Heat Check: Dogs and Falcons are smokin’; Tech’s a-mopin’
Who's sitting pretty now? Alexander Ogletree, for one. His team, for another. (AJC photo by Bob Andres)
Our weekly Heat Check was set back a day due to logistics (delayed-but-thankfully-not-canceled flight from Philadelphia on Sunday night), fatigue (mine) and breaking news (Dan Radakovich). But we’re up and running again. And we begin with:
GEORGIA: The Bulldogs won the game they had to win. (Some nut predicted as much, I do believe.) They’re exactly where I expected them to be, albeit not quite in the manner I expected. The question now becomes: Can they beat Alabama/LSU? Forecast: The same nut who liked Georgia to beat Florida sees no reason why the Bulldogs can’t give the West champ a run in the Dome come Dec. 1.
FALCONS: I put a 50 percent premium on road victories. (Even a lousy team, I figure, can luck out at home.) Sunday’s performance under ominous skies in a city that has never been kind to the Falcons was the most impressive regular-season road victory I’ve witnessed by this franchise since Nov. 8, 1998. Forecast: Those Falcons won at New England 41-10; they would finish 14-2 and reach the Super Bowl. Just sayin’.
HAWKS: They’re about to start playing for real, and consensus is … non-existent. ESPN The Magazine/Basketball Prospectus picks them to finish second (!!!!) in the Eastern Conference. Matt Dollinger of SI.com ranks them 15th in the NBA and seventh among Eastern teams. Forecast: There’s a chance all these shooters will hit a bunch of shots and this team will win 50 games; there’s also a chance nobody will guard anybody and this team will finish in the lottery. I’m know I’m hedging, but I honestly don’t know what to think. At least not yet.
BRAVES: They have to decide what to do about Brian McCann’s option. Forecast: I’m thinking they’ve already decided they’ll keep him for another year. But sometimes I’m wrong. (Though not, I say again, about Georgia-Florida.)
GEORGIA STATE: Lost again. Forecast: More losing.
GEORGIA TECH: Lost at home to BYU by 24 points on a day when the Jackets got touchdowns from special teams (stop the presses!) and the defense (miracle!). Which means Paul Johnson’s offense was the worst of the three units. Which means the whole operation was officially deficient. Which means nothing good. Forecast: Dan Radakovich, who hired Johnson, chose this happy moment to take a job as Clemson’s athletic director. This is getting serious, folks.
By Mark Bradley
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227 comments Add your comment
suwanee dawg
October 31st, 2012
9:37 am
CPJ will never be successful because he cannot recruit since he is such a jerk. At Navy, recruiting was not much of an issue since guys that attend there have other reasons for their decision. At GSU he inherited a program with a rich tradition and could recruit that tier of player.
kingdaddy
October 31st, 2012
9:38 am
New era
Who has Bama beaten this year? Miss St.? Ranked #18. That was a nice win, I admit it but is that what you base your braagging on? How about Michiga.? Yeah, they are unranked, can’t really brag about that can you? I’ll tell you what, you beat a “down” LSU and I’ll be more impressed. LOL, you’ve already hung 40 points on UGA, and we haven’t even played yet…Goober…
Bentwater Dawg
October 31st, 2012
11:09 am
It’s time for UGA to stop going home and home, or remove GT from
the football schedule. The Tech program is just an inferior product, playing
in an inferior conference, with a tiny stadium. The SEC will probably
be going to a 9 game conf schedule, leaving 3 out of conf games.
The out of conf games should either be home games, or home and
away sets against quality oppenents with large stadiums.
GTBob
October 31st, 2012
11:26 am
GA Tech needs a coach who will play a college or pro set offense.
That’s true. A pro style offense will lead us back to the promise land. Just ask Chan Gailey.
Brian
October 31st, 2012
11:49 am
I find it odd that fans, whether UGA fans or not, seem to think Florida just lined up and gave UGA the ball on those 6 turnovers. Did I not watch the same game? Driskell’s picks were because of a great play by Rambo and getting hit as he threw by Washington. And all but one of the fumbles were because Jones or some other Dawg laid the wood on a UF player. Even 2 of Murray’s picks were off deflections. Too me it says alot about the Dawgs to be able to find a way to win when both defenses were playing near the top of their games. Florida’s defense shut down UGA’s passing attack and forced them to run, which they did. UGA shut down UF’s running and forced them to pass, which they didn’t. In the end, the better team won. Not looking for a let down this week at home again the Rebs. UGA by 21 because they are that much better on both sides of the ball.
DOGFORCE
October 31st, 2012
1:11 pm
GT BOB
Ole Miss would rule the ACC
Brian
October 31st, 2012
2:20 pm
So Mark, who do you see stepping in to replace Rad? And more importantly, will it really make a difference? I grew up a Bulldog fan during the Hershel era, but married into the Tech family. My sanity needs for Tech to do well.
Eric
October 31st, 2012
2:57 pm
Why are teh falcons but a 4 point fav over dallas? Dallas plays at philly next week. I bet you philly will be fav by 3-4. So again how are we basically an equal to dallas since they say you get 3 pts for being at home? This line makes no sense.
ABAC-North
October 31st, 2012
3:38 pm
Radakovich is right. If you’re not buying thugs, you can’t win in today’s BCS World.
KingGator
October 31st, 2012
3:54 pm
Muschamp obviously let alot of Gators down. The UGA grad has now lost two in a row to his alma mater. Not even RON ZOOK lost two games in a row to the Dawgs, and we know what happened there. Muschamp, and the UGA grad that he is, seems like a great guy, but this was a series that SPURRIER had circled and said UF had to win to be successful.
BAMA BOY
October 31st, 2012
4:12 pm
Go ahead and make fun of Tech. Worry about BAMA!!! The TIDE is waiting to kick you back to Athens. ROLL TIDE!!!!!
Stinger 2
October 31st, 2012
4:20 pm
Most of the comments against GT on this blog are really wierd and hysterical. The only thing good about this blog is that it gives those who don`t like GT an opening to pile the critical comments on to the point where many are just repeating what others have said. As for me, I don`t care what anyone else says about GT. Any loyal fan should feel the same way and keep the faith. The football program is not going under.
kingdaddy
October 31st, 2012
6:26 pm
Stinger2
You are a good fan sir. Don’t worry about what others say, just keep supporting your school. BTW, there are a lot of Tech fans always throwing down on UGA, hence the attacks on the bugs. Shake it off and stay true to your school…
kingdaddy
October 31st, 2012
6:42 pm
The only thing Bama has proved is that they can beat the #18 th ranked team in the country. They look good, but who have they beaten? Michigan isn’t even ranked, what a letdown. You might want to defeat LSU & T A&M before you plan your trip to the Dome. UGA still has to get by two teams from the west before they make any plans. At least UGA has beaten a top 10 team, more than I can say for bama…
MC
November 1st, 2012
6:54 am
GTBob maybe we should at least consider going to Conference USA or even down there with Ga. Southern. That’s the direction CPJ has us going in.
The Plain Truth
November 1st, 2012
8:19 am
All Dawgs know this, but with their weak minds, they tend to forget, so here’s a reminder:
Georgia Tech is a very highly ranked academic school that has a football team. Its alumni and fans have real lives and careers that don’t depend on the football team for their happiness.
Georgia, on the other hand, is basically a sell-your-soul-to-the-devil football f-a-c-t-o-r-y that also gives diplomas – worthless as they are. They have scumbag coaches like Mark Richt who have no scruples or ethics, who recruit lawless morons who can not even read, and collect huge paychecks, but still can’t win championships. This is a huge embarrassment to the State of Georgia and all of its citizens.
Now, can you remember all that?
Resumes please
November 1st, 2012
6:34 pm
GT is soft……lets see if that will fix the triple floption……
wreckmaniac
November 2nd, 2012
12:55 am
Mark: While I admire your spirit in picking UGA to beat FL, I would suggest that you not climb further out on that limb by picking UGA to get to the SEC champ game. If they do, it will not be pretty.
I agree that Tech’s situation is serious. Losing DRAD is not a problem but until our football coach understands that defense wins championships he is not who we need. The only Tech worse than our’s is in Virginia and PJ managed to lose to them.
wreckmaniac
November 2nd, 2012
1:01 am
THE Plain Truth: Your comments are appreciated and are correct. What you don’t understand is that when drinking Athens Koolaid one cannot have sensible judgement. We must blame the Koolaid rather than the drinker.
dainty dog
November 2nd, 2012
8:13 am
Even if the dawgs run the table, they will not be playing for the national championship. there is that little mattter of the 35-7 drubbing by the Gamecocks.
realist
November 2nd, 2012
9:22 am
GT’s entry standards, limited ‘exceptions’, and the regents tight box for GT all limit it’s ability to compete. It’s not remotely competitive…so it begs the question……………..why bother GT? Just teach engineering like the regents want and quit playing UGA in football, you have no shot year in and year out. 1 win in like 20 years is not competitive. Someone is going to get hurt…just stop the madness.
realist
November 2nd, 2012
9:31 am
And please the CPJ haters — how quickly we forget. We don’t play a college or pro set, because we tried that. Playing college or pro set means playing the same game that football factories play. We cannot, will not, HAVE NEVER out recruited the football factories and thus we cannot beat them playing the same game they play. We play with smoke and mirrors, to try and over-come an inferior personel. It is what it is. Saying the problem is the option is false. The problem is that we have never and will never out-recruit UGA or any other football factory. GT — Please just quit playing UGA or other football factories…problem solved…since UGA and other football factories put football first and GT never will or can….we cannot compete…period…look at history recent and long term…it’s a fact…just stop the (quote) rivalry before someone gets hurt.
SalleyButcher
November 2nd, 2012
11:35 am
I believe that Arthur Blank, Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Mike Smith should meet their falcons team and inform them that an undefeated season is absolutely a blessing, its an incredible feat and the recognition that comes with it is spectacular. But if the falcons dont hoist the vince lombardy trophy at the end of this season, then the whole season is a complete waste of time.
GatornDC
November 2nd, 2012
12:41 pm
Mark – Dawgs exposed Gators. Without offense, one cannot win championships. After the game, it was obvious Dawgs had their best game and completely exposed Gators. If Gators had won that game, they would have had their a** handed over to them by Bama in Atlanta.
I hope Dawgs win out and do not create any more suspense. I dont think Gators can win SEC championship this year. Dawgs will give Bama a good fight, but, I dont think anyone is playing like Bama. LSU will lose to Bama this weekend.
The game against Auburn will be interesting as Auburn will play as if they have nothing to lose.
wreckbone
November 2nd, 2012
1:49 pm
DRad did plenty for tech as far as facilities are concerned. Got the hoops gym upgraded and indoor practice facility for football.
FredFlinstone
November 2nd, 2012
1:52 pm
Falcons are fantastic–but before anyone passes judgment on them, lets first see how well they play against Dallas, NY Giants and New Orleans. If the Falcons split their series with N.O., beat the defending champion Giants and defeat the Cowboys this upcoming sunday night, then I am convinced that the Falcons are a superbowl contender. But if the Falcons lose those four games, beat everyone else and finish the regular season at 12-4, then that tells me that the falcons are awefully good, but they cant beat the upper-echelon teams, which is what has been their main problem under the Mike Smith regime and is why the Falcons dont win in the playoffs, despite even a regular season record as good as 13-3 under mike smith. Lets stop choking in the playoffs and swallow the taste of victory from now on with a superbowl championship in New Orleans in January.
LuellaStevens
November 2nd, 2012
1:58 pm
The Plain Truth: I dont agree with your assessment of Mark Richt. Sure Richt has had plenty of time to produce a BSC champion in the 10 or 11 years he has been at the helm at Georgia. But it has not allways been his fault that Georgia wasnt picked to play in the BSC championship game. A few years ago, the week before the final BCS standings were put out, Georgia was primed to play in the championship. Going into that weekend the Bulldogs were ranked #3 in the nation and that weekend, both the #1 and #2 teams both lost. That should have pushed the Bulldogs into the #1 or at the worst #2 ranking and assured them of playing in the BCS. But as fate would have it, LSU, who was ranked BEHIND Georgia at #7, slid several places and somehow miraculously made it into the BCS championship game and WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. Georgia got screwed that year and Mark Richt and the team have never recovered from that injustice. It hasnt always been Richts fault that the Dogs didnt win a national championship, but 99.9% of the time it certainly was his fault.