Heat Check: Hot Falcons, hot Dawgs – and then there’s Tech
"Don't worry, guys. I know exactly what I'm doing." And he does. (AP photo)
Our weekly Heat Check finds that a warm front has settled over the area. With certain exceptions.
FALCONS: There are three unbeaten NFL teams. This is one. I’d argue that this has been the most impressive one, but sometimes I get carried away. Heat Index: How many times does a team fly across country on a short week and win a game by 24 points on a day it was slotted as a three-point underdog?
MATT RYAN: Leads the NFL in passing efficiency. Just presided over victories in which the opposing quarterbacks were Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers. Heat Index: Yeah, it’s early. But he’s looking a bit like an MVP candidate, is he not?
GEORGIA: Beat Vanderbilt by 45 points and looked great doing it. And it’s not always easy to beat Vandy — ask South Carolina — or look good in the process. Heat Index: The comprehensive nature of Saturday’s victory recalled the Georgia teams of 2002-2004, when great talent was buttressed by attention to detail.
BRAVES: Magic number to clinch a wild card is two. Have crept within 4 1/2 games of Washington, which is the closest they’ve been to first place in the NL East since August. Heat Index: No collapse — epic or otherwise — this time, folks.
MIKE MINOR: Remember when he looked like the worst starting pitcher in baseball? He’s 3-0 in September with an ERA of 1.09. Heat Index: He might just start Game 2 of the Division Series, assuming the Braves get there.
TOMMY HANSON: He’s 0-4 since returning from the disabled list. His ERA in September is 4.57; in August it was 5.74. Heat Index: Not sure he’ll make the postseason roster.
GEORGIA TECH: It’s difficult to score 36 unanswered points in a game and not win it. But the Jackets just did. Heat Index: It’s likewise difficult to yield 609 yards to a Miami team that managed only 262 in a 39-point loss at Kansas State. Leave it to Al Groh, though.
GEORGIA STATE: Lost to Richmond by three touchdowns before the smallest announced crowd in Panther history. Heat Index: If GSU doesn’t win at William & Mary on Saturday — the Tribe is also 0-4 – Bill Curry’s final season could end without a victory.
DREAM: Finished third in the WNBA East after their usual slow start. Will open the playoffs at Indiana on Friday. Heat Index: It hasn’t been a smooth ride — after the month-long Olympic break, the Dream fired their coach and suspended their best player — but they have a track record of showing up in the postseason.
By Mark Bradley
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172 comments Add your comment
tooltime234
September 24th, 2012
12:57 pm
I was in the Pro Tevin camp, but now that this season is shot, we might as well let Vad Lee start the rest of the season.
Rick James
September 24th, 2012
12:58 pm
Where is GT Bob?
Ted M
September 24th, 2012
12:58 pm
Medlen is so hot and so good. I’m just worried the Braves are due for a loss in one of his starts.
But maybe I’m just a worry wart.
867-5309
September 24th, 2012
1:01 pm
Enter your comments here
867-5309
September 24th, 2012
1:01 pm
call jenny
Throw Grampa from the train. | Get The Picture
September 24th, 2012
1:02 pm
[...] we may be finally getting our first little hint in Bradley’s Heat Check: GEORGIA TECH: It’s difficult to score 36 unanswered points in a game and not win it. But the [...]
Snake Doc
September 24th, 2012
1:05 pm
Until UGA beats a team ranked in the top 10 the CEO and his merry band of misfits are still nothing.
Al Groh is a defensive specialist? Puh-lease!
Braves? WC team? sure – Wait and see on anything else.
Matty Ice – Turning into a top flight QB. i was hard on him at first but he is/has improved over 4 years and stands at the brink of tgreatness. Still, time will tell.
Bradley? Still a homer and a lib arts major who will put the kiss of death on any team he roots for!
KBP
September 24th, 2012
1:08 pm
Gamecocks are overrated! QB is still an issue for them as Shaw does not scare anybody with his ability to throw downfield. Lattimore is not 100% yet. Defense is not the same without Ingram commanding double teams and Gilmore in the secondary. Dawgs are better!
The national media is drinking Crimson Tide kool-aid. They are nowhere near the defensive team this year as last year. Unless they drastically improve, their secondary is their weakest link- not so, last year. If Dennard Robinson could throw accurately, Michigan could have made some plays against them in the passing game. With that, Dawgs are better. My only concern about UGA is will we show up every week? More than enough talent to clearly be the best team in the country, but will we capitalize on it like Auburn did?
CPJ, throw the darn ball more! While opposing D-Coordinators may not be as smart as you, they certainly are smart enough to devise defenses to stop dives and sweeps.
GO DAWGS!
Big Jim
September 24th, 2012
1:09 pm
Last week’s numbers- Isaiah Crowell 42 Yards 1 TD 3.6 YPC. Washaun Ealey 49 Yards no TDs 3.9 YPC. Gurley 132 Yards 2 TDs 8.1 YPC Marshall 83 Yards 2 TDs 8.2 YPC. I’ll take Gurley and Marshall……with no arrests!
falconsfan0126
September 24th, 2012
1:10 pm
I think I got banned on Jeff’s blog. I cant post there, I dont know why?
Ted M
September 24th, 2012
1:12 pm
Isaiah Crowell 42 Yards – Who was the opponent?
DO NOT OVERLOOK UT
September 24th, 2012
1:12 pm
That would be a major mistake. 1 game at a time. 1 play at a time. Do not overlook UT.
dawgfan
September 24th, 2012
1:16 pm
I’ll be a believer when we go to Columbia and win in a couple of weeks. With all due respect to Tennessee, both UGA and South Carolina will hopefully be 5-0. It will be a HUGE game. A HUGE atmosphere. Everything will be on the line. In other words, its the kind of game in which we’ve fallen flat on our faces in the past 5 years or so. If we are for real we must win that game. No excuses.
Thanks.
wxwax
September 24th, 2012
1:16 pm
Tech’s tackling is just awful. How many times did a Miami ball carrier have arms on him, only to let him slip through and make a big run? Terribad.
Mike S.
September 24th, 2012
1:22 pm
I would agree this UGA team looks a lot like the 2002-2004 variety. However, this is a much tougher SEC. UGA didnt go undefeated in either of those years, being upset by UF in 2002 and UT in 2004. They lost twice to eventual SEC and national champ LSU in 2003, and lost to eventual SEC champ Auburn in 2004.
I think Richt has the program back to those years, but is that good enough? It was only good for one SEC title back then. Now they have a top 10 South Carolina, a top 15 Gator team, and likely a #1 Alabama team waiting in the SEC championship. That doesnt even count upsets. They could be as good as 2002-2004 and still not even play for the SEC title.
Rudy
September 24th, 2012
1:24 pm
Please doon’t fire Paul Johnson! All Dawg fans love the genuis!
Mike S.
September 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
Just to qualify, I do think its good enough for Richt to have the program back to 2002-2004. However, if he doesnt win the SEC or the East, you know there will be knuckle heads that dont want to hear about how tough the SEC East is now. I do believe the East is much tougher than the West. The teams change like the wind in the SEC.
Russo
September 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
“And then there’s Tech.”
You should make T-shirts, Mr. Bradley. Suits that laughingstock of a football program to a “T.”
Big Jim
September 24th, 2012
1:26 pm
Crowell’s opponent Arkansas Pine Bluff beat Alabama State 24-21
TexGT
September 24th, 2012
1:27 pm
UGA looks really good this year. They should be undefeated going into SEC Champ game against Bama, winner takes all (and likely the NC). We will be one of the easiest games on their sked.
dawgfan
September 24th, 2012
1:30 pm
As for Georgia Tech, their current situation should surprise no one with a functioning set of eye balls and a brain. I think part of their problem is that the supposedly “great run” they had in 2008-2009 really wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Tech fans had all these pie in the sky notions about their football program fueled by a soft local media (cough….Bradley….cough) that were really never that realistic. I was never that impressed. I think they’re unsual offense caught a lot of people off guard during those two years and benefitted from a usually pathetic ACC and a defensively down UGA in 2008. Teams have adjusted. They had a couple of great players on offense that carried them that are of course gone now (I’m a big fan of Nesbitt). The writing on the wall should have been the 2009 UGA game when we pushed their defense around like a blocking sled. That is not big boy football. You can rush for 800 yards per game and you will not win many big boy football games with a defense like that. Now Paul Johnson’s poor recruiting is really rearing its ugly head. Georgia Tech will be struggling to win 7 or 8 games per year from hear on out. True story.
Thanks.
Joey
September 24th, 2012
1:37 pm
Mark, have you ever seen a 20-something year-old pitcher (Hanson) lose 5 mph on his fastball after only 3+ seasons, with no major injuries? Almost makes you wonder about his work ethic, off-season.
Minor has grown up right before our eyes – may be the 2nd best starter on the staff right now, behind Medlen. Huddy did look really good yesterday though.
Falcons and Bulldogs look really good – hope they keep it up.
Can’t figure out Jackets – great one week – then so-so the next.
Concerned
September 24th, 2012
1:46 pm
Maybe Curry can finish 1-10 like he did in his first season at Tech. Possibly the worst coach, and biggest phony, of all time.
Please, I beg and pray to the networks, don’t hire him to announce ANY football games. Even though he is a horrible coach, he is the worst announcer EVER.
Bill, please stay home and be quiet (or come back and coach Tech).
Kramer
September 24th, 2012
1:52 pm
We will know how good this UGA team is when it visits Columbia. While I can not stand Spurrier, watching them on Saturday showed me how good this defense is and when Shaw gets hot he is damn good. That said, I feel this Dawg team can play with anyone in the country and that includes Bama. If we beat the Vols & Gamecocks we should get a chance to prove we can beat Bama in December.
Big Ten Stinks, Delany All Mad
September 24th, 2012
1:54 pm
Thank goodness the Buckeyes don’t have to play THE Ohio University Bobcats.
Kramer
September 24th, 2012
1:55 pm
South Carolina has a very strong defense. The problem is they show inconsistency on the offense. If we get by the Vols, and we should big, then Columbia will provide the winner with the East and a visit to the Dome against Bama. We can compete with Bama, that I know.
GTBob
September 24th, 2012
1:58 pm
I think they’re unsual offense caught a lot of people off guard during those two years and benefitted from a usually pathetic ACC and a defensively down UGA in 2008. Teams have adjusted.
2008: 372 yds a game, 24.4 pts a game
2009: 422 yds a game, 33.8 pts a game
2010: 407 yds a game, 26 pts a game
2011: 458 yds a game, 33.8 pts a game
2012: 503 yds a game, 42 pts a game
Yeah, they sure have figured out our offense over the years.
GTBob
September 24th, 2012
1:59 pm
Why are all of my posts awaiting moderation? Did I hurt Mark’s feelings in the UGA blogs?
Rufus
September 24th, 2012
2:00 pm
Not to worry. I just punched Coach Johnson in the mouth! (vried like a little girl)
dtanner
September 24th, 2012
2:01 pm
it’s just to easy to pull against paul johnson,i mean he’s just so damn unlikeable
Rufus
September 24th, 2012
2:01 pm
I was laughing too hard. Meant to type CRIED like a little girl.
gt4ever
September 24th, 2012
2:06 pm
@Kramer
Get off the bottle… You are NO match for Alabama! Your easy schedule will most likely get you to the championship game… Reality hits as you will go down BIG time… Unless of course Alabama has everyone out and has to play all their freshman… Then and only then will your mutts have a chance.
Hurt Kurbstreit
September 24th, 2012
2:07 pm
Dawgs 4 – 0 and Falcons 3 – 0. Both teams looking great and all is right in the world.
Coach Hewitt...
September 24th, 2012
2:07 pm
Just remember Tech fans…we’re 0-0 for the rest of the season…
Coach
September 24th, 2012
2:07 pm
I was at the game the defense play pretty well till Paul Johnson went all conservative i thought we were going to hang 50 on Miami no pitches or passes after we scored our last touch down in the third. On the fourth down play in overtime we could have walked in standing up if we pitch right.
Kramer
September 24th, 2012
2:07 pm
gt4ever, get off the adult blog and go on the tech site. The fact you are talking trash about something you know nothing about shows what a moron you are. There is a shock, a tech fan acting like a moron.
Alphare
September 24th, 2012
2:09 pm
Yeah dawgs had a good weekend.
But, but, …. you still haven’t beaten a ranked team for 3 years
Kramer
September 24th, 2012
2:12 pm
Gee Alphare, I guess our season is over. Thank goodness you brought sense into the discussion. You and gt4ever hanging out at the same Starbucks today?
GFY
September 24th, 2012
2:12 pm
Crowell will be robbing people in about two years ala Maurice Clarinett (Spelled that way on purpose).
Alphare
September 24th, 2012
2:13 pm
Coach,
PJ going conservative with a big lead is another dis-qualifier for him being a head coach. He did that every time as I remember, then his team cannot hold the lead.
gt4ever
September 24th, 2012
2:14 pm
@kramer
There is help you can get….. You just have to ask… How sad another angry mutt fan, who has probably never worn a jock…
comment
September 24th, 2012
2:15 pm
Coach, you must be blind or something. Our defense did not make a stop from the middle of the 3rd quarter all the way through OT, period.
GFY
September 24th, 2012
2:16 pm
Good thing the Suckeyes cannot play in a bowl game this year…..they would get their azzes shellacked…..
Kramer
September 24th, 2012
2:17 pm
I wore more as many jocks as you sniffed gt4ever. Seriously, how can you talk smack with the team you support? The Canes? Really? The freaking bottom of the ACC and you lose AGAIN at home to a team that will not make a bowl game. Wait a minute, niether will your team. What a joke you are jock sniffer!
Honeycomb Uniforms
September 24th, 2012
2:17 pm
Tech nerds not hanging out on the trade school blog……want to live vicarously through others do they? LOL
Bad Dawg, Bad Dawg
September 24th, 2012
2:19 pm
Absolutely correct, Groh was a bad hire. Johnson should be on the hot seat. Just like Richt was last year. Dawgs have not played anyone. Gamecocks, Gators await. More UGA hype, just like every year. Who will get dismissed next at UGA?
Alphare
September 24th, 2012
2:20 pm
Krammer, SC will be your headache. The 2 teams are about even in my opinion. But I expect SC to hand the 1st loss to your dawgs because that genius just has his way when he has good players, which he does.
Genius hasn’t lost an East game in 2 years, and dawgs haven’t beaten a ranked team in 3 years. Yeah, dawgs are better this year, but I am not convinced until I see it.
Kramer
September 24th, 2012
2:20 pm
Well come on Honeycomb, where else would they hang out. They want to be around successful people who support successful teams. It is a nice change for them rather then being on a tech blog.
Kramer
September 24th, 2012
2:22 pm
Alphare, the edge SC has is the game is in Columbia. Player wise we have better talent this year. It will be close and could go either way.
Bad Dawg, Bad Dawg
September 24th, 2012
2:22 pm
And who has Georgia played? That’s what I thought. No one….more Dawg hype!