Expectations for GT Football

[WreckinGT]

The problem with expecting a high number of wins is we have Georgia, Clemson and Notre Dame (in 2020 and 2021) which are Top 5 programs (they are far better than the teams even ten years ago). There have been very few times since the Dodd era where we have consistently defeated Top 5 teams. While our program has been decent in the past regimes, we have not been in the position to beat those quality of teams. With Notre Dame rolling off of the schedule in 2022 and 2023, getting to 8 or 9 wins should be realistic goal. Yes I know NC has gotten much better and Miami maybe. But the other teams on our schedule should be ones we can beat on a more consistent basis than we are currently. Our track record against Duke and Pittsburgh have been hard to swallow. Next year, our goal should be at least 6 wins and a bowl bid. We have got to make progress to provide us an avenue to first get our recruiting back to at least the the 2019/2020 class level and start making headway on getting some sidewalk fans (though I think that will realistically take more than 6 wins).

Notre Dame does roll off in 2022 but we also add UCF, Ole Miss, and FSU to the schedule. Its not going to be much easier if easier at all.

 

[RonJohn]

I disagree. Next year will be Year 3, meaning "his" recruits will be freshmen and sophomores (excluding transfers in). Yes, the roster is flipping, but they're still young. I think 2022 and 2023 are the critical years that recruits are going to be looking at for significant improvement. If 2021 doesn't reflect well with the W/L record, people will still be looking at what the staff is doing relative to roster building. I don't think seriously knowledgeable people will start to ask questions until after the 2022 season.

I think people will be asking questions next year if there isn't improvement. If the offense is still making too many mistakes. If the defense doesn't improve, or worse regresses again. If there are only 3 or fewer wins there will be some people questioning even if the offense, defense, and special teams show improvement.

If there are 3 or fewer wins, I think that will probably affect recruiting for the 2022 and 2023 class. How many guys are actually still left over vs how many were brought in by the current staff? How long will the marketing emphasis about rebuilding GT to former glory work if results don't at least start to be visible?

I want CGC to succeed, because I want GT to succeed. I don't think that there is any chance that CGC will be removed after next year. Even if there are zero wins, it would be too difficult for the athletic association to fire him. I just think that if it doesn't start trending upward that it will become more difficult to get it to trend up.

 

[augustabuzz]

That's "technically" true. His agent would submit all resumes, etc. Regardless of the piece of paper he may or may not have personally submitted, he allowed a lie to be perpetuated that he benefited from. It's still dishonest and still put a black eye on GT when it happened.

It wasn't his agent. They never asked and neither he nor his representatives submitted anything. When they needed cover, they looked into his bio which was always produced by SIDs at the time. Remember, Notre Dame pursued O'Leary in this case.

 

[gameface]

I heard an interview with O'leary in which he said ND got the information from the SID at Tech. O'Leary said the info may have come to the SID from a conversation at a cocktail party. ND did give him a job application to fill out, after he was hired, in which he put the correct information.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

It wasn't his agent. They never asked and neither he nor his representatives submitted anything. When they needed cover, they looked into his bio which was always produced by SIDs at the time. Remember, Notre Dame pursued O'Leary in this case.

It was still his fault. He admitted it himself later on. He knew it was there and never corrected it until AFTER he was caught. Same with the Masters degree lie.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

Back to aspirations. If we win only three next year, regardless of improvement, this board will be in turmoil.

 

[cthenrys]

Back to aspirations. If we win only three next year, regardless of improvement, this board will be in turmoil.

Not to mention the folks selling season tickets

 

[slugboy]

Instead of looking for a number of wins, I’d like to see the defense around top 50 in FEI or SP+ : I’d like them to look and play like a decent team defense. For the offensive, I’d like to see the line look solid across the front. I’d like to see the receivers involved and into the game.

I’d like to see us be middle of the ACC at least next year, and able to solidly beat Duke and Syracuse, and be at least even with most of the teams we play. I can understand having a hard time against Clemson, but we should give the rest of the conference a game.

 

[ncjacket79]

Instead of looking for a number of wins, I’d like to see the defense around top 50 in FEI or SP+ : I’d like them to look and play like a decent team defense. For the offensive, I’d like to see the line look solid across the front. I’d like to see the receivers involved and into the game.

I’d like to see us be middle of the ACC at least next year, and able to solidly beat Duke and Syracuse, and be at least even with most of the teams we play. I can understand having a hard time against Clemson, but we should give the rest of the conference a game.

I can buy this take.

 

[InsideLB]

Given where our program is now--needing help BADLY on the defensive front 7, OL, and at WR--my expectations for next year have gone up due to our success in the transfer portal.

4 of the 7 transfers have a ton of P5 experience/production. OL Cochran and DE White (who dominated VT & UVA) are pro-prospects. LB Ayinde was Maryland's 2nd leading tackler and has prototypical length/size for a Collins LB. WR McGowan led Northwestern in all-purpose yards. OT Pendley has played in 5 games in at Miss St and is still young--but has a couple of years of college S&C development. That's valuable depth/competition for the OL.

3 of the 7 transfers are defenders who don't have a lot of experience but were highly regarded recruits with good offers from p5 programs. DE Kevin Harris (Bama) & DB Kenyatta Watson (Texas) were elite recruits and are young, high ceiling kids with 1-2 years of development under their belt. Makius Scott is a solid DT prospect from USCe who has a year of development under his belt. Scott will have to play next year, ready or not. I'd be surprised if Harris doesn't play some too. He has the prototypical length Collins likes and is a better fit schematically for us than for Bama.

I don't think all our problems are magically solved or anything, but games are won and lost in the trenches. We have bolstered our trenches with some key additions that will make us more competitive next year. I don't know what I expect for wins but I do want to see us continue to get better in all aspects.

 

[buzzed]

two of those 5 seasons had 5 losses with an absolute hatred from any small school from a crap conference to get any votes into the top 25. another season had 4 losses.

in 2016, going 9-4 didnt even get us into the top 25.

Also O’Leary, who was a good coach with great assistants, had the benefit of a down uga and average ACC. The ACC had some of its strongest years ever while CPJ was here and uga was pretty consistently good or great almost every year. The ACC has been a pile of trash the past 2 seasons, and we’ve been at the bottom of that pile.

 

[MidtownJacket]

My biggest thing I want to see next season is that we know who we are and what we’re good at. Then that we execute to that scheme on both sides of the ball.
I agree with previous posters, saying that we got much needed help in the trenches and expect to see progression from our QB and that translate to a better ability to sustain drives and score in the red zone. We have studs at RB and with the on-appear improvement across the OLine I’m expecting to be more efficient in getting first downs and finishing drives.

On defense I’m expecting (and close to the point of demanding) we see better pressure + coverage from the middle of our defense. The DLine should be better acclimated to playing at a high D1 level and that should show up both places.

Given that, I agree saying the W/L matter less to me than improvement. That said IMHO, we gotta 6 Ws minimum if we want to avoid the feeling of our staff being unable to get it done without major shakeups.

 

[MountainBuzzMan]

Back to aspirations. If we win only three next year, regardless of improvement, this board will be in turmoil.

Or more of us will just stop caring Honestly you want the board in turmoil or there is a much bigger problem with the program and fan apathy than you already have.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Or more of us will just stop caring Honestly you want the board in turmoil or there is a much bigger problem with the program and fan apathy than you already have.

Nothing is more important in the third year than winning games. Win only three games again and turmoil will be the least of TStan's concerns. Wholesale apathy will be the end result with lots of former fans finding other things to do on Saturday afternoons.

 

[buzzed]

Nothing is more important in the third year than winning games. Win only three games again and turmoil will be the least of TStan's concerns. Wholesale apathy will be the end result with lots of former fans finding other things to do on Saturday afternoons.

I would guess the lack of results to this point is going to affect season ticket sales this year. If we don’t at least go to a bowl this year, I think we’ll really start to see fans and recruits losing faith in this staff.

 

[ncjacket79]

I would guess the lack of results to this point is going to affect season ticket sales this year. If we don’t at least go to a bowl this year, I think we’ll really start to see fans and recruits losing faith in this staff.

Fans maybe, we’ll see about recruits. My question has always been why Tech fans are so fair-weather. I mean we make fun of USCe but they show up no matter what. Pretty much the same with NC State. What’s the deal?

 

[buzzed]

Fans maybe, we’ll see about recruits. My question has always been why Tech fans are so fair-weather. I mean we make fun of USCe but they show up no matter what. Pretty much the same with NC State. What’s the deal?

I think part of it is the several decades of mostly feeling like you’ve been kicked in the nuts as a Tech fan. I would guess a lot of USC alums are from SC and stay there after graduation, whereas more of our alums are from elsewhere and more often leave GA after graduating. We’re a smaller school to start and then there’s the fact that there are other things to do in ATL. Also a relatively high percentage of Tech students just aren’t into football. We have to rely on sidewalk fans to make up the difference and they’re much more likely to be uga fans because of the whole winning games thing.

 

[Coloradojacket]

Fans maybe, we’ll see about recruits. My question has always been why Tech fans are so fair-weather. I mean we make fun of USCe but they show up no matter what. Pretty much the same with NC State. What’s the deal?

Then there are those of us who are fans through thick and thin. 52 years for me and my family has had tickets since the mid 1930s

 

[Sheboygan]

I disagree. Next year will be Year 3, meaning "his" recruits will be freshmen and sophomores (excluding transfers in). Yes, the roster is flipping, but they're still young. I think 2022 and 2023 are the critical years that recruits are going to be looking at for significant improvement. If 2021 doesn't reflect well with the W/L record, people will still be looking at what the staff is doing relative to roster building. I don't think seriously knowledgeable people will start to ask questions until after the 2022 season.

Well, I sincerely disagree with your assessment. Experience wise you are correct. But in year 3 when your team is consistently plagued by penalties , especially false starts and other lack of concentration types. Your placekicking , including basic blocking for it , has shown little improvement. Game after game the team( players and coaches ) appears
unprepared and confused when teams throw a wrinkle in their scheme. When faced with 1 week prep time, we play horribly, with 2 weeks , or more we play much better. Have our young players gained that much more experience in 2 weeks ?? Seriously, it's coaching man ! And next year will tell the tale.I not asking for the ACC championship, I am to win 5 games a year, in year 3 of this rebuild. If we can't do that will the recruits and transfers- and coaches- CGC has assembled , then I think we will be in trouble. We will know in about 9-10 months.

 

[Sheboygan]

Then there are those of us who are fans through thick and thin. 52 years for me and my family has had tickets since the mid 1930s

I was a student in the 60's and 70's and lived in Atlanta after graduation until 1989. Now 31 years in Wisconsin, and I still live or die on ( mostly ) Saturdays when my Jackets are playing. If CGC falls flat - which I pray he doesn't- I will always be a HUGE fan.