Fire Paul johnson for Taking Tobais Oliver out of the game

[Techster]

Also, I do believe that we have gone from getting higher end 3 star guys and occasional 4 star guys to "mostly" lower end 3 star guys. I don't think we are able to find "diamonds in the rough" much anymore, as CFB has become a very lucrative business. You guys think our A-backs are that great for some reason. They are not. They are little guys with decent straight line speed. They are not able to (in general) beat tacklers that are in front of them, and they get thrown around like "rag dolls" due to their small stature.

I've been following recruiting since the days when the only source for recruiting information was magazines, and the local newspaper. Then they had weekly 30 minute TV shows (Borderwars!) and they would show you the top 10 or so guys at each position. There were no "star" rankings back in the day, but like a top 100 list for the state and for the region. Being a Parade All American was as good as it got for recruits.

Towards the end of Chan Gailey's time, the star rankings started. At the time, film on recruits was still hard to get. It's not like today with YouTube and Hudl. Recruiting camps and 7v7 passing leagues were not around. No way Calvin Johnson wasn't the top WR in the nation had all of that been around.

So when people disparage Gailey's recruits versus CPJ, people need to understand context. Gailey had a BUNCH of NAs and 2 stars that were a LOT better than that. Dawan Landry, Gary Guyton, Mike Cox, Andrew Gardner, Daryl Smith (DARYL SMITH), Key Fox (KEY FOX!), Chris Reis....were all either NR or 2 stars. ALL of them were starters and played multiple years in the NFL. There simply wasn't enough film and exposure for athletes like there is today.

You also have to understand the politics of recruiting rankings. Schools these days withold "inside" information if these services don't rank recruits favorably to a school. It's not a coincidence that guys that were previously 2 stars all of sudden become 4 stars when factories (with large fan bases) sign them. We talk about it all the time in the recruiting side of this board. Does it happen at GT? Well, I'll you decide on your own, but GT also has commits/signees who were previously unranked or 2 stars all of sudden become 3 stars. Back in the day when film on recruits was sparse and there wasn't a lot of camps, I could see that. But in today's world of recruiting, when something like that happens, it makes you wonder.

All of this is to say, I'm not quite certain GT really recruits as well as we like to think. At the end of the day, the ultimate proof is on the field.

 

[BUZZ NATION]

I think I understand what it feels like now for the fans that didn’t want Chan to be fired. I HATE losing but I also know we are not a factory. I wanted CPJ from day one and I still just have hope that he can turn this around. I totally get why people want him gone but I can still taste the kool aid. I will always think that CPJ scheme gives us a chance every week. If we beat UGA does he get to stay ?

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

Just like a different D-coordinator has not fixed our defensive woes, a new head coach will not fix our "lack of P5 talent" woes. Again, I hope soon we catch "lightning in a bottle", but I am not holding my breath.

Gailey was fortunate, although sometimes people create their own good fortune, that in 2007 a group of high end recruits decided they wanted to play together in the ATL. PJ was the largest benefactor of this. CPJ was fortunate when JT wanted to play QB more than he wanted an NFL career. CPJ was fortunate when he found a 2-star OL named Shaq in Tennessee that was overlooked, and this fortune can and does happen. Currently, Parker Braun is a special player for us, and he probably might be our only true 4-star guy, the way he plays.

But, to believe that we can have magic occur consistently is not something I am counting on. I do wish for it and hope for it, but I am a realist.

 

[SidewalkJacket]

I think I understand what it feels like now for the fans that didn’t want Chan to be fired. I HATE losing but I also know we are not a factory. I wanted CPJ from day one and I still just have hope that he can turn this around. I totally get why people want him gone but I can still taste the kool aid. I will always think that CPJ scheme gives us a chance every week. If we beat UGA does he get to stay ?

I remember being someone who wanted so badly for CCG to succeed here, because I felt like he did things the right way.

I soured after '06 when we squandered CJ's junior year and a team loaded with talent.

The difference, to me, are the highs that CPJ has led us to, which are undeniably higher than any of the CCG era (I guess beating #3 Miami?). In my gut, I never felt like CCG was capable of winning the ACC or beating UGAg. I'm grateful that the past 10 years have seen those things happen multiple times.

Even so, I understand the call for a change.

 

[forensicbuzz]

I’d rather bring Chan 6-6 Gailey back than see Les Miles on the flats.....

Chan was a 7-5 guy, all day long.