Whiskey_Clear
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O’Leary deserves to be there for pulling us out of the BL debacle and turning Tech into a consistent conference contender.
How Good Was Coach Johnson at Tech?
- Thread starter GTFLETCH
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O’Leary deserves to be there for pulling us out of the BL debacle and turning Tech into a consistent conference contender.
Supersizethatorder-mutt
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People forget that when Dodd retired, we were 19-24-3 against Bama. Bear started at Bama in '58, and unfortunately, Dodd only beat him once ('62). But with the exception of the '63 and '64 games, every one of the Dodd-Bryant matchups were relatively close ('58 - 9 points, '59 - 2 points, '60 - 1 point, '61 - 10 points), and the '62 win was by 1 point. So Dodd obviously gave Bryant fits, even in losing. Meanwhile through 1964, the mutts were 18-28-4 against Bama, and 1-7 against Bear, with none of those games being close, including the mutt's single win.
56JacketDE
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Against the mutts:
Johnson won 3, all wins in Athens, with no consecutive wins. (3-8 overall)
CG was 0-7 with the unforgettable 51-7 drubbing.
GOL won 3 in a row (3-4 overall), additionally this upcoming season marks the 20th anniversary of our last win at Bobby Dodd against UGA
BR won 2 in a row (2-3 overall)
Curry won 2 in a row (2-5 overall)
I think Johnson was successful, any coach who wins an orange bowl at GT has done something!
That being said, regarding his overall total games won - we play more regular season games now, we also have a conference championship game, and we also play annual FCS competition, something some of his predecessors did not get the luxury of. More overall games = more chances to win.
On top 25 finishes; we landed in the final top 25 poll 3 of 11 seasons (08, 09, 14). In looking up this info, it was surprising the 2016 team that beat Kentucky and finished 9-4 did not finish in the top 25. When i looked at the schedule, two of the wins were over Mercer and GA Southern, maybe the pollsters weren't fond of the FCS wins? I think it goes largely unrecognized that GOL finished in the top 25 five seasons in a row (97-01). It is debatable as to whether some of those teams deserved it for sure but it happened. As a side note, I think GOL is one of the more polarizing names on these message boards.
One other point that is hard to argue is he inherited a pretty full cupboard of talent. It is no coincidence that 08-09 were his best back to back seasons.
He provided alot of great memories besides the 3 dramatic wins in athens. some big wins over much more talented clemson teams and the VT and wake wins in 2009 come to mind.
I am looking forward to the GC era!
Johnson won 3, all wins in Athens, with no consecutive wins. (3-8 overall)
CG was 0-7 with the unforgettable 51-7 drubbing.
GOL won 3 in a row (3-4 overall), additionally this upcoming season marks the 20th anniversary of our last win at Bobby Dodd against UGA
BR won 2 in a row (2-3 overall)
Curry won 2 in a row (2-5 overall)
I think Johnson was successful, any coach who wins an orange bowl at GT has done something!
That being said, regarding his overall total games won - we play more regular season games now, we also have a conference championship game, and we also play annual FCS competition, something some of his predecessors did not get the luxury of. More overall games = more chances to win.
On top 25 finishes; we landed in the final top 25 poll 3 of 11 seasons (08, 09, 14). In looking up this info, it was surprising the 2016 team that beat Kentucky and finished 9-4 did not finish in the top 25. When i looked at the schedule, two of the wins were over Mercer and GA Southern, maybe the pollsters weren't fond of the FCS wins? I think it goes largely unrecognized that GOL finished in the top 25 five seasons in a row (97-01). It is debatable as to whether some of those teams deserved it for sure but it happened. As a side note, I think GOL is one of the more polarizing names on these message boards.
One other point that is hard to argue is he inherited a pretty full cupboard of talent. It is no coincidence that 08-09 were his best back to back seasons.
He provided alot of great memories besides the 3 dramatic wins in athens. some big wins over much more talented clemson teams and the VT and wake wins in 2009 come to mind.
I am looking forward to the GC era!
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Animal02
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Regarding the losses at home.... can't help but think, as players, what a depressing sight to come out of the locker room and see all that red in your home field.
GTFLETCH
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You could add the Gator in the mix.... That would look like this:
Winning % in BIG Bowls (NY6 Bowls plus Gator Bowl)
GOL: .333 (1-2 {Peach, Gator})
CCG: .0 (0-1{Gator})
CPJ: .500 (2-2 {OB, Peach, Gator})
GT flunkout
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The Peach Bowl was ACC #3 vs. SEC #4/5 until 2009 or so. It doesn't even deserve to be in the discussion as any kind of major bowl accomplishment until it jumped the Gator. That includes our last visit in 2008.
The Gator Bowl was the bowl for the ACC #2 with much more prestige and higher payout and it was on New Year's Day which carried even more weight and status. The 2014 season that we went to the Orange Bowl in was exactly equivalent to the 1998 Gator Bowl season.
When everything is measured on a level field, accounting for changes in scheduling and opponents and bowl selection and overall success against the best competition, not to mention being consistently in the national college football conversation, I find it very hard to place Paul Johnson above George O'Leary.
Boaty1
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Great points. I find the argument fairly straightforward myself in favor of Oleary but there is clearly some animosity about him among a rather large percentage of our fanbase.
GTFLETCH
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Great Points.... I wonder if Bama fans are going to discredit Nick Saban a little bit becuase he had more regular season games now, also we have a conference championship game, and Most P-5 teams play annual FCS competition, something some of his predecessors did not get the luxury of. It will be interesting to see how Bama fans really feel about Nick Saban....
As far as GT only playing FCS teams under CPJ... I am not so sure about that... Lets look at the 25 years before CPJ arrived on the flats:
Georgia Tech scheduled and played a non major in 19 of the 25 yearsbefore his arrival.... from 1985 to 1988 (4 years in a row GT scheduled 2 Non-major games)
1982 - GT vs Citadel
1983 - GT vs Furman
1984 - GT vs Citadel
1985 - GT played 2 FCS teams (Western Carolina & Chattanooga)
1986 - GT Played 2 FCS teams (Furman & Virginia Military Institute)
1987 - GT Played 2 FCS teams (Citadel & Indiana State)
1988 - GT Played 2 FCS teams (Chattanooga & Virginia Military Institute)
1989 - GT vs Western Carolina
1990 - GT vs Chattanooga
1991 - GT vs Furman
1992 - GT vs Western Carolina
1993 - GT vs Furman
1994 - GT vs Western Carolina
1995 - GT vs Furman
1996 - GT vs UCF (this is their first year in FBS football, in 95 they were non-major "think of Liberty going FBS Indy")
2001 - GT vs Citadel
2004 - GT vs Samford
2006 - GT vs Samford
2007 - GT vs Samford
To try and say that CPJ is the reason why Georgia Tech schedules and plays FCS games is a bunch of Bull$***. However I do agree that 08-09 were his best back to back seasons. While I think 2013, 14, 15, 16 could have been special he has to take it on the chin about playing VAd Lee over JT in 2013... and in 2015 with asenior line their coaching was exposed.... I to am all about CGC... If he can give us GOL or CPJ type of scuccess I will be happy! Go Jackets
GTFLETCH
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Well I think both Coaches have represented Georgia Tech well....
wesgt123
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Right. I was thinking his biggest downfall was mediocre recruiting and the inability to build momentum after a good season and following it up.
Dabo for instance, starting piling up better and better seasons. He didn’t win it all, but he consistently won big bowl games year after year for a while. Then eventually all the pieces came together for him in the 16 national championship. If CGC can have consistently strong seasons within a few years we will be on the right track
Heisman's Ghost
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I don't even know it was on twitter. I saw it second hand on Stingtalk, I think, and you know how those people can be. But it had his name below the side by side banners and some comments. I wish I had paid more attention to it but I just laughed and went on my way.
Heisman's Ghost
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Man, you know I don't do links. I am not even sure whether I saw it on Stingtalk (most likely) or JacketsOnline. I will look for it and let you know.
smokey_wasp
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I know what you are talking about, but it wasn't his real account.
SidewalkJacket
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To be fair, someone posted a graph in some thread here that showed overall football spending in the ACC since like 2008. CLEM's meteoric rise directly coincided with their football budget skyrocketing around 2010 (them and FSU are leaps and bounds above the rest of the conference and are trending upward in spending).
I think this has more to do with the recent success of some programs than any other factor.
bigsands
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Johnson did a very, very good job. We had never defeated FSU since they joined the league, he did it three times. We hadn’t beat the mutts in years, he did it three times. Plus ACC title, 2014 Orange Bowl, etc. I thought this season was going to be a disaster after the Pitt game, but he pulled through thanks to a weak schedule and he did it by doubling down on the running game. Heck, with Oliver he practically stopped even handing off. He looks tired, I hope he goes out with a win. Many great memories. Very good run.
grandpa jacket
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H
He had more seasons than Oleary and Ross, he also had more games. He was an average football coach.
Heisman's Ghost
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OK, fooled by the internet junkies again. Oh well, live and learn. Thanks for enlightening me.
Heisman's Ghost
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I apologize Smokey Wasp informed me it was not his account just someone playing around. My bad.
takethepoints
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And, of course, there's what everybody who brings up 2015 studiously avoids mentioning. That before the season started we lost for the year:
* The number 1 and 2 BBs
• Four ABs including 2 who were in the rotation (losing Cottrell was especially bad)
* Out pre-season All-ACC OT, Griffin
Then there was the year itself where we lost for the season:
• We lost both Snoddy and Seccey by the third game
• We lost Tim Byerly
• Our leading WR, Summers
• We ended up with two (count 'em 2) OLs who played in all 12 games and they were frosh (Bryan and Braun)
By the 5th game we were starting a PWO freshman AB (Willis) because he was all we had left and it simply kept getting worse. It was the worst tsunami of injuries in Tech history.
And what did we get from people who were upset with Paul's offense? "Next man up! Every team has injuries! The other side has the O figured out! We can't sustain success!" And we wonder why Paul got worn out dealing with this.
I've never been happier then when we won 9 games in 2016, beat Ugag down there, and curb-stomped another SEC opponent in the Taxslayer.
I mean, if you want to play with numbers, at least try to keep the context in mind.
Sources:
https://www.myajc.com/blog/georgia-tech/tabulating-georgia-tech-injury-toll/p8Lkke9qJIXh7xw39dEwxM/
https://www.sbnation.com/college-fo...ia-tech-football-2016-preview-schedule-roster
Boaty1
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Good point. I wonder how much the enthusiasm and energy Dabo brought to the program was responsible for the spending?