyway, the was reported to have tried to cover it up, then was reported to have coached players to stonewall NCAA investigators, and finally was reported to have advised an athlete he was to be questioned by the NCAA in advance of the interview in violation of NCAA regulations.
But you guys are from Tech. The rules don’t apply to you do they?
GTBob, do your homework. Quit asking stupid questions.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
7:07 pm
@ Pitbull…..you still haven’t said how Tech CHEATED. The current probation had nothing to do with CHEATING; it was because they claimed that Tech did not assist them properly in their investigation. How is that CHEATING????
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
7:10 pm
Nobody was coached to stonewall anything. Tech allowed the player to play because it was assumed that what he had done was minor, which it in fact was. Again, how is that cheating?
stan
August 5th, 2012
7:10 pm
Richt a genius?….Really?….Lets see….he gets the best athletes in the state and if i remember correctly he cant win a championship….ummmmm i wouldnt think it would have anything to do with the kind of players he recruits….if it looks like a thug….talks like a thug…..smells like a thug….walks like a thug…..wouldnt you think it possible that it could be a thug???….enough said
Pitbull
August 5th, 2012
7:38 pm
Stan,
I understand. I have read on the web how Tech students who are not lilly white are treated with disrespect on the Tech campus. That includes minorities from both the USA and from overseas.
So I can see how your racial bigotry carries over to Georgia players most of whom are black and of course the buzz word (excuse the pun) for non white people for Tech white elites like you is thug.
I bet you call your own Tech athletes thugs behind their backs when they can’t hear you, don’t you?
Stan, people like you are pathetic losers.
GTBob
August 5th, 2012
7:40 pm
GTBob, do your homework. Quit asking stupid questions.
Nah, im having fun watching you squirm. You have been factually incorrect at least 4 times now. Bless us with some more of your knowledge.
GTBob
August 5th, 2012
7:42 pm
Then you were ordered to vacate the 2009 ACC title and begged and promised (again) but the NCAA was not buying it that time so you lost it.
How did we beg, and what did we promise?
LongBeachJacket
August 5th, 2012
7:43 pm
Nice article Mark. That said, I’m always curious about the “default” assessment (common among many) that Tech lacks talent, or CPJ isn’t a good recruiter. Don’t we have something like a half a dozen players on preseason watchlists for national awards. Hmmm… let’s see, Attachou, Cross, Finch, Uzzi, Smith…. Seems like we’ve got plenty of talent (and depth). I liked Coach Gailey but he did not recruit any better than CPJ….he recruited some different types of players for his system. Of course he had the star of all stars in Calvin Johnson. I see a 10 win season for the Jackets this year.
Looking forward to the season… GO JACKETS!!!
GTBob
August 5th, 2012
7:45 pm
then was reported to have coached players to stonewall NCAA investigators
Awesome. Made up stories that weren’t part of the NCAA report, nor were we accused of.
Pitbull
August 5th, 2012
7:56 pm
GTBob, I actually feel sorry for you.
And that is tough for me to say to a Tech person.
You only make me squirm in your own mind.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 5th, 2012
7:57 pm
@ Pitbull……I have NEVER read any such stories (i.e., LIES) about the treatment of minorities at Tech. I am sure some of that goes on, just like I am sure it goes on in Athens as well. After all, there are more redneck bigots in Athens than there are in Atlanta. But I am sure too that it is not the norm on either campus. So quit making up crap.