2014 Playmaker of the Year

[CuseJacket]

Who do you think was playmaker of the year last year? Choose your own criteria. Mine is most single game-changing or season-altering plays, and I still can't decide.

Nominees

• Justin Thomas
  • Game-winning deke and pass vs. Southern
  • 4th and 15
  • Scramble vs. UGA to get in FG range
  • Orange Bowl TD runs
• Jamal Golden
  • game-saving forced fumble vs. Southern
  • pick-6 vs. Clemson
  • drilled RB for fumble in Orange Bowl
• D.J. White
  • game-winning INT vs. VT
  • forced fumble/touchback vs. Pitt
  • The Pick
• DeAndre Smelter
  • play action TD vs. VT
  • 4th and 15
  • reverse vs. UNC
• Shaq Mason
  • Didn't recognize how many plays/pancakes he made routine all season until I saw the year-end highlight reel
• Harrison Butker
  • The Kick. It's one play, but how many would have a different view of last year if the ball bounced back off the crossbar?

 

[CuseJacket]

Also meant to add...

UGA being UGA aside, if Butker misses The Kick and we lose to FSU, Clemson was probably headed to the Orange Bowl. Fair or not many projected the playoff poll would have put CU ahead of us.

Now imagine a season without UGA and Orange Bowl wins... huge play.

 

[SidewalkJacket]

JT was the overall biggest key to our season. However, DJ's individual plays were ENORMOUS. He got my vote for the critical nature of each play. I mean, those three turnovers were darn near season-defining.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Dang I'm going to have to think on this one a while! And that's okay, just goes to show how much of a TEAM game '14 was!

 

[GTpdm]

JT was the overall biggest key to our season. However, DJ's individual plays were ENORMOUS. He got my vote for the critical nature of each play. I mean, those three turnovers were darn near season-defining.

Agreed. DJ might not have been the Biggest Maker-of-Plays, but he was the Maker of Biggest-Plays, IMO.

 

[buzz_wiser©]

How about Butkers kick against VPI for the win?
I think that was a piece worth noting.

 

[MGTfan]

DJ also had a pick six against NC State and an interception against Clemson.

 

[ClydeBrick]

Who do you think was playmaker of the year last year? Choose your own criteria. Mine is most single game-changing or season-altering plays, and I still can't decide.

Nominees

• Justin Thomas
  • Game-winning deke and pass vs. Southern
  • 4th and 15
  • Scramble vs. UGA to get in FG range
  • Orange Bowl TD runs
• Jamal Golden
  • game-saving forced fumble vs. Southern
  • pick-6 vs. Clemson
  • drilled RB for fumble in Orange Bowl
• D.J. White
  • game-winning INT vs. VT
  • forced fumble/touchback vs. Pitt
  • The Pick
• DeAndre Smelter
  • play action TD vs. VT
  • 4th and 15
  • reverse vs. UNC
• Shaq Mason
  • Didn't recognize how many plays/pancakes he made routine all season until I saw the year-end highlight reel
• Harrison Butker
  • The Kick. It's one play, but how many would have a different view of last year if the ball bounced back off the crossbar?

First World problems!

 

[AE 87]

I chose Justin because his ability to make the option reads, escape sack pursuit, and hit quick-release passes allowed our offense to be as successful as it was, and it needed to be because of our D still.

Otoh, our D relied on big plays more than consistent plays, and we got them in comparable measure from Quayshaun, Jamal, DJ, Isaiah

 

[JorgeJonas]

God, this whole thread is, as Bret Bielema might say, "borderline erotic."

 

[Lexjacket]

How about Butkers kick against VPI for the win?
I think that was a piece worth noting.

Don't forget DJ had the pick that set that kick up.

 

[Essobee]

I choose all of them for a first place dead heat tie.

 

[jwsavhGT]

I choose all of them for a first place dead heat tie.

Plus add the rest of the team!

 

[CuseJacket]

Plus add the rest of the team!

There is an 'Other' choice for this kind of creativity. It even allows you to choose Mark Richt for the squib kick and timeout.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

It is an impossible choice but if you put a gun to my head and make me pick based on your criteria then I pick D. J. White. This pick is not the same as saying who the most important person to the team was all year, that would have to be Justin Thomas. But if you are talking about individual plays that possibly changed the season then I have to go with him over several other equally good choices.

 

[Ash]

An embarrassment of riches. Truly a team effort all season.

But if I have to choose one...Smelter. He was clutch for us so many times I started taking it for granted a little.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I chose by thinking which guy if removed from the equation hurts the most. JT.

 

[Jay Alexander]

Gives a different perspective as to how good the team was last season.

When Smelter, with all his clutch plays, get 3 votes out of 77...wow.

Can't disagree with the 3 votes for him and that still leaves the JT vs. DJ discussion on the table. Truly a remarkable season to watch.

 

[furant]

I voted for JT with DJ close on his heels. Looking at this I was thinking "man, we were really close to only getting 7 wins this season". But this is really what it's all about - having just enough fire to pull it out when the game's on the line. This is what's been missing from so many Tech teams I've loved through the years. With 85 scholarships on each team, we're not going to consistently blow out everyone, but need to have these amazing individual efforts. Looking forward to a few more seasons like these.

 

[DrJacket]

I voted, and the exercise of thinking through this was fun. However, it also felt a little like choosing a favorite among one's children I suppose.

So intriguing is this survey, this actually drew MrsDrJacket online and she also cast a vote.