I apologize to you personally for my slight in an otherwise tasteful post. You are obviously a good fan, a gentleman and a scholar. In all honesty, I hope Tech has a tremendous season. In all honesty, I like that Paul johnson brings some intensity back to the rivalry. I want the players of all these teams to play well and stay healthy. I want to see great football games where the players play their hearts out and no one suffers the indignity of knowing they lost because they didn’t play to their potential. My post was actually addressed to my fellow Georgia fans who are always talking about firing someone or harassing players on our own team. I am not much better than the particular Tech fans I wished to razz. Thank you for pointing that out. I am probably setting myself up for a lot crap from lesser people than yourself.

Johnson has a logical (and confident) answer to most every question about his offense. In the big time for the first time, Johnson’s offense finished No. 4 nationally in rushing last season, averaging more than 273 yards per game and confusing the hell out of defensive coordinators.

“He’s the man, he’s the guru,” Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer said. “The offense might become a global thing. He might change the whole country.

It’s actually been 24 years since Johnson began running the triple option as offensive coordinator at I-AA Georgia Southern. That was 1985 — the year Oklahoma won the national championship with the triple option, by the way — and progressed through stays at Hawaii, Navy and, now, Georgia Tech.

In Johnson’s first season in Atlanta, Dwyer became the ACC offensive player of the year and set himself up as a Heisman candidate in 2009. The next step is to win the ACC. After tying Virginia Tech for the Coastal Division title (the eventual conference champ Hokies won the tiebreaker), Georgia Tech is expected to contend again.

Playing Clemson coming off Middle Tennessee is an advantage, but otherwise there are few breaks. The Jackets get Florida State and Miami on the road as well as three SEC opponents — Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and UGAG! (Sorry, I mean UGA)

“People say you have to be balanced,” Johnson said. “I don’t. I want to be good.”

“There’s the [feeling] out there that so-and-so showed the game plan, now [defenses] know how to stop it,” Johnson said. “If somebody beats South Carolina with Coach Spurrier throwing it around, is that the way to stop South Carolina?”

The triple option remains the ultimate change-up in a world full of fast balls. With only the service academies and Tech fully committed to it, defenses have a one-week upheaval in their preparation.

“Schematically, in three days — because that’s all you really get — that is very hard to prepare for,” Muschamp said. “It goes totally against what you have to prepare for week to week to week.”

Most every offense in the country incorporates at least some option principles. When Tim Tebow runs, it looks strangely like the old Single Wing offense.

“Unless you’ve got some big gawky quarterback who can’t run, most people have an option of some kind just to bother you with it,” Texas’ Mack Brown said. “They’ll have a rule that they have to run it three times a game whether they need it or not, just so you have to work on it.”

Florida offensive coordinator Steve Addazio is familiar with the option from his time with Paul Pasqualoni at Syracuse. Can the true triple option win a conference championship in 2009?

“Absolutely,” Addazio said. “It’s devastating to a defense. Are you kidding me?”

Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech: Dwyer flourished in the option, proving himself to be the tough, hard-nosed runner that Johnson loves. Dwyer established himself as an NFL prospect and Heisman candidate. The best thing about his 1,395 yards was that he averaged seven yards per carry.

WHERE IS JOE HOMER COX AND CALEB KING? Man, not much on the puppies. THWG!

Go Dawgs!
Signed,
Billy B (I’m not Bill King).

You’ve seen those commercials about an Easy button. Imagine what a Block from Posting button could do.

I’m just sayin….
Signed,
Billy B. (No, I’m not Bill King).

THWG!