Tech is bound for a bowl, and maybe for the ACC title game
They're Ramblin' Wrecks from Georgia Tech, and they're rather happy. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
A season going wrong has started to see almost everything go right. Georgia Tech can do no worse than tie for the Coastal Division title, and it mightn’t have to share. “We still have all our goals on the board,” quarterback Tevin Washington said Saturday, and if you don’t count winning the national championship, he’s absolutely correct.
Tech can play for the ACC title on Dec. 1 if Miami loses at Duke next week or if the Hurricanes, owing to pending NCAA sanctions, recuse themselves from postseason play. Even if Tech doesn’t land in the conference championship game, it knows now it will grace some brand of bowl. Six weeks ago, none of this was a certainty. Six weeks ago, these Yellow Jackets could have been staring at 4-8.
But now, having beaten Duke 42-24 on Saturday, they’re above .500 for the first time since Sept. 22, and they’re headed for Athens next week on what you’d have to call a high. It would be a massive upset if the Jackets unhorsed mighty Georgia in Sanford Stadium, but it’s something of a upset that this team is bowl-eligible.
“The way the season started, everyone wrote us off,” coach Paul Johnson said. “I’m proud of these guys.”
This isn’t the best Tech team Johnson has had, but it’s the only one that began a season 2-4 and saw its defensive coordinator canned at the midpoint. It’s hard to know exactly how much the Jackets have improved since that stumbling start — the schedule has softened, which never hurts — but it’s clear they haven’t quit on their coach or themselves. In mid-October, nobody knew if a reeling Tech would stand up or fall flat.
“Things just kind of worked out for us,” said Washington, a senior who played his final game at Bobby Dodd Stadium, passing for three touchdowns and running for a fourth.
Said Ray Beno, an offensive tackle who made the game’s biggest reception (!!!): “The first half of the season, things didn’t go our way.”
Thus has been Tech football 2012. Nothing went right at the start — overtime losses to Coastal Division opposition, the egregious non-performance against Middle Tennessee — but a new wind seems to have positioned itself at the Jackets’ back. It’s true what they say about luck being the residue of design, but sometimes luck is so flat-out hilarious that it can only be described as … luck.
Back to Beno: On third-and-8 on the opening series of a second half of a game that hadn’t (and wouldn’t) see many punts, the left tackle was supposed to block Duke’s right cornerback. Alas, Beno failed to reach his target. “A missed assignment on my part,” he would say.
With nothing else to do, Beno drifted into the flat, where Washington’s pass arrived high and bounced off wideout Chris Jackson. Whereupon Beno seized the carom and tucked the ball under his arm and ran, miracle of miracles, in the proper direction. (Students of Tech lore will know this isn’t always a given. Playing against the Jackets in the 1929 Rose Bowl, a California center named Roy Riegels gathered up a fumble and ran 69 yards the wrong way.)
Said Beno, who allowed that he had never carried the ball in a game in his life: “Either way, I was going to some end zone.”
Ray “Right Way” Beno not only got his bearings, but gained the requisite yardage for a fairly essential first down. Duly energized, Tech would score the touchdown that built, for the first time all day, a double-digit lead. “It was huge,” Johnson said, speaking of Beno’s conversion. “Sometimes you need something like that.”
Let’s not go crazy here. Being 6-5 and alone atop, if only for the moment, the ACC Coastal isn’t to be confused with winning the SEC West. Even Johnson conceded as much. “Did the season turn out the way we wanted?” he said. “Not to this point.”
But credit this coach and these Jackets for keeping at it when it wasn’t clear that keeping at it would yield much of anything. “It’s not in my nature to give up,” Johnson said, and apparently it’s not in these players’ nature, either.
The guess here is that perseverance will have a reward. The guess here is that, if it ties Tech for first, Miami will indeed step aside and leave the Coastal Division title to the Jackets. And who’s to say that wouldn’t be the right result? Who’s to say, as of late November, Georgia Tech isn’t the best of a motley Coastal crew?
Nobody will be picking Tech to win in Athens, or in Charlotte against Florida State if it comes to that, or maybe even in the Orange Bowl. So what? As Johnson said, speaking of bowls: “Our goal coming into this season was to win a bowl, and you’ve got to get into one to win one.”
Six weeks ago, Tech was going nowhere. Today the Jackets know they’ll have somewhere to go beyond Athens, and possibly somewhere very nice.
Further reading: Tevin says farewell, Tech plays D and Johnson warns Miami.
By Mark Bradley
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123 comments Add your comment
JR in Mableton
November 18th, 2012
12:05 am
Roll Tide!!
wreckmaniac
November 18th, 2012
12:06 am
Most of the radio guys this week were picking Duke and I’m not sure why. Renfree is a super talent and will give any defense fits. Tech’s defense finally played a nice half this afternoon after looking like it was going to allow a repeat of the Carolina game. Some real plays were made such as a sack of Renfree on 3rd down with about 8 minutes left. Our safety was on top of all of the long balls thrown in the 2nd half.
The control of the game clock in the second half was awesome.
wreckmaniac
November 18th, 2012
12:09 am
Tevin deserves huge credit for today. He threw 3 TD passes and barely missed a 4th on a fly to Lasky. He made one Reggie Ball move when he tried the pitchout on a play when he was totally boxed in. Otherwise he was superb.
wreckmaniac
November 18th, 2012
12:13 am
What kind of system allows a team that loses to South Carolina by 35 to be ranked 3rd? Behind the PR treatment the dawgs are giving themselves is a team that has proven it can be demolished.
Buford T. Pusser
November 18th, 2012
12:29 am
Tech in the ACCCG is a fluke, but they worked themselves into this situation. Do not believe that Tech will beat UGA at the cesspool but they do have a puncher’s chance. Tech defense may give up 70. However, I hope I am wrong but expect a total beatdown. Will be interesting to see what the opening Vegas line is, I expect Tech as a 17 point dog.
GT TN
November 18th, 2012
1:07 am
For you guys that are praising Vad..what did he do so great today..he did have a great run on the 4th down play..if he was suppose to run the option then he wouldn’t have to make such a great move..Vad ran the offense alot better last week than TW did and he desreved to play..TW ran the offense better today and he deserved to play
BW
November 18th, 2012
1:23 am
The game today was classic Paul Johnson believing his team could win without any offensive razzle dazzle. Just line up in the 3O and pound away. A couple of end-arounds, 1 play from the shotgun. Other than that, nothing special. It was also a clear case of letting Tevin play and win his last home game. Considering that we’ve seen the offense play semi-no huddle, and play from the shotgun with not just passing, but also running plays, this was an extremely vanilla game. I’m not a big fan of this strategy, but I understand it. Don’t give UGA anything to think about. Let Tevin do what he does best, and that’s manage the offense. I would rather see GT go crazy in a game like this one and pull out all the stops and try to put up as many points as possible. I’d rather the offense flex its muscles as much as it can. It builds confidence and it might put a scare into the opponent. CPJs way is more of the mind game where you try to lull the opponent to sleep in prep. The problem, as always, is the defense. Until GT can start winning the battle at the line consistently(50% of the time? 40% of the time? even less is ok?), the D will continue to give up decent chunks of yards on most plays, and not put the opponent in 2nd and 3rd and long.
Some other thoughts on the day: *slow clap* SEC SEC SEC!!!. Also, hey Maryland and Rutgers, enjoy irrelevance in a different conference. Rutgers, you even had some relevance this year with your hot start, but that will be no more. Look at West Va. See what’s going to happen to them in the Big 12. Also, the whole 4 or 5 16 team mega conferences will end up looking a whole lot like the big conferences from ~25 years ago, with some of the new guys sprinkled in. The PAC whatever will have PAC 10 teams with some add ons(from the Big 8 or the WAC). The Big 10 will have the Big 10 teams with some add ons(from the Big 8 or the ACC or the Big East or indies). The SEC will have the SEC plus some add ons(from the Big 8 or SWAC or indies). The Big 12 will be the Big 8 minus a couple teams and the SWAC minus a team, and both divisions will have an add on or two(from the Big East(W. Va, how’s that going?)). And the ACC will be the Big East and the ACC plus Notre Dame or some new Big East schools. The goal is to have the Best College Football Network, and oh, what’s that good college sports programs from 1980? you would have done this in 1980 if everyone had cable back then? Yeah, I have my plan for college sports from an ethical and from and completely government controlled standpoint. Both options make things fair, one would probably make Harvard/Yale/Ivies the dominant college programs again, and the other makes names/numbers(grads plus fans=recruits) more important than actual plans for success for all and also makes the NFL D-League viable(though the NFL would not want anything to do with killing its unofficial minor leagues, unless it figures out a way to get paid, which there is a way(a sportswriter has already tackled this, Whitlock maybe)).
Michael
November 18th, 2012
1:34 am
Well, VAd didn’t get to play much. I think Tevin ran most of the few drives that occured (long duration drives). Vad is the superior athlete and better passer, but Tevin must make better split-second decisions…only thing I can see CPJ sticking with a noodle armed QB.
That pass to the WR that Beno caught was horrible. He threw a floater that got to the WR as he got hit…had it gotten there on a line, maybe he gets tackled and no first down, but shear luck that Beno caught it and stumbled for a first down. Had that been Vad, I am sure it would have gotten there the same day it was thrown. Tevin just isn’t a natural passer…he aims and uses touch when it needs zipped and when he tries to zip it, it just ducks and wobbles all over the place.
I hoped Vad would get the majority of the snaps against UGA to make UGA worked hard on defense. Maybe we’ll get lucky and Tevin will have one of those rare good games passing.
BW
November 18th, 2012
1:48 am
I hoped Vad would get the majority of the snaps against UGA to make UGA worked hard on defense. Maybe we’ll get lucky and Tevin will have one of those rare good games passing.
This is the CPJ predicament. Tevin has played well for who he is against Uga in the past 2 years. Tevin is the classic game manager, and in CPJs offense, the game manager can score 28 pts, but with the GT D, 28 is not going to be enough. Vad has to play, and CPJ has to use his full playbook. The GT O has an extremely diverse playbook, and we’ve seen it this year. Hurry up O, straight shotgun with both pass and run from shotgun, etc. CPJ needs to open it up to have a chance to win the game against Uga. Otherwise, it will be a 42-24 win for Uga(that looks closer than it really is), because the D won’t be able to stop them. GT needs it to be a 50-48 type of game to have a chance.
Walmart Retards
November 18th, 2012
5:29 am
Do yourself and others a favor this week by kicking a Dwag. It just feels good.
John
November 18th, 2012
6:05 am
Dawgs are going to squash the insignificant insects into goop.
GT71
November 18th, 2012
6:26 am
Why in the world would Miami ‘recuse’ (not the right word, Badly) itself? The kids will want to play and they have EARNED it. Oh, they’ll not be ALLOWED to play next year and the year after most likely, so why not play while the playing is possible?
Next time, Mr. Johnson, why don’t you WIN a game or 2 and get in through the front door?
I’d rather beat those jumped up criminals in Athens than play for the ACC title or in some stupid bowl game put on to run ads for some large corporation anyway. But our guys would have a good time, so it would be OK as they did play well enough at times and as a slight reward for 2a-days under this, ahem, coach
Lil' Barry Bailout
November 18th, 2012
6:42 am
Enjoy yourselves next week, UGAs, for you will be crying like little girls after playing a big-boy football team in the Dome.
goforit
November 18th, 2012
7:17 am
Two worst things for college football this season
1. Georgia playing for the mythical national campionship
2. Ga Tech playing in the Orange Bowl.
GT
November 18th, 2012
7:38 am
I notice yesterday Georgia Southern ran a tight end in their offense. I have no idea if that was once or a lot, but the tight end caught a pass very wide open up the middle. Beno caught one yesterday, though not by design. One way to loosen up that middle is threaten a tight end sneaking behind those linebackers.
As I said we will be fine with Johnson, he is an adult who handles this stuff like an adult. There use to be a lot of coaches like that but the money and the press, just like politics, have chase most of them away. The few left should be treasured.
Walmart Retards
November 18th, 2012
7:39 am
Go Duke!
juice sourcer
November 18th, 2012
7:41 am
Wow getting to a bowl. What a great accomplishment…
GT
November 18th, 2012
7:53 am
I think there is a big difference in the view of the student going to school at Tech or Georgia and the “subway” fan that never went there, but demands the success. When you go to school or graduate from a school your choice is not optional, you are a life time fan of that school. Any success or favorable light shone on that school is enjoyed and usually appreciated. I often thought Tech should create a journalist school to off set the one in Athens, but I think we do better off the grid. A lot of their better play at the end of the season is from the lack of pressure they felt in the beginning. Now is all fun, and the ones who care are the ones close to the party, a different kind of crowd more like what a college should be like.
gt4ever
November 18th, 2012
8:16 am
Oh good Grief… Our defense SUX! Our offense wont score 21 points against a little better than average team in UGA…. I have no idea what some of you GT fans are drinking… But let’s get real here… The only way we need to go bowling is if… We beat UGA, and FSU… How in the world we do that is anybody’s guess.. I mean it could happen, but with the way our team has played this year… We have little or NO chance of any of that happening…. IMHO, yours may be different.. Here is hoping we finally realize that we need a REAL coach!
GADawgz
November 18th, 2012
8:16 am
Wow, I wrote this team off after they lost to MTSU… It’s impressive that they have bounced back like this. I am a UGA fan and I think Georgia should win, but I am worried about Vad Lee, and anything can happen on Saturday. Looking forward to a good game Jackets.
gt4ever
November 18th, 2012
8:23 am
Some of the GT fans on here must be sniffing something illegal… GT doesn’t belong in the same stadium with UGA… We play in a weak conference and we have proven that we are average at best… Anything can happen next week in Athens, but the odds are in the favor of the much better team… UGA will score more points than I care to imagine. We have little or NO chance. I just hope it can be competitive.
Jacket Dad
November 18th, 2012
8:58 am
I’m very proud of how the Jackets have come back the last several weeks.
Next week will be tough, but let’s do our best and see how things work out.
GO JACKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JAdams
November 18th, 2012
9:03 am
BeauvighnBeauvighnBeauvighn
HAHA Bark Madley, Thats a good one! UGA is great right Bark?
Ramblin man
November 18th, 2012
9:27 am
clem 13, Have you seen how the last 8 years vs GT have gone record wise?? Geez…what an idiot. We suck in bowls as you say but clemson has had no recent history of much success vs GT. Clemson was a disgrace last year in its bowl game. Didn’t yall give up over 70 points?? moron
trueblueeagle
November 18th, 2012
9:40 am
Tech is a defense away from having a great team. Bring back JT next year and we will roll over everybody.
Tommy
November 18th, 2012
9:44 am
So to get to the conference championship game, you gotta hope the team that’s really qualified to go turns it down? That’s a freaking brilliant plan. Why not just see if they can get in the AAAAA high school playoffs? That’s pretty much where they belong anyway. I think AAAAAA may be too much to ask; it’s already been a tough year.
Miamidawg
November 18th, 2012
9:48 am
Funniest comments I have read in a long time. I’m glad Ajc maintains a tech blog. This is funnier than the Sunday comics section.
I know you have to believe but seriously?? Tech is going to get humiliated by UGA just like they did last time they were trying to get to the conf champ game.
BigJim
November 18th, 2012
9:57 am
Mark Richt: 3-15 against ranked teams, since 2009!
mansup
November 18th, 2012
9:59 am
Hey…all of you commenting as UGA supporters…how many of you played football for UGA? How many of you graduated from UGA? Or the sixth grade for that matter? What is this use of the word WE? Yes, Tech will probably lose next week. The Jackets have no defense at all. But at least Tech supporters are Tech supporters rain or shine. If the Dogs lose two games, back-to-back, you idiots will begin the whining and “fire Richt” talk all over again. Pathetic!
BigJim
November 18th, 2012
9:59 am
Great wins like yesterday’s vs DIV II GA Southern get you noticed…at the Capital One Bowl!!! Or maybe the Outback.
Ryan
November 18th, 2012
9:59 am
Time to upset the mutts and all their deliria from thinking they will actually play in the bcs nc game.
BigJim
November 18th, 2012
10:01 am
Hopefully though, the Capital One Bowl committee can find an easier opponent than Central Florida…who beat Georgia in the bowl game last year! OUCH!!!
yellowfever
November 18th, 2012
10:05 am
UGA OWNS gtu, must be puppy love cause your too young to remember but once upon a time TECH owned uga. Yep it’s a fact. Right there in the books. Go look it up and read about Ga. Tech tradition and how we spanked your butts back when football players could actually read & write.
Nate
November 18th, 2012
10:10 am
What’s worse? Losing to ncstate by 1 or getting blown out by sc by 28? 28 to me. It’s a joke uga is ahead of fsu. All about bs sec. They get a pemium in their rankings. ND or fsu is better than bama and much better than uga.
Nate
November 18th, 2012
10:12 am
Jim Cent Fla was two years ago. Dec 2010
This year uga lost their bowl game to mich state.
Dumbo
November 18th, 2012
10:29 am
Quit whining about UGA trolls….go look at the filth and crap being posted by Tech trolls on UGA blog….we are sick and tired of the same aholes going into UGA blogs and running off and the lip. Then when we come in here, you all start crying “Ken save us” these UGA trolls are not staying on topic……
doug dawg
November 18th, 2012
10:32 am
now, i’ m the biggest dawg fan in the world. i’ve been listening and following gt/ga since the 50’s. there is, believe me, no ‘gimme’ in these games, which is why, despite the recent record of results, the matchup remains a great rivalry. as for this saturday, i hope uga does a number on gt; but, i think it will be close either way. dawgs better not take it lightly, or they will, will, will lose. i just hope the best team wins outright — no stupid mistakes or gimmicks, and that no one gets hurt seriously. and that my beautiful athens and sanford stadium are as resplendent as always.
UGA OWNS gtu
November 18th, 2012
10:35 am
It hurts don’t it gtu folks…? Year in, year out we CRUSH you maggots.
BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA
UGA OWNS gtu!
Always have, always will!
Rock_Eagle
November 18th, 2012
10:54 am
Beware Jackets. The Dawgs have one secret weapon. The cry of “CHOP BLOCK”. Not delusional enough to think my Eagles would win yesterday . But with a first and goal and a haltime lead on the line and on a ‘bang bang” up the middle play, there it was: “personal foul…chop block”. That brought several cries from the red and black morons around me in the cesspool. “They’ve been doing it the whole game”…. Funny, none on them mentioned it until that point. Then after the game, a UGA offensive lineman complains he had been “sliced and diced”. CPJ needs to be in the ear of the officials before the game, because believe me, Richt will be.
Rock_Eagle
November 18th, 2012
10:57 am
Oops..Meant UGA DL, not OL
Bobo
November 18th, 2012
11:04 am
I’m not sure if we suck so bad (which admittedly we are NOT a good team) why all these UGA posters feel the need to come taunt us about a 6-5 season when they are 10-1 and just got a gift dropped in their lap by Baylor and Stanford. Of course, they still have to beat Bama……good luck with that one, now that they’re back in the title game.
I will say how I HOPE things break. We clearly can’t beat UGA in a low-scoring game. However, UGA’s defense is far from consistent and I can see a scenario where we can win a 54-51 game. Not likely, but certainly no worse than the odds of Baylor beating KSU last night. The best possible scenario would be for UGA to overlook Tech and lose, eliminating any chance of a national title even if they do upset Bama.
Also, Tech last won in 1990, UGA last won in 1980. Shut up about your SEC dominance until you take your place with Bama, Florida, and LSU. For that matter, even Auburn and Tennessee have more right to brag than you do.
ylojkt
November 18th, 2012
11:05 am
Sliced and diced, I like that!
I’ll take my dwag next Saturday scattered, smothered, chunked, and covered.
BartBuzz
November 18th, 2012
11:06 am
It never ceases to amaze me how many so-called UGA fans chime in on Tech stories. They must be awfully insecure to dump on GT. I guess we should feel flattered they spend their time worrying about us. Says a lot about how much time they have on their hands.
Go Jackets! How about giving them something to really cry about next week. Kicking them out of a chance to play for a national title would be sweet.
wastedyears
November 18th, 2012
11:06 am
omg,you tech fans are more delusional than us in the dawg nation do you really think the honey bees have a chance in athens sat …the acc is so sorry they should be banned from division 1 level play…middle tenn state…are you people serious???? ..have fun in boise in december…hopefully i dont know what they teach at north ave..but i know its not common sense…GO DAWGS SIC-EM !!!!!!!!
Tevin says farewell, Tech plays D, PJ warns Miami | Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2012
11:10 am
[...] This post is an adjunct to the Georgia Tech-Duke game column, which can be found here. [...]
wastedyears
November 18th, 2012
11:10 am
HEY ROCK EAGLE YOU HAVE TO PLAY 4 QUARTERS NOT 2……45-14…LOOKS LIKE A BEAT DOWN TO ME…BUT IM GOING FOR YOUR TEAM IN THE PLAYOFFS
Rock_Eagle
November 18th, 2012
11:16 am
Wasted…I guess you missed my fourth sentence. By the comment and the all caps typing, I take it the wasted years were spent enrolled at UGA.
billyBobjacket
November 18th, 2012
11:26 am
I know we can’t beat UGA (they will score at will, and will make enough individual plays for loss on defence to slow us down), but maybe it would be worth a few chop block penalties to put some of their D-linemen and backers out of the SECCG to make sure they don’t get to play for the BCS title. I think Notre Dame is a house of cards, and it would be too easy and poetic (and nauseating) for Gurshall to beat ND for a national championship like Herschel did.
wastedyears
November 18th, 2012
11:27 am
HEY ROCK..DONT GET ME WRONG I LIKE GA SOUTHERN HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THEM AND HOPE THEY WIN NUMBER 7..AND NO NEVER HAD THE CHANCE TO GO TO ATHENS..
wastedyears
November 18th, 2012
11:30 am
AND DONT EVER FORGET IT WAS A BULLDAWG COACH THAT MADE YOUR EAGLES RELEVANT IN DIV 2