2018 Off Season Thread

Towaliga

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How do we step back? According to some people on the site, we already have one of the worst defenses around.

I personally believe 2018 will show significant provement from this year. If you think about it, we started our season with new people at the 2 most important positions in our offense, had significant injuries that impacted our depth, and with the exception of the secondary, we are returning a lot of starters next year, i’m looking forward to next year. Also, the last two recruiting cycles (thank you CTR) will, in my humble opinion, begin to show some impact. Some people may ridicule me for being an optimist, but since I am a sidewalk fan, I can be what I want to be.

In the meanwhile, my daughter and I will have our butts in the stands this weekend and won’t be abandoning the team or the senior players who have worked their tails off the last 4/5 years on what could possibly be their last game just because they played a bad game the week after beating a top 20 team . I feel we could pull it off. But then again, what do I know. I’m one of those stupid optimists.
 

MikeJackets1967

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How do we step back? According to some people on the site, we already have one of the worst defenses around.

I personally believe 2018 will show significant provement from this year. If you think about it, we started our season with new people at the 2 most important positions in our offense, had significant injuries that impacted our depth, and with the exception of the secondary, we are returning a lot of starters next year, i’m looking forward to next year. Also, the last two recruiting cycles (thank you CTR) will, in my humble opinion, begin to show some impact. Some people may ridicule me for being an optimist, but since I am a sidewalk fan, I can be what I want to be.

In the meanwhile, my daughter and I will have our butts in the stands this weekend and won’t be abandoning the team or the senior players who have worked their tails off the last 4/5 years on what could possibly be their last game just because they played a bad game the week after beating a top 20 team . I feel we could pull it off. But then again, what do I know. I’m one of those stupid optimists.
(y)
 

THWG

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I'm thinking 10-2 or 9-3 next year if 2 things happen. #1 our passing game has to improve in the offseason (which I believe that it will). #2 we need to get some breaks and have some good luck for once next year. With what we have coming back next year, I'm giddy thinking about what could be next year. First thing is first though, beat ugag and win the bowl to get some positive momentum going into next year.
 

MikeJackets1967

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I'm thinking 10-2 or 9-3 next year if 2 things happen. #1 our passing game has to improve in the offseason (which I believe that it will). #2 we need to get some breaks and have some good luck for once next year. With what we have coming back next year, I'm giddy thinking about what could be next year. First thing is first though, beat ugag and win the bowl to get some positive momentum going into next year.
I think there may be a interesting contest to see who will be the starting quarterback to start the 2018 season against Alcorn State.;)(y)
 

melloace

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
471
The schedule takes a huge step back after 2017s gauntlet. Replacing JSU with Alcorn, Tennessee with Bowling Green, and Wake Forest with Louisville. A real tune up game to start the season against Alcron state will be nice to develop depth and see how some of the young guys perform in games. Another big thing is the change in ACC scheduling we should only get one team coming off a bye and won't have to play fresh teams every other week.

Alcorn - W - With a lot of playing time for backups and walkons
Bowling Green - W - with more playing time for backups
USF - W - USF is currently a team of seniors and is going to be a completely different team in 2018. Will probably play us close for 3 quarters before we pull away
Pitt - W - Not the same team without Canada
Unc - W - Another year of big turnover for them probably will be back up to speed in 2019 if the fans give Fedora time
Virginia Tech - 50/50 - We both lose about the same number of starts
Lousiville - W - Jackson should be gone after this year. If he's back I have this as a loss as he's the type of qb Tech turns into career days for.
Miami - L - Will be better next year
Clemson - L - Too much of a talent gap on their Dline
Virginia - W - Games away from hooville.
Duke - W - No way we look past them after this year also won't have 3 weeks to prep for us
Georgia - ? - Rivalry game

So I have the team going 8-2 and 2 toss ups.
 

MikeJackets1967

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The schedule takes a huge step back after 2017s gauntlet. Replacing JSU with Alcorn, Tennessee with Bowling Green, and Wake Forest with Louisville. A real tune up game to start the season against Alcron state will be nice to develop depth and see how some of the young guys perform in games. Another big thing is the change in ACC scheduling we should only get one team coming off a bye and won't have to play fresh teams every other week.

Alcorn - W - With a lot of playing time for backups and walkons
Bowling Green - W - with more playing time for backups
USF - W - USF is currently a team of seniors and is going to be a completely different team in 2018. Will probably play us close for 3 quarters before we pull away
Pitt - W - Not the same team without Canada
Unc - W - Another year of big turnover for them probably will be back up to speed in 2019 if the fans give Fedora time
Virginia Tech - 50/50 - We both lose about the same number of starts
Lousiville - W - Jackson should be gone after this year. If he's back I have this as a loss as he's the type of qb Tech turns into career days for.
Miami - L - Will be better next year
Clemson - L - Too much of a talent gap on their Dline
Virginia - W - Games away from hooville.
Duke - W - No way we look past them after this year also won't have 3 weeks to prep for us
Georgia - ? - Rivalry game

So I have the team going 8-2 and 2 toss ups.
I think Louisville head coach Bob Petrino may leave for another head coaching job(Tennessee or somewhere else) when the season is up as well as losing the QB Jackson.:D Louisville may be coached by Jeff Brohm in 2018;) I think there's a good chance that Larry Fedora is canned at North Carolina after the 2018 season.
 

iceeater1969

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The schedule takes a huge step back after 2017s gauntlet. Replacing JSU with Alcorn, Tennessee with Bowling Green, and Wake Forest with Louisville. A real tune up game to start the season against Alcron state will be nice to develop depth and see how some of the young guys perform in games. Another big thing is the change in ACC scheduling we should only get one team coming off a bye and won't have to play fresh teams every other week.

Alcorn - W - With a lot of playing time for backups and walkons
Bowling Green - W - with more playing time for backups
USF - W - USF is currently a team of seniors and is going to be a completely different team in 2018. Will probably play us close for 3 quarters before we pull away
Pitt - W - Not the same team without Canada
Unc - W - Another year of big turnover for them probably will be back up to speed in 2019 if the fans give Fedora time
Virginia Tech - 50/50 - We both lose about the same number of starts
Lousiville - W - Jackson should be gone after this year. If he's back I have this as a loss as he's the type of qb Tech turns into career days for.
Miami - L - Will be better next year
Clemson - L - Too much of a talent gap on their Dline
Virginia - W - Games away from hooville.
Duke - W - No way we look past them after this year also won't have 3 weeks to prep for us
Georgia - ? - Rivalry game

So I have the team going 8-2 and 2 toss ups.
Nice post,but we recently have had road trouble in acc so I think it's 6-2 w 4 toss ups. Also our 14 pass completions out of 56 attempts in last 4 games is something which i believe could plague us next year.
 

TheTaxJacket

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
726
Where is this step back on D?

I mean we lose a lot of seniors. Especially in the secondary. Not saying we definitely will step back but we theoretically should. Losing secondary players in our D in big because our linebackers and Dline are never a strength.
 

RyanS12

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On paper next year looks like a 8/9 win season
9 starters back on O. We do lose 6 on D and most of it is in the secondary, but we are fortunate to have AJ back there to help with the new guys. The talent level is there as well with Swilling, Kerr, Kagawa and Campbell but how will they be coached??
 

CuseJacket

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Staff member
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18,884
Speaking of future schedules, I was looking at our future opponents: http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-footbl/future-schedules.html

A few observations:
  • The next 2 years we're opening with an FCS+G5 in the first two weeks. Then there is a 2-3 week gap prior to playing another G5, meaning we'll likely squeeze 2 ACC games in prior to completing our non-conference slate (Georgia excluded).
  • We play Notre Dame back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021, presumably because we will have only played them once since the new ACC arrangement. The dates are already set... in 2020 we play ND at home on Nov 14, two weeks prior to Georgia. In 2021 we play at ND on Nov 20 i.e. the week prior to the Georgia game... no rest for the weary.
  • Best road trip of the next 10 years occurs in 2020 when we play @ Syracuse.
 

Longhorngary

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
7
Observations from an outsider who watched roughly halve of GT's games this season.

  • Team has to find consistency and a mindset that can travel on the road. Jackets at times looked like they could hang with almost anyone and then there's the one from last weekend.
  • The offense has to develop some type of mid-level passing game. Everything seemed to be either dump offs or deep posts/go routes. With the offense you run, the intermediate routes would seem to be there as the safeties are sucked into run support.
  • DBs have to do a better job of playing the ball. They often seemed to have covered the receiver well only to have a catch completed because they didn't turn to play the ball.
  • Better tackling across the board. In several games, there were entirely too many missed tackles and yards after contact.

The positive is all of these things can be improved in the off-season and the team has a nice core to build around. I'm not familiar enough with GT's recruiting thus far to know if holes are being filled, but I would think next year would be a step forward.
 

tsrich

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
779
I think Louisville head coach Bob Petrino may leave for another head coaching job(Tennessee or somewhere else) when the season is up as well as losing the QB Jackson.:D Louisville may be coached by Jeff Brohm in 2018;) I think there's a good chance that Larry Fedora is canned at North Carolina after the 2018 season.
Carolina will be much better next year. They had an incredible run of bad luck injuries this season. I think at one point they had 20+ guys out, with 17 out for the season.
 

MikeJackets1967

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Lovely Ducktown,Tennessee
Speaking of future schedules, I was looking at our future opponents: http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-footbl/future-schedules.html

A few observations:
  • The next 2 years we're opening with an FCS+G5 in the first two weeks. Then there is a 2-3 week gap prior to playing another G5, meaning we'll likely squeeze 2 ACC games in prior to completing our non-conference slate (Georgia excluded).
  • We play Notre Dame back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021, presumably because we will have only played them once since the new ACC arrangement. The dates are already set... in 2020 we play ND at home on Nov 14, two weeks prior to Georgia. In 2021 we play at ND on Nov 20 i.e. the week prior to the Georgia game... no rest for the weary.
  • Best road trip of the next 10 years occurs in 2020 when we play @ Syracuse.
I'm looking forward to GT's game with Kennesaw State in 2020;):cool:
 

MikeJackets1967

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Lovely Ducktown,Tennessee
The schedule takes a huge step back after 2017s gauntlet. Replacing JSU with Alcorn, Tennessee with Bowling Green, and Wake Forest with Louisville. A real tune up game to start the season against Alcron state will be nice to develop depth and see how some of the young guys perform in games. Another big thing is the change in ACC scheduling we should only get one team coming off a bye and won't have to play fresh teams every other week.

Alcorn - W - With a lot of playing time for backups and walkons
Bowling Green - W - with more playing time for backups
USF - W - USF is currently a team of seniors and is going to be a completely different team in 2018. Will probably play us close for 3 quarters before we pull away
Pitt - W - Not the same team without Canada
Unc - W - Another year of big turnover for them probably will be back up to speed in 2019 if the fans give Fedora time
Virginia Tech - 50/50 - We both lose about the same number of starts
Lousiville - W - Jackson should be gone after this year. If he's back I have this as a loss as he's the type of qb Tech turns into career days for.
Miami - L - Will be better next year
Clemson - L - Too much of a talent gap on their Dline
Virginia - W - Games away from hooville.
Duke - W - No way we look past them after this year also won't have 3 weeks to prep for us
Georgia - ? - Rivalry game

So I have the team going 8-2 and 2 toss ups.
I think UGAG will be a toss up in 2018 the Dwags will miss Chubb and Michel.
 
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