Live from Tech-Tech: Rain (and an upset) could be coming
Georgia Tech's uniforms. Not much gold in them thar duds, is there? (Photo by M. Bradley)
Blacksburg, Va. — Here’s great news. There’s a flash flood warning in effect here until midnight, with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms at 7 p.m. (Kickoff is at 8, or whenever ESPN decides it’s good and ready.) We mention this because …
Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech were set to play here on Aug. 27, 2000, which was so long ago that George Godsey was Tech’s quarterback and some guy named Vick was playing for the Hokies. The game never came off. A savage storm that Sunday night forced the game to be canceled, as opposed to postponed. In ESPN lore, the memory lingers because Lee Corso’s rental car was struck by lightning. (Without him inside, let’s stipulate.)
For more on the non-game, here’s esteemed colleagues Ken Sugiura’s recounting of it. But I’m not worried about a repeat of the washout, for these reasons:
1. The forecast — and I’ve been watching — has actually improved throughout the day, and as I type it’s only partly cloudy. (It was, I should note, a weird drive up from Greensboro. It poured in Winston-Salem and was so foggy at 2 p.m. in the Virginia mountains that it seemed like night. Then it got sunny.)
2. My rental car is so small — it’s a compact roughly the size of the water closet on an airplane — that I’m pretty sure any lightning would miss it.
As previously discussed, this seems the biggest game in what stands as a massive season for Georgia Tech and Paul Johnson. As previously mentioned, I like the Jackets to win. I have found absolutely no one else in the media who seconds that emotion, but I’m accustomed to that.
If it should rain hard and/or long, it could well hurt (Ga.) Tech and its pitch-it-around option game more, but those sorts of forecasts are problematic. (Va.) Tech figures to be the better passing team, so inclement weather could curtail the Hokies, too. And if the ball gets so slick nobody can hang on, there’s no real handicapping that.
I’ve liked (Ga.) Tech’s chances all summer because I think this looms as a bigger platform for the Jackets than for the Hokies. VPI, as we old folks used to call this school, is expected to win by a touchdown. VPI is ranked; GT is not. VPI has beaten GT four of the past five years. Give the hunger edge to the visitors.
But really, who knows? Georgia Tech could win, or it could lose, or the game could be rained out. Hey, it happened once.
And whatever happens tonight, I’d appreciate it if you’d hang around for all the fun and frolic. And I thank you, as ever, in advance.
By Mark Bradley
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1,439 comments Add your comment
ARdawg
September 3rd, 2012
8:44 pm
Those unis suck JMHO
Randy Carson, IMGT '83
September 3rd, 2012
8:44 pm
That was big…
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:44 pm
Godhigh?
Under The Bleachers
September 3rd, 2012
8:44 pm
Nice run by the RB,,,,,,
BigTimeTECHFan
September 3rd, 2012
8:44 pm
Godhigh just ran though VT, and WnE got all over TEch for playing him
Mark Bradley
September 3rd, 2012
8:45 pm
Like I said … Georgia Tech will win.
Unless it loses.
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:45 pm
Jitters over.
Now let’s play.
DS CE'91
September 3rd, 2012
8:45 pm
“D” gets credit for that one! Way to take advantage of the short field…
Kenshin Kawakami
September 3rd, 2012
8:45 pm
Enter your comments here
ramguy68
September 3rd, 2012
8:45 pm
A good move by the running back on the last man that would have been able to make the tackle.
BigTimeTECHFan
September 3rd, 2012
8:45 pm
Shaq Mason was in to, I made the call
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:46 pm
Uniforms, good or bad, don’t mean squat.
Paul in NH
September 3rd, 2012
8:46 pm
Mark – I think you should just predict a win for Tech – no need for a modifier
Kenshin Kawakami
September 3rd, 2012
8:46 pm
Go yellow jackets.
5150 UOAD
September 3rd, 2012
8:46 pm
I guess the dWag fans were real Mentalists…………It is a LONG night….HUH?
Supersize that order, mutt
September 3rd, 2012
8:46 pm
non-starters getting it done now
ARdawg
September 3rd, 2012
8:46 pm
Mark, The better bet is, bet on the team with the most points
bluedevil dave
September 3rd, 2012
8:47 pm
What a joke this coach is! Ask yourself Tech fans, “Would Calvin Johnson come to play in this STUPID offense?” Would a player who has dreams (and has talent) to play offense in the NFL come to Tech to play in this 1930s offense?”I THINK NOT! Mediocre defense at best, No special teams, (our brilliant coach bad mouths special teams but does NOTHING to correct them!), & a throw bake offense that, wow leads the NCAA in rushing, but for what? The best season Johnson will have have is his first year, with Chan Gailys players. Oh & speaking of the former coach, he’s doing just fine in the NFL. We need to get rid of this moron & the AD who hired him!
GT Girl
September 3rd, 2012
8:47 pm
YAY! Go Jackets! Keep up the good work! That TD will help our confidence and keep us in the game.
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:47 pm
If Michigan had better uniforms, would they have avoided a beatdown?
Don’t think so.
Kenshin Kawakami
September 3rd, 2012
8:47 pm
Love those uniforms. Much better than stinky Braves.
DS CE'91
September 3rd, 2012
8:47 pm
Problem we got is that Beamer is over there making adjustments on offense, and Thomas is such a beast. Hope that CAG and the D are up to it.
GO JACKETS!!
Onside kick, maybe?
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:47 pm
I’m hooping we have settled down.
D has looked good.
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:48 pm
No return.
I could get used to that.
Randy Carson, IMGT '83
September 3rd, 2012
8:48 pm
Is there anywhere to watch the game live online?
nick black
September 3rd, 2012
8:48 pm
the inside scoop on high-impact ncaa science: http://nick-black.com/tabpower/gt-vt.html
ChickenWire
September 3rd, 2012
8:48 pm
D steppin’ up??
Exterminator
September 3rd, 2012
8:48 pm
Genius move to incorporate chicken wire into the new uniforms. Trying to play to the trailer park crowd
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:49 pm
Get after him Jackets.
Fish Frys make u fat
September 3rd, 2012
8:49 pm
took three of em to bring Logan down……thats a big dude!
ARdawg
September 3rd, 2012
8:49 pm
Jacket Det
No but Michigan would’ve looked much better while getting spanked
Supersize that order, mutt
September 3rd, 2012
8:49 pm
@ Detective……D has looked adequate so far, but too many big plays. CPJ obviously made some adjustments on O, and we see what happened
LHarding Dawg
September 3rd, 2012
8:50 pm
It’s a four quarter game with two good teams. Don’t give up GT people in the first quarter. I believe GT will be around in this thing at the end.
Fish Frys make u fat
September 3rd, 2012
8:50 pm
we arent gettin any push on their O line…..
I'm gonna tell Aunt Mary about Uncle John...
September 3rd, 2012
8:50 pm
Those new uniforms should be good for about 0 POINTS!
Kenshin Kawakami
September 3rd, 2012
8:51 pm
Jackets D is like Frank Wren. Bad.
BRAVOFAN
September 3rd, 2012
8:51 pm
Techs corners are giving the V Tech recievers way too much room! This defense line is going to get killed all year!
Under The Bleachers
September 3rd, 2012
8:51 pm
No DL establishing a new line of scrimmage,,,reacting too much instead of attacking
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:53 pm
@ARdawg.
Would that make it easier to take?
Hunts days looking good.
GT Girl
September 3rd, 2012
8:53 pm
Hunt-Days is doing great in his debut start
DawgNole
September 3rd, 2012
8:53 pm
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:47 pm
I’m hooping we have settled down.
D has looked good.
_________________
Hooping? Thought they were playing football.
Under The Bleachers
September 3rd, 2012
8:53 pm
Randy Carson, IMGT ‘83
September 3rd, 2012
8:48 pm
Is there anywhere to watch the game live online?
vipbox.tv
BigTimeTECHFan
September 3rd, 2012
8:53 pm
Days Back to back good plays
Buzzzed
September 3rd, 2012
8:53 pm
Laskey the 2 star and Godhigh the walk-on get all yards on the first scoring drive.
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:53 pm
3 stops.
ARdawg
September 3rd, 2012
8:54 pm
Jacket Det
Depends on the vanity
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:54 pm
Deep in our territory, I hope we call some better plays than last time.
Being rid of the jitters may help.
ramguy68
September 3rd, 2012
8:54 pm
Stupid pitch by VT’s QB. He got away with it so he will probably try again sometime and not be so lucky.
BRAVOFAN
September 3rd, 2012
8:54 pm
I like the uniforms! Its not like Tech has any type of traditional uniform so why not switch it up? It helps out with recruiting I guess!
Under The Bleachers
September 3rd, 2012
8:55 pm
Big Series for both teams coming up….GT Needs a long substained drive, VT needs to show they have a defense.