ESPN: Position that needs improvement: Georgia Tech

CuseJacket · Jan 30, 2015

Not a big surprise here...

ESPN: Position that needs improvement: Georgia Tech

Position to improve: Defensive line

Eric · Jan 30, 2015

Simmons, Freeman, Merriweather, Glanton, Henderson, Morgan, Saint-Amour and Sellers...I think we moving in the right direction going forward.

Tech93 · Jan 30, 2015

Think Whitehead will make a big difference in our pass rush too.

Eric · Jan 30, 2015

Tech93 said:
Think Whitehead will make a big difference in our pass rush too.

I was counting only Fr and So.

AlabamaBuzz · Jan 30, 2015

Who knew? (sarcasm)

bravejason · Jan 30, 2015

Nowhere to go but up. I've decided that while that phrase may be true, it is also true that going from 108th ranked to 107th ranked is going up, though it hardly meets the level of improvement implied by the phrase. We've heard this tune for several seasons now. While I'm confident that the trajectory for the defense is pointing up, I'm just not sure about the angle or the launch velocity.

The defense needs a pretty big boost in its basic performance level for the team to reach double digit wins again. The team turnover margin will probably come back close to zero, there probably won't be any forced fumbles at the goal line next season, and the offense will certainly regress a bit from its near record setting 3rd down performance.

Longestday · Jan 30, 2015

Who is the future of strong side DE?

Eric · Jan 30, 2015

Longestday said:
Who is the future of strong side DE?

Merriweather or Amour.

GT_Johnnybodkin · Jan 30, 2015

Eric said:
Merriweather or Amour.

Freeman on one end and Amour on the other would be nasty. Add in Vic alexander and that would take a ton of pressure off of our DBs

OldJacketFan · Jan 30, 2015

bravejason said:
Nowhere to go but up. I've decided that while that phrase may be true, it is also true that going from 108th ranked to 107th ranked is going up, though it hardly meets the level of improvement implied by the phrase. We've heard this tune for several seasons now. While I'm confident that the trajectory for the defense is pointing up, I'm just not sure about the angle or the launch velocity.

The defense needs a pretty big boost in its basic performance level for the team to reach double digit wins again. The team turnover margin will probably come back close to zero, there probably won't be any forced fumbles at the goal line next season, and the offense will certainly regress a bit from its near record setting 3rd down performance.

Why?

slugboy · Jan 30, 2015

I'm not sure why we're expecting so much out of our incoming freshman immediately when we've got some redshirt players (and players like Whitehead) who've been getting ready for a year or more.

It took KeShun half the year to get on the field last season. Since our schedule is back-loaded, maybe that works out well to get more players ready for the big games.

Northeast Stinger · Jan 30, 2015

slugboy said:
I'm not sure why we're expecting so much out of our incoming freshman immediately when we've got some redshirt players (and players like Whitehead) who've been getting ready for a year or more.

It took KeShun half the year to get on the field last season. Since our schedule is back-loaded, maybe that works out well to get more players ready for the big games.

I liked how much experience a lot of our young players got in the Orange Bowl. That had to help them on several levels, not just the competition level but the motivation to get back to another big bowl game this season.

Faulkner475 · Jan 30, 2015

OldJacketFan said:
Why?

Because negative Tech fan is negative. Last year, after three games, there were otherwise perfectly sensible people pondering whether the bowl streak would continue. I don't know if this happens with other teams, but a very noticeable and loud portion of the Tech fanbase is always 100% convinced that the worst case scenario will come to pass. Will the offense regress? Probably, although it's possible to regress and still be the best offense in the country. Will the defense improve? It almost has to, and while yes, 108th to 107th would be a technical improvement, I don't think that's the most likely scenario. It's ok to believe that the team is good, people.

Northeast Stinger · Jan 30, 2015

Faulkner475 said:
It's ok to believe that the team is good, people.

That's right! Breathe in, breathe out, smile and let yourself begin to believe that you are good enough and smart enough and people like you.

Tech may not have been the best team in the country last year but they could hang with anyone. Not only nothing to be ashamed of, Tech promises to show more of the same this season.

OldJacketFan · Jan 30, 2015

Northeast Stinger said:
That's right! Breathe in, breathe out, smile and let yourself begin to believe that you are good enough and smart enough and people like you.

Tech may not have been the best team in the country last year but they could hang with anyone. Not only nothing to be ashamed of, Tech promises to show more of the same this season.

Ain't it the flipping truth!!!!

Eric · Jan 30, 2015

slugboy said:
I'm not sure why we're expecting so much out of our incoming freshman immediately when we've got some redshirt players (and players like Whitehead) who've been getting ready for a year or more.

It took KeShun half the year to get on the field last season. Since our schedule is back-loaded, maybe that works out well to get more players ready for the big games.

He was a starter by game 3.

He really made a impact from the start...4 tackles vs Wofford, Sack vs Tulane, 4 tackles vs GSU, 5 tackles and a half sack vs VT, 1 sack vs Miami, 6 tackles vs Duke.

In the first 6 games he had 22 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

Boomergump · Jan 30, 2015

Eric said:
He was a starter by game 3.

He really made a impact from the start...4 tackles vs Wofford, Sack vs Tulane, 4 tackles vs GSU, 5 tackles and a half sack vs VT, 1 sack vs Miami, 6 tackles vs Duke.

In the first 6 games he had 22 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

I wonder what "getting on the field" means nowadays.

GTNavyNuke · Jan 30, 2015

bravejason said:
..........The team turnover margin will probably come back close to zero, there probably won't be any forced fumbles at the goal line next season, and the offense will certainly regress a bit from its near record setting 3rd down performance.

Fumble recoveries do regress back to 50% of those lost, but if you defend a lot more passes and force a lot more fumbles, you will consistently have a positive turnover ratio.

I was going to do a lot of work (again) on this but here is a fabulous Bill Connelly article that shows that while we were a little lucky this year, 8.7 of our 11 turnovers were "earned". So we are likely to only get +9 turnovers next year if we play the same. As long as we do it against UGAg, I'm fine!

http://www.footballstudyhall.com/2015/1/30/7947287/college-football-turnover-luck-2014-tcu-oklahoma

slugboy · Jan 30, 2015

Eric said:
He was a starter by game 3.

He really made a impact from the start...4 tackles vs Wofford, Sack vs Tulane, 4 tackles vs GSU, 5 tackles and a half sack vs VT, 1 sack vs Miami, 6 tackles vs Duke.

In the first 6 games he had 22 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

Well, guess I got that wrong.

Whiskey_Clear · Jan 30, 2015

I'm not counting Chungong out at SDE.

ESPN: Position that needs improvement: Georgia Tech

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