How Many Games Will GT Win?

[GTNavyNuke]

We've won four and there is a lot of talk. But what do you think?

I think we win 6 or 7 and will go with 7.
Fluke (.7 W) W
@UNC (.3 W) L
@ VT (.2 W) L
UVa (.8 W) W
@ UGAg (.5 W) W
Total 2.5 wins: beat Fluke, UVa and UGAg on top of our 4 already.

 

[takethepoints]

I'm saying 8. I think we can beat Puke, though it is too bad we didn't play them two weeks ago before they began to come around. The reason I say 8 is that I'm now more confident that we will win against either UNC or the Turkies. The Orange showed just how vulnerable VT is to a team that can run and throw effectively. And it looks like Tech is becoming one of those teams. I wouldn't have believed it before the season started, but we have been pretty effective throwing the ball of late. I think this is largely because of continuing OL injury problems; we just can't get the original group on the field for a long enough period to build the connections needed to be really effective in run blocking for our O. But whatever the reason, we do seem to have gotten this pass blocking stuff down well enough to let JT, who is a pretty good passer given even a little time, do his thing. As their game against the Orange showed, the Turkies are vulnerable to the combo. I never doubted we could beat UNC and I haven't seen anything to make me think otherwise. It will depend on which UNC decides to show up, however. Ugag is going to be a barnburner, but they are vulnerable this year, largely due to pretty bad OL play.

There's no question that UNC, VT, and Ugag will be close games and we could lose them all. We could win them all too, however. We'll see soon enough.

 

[DvilleJacket]

6 which is twice as many as last year so it's an improvement. I got my hopes up and thought maybe 8-9 after beating Vandy so easily.

 

[gtpi]

if we still had shaq mason we would probably be a one loss team rright now imo. we win at pitt with shaq. we win at miami with shaq. we lost one game due to a failed 4th down attempt and the other over two SUPER FREAK fumbles returned for a touch down. with shaq the clemson game is a whole lot closer imo.

we are really missing a dominant lineman big time. as shaq proved in 2014. it only takes one.

while i love jt to death i think that part of the problem is that when he has a bad play he gets down on himself which causes the whole team to get into a funk also. i know he is not a verbal guy but imo he needs to lead more. i always liked the way johnny td went from player to player encouraging them. firing them up etc. i see none of that with justin.

given the above i think we are a young team that needs a strong dose of confidence. a little well placed swagger wouldnt hurt.

i know that a few years ago we were the youngest team in fbs. anybody know how we stack up now? i have googled that but was unable to come up with an analysis of any kind.

as far as wins and losses go.... i see us at 7-5 plus a bowl but it wont be easy.

 

[BuzzStone]

I think this year shows improvement over last year which I am excited about. I just don't think we have turned it around enough to win 7 games.

Fluke L This is the hardest game for me to call but I see them heading in the right direction as a football team and they have played one of the best teams in the nation now.
@UNC L Just to much for us to handle right now
@ VT L They have a much improved team, if we couldn't beat them at home on a thursday night last year I don't see us beating them on the road.
UVA W Should be able to pull this one out
@ UGA W We can always beat uga.

 

[MWBATL]

I think we are still not the kind of football program I want to see at GT and that depresses me and leaves me unenthusiastic about our future. (By way of quick explanation, I want to be superior to the BC's, Duke's and Virginia's of the ACC, not hoping and praying for wins over them...and I want to compete with the best programs, not be shut down and blown out by them.)

I think our offense is sort of typical CPJ offense (not 2014)...decent, above average for college teams, but not 2014's version. I think our defense is...as usual (terrible). I cannot fathom why CPJ does not insist on a change in defensive philosophy when it so clearly isn't working. That just baffles me beyond words.

Given how weak our defense is, it will cost us one to two games that we could otherwise win on this list. I am hovering between 5 wins and 6 max. I will go with 6 on hope, and be sorely disappointed because I don't really see any solid reasons why next season will be any better with the coaching decision making I see today. The rest of the ACC has stopped up their game and we are not keeping pace....

 

[RamblinCharger]

We can beat all of the teams that we have left, will we? Probably not, but it's possible. I think we end up with 7 or 8.

 

[Animal02]

I think we are still not the kind of football program I want to see at GT and that depresses me and leaves me unenthusiastic about our future. (By way of quick explanation, I want to be superior to the BC's, Duke's and Virginia's of the ACC, not hoping and praying for wins over them...and I want to compete with the best programs, not be shut down and blown out by them.)

I think our offense is sort of typical CPJ offense (not 2014)...decent, above average for college teams, but not 2014's version. I think our defense is...as usual (terrible). I cannot fathom why CPJ does not insist on a change in defensive philosophy when it so clearly isn't working. That just baffles me beyond words.

Given how weak our defense is, it will cost us one to two games that we could otherwise win on this list. I am hovering between 5 wins and 6 max. I will go with 6 on hope, and be sorely disappointed because I don't really see any solid reasons why next season will be any better with the coaching decision making I see today. The rest of the ACC has stopped up their game and we are not keeping pace....

Maybe it is just me, but there seems like the QB play takes a 1/4 - 1/2 step down as they get beaten up. first year starting they may not make all the right decisions, but they make the decisions quick, the following years the hesitations seem to grow.

 

[Jacketman1]

we take duke, uva, ugag and the bowl to make 8

 

[iceeater1969]

Without the coach job keeper games a record of 6-6 is 4-6. True it is better than 1-9 last year, but in 14 coaches got a pay raise and contract. it looked like they turned corner by beating some good teams.
Now the very good teams have stepped up and have don't have sneak up games. The lessor teams have improved so consider this a good year if we go 5-5.
By way if you accept average , you end up at below average.

Our system has so much potential ( a more agressive passing attack and defense ) that would allow for us to consistently be a good team.

In 09-10 I worked with Todd spencer trying to help e cruit in texas. He was a one man band doing recruiting and ol w sewak. Finally he told me I just have to focus on ga first. Just adding waggoner has helped a lot in recruiting QUALITY. Add two helpers for waggoner and recruit major cities and those QUALITY tech players will self recruit. Add a defensive coach like west who is helping sewak . ATL is great.

 

[rosebud78]

9

 

[GTJake]

I'm going with (8), Duke, UVA, one of VT/UNC ... and a season ending winner in Athens !

 

[takethepoints]

I don't get all this talk about how "other programs have stepped up their game, but Tech hasn't". Last year we were so decimated that I don't think anyone could draw any valid conclusions about talent. We've had some bad luck this year or we would be 6 and 1. I didn't see a massive talent difference between us and any team we've played except Clemson. Indeed, I think we have a back (Mills) who could be another Adrain Peterson (GSU version) with a little experience. (I bet that's why Coach is playing him now; he sees it coming.) That alone will more then equalize things with our opponents in the near future.

I think people are apprehensive about our ability to beat teams in our conference regularly. So am I. The ACC is probably stronger this year top to bottom then any conference in the country; shoot, Wake is 5 - 2. But I don't see us becoming uncompetitive and I don't anticipate that we will.

 

[stech81]

All that we score more then the other team.

 

[tech_wreck47]

Imo we will win a minimum of 6 but could end up winning 9.

We should beat duke and Virginia imo.

VT has been up and down so if we catch them on a bad day or even just an ok day we could win.

Tar Heels don't have a good D so it could be the last team with the ball or the team who wins the turnover battle.

UGA will probably a close game, unless GT gets on a roll then I don't think UGA would stand a chance.

If I had to pick though I'd say 7, with wins over duke, Virginia, and UGA and maybe 8 if we can somehow split with Tar Heels and VT.

 

[jeffgt14]

8. I think we can take UNC even with Switzer probably putting up Julio numbers on us. VT I'm still not sure we can win. In Blacksburg is tough. Syracuse beat them but they sure did have to pull out some tricks.

 

[MWBATL]

I don't get all this talk about how "other programs have stepped up their game, but Tech hasn't". Last year we were so decimated that I don't think anyone could draw any valid conclusions about talent. We've had some bad luck this year or we would be 6 and 1. I didn't see a massive talent difference between us and any team we've played except Clemson. Indeed, I think we have a back (Mills) who could be another Adrain Peterson (GSU version) with a little experience. (I bet that's why Coach is playing him now; he sees it coming.) That alone will more then equalize things with our opponents in the near future.

I think people are apprehensive about our ability to beat teams in our conference regularly. So am I. The ACC is probably stronger this year top to bottom then any conference in the country; shoot, Wake is 5 - 2. But I don't see us becoming uncompetitive and I don't anticipate that we will.

Because we used to feel extremely confidant about wins over the likes of programs like Duke, UVa, and BC of this conference. This year, I think it is fair to say we are 50-50 in those games, at BEST 60-40. Agains the better team sin the conference, like Clemson, we have lost there in a row by over 20 points in each game...so, no, we aren't competitive. We lose continuously to VT, Miami, Clemson and UGa...and it used to be we could still go 7-4 even with those results. Now we lose those games and struggle to go 6-6 with the way the rest of the league has stepped up their game.

 

[sidewalkGTfan]

Because we used to feel extremely confidant about wins over the likes of programs like Duke, UVa, and BC of this conference. This year, I think it is fair to say we are 50-50 in those games, at BEST 60-40. Agains the better team sin the conference, like Clemson, we have lost there in a row by over 20 points in each game...so, no, we aren't competitive. We lose continuously to VT, Miami, Clemson and UGa...and it used to be we could still go 7-4 even with those results. Now we lose those games and struggle to go 6-6 with the way the rest of the league has stepped up their game.

I get the frustration because I've been there already this year myself but some of this is just not accurate...

Duke - Yes, we've lost the last 2 to them but overall, PJ has a dam good record against them. They are not the Duke of 10-20 years ago.
UVA - It took something like 18-20 years for us to finally win a game up in Hooville. They've never been a push over for us.
BC - We don't play them regularly but they've had some good years in the ACC.
Clemson - Dabo has that program on a national title contending level but we did just beat them 2 years ago and PJ is 5-5 against them while at GT.
VT - I'll agree this matchup hasn't gone well for PJ.
Miami - See VT.
UGA - We've struggled to beat them for the last 40+ years, well before PJ got here. People don't like it, but they have every built in advantage and they should be better than us.

 

[takethepoints]

Because we used to feel extremely confidant about wins over the likes of programs like Duke, UVa, and BC of this conference. This year, I think it is fair to say we are 50-50 in those games, at BEST 60-40. Agains the better team sin the conference, like Clemson, we have lost there in a row by over 20 points in each game...so, no, we aren't competitive. We lose continuously to VT, Miami, Clemson and UGa...and it used to be we could still go 7-4 even with those results. Now we lose those games and struggle to go 6-6 with the way the rest of the league has stepped up their game.

I don't see a 50 - 50 split as non-competitive. But I was talking about the physical comparisons, not the won-lost record. Games between evenly matched teams are often won or lost by sheer luck. To take one of your examples, when I looked at our team against Miami this year I didn't see any great difference. They won the game because we went all Pitt-in-2014 on them in the second quarter, not because they were whipping us like the Tiggers did. Our game with Pitt was a slightly different angle of a tipped ball away from a win. In both games the box score was virtually identical.

So, no, I don't see much evidence that we've lost our edge. It would be nice to get our starting OL on the field together for 3 - 4 games, but we simply don't agree on this. Reason = I'm guessing that I've watched Tech teams for multiple years that really were inferior to our opponents. Gives you perspective, that.

 

[GT>ugag]

Most likely scenario:
Duke W 31-17
UNC L 42-35
VPI L 28-20
UVA W 42-17
uga W 24-20

Worst Case:
Duke L 28-17
UNC L 38-16
VPI L 28-10
UVA W 28-24
uga L 17-14

Best Case (definitely possible):
Duke W 38-13
UNC W 35-28
VPI W 24-20
UVA W 42-17
uga W 31-17

We should go 7-5... all games other that UVA and Duke are a toss up. We definitely have to potential to win out, and I think the best case scenario is much more likely than the worst case.