Expectations for the 2021 season

MidtownJacket

MidtownJacket

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BCJacket said:
My optimism for this season is going way up. Maybe I'm drinking gold koolaid by the pitcherful. It's a tough schedule, we're not going to win every game. But I do believe we're going to compete in some games no one is expecting us to be in.

It sounds like Eley and Quez are answers at LB and Tatum is getting a lot of buzz. The secondary is deep. The DL has a mix of experience and talent that just needs to gel. But most importantly IMHO: Everything that's coming out about the OL seems very positive. We have size, experience and depth on the OL we haven't had since I can remember.

Evidently, Kenny Cooper has won the starting left guard spot. He's been bitten by the injury bug the last couple seasons. But recall, he was a guy who started games as a True Fr back in 2016. Started every game the next two years. He's always played hard and smart. Now he's bulked up some and is fully healthy. He could be Shaq 2.0.

Which, Cooper holding down that spot lets Jordan Williams stay at right guard. He was good enough last year, as a true freshman, to start every game. (Granted: Part of that was need and lack of depth, but he was the one who earned that opportunity.) Now he has a full year of S&C, CBK's coaching and experience under his belt. He's apparently held off two highly experienced and talented transfers in Kirby and Pendley. Which gives us solid backups. Barring catastrophe, we won't be needing to play true freshmen or walk-ons this season.

So, imagine a good OL. Doesn't have to be great, just solidly good. Something we haven't had since... 2014? A good OL: Opening holes for Mason and Gibbs. Giving Sims time in the pocket and the WRs time to run their routes.

Now, go watch Sims' highlight reel from last year. Forget the lowlights. He was a true freshman, not even an early enrollee. He supplanted a returning starter in fall camp. Covid precautions had the team split up. So, he didn't even get a normal fall camp to run with the 1s and establish rapport. So, watch, and remember what Sims can do when he has time to throw and make his reads. He'll have a lot more of those opportunities this year. Watch the throws he can make on the run when he gets flushed out of the pocket or how he can scramble when the D does get through. He won't have to do that as much, but he can make magic out of nothing when we need him to. This team can be good, I believe.

(Another thing I was struck by is how many of the highlights were throws to Malachi Carter. He hasn't been the top guy previously, Camp and Brown were. But he makes tough catches and makes plays with the ball. I'm very excited to see what he brings this year.)

Click to expand...

I mean.. Pass the Dang Pitcher my guy. I couldn't agree more with all of this - I am getting amped this off-season in a way I haven't the first two under CGC. I think CDP is a better coordinator than people have seen and that we have been working through the rag-tag roster situation we had the first two years as well as we could.

We finally have depth and quality across the OL in a FIT FOR THIS SYSTEM. That alone is going to pay off, same on the D Side of the ball. Our Secondary is going to be fresher and look better by not having to cover 10-20 seconds on each play. It sometimes felt like we were playing longer Defensive Snaps than our boys out at McCamish.

We got a sleeper team this year, enjoy this time - right now we are undefeated and neck and neck with Clemson.. WOOOOO
 
slugboy

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BCJacket said:
My optimism for this season is going way up. Maybe I'm drinking gold koolaid by the pitcherful. It's a tough schedule, we're not going to win every game. But I do believe we're going to compete in some games no one is expecting us to be in.

It sounds like Eley and Quez are answers at LB and Tatum is getting a lot of buzz. The secondary is deep. The DL has a mix of experience and talent that just needs to gel. But most importantly IMHO: Everything that's coming out about the OL seems very positive. We have size, experience and depth on the OL we haven't had since I can remember.

Evidently, Kenny Cooper has won the starting left guard spot. He's been bitten by the injury bug the last couple seasons. But recall, he was a guy who started games as a True Fr back in 2016. Started every game the next two years. He's always played hard and smart. Now he's bulked up some and is fully healthy. He could be Shaq 2.0.

Which, Cooper holding down that spot lets Jordan Williams stay at right guard. He was good enough last year, as a true freshman, to start every game. (Granted: Part of that was need and lack of depth, but he was the one who earned that opportunity.) Now he has a full year of S&C, CBK's coaching and experience under his belt. He's apparently held off two highly experienced and talented transfers in Kirby and Pendley. Which gives us solid backups. Barring catastrophe, we won't be needing to play true freshmen or walk-ons this season.

So, imagine a good OL. Doesn't have to be great, just solidly good. Something we haven't had since... 2014? A good OL: Opening holes for Mason and Gibbs. Giving Sims time in the pocket and the WRs time to run their routes.

Now, go watch Sims' highlight reel from last year. Forget the lowlights. He was a true freshman, not even an early enrollee. He supplanted a returning starter in fall camp. Covid precautions had the team split up. So, he didn't even get a normal fall camp to run with the 1s and establish rapport. So, watch, and remember what Sims can do when he has time to throw and make his reads. He'll have a lot more of those opportunities this year. Watch the throws he can make on the run when he gets flushed out of the pocket or how he can scramble when the D does get through. He won't have to do that as much, but he can make magic out of nothing when we need him to. This team can be good, I believe.

(Another thing I was struck by is how many of the highlights were throws to Malachi Carter. He hasn't been the top guy previously, Camp and Brown were. But he makes tough catches and makes plays with the ball. I'm very excited to see what he brings this year.)

Click to expand...


Blocking makes a huge difference between us being able to win vs looking like a bottom feeder.

Here's the 2020 condensed game against Louisville, when the line had a good game:


Sims looks like a solid QB in that game.

Here's the 2020 GT Syracuse condensed game, where the line, well, did not have a good game.


I'll give our running backs credit--they were making plays when there were no plays to be made. Sims made mistakes on his own, but blocking problems wreck his passing game.
It is also clear that we have much more team speed than Syracuse, but we couldn't overcome blocking problems, and we had them all over the line in that game.
 
Lotta Booze

Lotta Booze

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BCJacket said:
My optimism for this season is going way up. Maybe I'm drinking gold koolaid by the pitcherful. It's a tough schedule, we're not going to win every game. But I do believe we're going to compete in some games no one is expecting us to be in.

It sounds like Eley and Quez are answers at LB and Tatum is getting a lot of buzz. The secondary is deep. The DL has a mix of experience and talent that just needs to gel. But most importantly IMHO: Everything that's coming out about the OL seems very positive. We have size, experience and depth on the OL we haven't had since I can remember.

Evidently, Kenny Cooper has won the starting left guard spot. He's been bitten by the injury bug the last couple seasons. But recall, he was a guy who started games as a True Fr back in 2016. Started every game the next two years. He's always played hard and smart. Now he's bulked up some and is fully healthy. He could be Shaq 2.0.

Which, Cooper holding down that spot lets Jordan Williams stay at right guard. He was good enough last year, as a true freshman, to start every game. (Granted: Part of that was need and lack of depth, but he was the one who earned that opportunity.) Now he has a full year of S&C, CBK's coaching and experience under his belt. He's apparently held off two highly experienced and talented transfers in Kirby and Pendley. Which gives us solid backups. Barring catastrophe, we won't be needing to play true freshmen or walk-ons this season.

So, imagine a good OL. Doesn't have to be great, just solidly good. Something we haven't had since... 2014? A good OL: Opening holes for Mason and Gibbs. Giving Sims time in the pocket and the WRs time to run their routes.

Now, go watch Sims' highlight reel from last year. Forget the lowlights. He was a true freshman, not even an early enrollee. He supplanted a returning starter in fall camp. Covid precautions had the team split up. So, he didn't even get a normal fall camp to run with the 1s and establish rapport. So, watch, and remember what Sims can do when he has time to throw and make his reads. He'll have a lot more of those opportunities this year. Watch the throws he can make on the run when he gets flushed out of the pocket or how he can scramble when the D does get through. He won't have to do that as much, but he can make magic out of nothing when we need him to. This team can be good, I believe.

(Another thing I was struck by is how many of the highlights were throws to Malachi Carter. He hasn't been the top guy previously, Camp and Brown were. But he makes tough catches and makes plays with the ball. I'm very excited to see what he brings this year.)

Click to expand...

Choo Choo!

Breaking Bad Train GIF
Choo Choo GIF


Williams holding the RT spot is impressive. That whole Center and right side is returning....Minivan, Hoss, Williams (he needs a nickname). And they get a proper spring and fall to work together. And then on the left you've got Cochran and Cooper who certainly did not get their spots through a lack of competition so I'm very excited to see what developments come this year. And with a year of Sims getting more familiar with the offense he should be more decisive and get the ball out quicker, can make their job easier as well.
 

Root4GT

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yeti92 said:
No that can't be right, two of the starting OL were CPJ recruits who I've been told are 5'6 180lbs players nobody wanted.
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2 of the top 7 and both are 5th year seniors. 4 transfers in the top 7 with one 2nd year player. Believe what you want but the O line transition has been a huge issue. We are close to having made the transition.
 
Northeast Stinger

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Root4GT said:
2 of the top 7 and both are 5th year seniors. 4 transfers in the top 7 with one 2nd year player. Believe what you want but the O line transition has been a huge issue. We are close to having made the transition.
Click to expand...
I think he was just having fun with those people who were way over the top criticizing the student athletes that CPJ recruited. I think everybody gets that the offense line was learning a whole new system and that would necessitate a shake up in personnel but you have to admit that was a pretty funny satire of certain posts that were totally outlandish.
 
jacketup

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Northeast Stinger said:
I think he was just having fun with those people who were way over the top criticizing the student athletes that CPJ recruited. I think everybody gets that the offense line was learning a whole new system and that would necessitate a shake up in personnel but you have to admit that was a pretty funny satire of certain posts that were totally outlandish.
Click to expand...
Just one of many myths from the Johnson era. Johnson did just fine with Gailey's OL recruits and they weren't recruited for the option. They had to learn a new system too. In fact, Johnson's win percentage his first 2 years with an OL not recruited for his system 74%. Thereafter, 54%. As always, it's about the talent. Talented guys didn't want to spend 4 years diving at ankles, so we weren't getting them.

yeti92 posted his factually supported and well reasoned reply to my prior post as you can see above. Typical.
 
Coloradojacket

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jacketup said:
Just one of many myths from the Johnson era. Johnson did just fine with Gailey's OL recruits and they weren't recruited for the option. They had to learn a new system too. In fact, Johnson's win percentage his first 2 years with an OL not recruited for his system 74%. Thereafter, 54%. As always, it's about the talent. Talented guys didn't want to spend 4 years diving at ankles, so we weren't getting them.

yeti92 posted his factually supported and well reasoned reply to my prior post as you can see above. Typical.
Click to expand...
So please explain 2014...all those guys that did not want to play for CPJ. Most of the OL players that came to Tech in that era did not come from high schools running his system. They came from systems that we run now. Also please explain all those bad lines that made his tenure one of the top offensive production teams. Explain why all those great OLs during Gailey years averaged 19 points a game?
 
Coloradojacket

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Augusta_Jacket said:
My expectations for this season were that we wouldn't have yet another thread derailed over insults to a coach who retired 3 years ago....

Clearly an unreasonable expectation...
Click to expand...
I just can't understand Tech fans that didn't seem to like 11 win seasons, Orange Bowls, ACC championships and going to ACCG. Beating FSU and Georgia. The only coach in my 52 years of Tech Football to have done these things.
 

yeti92

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jacketup said:
Just one of many myths from the Johnson era. Johnson did just fine with Gailey's OL recruits and they weren't recruited for the option. They had to learn a new system too. In fact, Johnson's win percentage his first 2 years with an OL not recruited for his system 74%. Thereafter, 54%. As always, it's about the talent. Talented guys didn't want to spend 4 years diving at ankles, so we weren't getting them.

yeti92 posted his factually supported and well reasoned reply to my prior post as you can see above. Typical.
Click to expand...
*Whoosh*
 
Northeast Stinger

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When I spent time with FTRS years ago the mods had to constantly reign in posters who wanted CPJ gone and got over the top with intemperate remarks. 2014 slowed them down for a season but then they were back at it with a vengeance. That’s part of being a fan and I get that. BUT WHAT I DON’T understand is why, if you got your way, the old coach is gone, and you now have the kind offensive system you’ve always wanted, why do you need to keep bashing the old guy that is gone?

Seems like we ought to be able to move on.
 
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