I want a run first pro style offense

[LibertyTurns]

I think the Stanford model is probably a good one for schools with high academic requirements. Focus on the OL.

The Hill would never allow a Stanford style admissions process for football players at Tech.

 

[RamblinCharger]

Winning in college football these days at the SEC level is almost completely recruiting and paying players. The only other way to win is by recruiting fairly well and having coaching that is incredible. Baylor has fantastic coaching and has started to recruit much better. Teams like UGA, BAMA, LSU, and FSU pay players and have crazy low academic standards and until the NCAA is abolished or changed then that won't change. All I hope to see from GT is good coaching and for us to continue to win the right way. Win 8-9 games a year with good coaching and occasionally winning 10-11 when we have a lot of seniors... At least until "the game", or playing field is evened.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Winning in college football these days at the SEC level is almost completely recruiting and paying players. The only other way to win is by recruiting fairly well and having coaching that is incredible. Baylor has fantastic coaching and has started to recruit much better. Teams like UGA, BAMA, LSU, and FSU pay players and have crazy low academic standards and until the NCAA is abolished or changed then that won't change. All I hope to see from GT is good coaching and for us to continue to win the right way. Win 8-9 games a year with good coaching and occasionally winning 10-11 when we have a lot of seniors... At least until "the game", or playing field is evened.

When the walls finally come tumbling down on the NCAA and the football-factory mentality so prevalent today --- and I believe ultimately those walls WILL come tumbling down --- hopefully Tech will be in a great position for future success, no matter what kind of offense is run.

 

[CobbTech]

Without reading the other comments: Been there, done that, got the Reggie Ball T shirt to prove it. 15 points per game is what it is all about. Time fuzzes our memories.

What are you talking about? Don't you know that all we have to do is change our scheme on offense and 5 star recruits will be lining up to play for us and we will dominate CFB once again?

 

[IronJacket7]

I have been a big CPJ supporter and still want him to win, but I want a pro style offense again similar to Georgia's. If we don't win 8+ and beat UGA I want him canned

I don't want anything close to a pro style. UGA's offense is so boring, imho. I love the Flexbone. It's exciting and effective when executed right.

However, if we ever changed to something different I would personally love to see a pistol spread look with multiple variations, like an Auburn, Oregon, Clemson style offense. But that's just me.

 

[IronJacket7]

The point I was trying to make is that all of the blame is put on the offense while we give up 50+ to Clemson and 40+ to Miami and 38 to BYU. And all anyone talks about is wanting a pro style offense. Everyone talks about the strides our defense made but look at the numbers above. And you bring up UGA, their 2nd string offense put up 27 against us in regulation.

One thing you have to remember as well is that the offense had several 3 and out/stalled series in those games. Especially Clemson. Our defense is not the greatest in the world for sure. But I think we would all agree that the offense looked more stalled this past season and it lead to our defense being on the field more.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Lots of shortsightedness in this thread. There is a lot that goes into coaching besides offensive scheme, which is unquestionably Johnson's strength. It is so foolish to blame everything on that one aspect of his coaching.

Think PJ should be gone because of poor recruiting? I disagree, but you would have a valid argument because our mediocre talent is undoubtedly holding us back.

Think PJ should be gone because of poor defense? Again, I disagree, but that is most definitely a weak point at GT despite multiple new DC's. If there is not continued improvement under Roof then it would be difficult to support PJ on this one.

If you want to criticize PJ, fine. At least pick something logical to base your argument on.

right on!

 

[dressedcheeseside]

One thing you have to remember as well is that the offense had several 3 and out/stalled series in those games. Especially Clemson. Our defense is not the greatest in the world for sure. But I think we would all agree that the offense looked more stalled this past season and it lead to our defense being on the field more.

Neither unit operates in a vacuum, it goes both ways. I agree, our O put our D in some tough spots, but so did the D to our O. When our D can't stop the other team, then that kills our starting field position. Even if we eventually stop them and make them punt, we're probably starting inside our own 20. If stats prove one thing, they prove you are much less likely to score when backed up within the shadow of your own goal post. (That's where we lived, btw.)

It also makes our play calling more conservative, and for good reason. It also doesn't allow your O to get comfortable: no rhythm, cold standing on sideline, pressure from having so far to go to score, pressure from feeling you have to score to keep pace, etc, etc, etc.

 

[IronJacket7]

Neither unit operates in a vacuum, it goes both ways. I agree, our O put our D in some tough spots, but so did the D to our O. When our D can't stop the other team, then that kills our starting field position. Even if we eventually stop them and make them punt, we're probably starting inside our own 20. If stats prove one thing, they prove you are much less likely to score when backed up within the shadow of your own goal post. (That's where we lived, btw.)

It also makes our play calling more conservative, and for good reason. It also doesn't allow your O to get comfortable: no rhythm, cold standing on sideline, pressure from having so far to go to score, pressure from feeling you have to score to keep pace, etc, etc, etc.

Correct. And that is the point I was trying to make in that the two go hand in hand and it works both ways. Neither did each other many favors in 2013. Hopefully things will be different in 2014 and both will compliment the other.

 

[Rock]

Brian I think you are coming to the same conclusion that many Tech fans are coming to. Coach Johnson is a good man and a good football coach. He is married to his triple option (for lack of a better term) offense and he is not going to change. It defines who he is. I think he always wanted the opportunity to prove to the football world that his offense was viable not only at the Division 2 (for lack of a better term) but also at the D 1 level with the big boys.

I think his initial success was more a result of the teams we faced not being familiar with how to defense the unusual formations and the options the offense presented. I know a lot of folks like to say it was because Coach had Gailey's players and for sure there were a couple that were stellar, but I think most of the initial success was just due to the unfamiliarity of how to defense his offense among our opponents.

Now after 6 years, the teams we play regularly that have quality athletes in their programs have pretty much figured out how to defense this offense and we are struggling to win against those teams. I know many will say well we have always struggled to win against those teams, but if the truth were told we are not at that much of an athletic difference when you compare our players against, Miami, Va. Tech, Clemson and Georgia. Most of these games are close enough that we are in a position to win at some point in the game but typically fail to execute the key play when it comes to winning time. To me that gets down to coaching and building a winning attitude among your players. I think this is an area that Coach Johnson has come up short.

So in summary, I feel like he has had the time and opportunity to demonstrate that his offense can not only work but win big at this level and on that count he has fallen short. I also feel that as a coach he has not been able to inspire, motivate and develop a winning attitude in our teams that would allow them to win the tough, hard fought games. I appreciate his efforts and like him as a person but if it were my decision to make, I would be looking for new leadership after this season. I really project we will have a very similar result this coming year, 7 wins 5 losses and a 6th loss in a minor bowl game. That record has come to define Coach Johnson's term as our Head Coach.

Bingo!

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Correct. And that is the point I was trying to make in that the two go hand in hand and it works both ways. Neither did each other many favors in 2013. Hopefully things will be different in 2014 and both will compliment the other.

It makes it fairly difficult to evaluate each unit on it's own merits statistically, there's so many factors beyond the control of the unit in question. I guess the ultimate and fairest measure is total yards. An offense is supposed to gain yards while a defense is supposed to limit them. However, this can be deceiving as well. If the O keeps getting set up in short yardage situations, they can be very effective with very little yardage gains to show for it. Same goes for simply looking at points gained vs points allowed.

Maybe the best measure is yards per play???

 

[IronJacket7]

Maybe the best measure is yards per play???

This would be a fair start. But its like you said there are so many factors beyond the control of the unit in question.

For me. And again this is just me. Statistics I am sure will refute my opinion. But last year seemed like a bad year for our offense in general. I don't recall the yards and final statistical rankings of the offense. I know we finished in the Top 5 again in rushing but the offense just didn't have that flow last year to me that it did in previous seasons under CPJ.

And the defense for me was better last season in comparison to Al Groh's years. Again this is only my perception. I am not backing it with statistical data.

 

[danny daniel]

This would be a fair start. But its like you said there are so many factors beyond the control of the unit in question.

For me. And again this is just me. Statistics I am sure will refute my opinion. But last year seemed like a bad year for our offense in general. I don't recall the yards and final statistical rankings of the offense. I know we finished in the Top 5 again in rushing but the offense just didn't have that flow last year to me that it did in previous seasons under CPJ.

And the defense for me was better last season in comparison to Al Groh's years. Again this is only my perception. I am not backing it with statistical data.

You are right. Our offensive stats were not that bad. I believe we were 6th rushing with lots of yards and points overall, but we failed to move the ball in three games we could have won...Ga when we needed to move the ball and run some clock and protect the point lead; the VT game which we could have won with some better O; and the Bowl game where our O did very little. In other games we lost where we got stopped we were probably out-manned.

You are also right about the D which was improved but still gave up too much passing and failed on too many critical 3rd downs.

IMO we will be some better on D this year and O could be from slightly better with more consistency to much better, if not much more exciting.

 

[thagooseisloose]

The Hill would never allow a Stanford style admissions process for football players at Tech.

Don't let ATL1 see that. Stanford is the perfect program, and we're all unwashed heathens for thinking otherwise...

 

[TheTaxJacket]

The offense has not been CPJs undoing.

If we are to fault PJ for doing anything badly it would be his choices in defensive coordinators. I think he has it right this time around.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Don't let ATL1 see that. Stanford is the perfect program, and we're all unwashed heathens for thinking otherwise...

I am new to this board, so I don't know who ATL1 is, but based on your post, he sure sounds a lot like WrexNEffct, or whatever his name originally was. He posts now on the AJC blogs under the name MikeBanning. He think Stanford is perfect in everything that is done there.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

The offense has not been CPJs undoing.

If we are to fault PJ for doing anything badly it would be his choices in defensive coordinators. I think he has it right this time around.

Actually, I think some of his play-calling has been highly suspect at times. But overall, the offense definitely works; it's the defense that has been our downfall in most of the losses.

 

[GTrob21]

The Hill would never allow a Stanford style admissions process for football players at Tech.

Didn't the hill just come out and say that CPJ can take as many exceptions as he wants??

The only think I can possibly see as an excuse for Tech fans now is our narrow curriculum...

The only thing holding back Tech is a coach who can sell the program to these kids. Stanford was horrible for 50 years till Harbaugh..

 

[thagooseisloose]

Didn't the hill just come out and say that CPJ can take as many exceptions as he wants??

The only think I can possibly see as an excuse for Tech fans now is our narrow curriculum...

The only thing holding back Tech is a coach who can sell the program to these kids. Stanford was horrible for 50 years till Harbaugh..

It's a legit excuse. Just because a kid is smart doesn't mean he likes math. You can go to Stanford, get a great education, and never take anything as difficult as some of the lower level math at GT.

 

[Eric]

Just because we have unlimited exceptions doesn't mean we can just take whoever we want all the time...Tech is still hard. We have to find guys who are serious about classwork and have the capability to pass.

Travis Custis and JHD were both exceptions FWIW.