Could Tech end its bowl skid against the preseason No. 1?
Give this tactical genius a month to prepare and ... he'll probably lose by two touchdowns. (AP photo)
If, on Labor Day morning, you’d have known Georgia Tech would be facing USC in a bowl, you’d have guessed that everything would have broken right for the Jackets. As it happened, Tech had a rough season, which is why it’s again headed to El Paso and not, say, Miami. But spare a thought for the Trojans, who have been the greatest flop in almost half a century.
Ranked No. 1 in preseason, USC finished its regular season 7-5. Not since Ole Miss in 1964 has a preseason No. 1 wound up unranked, and back then the Associated Press poll included only 10 teams. Today it has 25, and you still won’t still find the Trojans until you sift through the “also receiving votes” category. They’re 12th on that not-exactly-stellar list — behind the likes of Vanderbilt, San Diego State and Arkansas State.
So there’s your Sun Bowl matchup: A team that has gone from No. 1 to No. 37 in the time it takes to say, “Lane Kiffin can’t coach a lick,” against a sub-.500 opponent. You wouldn’t think there’d be muchat stake, but again you’d be wrong.
USC has no reason to try hard on Dec. 31. Georgia Tech does. Not since Dec. 21, 2004, have the Jackets won a bowl, and that was so long ago that Chan Gailey was the coach and Reggie Ball, then a sophomore, was the game MVP and the team Tech beat (Syracuse) was so mortified by losing 51-17 that it fired coach Paul Pasqualoni eight days later.
Since then, nada. Tech has lost to opponents great (West Virginia, LSU and Iowa) and small (Utah twice, Fresno State, Air Force). That seven-year skid strips the luster from the Jackets’ string of 16 consecutive bowl appearances, and the past four losses have come under Paul Johnson. On the list of bowl-winning Tech coaches, Johnson ranks behind Mac McWhorter, who led the Jackets to victory in the 2001 Seattle Bowl as a one-game fill-in for George O’Leary.
This can’t-win-a-bowl thing has rankled Johnson for a while, and it has also gotten to his players: Tech’s seniors made “Win a bowl” one of their preseason goals. As of Halloween, there was no guarantee the Jackets would qualify for one. But they beat Duke on Nov. 17 become bowl-eligible, and then they lost to Florida State in the ACC title game to dip to 6-7, requiring an NCAA waiver to book passage to El Paso. But they got it, and off they’re going.
Of the Trojans, Johnson said Wednesday: “They were ranked No. 1; they had the Heisman frontrunner (quarterback Matt Barkley), and they’ve got the Biletnikoff winner (receiver Marqise Lee). They’re a talented team. Like I told somebody else, we’ve had a pretty good trifecta.”
Well, yes. Tech just played Georgia and Florida State, two gifted aggregations, losing to the former badly and the latter honorably. Can’t say the Jackets aren’t used to playing NFL-ready opposition.
“They’re very talented, but we’re not scared of them,” cornerback Louis Young said. “They’re 7-5. They’ve showed they can be beaten.”
They have, repeatedly. There’s a chance the Trojans, who figured to be spending the holidays in more scenic places, will sleepwalk through the Sun, and there’s no chance the Jackets will. This hasn’t been the season they envisioned, but tying Miami and North Carolina for first in the Coastal Division and playing for the conference title helped ease the pain. Beating USC in a bowl would be a nice New Year’s tonic.
On talent, the Trojans should win easily. But on talent, the Trojans shouldn’t be 7-5. For the first time under Johnson, Tech enters its bowl with more to prove than its opponent, and sometimes the lesser bowls come down to who plays harder.
There’s also this: Monte Kiffin, father of the lamentable Lane, has announced his resignation as USC’s defensive coordinator, for good reason. The Trojans rank 63rd nationally in total defense — that’s 10 spots below Tech, which fired coordinator Al Groh at midseason — and were overrun by Oregon on Nov. 3. The Ducks managed 62 points and 426 rushing yards, including 321 by Kenjon Barner.
If Tech can do nothing else, it can run the ball. It’s doubtful that the Jackets’ defense will shut down Barkley and Lee, but if the Tech offense can score early and control the clock, this could be one of those scoring lollapaloozas Tech occasionally wins. (To wit: Tech 68, North Carolina 50.) It would be utterly in keeping with this bizarre year if it ended with the Jackets breaking their bowl drought and finishing 7-7 by beating a team that was supposed to be unbeatable.
By Mark Bradley
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181 comments Add your comment
Bali
December 20th, 2012
2:26 pm
Legacy, as much as GTBob will detest, they’re some dawgs that want you guys to beat the snot out of Kiffen. But with every post that bob berates this University, he’s not making many friends, and he’ll turn the older crowd against him. Maybe that’s his goal. This dawg wants you guys to have a good showing against this piece of crap coach….win or lose.
GimmeAbreak
December 20th, 2012
2:28 pm
It’s very rare that I read a Teck blog but omg, I thought that the fans (maybe that should be singular) had a little bit of class and some intellegence. You are responding to an article about USC and Tech and some dumb*** has to bash UGA. Any forum will do for the nerds to vent frustration. I guess the reference to Reggie Ball et.al. is so disturbing.
Before I read this I was thinking Tech just maybe have a chance to win but as much as it hurts to pull for Kiffin….. BEAT TECH! The classless bunch of yellow jackets deserve no respect!
dawg tired
December 20th, 2012
2:30 pm
The Trojans have had plenty of time to figure Johnson’s high school offense. USC by 17
GTBob
December 20th, 2012
2:54 pm
But with every post that bob berates this University, he’s not making many friends, and he’ll turn the older crowd against him.
I’m not really all that worried about making friends Bali. As long as you have UGA fans on the blogs taking shots at GT I am going to be around. It is what it is.
GTBob
December 20th, 2012
2:55 pm
BEAT TECH! The classless bunch of yellow jackets deserve no respect!
There ya go. Let the hate flow through you.
DawginLex
December 20th, 2012
2:58 pm
GTBob
December 20th, 2012
2:55 pm
BEAT TECH! The classless bunch of yellow jackets deserve no respect!
There ya go. Let the hate flow through you.
**************************
SAYS THE MOST HATE FILLED PATHETIC OLD MAN IN AJC BLOG HISTORY
POT, MEET KETTLE
Smyrna Gold
December 20th, 2012
2:58 pm
@GT TN
I’ve been a GT fan and season ticket holder longer than you’ve been on this earth. You need to quit making excuses for this charade of a football program. It is pathetic, embarrassing and going deeper into the toilet every year under CPJ (check the record)
After 5 years under this coaching staff we should be seeing improvement, not a downward spiral (hence, 5 year contracts) as is the current case with this staff.
Messin with Sasquatch
December 20th, 2012
3:13 pm
Mark, PJ is reincarnation of Pepper Rodgers, which you may know. Nice column and as an old Tech fan, I feel much better.
Georgia Tee
December 20th, 2012
3:14 pm
If Tech were to have a 11-1 season and the loss was to the dawgs, the season would still be a disappointment! Who cares about an ACC Championship and an Orange Bowl victory if the Georgia game is a loss. If CPJ dosen’t think that beating the dawgs makes a successful season he needs to move on.
Pitbull
December 20th, 2012
3:17 pm
Not so fast my fellow Dawg fans. Lets not be too tough on Paul Johnson.
He is 40-26 in his five seasons at Tech although 6 of those wins were against FCS teams.
So he is 34-26 against BCS teams. Although 33 of those wins were against ACC teams or teams that were weak in comparison to the ACC which is really sad when you think about it.
His one lone achievement at Tech was to beat Georgia by 3 points in 2008 with Chan Gailey’s recruits which was an event held in high consideration by Tech faithful, even though he is now 1-4 against UGA.
So we don’t want Paul Johnson going anywhere. We are happy with Paul Johnson right where he is and with Tech in a soft conference and not battle tested going into the Georgia game and the bowl games.
Remember that Paul Johnson is 1-10 against Georgia and bowl opponents.
So when the going gets tough…….Tech folds like a cheap lawn chair.
Skeptic
December 20th, 2012
3:25 pm
Making friends on a blog? Liking or Unliking? All that scheisse is absurd.
Hell, I don’t even know if any of you are real people.
As far as providing links to facts supporting what I say–no. It’s a blog, not court. Just like gotcha journalism, the burden of proof is on you unless it’s defamation. Welcome to the internet.
DawginLex
December 20th, 2012
3:27 pm
Everything on the internet is true
Just ask Al Gore
Go dwags! woof woof woof woof
December 20th, 2012
3:31 pm
Ah hell, I hope dem dwags can avoid the upset by the huskers! Gah-lee, what a barnburner!
Hey yellowfever
December 20th, 2012
3:54 pm
“Your listening” – LMAO – you uneducated nitwit.
Tech Legacy I couldn’t agree more – your analogy is spot on
GTBob
December 20th, 2012
3:58 pm
Pitbull, there is no coach in the history of football that could come into GT right now and actually compete with UGA so why are you harping on about how terrible CPJ is against them?
Hey GTBob
December 20th, 2012
4:03 pm
I think he is harping because CPJ is proving to be a terrible hire for GT.
GTBob
December 20th, 2012
4:10 pm
I think he is harping because CPJ is proving to be a terrible hire for GT.
How is he a terrible hire? Ive asked this a thousand times but what is the expected level of play for GT? 10 wins every season, an ACC championship and winning 50% of the games against UGA? What would be considered acceptable?
wrecked
December 20th, 2012
4:19 pm
Shows the depths that this program has reached. When the only hope of a win is the opponents disinterest.
DawginLex
December 20th, 2012
4:19 pm
Not losing to MTSU
Not losing to BYU
Having a defense that holds teams to fewer than 500 yards and 40 + points routinely.
Having an offense that attracts kids that want to play in the NFL while getting a quality education. Those are not mutually exclusive.
That would be a good start
Hey GTBob
December 20th, 2012
4:27 pm
So what are your expectations?
How many wins does it take to make you happy (you don’t appear to be a happy fellow).
LOL winning 50% of the UGA games when the record reflects something closer to 10% for over a decade.
Guess the 10 wins can be cumulative – like for two seasons combined
A legitimate ACC Championship might be nice – you don’t currently have one.
GTBob
December 20th, 2012
5:12 pm
So what are your expectations?
I am a realist so my expectations will be somewhat in line with how GT has performed historically. I think a coach who can average around 8 wins and beat UGA once or twice every 10 years is a pretty good coach. GT historically is a little lower than that on wins and a little higher then that on UGA wins but UGA wins have been trending down for a while so its silly to expect it to hold stable.
GTBob
December 20th, 2012
5:59 pm
Having an offense that attracts kids that want to play in the NFL while getting a quality education. Those are not mutually exclusive.
If that is the case then why are so few SEC schools top rated academic institutions?
Pitbull
December 20th, 2012
8:04 pm
People do not go to football games to comment on how highly rated the college is academically. So cut the crap playing that card.
They go to see a quality football team like they did in the 1950’s when they would go to Tech games.
Tech is not that great of an academic institution. Now Cal Tech and MIT are,
But GT is not what the Tech people make it out to be. Its just a state college for engineering majors. That’s all.
Justthefacts
December 20th, 2012
9:45 pm
I’ve got to give the UGA team its due for a great season.
The accolades stop there as there is a huge difference between the UGA student athlete and the “dawg fans” that continue to seek meaning in their life by trying to latch onto the success of others and attempting to address their own insecurities by disparaging others..
At some point in the future “dawg fans” will recognize that 1980 was a long time ago and that Herschel Walker is 50 years old, All one has heard from “dawg fans” since that time has been “if only” and “but for”. I would have thought that the excuses would have been exhausted after the first 3 decades……
Hey Justthefacts
December 20th, 2012
10:25 pm
42 – 10
6 – 7 soon to be 6 – 8
Yup love dem facts
Justthefacts
December 21st, 2012
12:09 am
@ Hey Justthefacts – You are absolutely correct. UGA has dominated GT in football in recent years.
By the way – thanks for proving my point. I hope that your attempt at disparagement allows you to sleep better this evening.
Also – another fact. With less than seven weeks left until national signing day, Georgia has lost its recruiting coordinator. Oh well, I guess this will give “dawg fans” a new excuse……..
USC Trojan
December 21st, 2012
6:20 am
Another cheap shot at the Pac 12 by Mr. Bradley. How about dissecting the USC schedule. Every loss was to a team playing in a bowl. 3 of their 5 losses were to teams playing in BCS bowls, including the national title game. You are such an SEC homer it’s pathetic. Keep writing articles about how UGA belongs in a BCS game. UGA’s out of conference schedule was Buffalo, GA Southern, GA Tech, and Florida Int. That’s 4 cupcakes. USC played Hawaii, @ Syracuse (another bowl team), and Notre Dame. Plus had to play 2 BCS bowl teams in conference in addition to 4 other teams playing in bowls this year. UGA lost to an overrated S. Carolina team and had the 5 worst SEC teams on it’s conference schedule (Tennessee, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Auburn, and Missouri). That’s over half their conference schedule that ended up being cupcakes. 9 out of 12 games against unranked teams. How could you not have a 9 win season w/ that schedule.
Messin with Sasquatch
December 23rd, 2012
12:16 am
USC is always overrated. And if it weren’t ESPN hyping them all the time they would not get bs high rankings all the time. We will see how Notre Dame does with their support from Espn for a bogus ranking as well. And If USC can’t beat GT, Trojan needs to kiss CPJ’S butt in front of the Heisman statue at Tech.
Mora Jr!
December 24th, 2012
1:09 am
USC boy…lost all credibility when the words”USC beat Hawaii” were typed!lmfao
damngooddawg
December 24th, 2012
10:26 am
You can’t fix stupid.
Whiznot
December 26th, 2012
3:43 pm
Tech bullies are going to pound on a Lame Kitten. So sad!