Expectations for the 2021 season

[stech81]

Glad it worked for you. I could never get drunk enough to not care.

You stopped too early

 

[LibertyTurns]

Been following Tech sports since 1960. Have spent a total of 10 years on campus and watch every game I can. Until last year I had never left the stadium or quit watching/listening to a Tech game until the final whistle sounded, even Notre Dame in bad weather and down a bunch. Last year I turned off the TV in the second half 3 or 4 times (not Clemson though). The games were just too sloppy and even when they weren't sloppy, they were boring.
I expect the players to play hard (for the most part they did last year) and play smart (not so much) and the coaches to prepare them to compete.
I will not be upset with the program if I can watch the whole game next year

Bravo, sir. You’re an awesome fan. Not nearly as many as you but I’m guessing I was somewhere in the range of 250 of 250 football games watched wire to wire.

I bailed at the end of the VT fiasco. The very first GT game ever I left or stopped watching early on my own accord. I bailed during the Clemp game last year too, couldn’t take the stomping by the dwags either in 2019.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

It is funny that some of you say the local media will get on us if we only win 3 ...clue here....the local media does not care. It is what that team in Athens does since 90% of the local sports media went to that school. As long as we stay a non threat to UGA, they are happy. Part of the reason they didn't like CPJ. He was a threat.

You are probably right. By media I meant to include the snarky commentary by national media as well. You know, stuff like the "Bottom 25" and so forth.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Listen, I hate the local media as well and they definitely dump on GT at every chance. But GT also hands them easy fodder and I hate to say it but we have sucked lately. The only way to change it is to win consistently. It doesn’t have to be double digit wins and Orange Bowls very year, but it has to be 7 wins as a minimum with 8-10 wins most years for a decade. But doing what we’ve done the last 6 years we should expect to get blasted in the southeast. Three 3 win seasons, a 5 win, a 7 win, and a 9 win. That’s why we get blasted and deservedly so. We have been a house divided with the admin/athletics for decades which is why we can’t sustain any success. I really hope that Collins succeeds because I think our new Pres is more pro athletics than we’ve had in a long time.

"...I think our new Pres is more pro athletics than any we have had in a long time." Admittedly, a low bar but encouraging and I had not heard this.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

I get it but I also think you are buying into our staffs rhetoric around those guys. No where but GT message boards have I read or heard anything about guys like Swilling being NFL prospects. And I don’t think coaches around the ACC are in any way worried about most of those guys you mentioned.

I don't know that opposing ACC coaches would lose any sleep over any of our players other than Jeff and Gibbs. None of the linemen on either side of the ball and none of the receivers. But Gibbs? I would watch that slippery son of a gun all the time. He has more gears than an 18 wheeler.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

I don't know that opposing ACC coaches would lose any sleep over any of our players other than Jeff and Gibbs. None of the linemen on either side of the ball and none of the receivers. But Gibbs? I would watch that slippery son of a gun all the time. He has more gears than an 18 wheeler.

I previously stated Gibbs is the only true NFL prospect on our roster right now so he isn’t included in any discussion. I like a bunch of our players and see upside but that’s a long way from ACC coaches worrying about us or NFL scouts lining up at the door. I hope beyond hope that our OLine comes out firing off the ball and moves the line 2 yards down the field and Mason doesn’t get touched until he’s 5 yards down field. I hope Sims comes out snapping the ball off and running misdirection with authority. I hope we make 40 yard FG’s seem boring. I hope on 3rd and 2 our DLine tackles the opposing RB’s with the butts of the OLinemen. I hope on crossing patterns that opposing WR’s spend more time looking for #2, #1, and #25 than for the ball. But as we sit here today I just want to start out 2-0.

 

[TruckStick]

I think Ryan Johnson and Devin Cochran have a decent NFL shot plus AC if he can get enough tape. The talent is there... attention to detail, preparation (not dancing), and a seriousness to winning this year can make a huge difference.

BTW looking back on Marshon Lattimore and Dalvin Tomlinson.. wish those had somehow gone our way because look at them now.

 

[TheTechGuy]

I expect to easily win the first two games. Northern Illinois may be the worst team in the FBS (0-6 with a two touchdown average margin of defeat last year).

My expectation is 3-3 before the bye. Post-bye, it's hard to find 3 wins, but I would expect 2. If we finish with 5 wins, the fan base is probably OK. If we finish with 4 or fewer, 2022 is a hot seat year for Collins.

 

[Jmonty71]

IMO, 2021 is difficult to predict because we just don't really know how ready our team is to make the jump to the next level. Similar to the Braves a couple years ago, who were expected to still struggle, we could make an early jump this year and end up winning 6+ games. We could also make great improvements, look like a coherent football team, and only end up with 4-5 wins. My gut says we have one more year in the wilderness before we make that leap, but nothing is preventing us from making it this year either. Looking at the schedule, this is what I see:

NIU: Win
KSU, JR: Win
Clemson: Loss
UNC: Loss
Pitt: Toss-up
Duke: Win
UVA: Toss-up
VPISU: Loss
Miami: Loss
Boston college: Toss-up
Notre Dame: Loss
uga: Loss

Basically, we need to sweep the toss-ups and/or beat VT/Miami to get to a bowl. Both of those teams are beatable. Either way, I am willing to give CGC one last transition year before we need to put him on the hot seat. As long as we look better this year, I will be satisfied that we are moving in the right direction. My prediction is we go 5-7 this year.

Caveat, if we lose to NIU and/or KSU, then the wheels might just come off this bus early. I really don't see that happening, though.

It would be nice to sweep those toss up games.

 

[Jmonty71]

I agree with most on here. CGC loses both games to NIU and KSU, he probably won't finish the year as GT's head coach. The call for his removal would be loud, very loud.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

I previously stated Gibbs is the only true NFL prospect on our roster right now so he isn’t included in any discussion. I like a bunch of our players and see upside but that’s a long way from ACC coaches worrying about us or NFL scouts lining up at the door. I hope beyond hope that our OLine comes out firing off the ball and moves the line 2 yards down the field and Mason doesn’t get touched until he’s 5 yards down field. I hope Sims comes out snapping the ball off and running misdirection with authority. I hope we make 40 yard FG’s seem boring. I hope on 3rd and 2 our DLine tackles the opposing RB’s with the butts of the OLinemen. I hope on crossing patterns that opposing WR’s spend more time looking for #2, #1, and #25 than for the ball. But as we sit here today I just want to start out 2-0.

I have always like Mason and feel he would be a fine NFL prospect if given a chance and if he could stay healthy. We have some good players and some nice pieces but remain a long way from being a good team. Last night I watched the Boston College game for the third time. It was depressing to see a rather ordinary ACC team that going into our game was the worst rushing team in the conference and they absolutely steamrolled us. It was over before the end of the first half.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

I agree with most on here. CGC loses both games to NIU and KSU, he probably won't finish the year as GT's head coach. The call for his removal would be loud, very loud.

Hell, we are not going to lose to either one of them. At least I don't think so. I will be disappointed if we do not blow both of them right off the field...but then the real football starts.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Bravo, sir. You’re an awesome fan. Not nearly as many as you but I’m guessing I was somewhere in the range of 250 of 250 football games watched wire to wire.

I bailed at the end of the VT fiasco. The very first GT game ever I left or stopped watching early on my own accord. I bailed during the Clemp game last year too, couldn’t take the stomping by the dwags either in 2019.

Funny, but I have a friend here in Albany that I play tennis with every week whose father was a third string running back on the 1952 national champions. I asked him once how many Tech games he watches and he said live none but on tape all of them. The reason being that more than a half century after he played he said he would get so wound up and upset that he could not take it and would wait to watch the game after it was over. John Hopkins or some medical researcher should do a long term study of detrimental effects to one's health watching the Jackets.

 

[GoJacketsInRaleigh]

Clemson, UGA, UNC, and Notre Dame have all been ranked in the top 10 of way to early preseason polls. There's no logical expectation that we SHOULD beat any of those teams. Miami has been seen around #15 too so that's five we shouldn't expect to win based on where we are in the rebuild.

I agree we should beat NIU and Kennesaw and really Duke too.

Do you guys really think we should EXPECT to go 4-0 in the other 50/50 games (UVA, Pittsburgh, VT, and BC)?

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Clemson, UGA, UNC, and Notre Dame have all been ranked in the top 10 of way to early preseason polls. There's no logical expectation that we SHOULD beat any of those teams. Miami has been seen around #15 too so that's five we shouldn't expect to win based on where we are in the rebuild.

I agree we should beat NIU and Kennesaw and really Duke too.

Do you guys really think we should EXPECT to go 4-0 in the other 50/50 games (UVA, Pittsburgh, VT, and BC)?

There was no logical reason for losing to The Citadel and then beating Miami two years ago, but I learned a long time ago that with Tech football logic and reason are not part of the equation especially when it come to playing Miami.

 

[bobongo]

There was no logical reason for losing to The Citadel and then beating Miami two years ago, but I learned a long time ago that with Tech football logic and reason are not part of the equation especially when it come to playing Miami.

We often mark these games down as W's or L's as if some of them are certainties. In fact, none of them are.

 

[georgytech]

Freshmen seeing the field is not bad if they beat everyone else for the playing time. The best should be on the field...period.

One of our Georgia gold nuggets was Rashod Bateman from Tifton. Decided to go to Minnesota over the Dawgs. Possibly a first round WR in a few weeks.

Saw the field from Day 1. Glad to have had him.

I grew up in Tifton & went back to see him play a game his senior year. He was spectacular against a pretty good team .

 

[augustabuzz]

We often mark these games down as W's or L's as if some of them are certainties. In fact, none of them are.

Yes, except for Charlottesville. How much is still owed for Scott Sisson Stadium?

 

[BilldGopher]

I grew up in Tifton & went back to see him play a game his senior year. He was spectacular against a pretty good team .

Yes he was and is. He was teamed up with Tyler Johnson who's now with the Buccaneers (with his first Super Bowl Ring). Having both on the field for two seasons drove defenses crazy. Could not double-cover both.

Slant routes were his specialty but could make open field moves that were beautiful to behold. We'll miss him.

Right now some of the mock drafts have him going to Green Bay. Not very popular outcome in Minnesota.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

Hell, we are not going to lose to either one of them. At least I don't think so. I will be disappointed if we do not blow both of them right off the field...but then the real football starts.

In no way or fashion can anyone say we should blow anyone off the field. We aren’t anywhere near that point no matter who we are playing. Kennesaw is going to be a test. And heaven forbid anything happens to Sims in fall camp or game 1. Let’s get to 2-0 then we can all breathe.