A Golden Era of GT Football?

[Techster]

Everyone is probably still euphoric about the big win yesterday against the team we love to hate 24/7/365, but take a moment to think about this:

This team is set up to have special seasons for the foreseeable future. We went 10-2 with a young team decimated by attrition to start the season. Instead of making excuses, CPJ and the team went to work, worked out the kinks as the season went along, and now we're going to play the #1 team in the nation for the ACC Championship.

Over the next two seasons, we'll have our stud QB, a maturing and dominant OL that's going to get deeper with size/talent/athleticism, our DE position is going to be deep with talented guys being blooded this year, and our recruiting class this year is filled with dynamic playmakers.

It sounds like CPJ will be here for a while if the reported extension is true, and I expect the quality of our recruits to match if not exceed what we're seeing with the 2015 class. Unlike the 2008 and 2009 seasons where the team depended on the previous staff's players that the current staff couldn't replace, the program is at a point where there is quality players being groomed behind the starters, and more quality talent is being recruited.

Lots of things can happen over the next few seasons, but you have to be comforted a bit knowing we're set up to have prolonged success.

Now back to celebrating this year...

 

[awbuzz]

Things are looking good for the future. (While I'm always disappointed after any GT loss, I'll be ecstatic if we win 10 or more games next year too).

 

[dmurdock]

I truly believe that when all is said and done, JeT will be talked about in the same category as Lil Joe. We need to enjoy and appreciate what we have here for the next 2 years.

We lose a lot of senior skill position players on offense this year, but we return the most important (QB) and the vast majority of the offensive line. I think a Miami fan summed it up best: the Miami offense is designed to allow playmakers to use their athleticism to make plays whereas our offensive system is designed so that the system creates positive plays. Smelter will be the most difficult to replace, but we will be fine at BB and AB.

Something that has been lost this year with our defense is that Roof's biggest impact on our defense will be his recruiting. Once he starts getting better players over there he will suddenly look like a much better DC. He has done a wonderful job this year when considering what he had to work with on the DL.

We won't be in CFP this year but if we finish strong in the ACCCG and Orange Bowl, we are setting ourselves up for next year. Finish in the top 10 this year, start next year in the top 10 preseason, and take care of a schedule that includes non-coastal games against Clemson, FSU, ND, & ugag, and we will be one of the media darlings next year.

 

[RamblinCharger]

I truly believe that when all is said and done, JeT will be talked about in the same category as Lil Joe. We need to enjoy and appreciate what we have here for the next 2 years.

We lose a lot of senior skill position players on offense this year, but we return the most important (QB) and the vast majority of the offensive line. I think a Miami fan summed it up best: the Miami offense is designed to allow playmakers to use their athleticism to make plays whereas our offensive system is designed so that the system creates positive plays. Smelter will be the most difficult to replace, but we will be fine at BB and AB.

Something that has been lost this year with our defense is that Roof's biggest impact on our defense will be his recruiting. Once he starts getting better players over there he will suddenly look like a much better DC. He has done a wonderful job this year when considering what he had to work with on the DL.

We won't be in CFP this year but if we finish strong in the ACCCG and Orange Bowl, we are setting ourselves up for next year. Finish in the top 10 this year, start next year in the top 10 preseason, and take care of a schedule that includes non-coastal games against Clemson, FSU, ND, & ugag, and we will be one of the media darlings next year.

I didn't like the roof hire, but once we started playing aggressive it changed everything. I have been really impressed with what we've been able to do the last 5 weeks or so. I hope we don't stop the aggressive play next year due to better DL play. I think we'll be okay next year at WR. Someone will step up. We have some good talent there that just hasn't played much because we have 2 guys that will be playing on Sunday's most likely. (I think Waller should put on some weight and be a TE), but I'm looking forward to the ACCCG because we could squeeze into the playoff if things fall our way.

 

[Minawreck]

It will hinge on our standing in the ACC and UGA 2015 IMO. That game could be the ultimate turning point. We could be looking at a relatively easy schedule in 2016, with some serious hype and set up real well to make a run in 2016.

Next season I expect some growing pains in the edge blocking game. Also we may get some staff poached.

 

[DTGT]

we will be one of the media darlings next year.

 

[GTJake]

IMO, regardless of how we fair in the ACCCG, we must win the Bowl game. I think national perception of the GT program is changing and we are being noticed, we can't have it hinge back in the wrong direction.

 

[awbuzz]

winning the Orange Bowl will make a big difference in perception.

 

[UgaBlows]

We got it cooking in all phases right now, i am so stoked about the future of GT football!

 

[Animal02]

Everyone is probably still euphoric about the big win yesterday against the team we love to hate 24/7/365, but take a moment to think about this:

This team is set up to have special seasons for the foreseeable future. We went 10-2 with a young team decimated by attrition to start the season. Instead of making excuses, CPJ and the team went to work, worked out the kinks as the season went along, and now we're going to play the #1 team in the nation for the ACC Championship.

And one (non) tipped pass and a blown call by the refs (butt scooch) away from being undefeated......

 

[4shotB]

Lots of things can happen over the next few seasons, but you have to be comforted a bit knowing we're set up to have prolonged success.

Now back to celebrating this year...

I enjoy the rare wins over Uga. But I agree with some of the points made in this thread and others...equally as important as the W itself is the sense that the win was not an outlier but rather an indicator of progress and growth within the program. our players did not appear to be physically overmatched as they have in the past and that speaks well to the future. In a 10 game series with them, I think we would hold our own. and that IS progress indeed.

 

[AE 87]

I hope I get this right, but if I don't, go to the 35:25 minute of this video from after the Clemson game:

 

[orientalnc]

When you look at what CPJ has done at perhaps the #1 public university in the nation, it's really remarkable. We are always moaning about how hard it is to recruit against the factory schools (uga included) due to their rather ordinary academic requirements, and rightly so. But consider this: Mark Richt has averaged 9.0 wins during the CPJ era. Johnson has averaged 8.3. And the gap could still close by season's end.

While there have been disappointments during those years, I look back on them as being the "good times" at Tech. Yeah, Dodd, Ross and O'Leary had some great seasons at Tech. However, Dodd averaged 7.3 wins (adjusted for a 12 game schedule), Ross 6.2, and O'Leary 7.4.

The future at Tech is bright and this thread is spot on to emphasize that future. Bobinski seems to be very supportive of the athletic programs, the Blewitt buy is ending soon, and fans are starting to realize what a great program we have at Tech.

Remember. 80-73. 30-24. Silence is Golden. THWG.

 

[BainbridgeJacket]

We are losing some key seniors which I'm sure we can reflect on in the offseason. I'm not sure we'll be any better next year than we are this year and the win column may not reflect it even if we are, that's kind of how football goes sometimes. I think we're headed in a positive direction and our recruiting is steadily improving. When we first took the field yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to see that we were pretty much the same size as the Georgie team which hasn't been the case for a while. We've still got a talent gap to close there and the mental curse isn't broken, but our team is getting bigger, faster, stronger and we're going to start consistently winning the close games that we lost from 2010-2013.

 

[redmule]

We are losing a lot of seniors, true. But the OL that dominated yesterday, the best QB we've had since 2001, and most of the D that is on the verge of being great, will be back. Skill players are nice, are usually plentiful, and can be plugged in easily. That OL you saw on the field yesterday was the result of a multi year effort, and it ain't going anywhere.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I read this post a few hours ago and had to think about it. We are way premature in saying this is the dawning of a new age. It's not clear what will happen in the future. Most programs can't sustain this type of success. It'll be fun to enjoy the ride.

But what we can say is that if we close out the last two games with one or two wins (maintaining our current J Howell power ranking of .803), this will have been the best post-Dodd team since the 1990 team (my avatar).

Year; JHowell Ranking; J Howell Power Ranking; Coach
1952; 1; 0.967; Bobby Dodd (45-66)
1928; 1; 0.947; John Alexander (20-44)
1956; 1; 0.930; Bobby Dodd (45-66)
1951; 1; 0.929; Bobby Dodd (45-66)
1916; 1; 0.923; John Heisman (04-19)
1920; 2; 0.905; John Alexander (20-44)
1915; 2; 0.903; John Heisman (04-19)
1917; 8; 0.892; John Heisman (04-19)
1955; 4; 0.885; Bobby Dodd (45-66)
1990; 1; 0.881; Bobby Ross (87-91)
1939; 8; 0.850; John Alexander (20-44)
1927; 3; 0.843; John Alexander (20-44)
1966; 7; 0.841; Bobby Dodd (45-66)
1947; 6; 0.840; Bobby Dodd (45-66)
1946; 8; 0.836; Bobby Dodd (45-66)
1962; 8; 0.835; Bobby Dodd (45-66)
1942; 3; 0.831; John Alexander (20-44)
1921; 9; 0.812; John Alexander (20-44)
1919; 5; 0.809; John Heisman (04-19)
1954; 8; 0.809; Bobby Dodd (45-66)