Atomic Picks Us to Go 9-3

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

It is unreasonable to refuse the term "great" to Hamilton based on whether he made it as a NFL QB. You can't possibly think that Tech fans love Hamilton and consider him great because of what he did after leaving Tech, can you? Then why try and knock him on grounds that wholly isolate your opinion from every other Tech fan?

Runners-up to Heisman's are frequently the very greatest of the great, just as a nominated "best picture" film can be far superior to the film that actually won the Oscar. The winner too often wins based on "politics" just as Dayne did when he was given the Heisman. Hamilton was a superior college talent and player to Dayne and had a superior college career to him as well. And they are still both college HOF'ers. In other words, Joe Hamilton was great.

I always felt Lothridge should have been the winner over Staubach. In those days the tagline was "most valuable to their team" not the best college player. Lothridge was a damn good quarterback, plus he was the place kicker and our punter--and not too shabby at anything they asked him to do. Won a few games too.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Another prognosticator:

Link:
http://thepowerrank.com/cfb-preseason-win-probabilities-2014/

The predictions are all over the road, that is for sure. Unfortunately we seem to be picked consistently 4th place or below. As the season approaches, the game in Blacksburg takes on more and more significance in my mind.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Thanks for the reply. I had never seen Atomic's predictions before. Is there a way to review their previous yearly predictions?

Just by going to http://www.knology.net/jashburn/football/af-ratings.html and searching. To me, the "better" prediction services change frequrently. So if you go with one with a good record, one is as good as another.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

The predictions are all over the road, that is for sure. Unfortunately we seem to be picked consistently 4th place or below. As the season approaches, the game in Blacksburg takes on more and more significance in my mind.

Just like last year, the road to the ACCCG runs through VT and Miami games. We will know pretty well after Miami our chances of winning the ACCCG. THe schedule is very nice to us: at VT after three warm ups and a week off and then Miami (tougher game) in ATL.

 

[Nook Su Kow]

I hate to be a heretic around here, but, when it comes to it, Joe Hamilton wasn't all that great either. He was a great college player who never made it in the pros. What Joe had in common with Boyd is that a) they both are the career passing leaders at their schools and b) they both won a lot of football games. Missing your career leading passer and your best WR ever almost defines a gaping hole in your O. And, I might add, from what I saw last year Clempson doesn't have a Godsey waiting in the wings.

But, like the physicists say, why think when you can experiment? We'll start running that right soon now.

Whoa there, guy. Don't be talking bad bout Lil Joe.

 

[Nook Su Kow]

I don't know anyone that witnessed Lil Joe in person and didn't use the word great. He was more than great.

Season ticket holder during Joes years, and yea he was more than great

 

[OldJacketFan]

Anybody that doesn't use the adjective great when talking about Joe never saw him play, it's that simple. FSU threw EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink (and I'm not sure they didn't use it) to stop Joe and simply could not do it. Drew Brees was a good collegiate QB, he's a helluva lot better as a pro!

 

[jeffgt14]

I've been liking every post that defends Lil' Joe.

 

[zhavenor]

Anybody that doesn't use the adjective great when talking about Joe never saw him play, it's that simple. FSU threw EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink (and I'm not sure they didn't use it) to stop Joe and simply could not do it. Drew Brees was a good collegiate QB, he's a helluva lot better as a pro!

Not saying anything about Joe but Drew Brees was better than a good College QB. He took Purdue to the Rose Bowl. Brees is an all time great.

 

[jeffgt14]

Not saying anything about Joe but Drew Brees was better than a good College QB. He took Purdue to the Rose Bowl. Brees is an all time great.

Drew Brees is a freak of nature in probably the most non athletic way someone could be.

 

[CTJacket]

It is unreasonable to refuse the term "great" to Hamilton based on whether he made it as a NFL QB. You can't possibly think that Tech fans love Hamilton and consider him great because of what he did after leaving Tech, can you? Then why try and knock him on grounds that wholly isolate your opinion from every other Tech fan?

Runners-up to Heisman's are frequently the very greatest of the great, just as a nominated "best picture" film can be far superior to the film that actually won the Oscar. The winner too often wins based on "politics" just as Dayne did when he was given the Heisman. Hamilton was a superior college talent and player to Dayne and had a superior college career to him as well. And they are still both college HOF'ers. In other words, Joe Hamilton was great.

Exactly. Plus it's not like Dayne went on to have a stellar NFL career.

 

[00Burdell]

Drew Brees is a freak of nature in probably the most non athletic way someone could be.

Not sure I understand what you are trying to say.

There is an interesting profile of Drew Brees in Men's Health mag from a few years ago that might shed some light on the matter. My takeaway from the article is that he works out like an animal and his will to win is 2nd to none. He might not look like a Greek statue but it would be a major mischaracterization to suggest he's not an athlete.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Brees has uncanny accuracy, it's really unbelievable. He's been compared to dart throwers, marksmen and archers only he's better. Watch this:

 

[takethepoints]

Well, I knew I'd get some flack about what I said about Joe. Who, btw, I watched at every home game he ever played at Tech. And who I miss to this day. He'd be absolute murder in the present O.

The point I wanted to make is that Boyd was every bit as great a QB for the Tiggers as Joe was for us. Sooooo … if Boyd was no great shakes, then neither was Joe. Could have made the point clearer, obviously.

 

[awbuzz]

That Brees video was impressive!

 

[jeffgt14]

Not sure I understand what you are trying to say.

There is an interesting profile of Drew Brees in Men's Health mag from a few years ago that might shed some light on the matter. My takeaway from the article is that he works out like an animal and his will to win is 2nd to none. He might not look like a Greek statue but it would be a major mischaracterization to suggest he's not an athlete.

Haha yea that's not what I was implying. Usually you refer to freaks of nature as guys who are extremely big and fast like the Calvin Johnsons and Clowney's of the world. I was just suggesting that Brees is a freak of nature in exactly the way you posted.

 

[iceeater1969]

I was at senior bowl and the passing accuracy of acc qb's - Boyd, Thomas, and I think the qb from miami was terrible.
Totally over rated. When pressured their passes sailed and when wide open they were often off target.

 

[bke1984]

No, not different from any other year. Some one just said they couldn't understand the hoopla about Clemson, then 33Jacket said Dabo recruits awfully well, and I just chimed in. Someday, may this fall, Clemson is going to cease "clemsoning" and run the table. In 2008 and 2009 we lampooned Dabo. They have gotten better, we have fizzled. The big reason is they get better players. I don't think for a minute that they have a superior staff, but how many decades has it been since we had a player like Vic Beasly, or Da'Quan Bowers or Gaines Adams?

Come on, really? You can point to stars all day long, but true talent translates to NFL football plays. Since your examples are defensive players (defensive linemen nonetheless), I'll focus on defense....Clemson has less defensive players in the NFL right now than Tech does (see below). Granted, some of these guys just got there, so they might not be there long, but it's not like Clemson is fielding incredibly better athletes across the board than we are. Plus, since you singled out d-linemen, what about Vance Walker, Derrick Morgan, and Michael Johnson? Those are three solid D-Linemen.

Their offense has been very good the past few years, but losing Boyd and Watkins is going to hurt. Don't be surprised if the pups beat them by 20+ points in the opener.

Current Georgia Tech NFL defensive players (16):
Jeremiah Attoachu
T.J. Barnes
Morgan Burnett
Mario Butler
Euclid Cummings
Emmanuel Dieke
Michael Johnson
Dawan Landry
Derrick Morgan
Daryl Smith
Rod Sweeting
Jemea Thomas
Vance Walker
Brandon Watts
Phillip Wheeler
Louis Young

Curren Clemson NFL defensive players (15)
Bashaud Breeland

Crezdon Butler
Byron Maxwell
Coty Sensabaugh
Jonathan Meeks
Da'Quan Bowers
Andre Branch
Kourtnei Brown
Malliciah Goodman
Jarvis Jenkins
Brandon Thompson
Kavell Conner
Jonathan Willard
Chris Clemons
Marcus Gilchrist

 

[Techster]

Lil Joe was not all that good his R-Fr year, in fact he was almost benched. He made strides his sophomore year and you could see flashes of greatness. His JR and SR year was when he made legendary status. What helped him out was a great OC that was probably ahead of his time in Ralph Friedgen. The guy did 20 years ago what coaches are starting to do now: Implement option principals into a "pro" style offense. Loved that offense. CRF took Hamilton's strengths and molded the offense around it. We saw the results and it was pretty unstoppable during Hamilton's last two seasons.

 

[Boomergump]

I guess everyone's definition of "great" is a little bit different. For me personally, if you were arguably the best player in the country on a certain year and you made the CFB HOF, then you were great.