Game 2 #KSUvsGT Media

Jacket05

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
591
The CGC presser is not nearly as bad as everyone is making it out to be. The only response I felt was BS was his response to how Jeff played.

He is a positive person so his responses focus on the positives and will always have a positive spin, but he did indicate in many responses that they did not execute well on the field last week but are working on learning from their mistakes. I understand this is in complete contrast to what we listened to for years with CPJ. I actually loved CPJ's conferences and found his sarcastic comments hilarious, but back then many people hated that he was always so negative and standoffish even after big wins. I know that people wish CGC would be more straight forward but people are acting like he was all sunshine and rainbows which he was not.

Additionally on the question about the decision to call the timeout and then go for it, I thought his answer was actually pretty honest. He says there were a lot of different factors including the previous kicking performance that went into wanting to have more time to decide the best option. Many coaches take a timeout in those situations to decide the best course of action. The reason so many people question it and it is getting all the criticism is that the fans booed when the kicking unit went out so it makes it look like he was pressured by the fans. I still have questions about his game day coaching ability but I don't think this specific situation is the big deal everyone is making it out to be.
 

MidtownJacket

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
4,800
The CGC presser is not nearly as bad as everyone is making it out to be. The only response I felt was BS was his response to how Jeff played.

He is a positive person so his responses focus on the positives and will always have a positive spin, but he did indicate in many responses that they did not execute well on the field last week but are working on learning from their mistakes. I understand this is in complete contrast to what we listened to for years with CPJ. I actually loved CPJ's conferences and found his sarcastic comments hilarious, but back then many people hated that he was always so negative and standoffish even after big wins. I know that people wish CGC would be more straight forward but people are acting like he was all sunshine and rainbows which he was not.

Additionally on the question about the decision to call the timeout and then go for it, I thought his answer was actually pretty honest. He says there were a lot of different factors including the previous kicking performance that went into wanting to have more time to decide the best option. Many coaches take a timeout in those situations to decide the best course of action. The reason so many people question it and it is getting all the criticism is that the fans booed when the kicking unit went out so it makes it look like he was pressured by the fans. I still have questions about his game day coaching ability but I don't think this specific situation is the big deal everyone is making it out to be.
I think the booing was part of the problem, the other is classic confirmation bias. People worry he is a bad in-game manager, who has challenges with clock management. The double burn time out debacle when many felt we should just be pounding the ball inside with mason till we hit pay dirt didn’t do him favors either. CDP had the better response to the same question IMHO, when he said it’s a fools errand chasing fan approval. If the catch was made then he is a hero and the timeout was brilliant. If the kick was missed he was a fool for not going for it (given our kicking woes) fans are sometimes like Miss Cleo, but with the added benefit of hindsight. Those free readings work when you want them to - vague pronouncements (CGC can’t coach or manage a game) become “confirmed” by choices he makes throughout the games.

splitting the section because this next part is a general conversation and no longer responsive to your post nor even directed at you @Jacket05

Perception is a tricky thing. I said in a prior post that my concern is we seem more focused on building the accessories to a winning program than we do on winning games.

It’s not a deep or balanced evaluation of the state of the program, and I’m sure it is wrong. These are professionals with a clear measuring stick and know they have to start winning. Sooner than later. It is hard to jump a level up - and let’s be honest we are multiple levels below our stated ambition (as fans or a coaching staff). That doesn’t prevent the emotional part of me from wanting more, but I do try to remember this was always going to be a process. It’s a tough spot to be in and why coaches get paid the big bucks.

I personally disagree with some of the tactical choices that have been made by CGC or his staff, but the broad strokes are still to be weighed. He has time to turn it around and as a fan of the teams and a proud alum of the Institute I sincerely hope he does so.

The cold reality is that the [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅100)̲̅$̲̅] won’t be there to do anything else near term, so the practical option for fans is to support the team in public and assess our own personal commitment to the program. I’ve said for years on the basketball side of the house we are all responsible for the product on the field. If you take an honest assessment of what you give (time, effort and treasure) back to the GTAA and feel you’re doing your part then good on you and fire away with the private criticisms. If not, make the choice to support the program at the level you’re able so we can get out of the wastelands we currently find ourselves in.

That is part of why I appreciated the CDP and CAT interviews. They stated the problems clearly, acknowledged the challenges we have with where we are at, add seem to have a plan for getting where we want to be. Let’s get up for the week and support our boys in gold and white this Saturday!
 

RonJohn

Helluva Engineer
Messages
4,489
Additionally on the question about the decision to call the timeout and then go for it, I thought his answer was actually pretty honest. He says there were a lot of different factors including the previous kicking performance that went into wanting to have more time to decide the best option. Many coaches take a timeout in those situations to decide the best course of action. The reason so many people question it and it is getting all the criticism is that the fans booed when the kicking unit went out so it makes it look like he was pressured by the fans. I still have questions about his game day coaching ability but I don't think this specific situation is the big deal everyone is making it out to be.
A well prepared coaching staff should not need additional time to discuss whether to kick or run a play. I am not going to listen again to be sure, but I believe his answer wasn't that they needed more time, but that the charts said they should go for it. From what I have seen, for most coaching staffs it isn't something you take time to think about. Either the head coach is able to make an immediate decision, or staff in the box look at charts that were prepared for the game. They start thinking about that when it is first and goal. They already know whether they will go for it and what play to run if it is 4th at the one, or 4th at the two, or 4th at the 15.

I think that answer is another deflection. Either the staff hadn't prepared for game situations, they didn't trust the preparations that they made, or the crowd influenced the decision. The whole first and goal series doesn't make sense and doesn't match his answer. They had first and goal at the five and ran up the middle for 3. Then the took a long time to substitute and get a play call in, so called timeout. Then they ran a fake sweep--delayed draw for no gain. Then they threw a pass to the side for no gain. Then they immediately sent in the FG unit (as if the coaches had already decided to kick a FG if they didn't get a TD on that play.) Like I said in the first paragraph it is normal for coaches to make that decision several plays ahead.

Another thing to think about is if they weren't sure about what to do, what would be the best thing to do? They shouldn't have run the FG unit on the field at all if that is the case. Leave the offense on the field and call a play. Line up. If the defense is giving that play to you, then take it. If not, you can either call timeout and make a decision or let the play clock expire and take a 5 yard penalty. A 19 yard FG vs a 24 yard FG makes no difference, it is still extra point distance.
 

GTrob21

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,440
First let me start with the positives...

I was a big Geoff Collins believer, and I have been really impressed with his recruiting. The talent level has definitely gone up and I am trying hard to see a sustainable winning program that we all want. But I am as equally disappointed in how he doesn't seem to understand that great leaders, the ones who leave lasting legacies of goodness behind them, take responsibility. It's like he can't even see the problems that are so evident to the fans. To me as a business man, I worry that as an executive he has insulated himself to such a degree that he really has become divorced from the reality that most GT fans understand.

If he had come out there and said "This is on me, this is my responsibility to build a winning program, and we didn't execute to the level we expect too. We needed to get a stop at the end of the game and we didn't, but we shouldn't have even been in that situation to begin with. We need a better D-line push, and we need to create bigger offensive plays. We are going to work to improve our team, we are going to be accountable across the board for our decisions and we are going to work to change what I saw and what all the fans saw this past Saturday. It was simply unacceptable"

If he had said something like that, I could be persuaded to give him more time, but he didn't do that at all. He ducked tough questions, He changed the tone of the conversation every-time somebody brought up anything that could be looked as negative. That isn't what a great leader does. That is what a person who has ascended to a lever of leadership that is beyond them does.

As a a guy who works for a company with a great culture, does He not understand that the number 1 way to instill a culture is for the leader to have integrity and accountability? He preaches culture, culture, culture, but he is damaging a culture by ducking his responsibility as the Head coach.

I'm rapidly losing faith in his ability to lead this program.
 

Oakland

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1,201
Location
Georgia
I said I won't listen to the interview with CGC and now I really wish I had not.

Dear CGC you should be a politician cause you are the best I have seen at not answering a question and rambling on and acting like you did. I think I may know the problem now if at practice when you talk to the players you talk about your past history like you do in your interviews I can understand why the players are not coached up. When someone asks what happen and how did we lose to a team we were favored to beat by 18.5 They are not looking to hear about you they want to know why and what are you going to do to correct the problem. I would guess the real answer is you don't know. Here is a little hint this is Georgia Tech no one cares about what you did a Miss State , Florida , or Temple we only care about Georgia Tech. All we want is to win if your history is that great write a book but in the meantime look at what we did wrong and coach the players,
I don't know if he is going to have a radio show this year, but I'm sure he'll get nothing but comfortable questions. I'm also sure it won't be a call-in show either, just yea me. Glad he got text messages of support, but he didn't mention if Todd Stansbury sent him one.
 

RonJohn

Helluva Engineer
Messages
4,489
I think the booing was part of the problem, the other is classic confirmation bias. People worry he is a bad in-game manager, who has challenges with clock management. The double burn time out debacle when many felt we should just be pounding the ball inside with mason till we hit pay dirt didn’t do him favors either. CDP had the better response to the same question IMHO, when he said it’s a fools errand chasing fan approval. If the catch was made then he is a hero and the timeout was brilliant. If the kick was missed he was a fool for not going for it (given our kicking woes) fans are sometimes like Miss Cleo, but with the added benefit of hindsight. Those free readings work when you want them to - vague pronouncements (CGC can’t coach or manage a game) become “confirmed” by choices he makes throughout the games.
I do agree that coaches should be looking for approval from the fans for what plays to call or how to manage the game. However, it does appear that they changed the call precisely for that reason. The entire first and goal series looked like we don't know what we are doing. Add to that the issues with substitution and getting a play call in (some on offense, mostly on defense) and it looked like our team wasn't prepared for the game at all.

That is part of why I appreciated the CDP and CAT interviews. They stated the problems clearly, acknowledged the challenges we have with where we are at, add seem to have a plan for getting where we want to be. Let’s get up for the week and support our boys in gold and white this Saturday!
I didn't watch the CAT interview, but I did watch the CDP interview. I feel much more confident that the coaches understand the issues and will work on them. I would like for the HC to act similarly. He doesn't have to go into Xs and Os. He doesn't have to roast players or coaches. However, I do wish that he would acknowledge that there were preparation issues. I do wish he would say that he was personally going to ensure that we don't have substitution and play calling issues this week. I do wish he would say that the performance on Saturday night by the team as a whole (players and coaches) was not at the level he expects GT football to be at, and that it is his mission to ensure that GT football is at that level.
 

Jacket05

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
591
It think the booing was part of the problem, the other is classic confirmation bias. People worry he is a bad in-game manager, who has challenges with clock management. The double burn time out debacle when many felt we should just be pounding the ball inside with mason till we hit pay dirt didn’t do him favors either. CDP had the better response to the same question IMHO, when he said it’s a fools errand chasing fan approval. If the catch was made then he is a hero and the timeout was brilliant. If the kick was missed he was a fool for not going for it (given our kicking woes) fans are sometimes like Miss Cleo, but with the added benefit of hindsight. Those free readings work when you want them to - vague pronouncements (CGC can’t coach or manage a game) become “confirmed” by choices he makes throughout the games.

splitting the section because this next part is a general conversation and no longer responsive to your post nor even directed at you @Jacket05

Perception is a tricky thing. I said in a prior post that my concern is we seem more focused on building the accessories to a winning program than we do on winning games.

It’s not a deep or balanced evaluation of the state of the program, and I’m sure it is wrong. These are professionals with a clear measuring stick and know they have to start winning. Sooner than later. It is hard to jump a level up - and let’s be honest we are multiple levels below our stated ambition (as fans or a coaching staff). That doesn’t prevent the emotional part of me from wanting more, but I do try to remember this was always going to be a process. It’s a tough spot to be in and why coaches get paid the big bucks.

I personally disagree with some of the tactical choices that have been made by CGC or his staff, but the broad strokes are still to be weighed. He has time to turn it around and as a fan of the teams and a proud alum of the Institute I sincerely hope he does so.

The cold reality is that the [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅100)̲̅$̲̅] won’t be there to do anything else near term, so the practical option for fans is to support the team in public and assess our own personal commitment to the program. I’ve said for years on the basketball side of the house we are all responsible for the product on the field. If you take an honest assessment of what you give (time, effort and treasure) back to the GTAA and feel you’re doing your part then good on you and fire away with the private criticisms. If not, make the choice to support the program at the level you’re able so we can get out of the wastelands we currently find ourselves in.

That is part of why I appreciated the CDP and CAT interviews. They stated the problems clearly, acknowledged the challenges we have with where we are at, add seem to have a plan for getting where we want to be. Let’s get up for the week and support our boys in gold and white this Saturday!
Good points. My comments on the TO was that the issue is mostly do to the optics of it all not the actual call where everyone seems to be focused. I actually think he made the right call on 4th down but McGowan just missed with his foot placement. I have a bigger issue with the TO on 2nd down cause that was a result of piss poor execution and players not knowing where they were supposed to be, which is both an issue with the players and coaches.

I also agree with preferring the interviews with CDP and CAT as they focus more on the details compared to CGC who is all big picture. That is also to be expected as the HC is supposed to be more big picture while the coordinators are more Xs and Os.
 

cthenrys

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
942
Location
Highland Village, TX
So if the Coordinators aren’t the problem and seeing the NIU breakdowns seems to indicate that’s the case, then the arrow points to ?????

How do we get CGC a caddy to take all the important day to day decisions off his plate. That may be the only way we survive this contract.
 

RonJohn

Helluva Engineer
Messages
4,489
So if the Coordinators aren’t the problem and seeing the NIU breakdowns seems to indicate that’s the case, then the arrow points to ?????
I wouldn't say that there are no issues with the coordinators. Who is responsible for getting play calls in to the offense? Why did the play call come in so late on second and goal? Who is responsible for defensive substitutions and play calling? Why did we substitute often when NIU did not? Why were we so late on substitutions? Why was the defense still looking at the sideline for a call when the ball was snapped? Those kinds of things are all on the offensive and defensive coaches, lead by the coordinators.

The coordinator conferences (at least the offensive one that I watched) give me confidence that they know there are issues that need to be addressed. High school teams can substitute and get play calls in on time. I am certain that GT can. The coordinators talking about correcting things that I can see with my own eyes makes me more confident that hearing about "relentless effort" along with rainbows and sunshine.
 

Heisman's Ghost

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4,397
Location
Albany Georgia
I don't understand how he got the job , does this coaching staff do any coaching or just play around.
When Erk Russell was Dooly's defensive coordinator at UGA back in the 60s and 70s he was butt heads in practice to the point of blood flowing down his bald head. I don't know if it was playing around but UGA had effective defenses without a huge amount of talent in those days. At least, they looked like they knew what they were doing.
 
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