Always darkest before the dawn

[forensicbuzz]

When Colllins was named I thought it was a miserable hire - two years HC at Temple with an average w-l record and what I thought from viewing two games from Youtube as a bad offense - but vowed I was going to keep my mouth shut and give him his chance with his "dream job". I was a Johnson fan, still am, but I always got it that not everybody likes his offense, and that he had troubles recruiting QBs for it, and would never get the great tailbacks. I think it is cool and my turn-on these days is Army, though Navy just squshed them like a bug. I mean, who can't admire a coach who in the midst of a "pass more" push, particularly on third down, notes if it is "just four or five yards I can run for that"?

I think I kept the faith, through a series of self-serving anti-Johnson quotes by Collins, including one about having the biggest rebuilding job in the history of college football. I figure a football coach has the right to be outrageously stupid at least once a season, but Collins pushes it. I was teetering and cracked before Georgia beat up on us, 55-0, but worse, acted sorry for us in the process. I don't want anybody's damn sympathy or pity. I want to compete and leave 'em with a bloody nose when it is over.

But it wasn't just Georgia. It seemed to be everybody. Now looking at the 2022 schedule, other than Duke and maybe Western Carolina, it looks hopeless. Winning three is optimistic and what does that say?

So it is time for Collins to go, and I don't care if the next coach runs a single wing or the ND box. Inspire the troops, fill them with hope and enthusiasm, get them playing hard on every play, bring the passion back. But Collins has to be on the next bus out of town, back to his new job every two years routine. Seven years of this guy wipes out, erases, Georgia Tech football. Clemson might be do that in the first game. I am beyond dejected.

I too liked CPJ and what he was able to do. I didn't necessarily like his offense, but I liked HIM running HIS offense. That being said, I was cautiously optimistic with CGC and crew coming in. I heard from Day 1 that CDP was woefully inadequate and that we needed a "real" OC.

In the end, I came to realize that although "the biggest transition in college football history" was hyperbole, the transition from one type of OL blocking to the total reverse was going to take time. The body type and approach for one was diametrically opposed to the other. Therefore, our biggest transition was going to be on the OL. We had some guys that I thought could make that transition and others that would never be what we needed, so when we went into the portal of OL, I understood. I don't think we got what we needed from the portal, and I don't think we were able to transition successfully some of those OL players that stayed. Whether that is coaching, ability, size, strength, health, etc., I don't know. I'm still waiting for one of our OL experts to comment on this. But, I believe we've been recruiting well for our OL (although we got none with the 2019 class, so we're only two years into OL recruiting. ANYONE who thinks we should be competitive with freshmen and sophomores across the OL are seriously out of their mind and doesn't understand how football works.

So, I think this offense is going to rise and fall with the success of the OL. I hope our new OC will look at ways to help the OL be more successful, but I still think the OL is 1-2 years from being where it needs to be. If CGC and crew are able to survive until our OL matures, I think we will see a significant jump in our offensive output and efficiency.

Now, on Defense, I really don't know what the problem is. I was a D-Secondary guy, so I understand what I was looking at, and didn't like it. It seemed like Popavich and Burton never talked or game-planned. It seemed the safeties and the corners were on totally different pages, at times. I also didn't understand why we were dropping certain DE's and LB's into coverage when it was clear they didn't have the foot-speed necessary to cover the receiver (whether that was a TE, slot, HB, or RB). So, to me, there seemed to be a scheme issue and a communication issue. I don't know why those two issues seemed to get worse each year instead of better.

So, here's me as an optimist: I think our O will be better next year and I hope our D will be better. I have faith that CGC understands what needs to happen to make a defense work and I have faith that CGC is going to let our new OC do his thing, which he should be able to do successfully. Although we lost a lot in the backfield, I think finding capable running backs should not be an issue. We're not necessarily going to have homerun threats like Gibbs, but I think we'll always be able to get serviceable RB's. On Defense, I have no idea. I think we will be better next year, I just don't know how much. I think we could easily double our win output from this year (I also think we could have won twice as many games as we did this year; we just didn't).

 

[Backstreetbuzz]

GT has been on a downward slide since 2010. We did have a couple of good years, but the overall trend, especially in talent, was downward. It has caught up with us. I think CGC’s recruiting will begin to turn this around, if he and his coaches can coach better. However, college football is not the same as it was 20 or even 10 years ago. Being relevant for GT now means going 7-5 or 8-4 with slightly better results maybe once in maybe 10-15 years. We just do not have the money or the fan support to compete against the top teams.

 

[D-man44]

Unfortunately dawn seems a long long time away! How long if ever will Tech be relevant even in the ACC?

Actually it is darkest in the middle of the night

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Unfortunately dawn seems a long long time away! How long if ever will Tech be relevant even in the ACC?

If the ACC was not so full of dysfunctional programs to one degree or another, I would surmise a long time but in the Coastal going from also ran basement dweller to "elite" can happen in one season. The Coastal defines mediocrity in so many ways.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

GT has been on a downward slide since 2010. We did have a couple of good years, but the overall trend, especially in talent, was downward. It has caught up with us. I think CGC’s recruiting will begin to turn this around, if he and his coaches can coach better. However, college football is not the same as it was 20 or even 10 years ago. Being relevant for GT now means going 7-5 or 8-4 with slightly better results maybe once in maybe 10-15 years. We just do not have the money or the fan support to compete against the top teams.

7 wins? 8 wins? Your optimism does you credit, not that I share it for a moment.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Actually it is darkest in the middle of the night

Au contraire, mon ami it is darkest after 3 consecutive 3 win seasons.

 

[UgaBlows]

GT has been on a downward slide since 2010. We did have a couple of good years, but the overall trend, especially in talent, was downward. It has caught up with us. I think CGC’s recruiting will begin to turn this around, if he and his coaches can coach better. However, college football is not the same as it was 20 or even 10 years ago. Being relevant for GT now means going 7-5 or 8-4 with slightly better results maybe once in maybe 10-15 years. We just do not have the money or the fan support to compete against the top teams.

Cincinnati gives me a little sliver of hope on that, it seems like it is still possible to catch lightening in a bottle every once in a while

 

[swampsting]

There's no guarantee there will be a dawn. Could stay dark for a long time.

 

[randerto]

Unfortunately dawn seems a long long time away! How long if ever will Tech be relevant even in the ACC?

I'm choosing to reallocate (and increase) my GT Athletic donations from Football to Baseball where we are very relevant. Current trends in football do not create any optimism...

 

[iceeater1969]

I too liked CPJ and what he was able to do. I didn't necessarily like his offense, but I liked HIM running HIS offense. That being said, I was cautiously optimistic with CGC and crew coming in. I heard from Day 1 that CDP was woefully inadequate and that we needed a "real" OC.

In the end, I came to realize that although "the biggest transition in college football history" was hyperbole, the transition from one type of OL blocking to the total reverse was going to take time. The body type and approach for one was diametrically opposed to the other. Therefore, our biggest transition was going to be on the OL. We had some guys that I thought could make that transition and others that would never be what we needed, so when we went into the portal of OL, I understood. I don't think we got what we needed from the portal, and I don't think we were able to transition successfully some of those OL players that stayed. Whether that is coaching, ability, size, strength, health, etc., I don't know. I'm still waiting for one of our OL experts to comment on this. But, I believe we've been recruiting well for our OL (although we got none with the 2019 class, so we're only two years into OL recruiting. ANYONE who thinks we should be competitive with freshmen and sophomores across the OL are seriously out of their mind and doesn't understand how football works.

So, I think this offense is going to rise and fall with the success of the OL. I hope our new OC will look at ways to help the OL be more successful, but I still think the OL is 1-2 years from being where it needs to be. If CGC and crew are able to survive until our OL matures, I think we will see a significant jump in our offensive output and efficiency.

Now, on Defense, I really don't know what the problem is. I was a D-Secondary guy, so I understand what I was looking at, and didn't like it. It seemed like Popavich and Burton never talked or game-planned. It seemed the safeties and the corners were on totally different pages, at times. I also didn't understand why we were dropping certain DE's and LB's into coverage when it was clear they didn't have the foot-speed necessary to cover the receiver (whether that was a TE, slot, HB, or RB). So, to me, there seemed to be a scheme issue and a communication issue. I don't know why those two issues seemed to get worse each year instead of better.

So, here's me as an optimist: I think our O will be better next year and I hope our D will be better. I have faith that CGC understands what needs to happen to make a defense work and I have faith that CGC is going to let our new OC do his thing, which he should be able to do successfully. Although we lost a lot in the backfield, I think finding capable running backs should not be an issue. We're not necessarily going to have homerun threats like Gibbs, but I think we'll always be able to get serviceable RB's. On Defense, I have no idea. I think we will be better next year, I just don't know how much. I think we could easily double our win output from this year (I also think we could have won twice as many games as we did this year; we just didn't).

Well said.
Except for first 2 sentences abot Coach Johnson and his offense.
I loved the Cpj hire.
I loved the offense.

Orange bowl against Iowa -- Todd Spencer sold me seats for me and customers among the big folks.
I moved to fla and i come to every game to watch the ol.

That said Coach could have adapted a little passing. He could have occasionally tried more aggressive defense. But he is coach

To summarize the rest of your post.

A poor ol w young qb s is a losing proposition = 2020
A great ol w experienced skill position players is a garanteed success.
Gt 2014
PITT 2020.

I am slightly hopeful for signs of good by second half 22.

 

[RabidJacket]

Without a greatly improved defense, next year will probably be a carbon copy of this year. Good teams have good defenses and this year was the absolute worse I've seen at Tech--ZERO interceptions when every team threw without hindrance. No pass rush. Say what you will about the OL but to be competitive the D must be greatly improved.