Well, to be fair, if you throw out The Citadel loss I think you have to throw out the Miami win. UM literally handed us that game. They missed 3 field goals that would have ended the game, and the game ended on a controversial 4th down spot.
I think 3-9 is representative of the season GT had as a whole. Sure, there could’ve been 4 or maybe 5 wins. But in all actuality, the team was 2 controversial ball spots from being 1-11. On top of getting lucky and playing NC State after they had their insane injury trouble. Last year’s team could’ve just as easily (probably easier) went 0-12 or 1-11 as they could 4-8 or 5-7. Now, we all know that we had as much injury trouble as anybody, but that happens in football, as seen at NC State.
Setting expectations at 6-5 is a dangerous game. We still barely have over a year of game and practice experience in the new offensive scheme. That would be a big deal in a normal coaching shift, much less what’s being asked of Tech’s personnel. I’m still only confident in 3 wins, but think 4 is well within reach, and that’s how many wins I voted for in the poll.
The 2 biggest factors that I see in Tech getting above my personal 4 win plateau are: returning experience, and new faces (both transfers and freshmen). Not only is Tech returning the most starters in the country, the new faces will be among the most impactful in the conference IMO. Clayton and Gibbs are the obvious 2, but you also have Ezzard and Johnson, along with the freshmen QBs (+Yates who would also be considered a new face). I made a point in an earlier comment on a different thread that Tech’s returning production would be magnified even more this year because of lack of practice time. Plugging in a new guy with this little time can make a transition difficult. I’m eager to get the season underway, because I think it’s absolutely within the realm of possibility to rattle off 5+ wins, but I won’t hold my breath about it.
