If We Beat FSU

[Nate Anderson]

I have no clue, but if we beat FSU, they would have been eliminated from the playoffs which would have left the next highest ACC team to the Orange Bowl. Even with a win over them, there would be a good chance that they would be ranked over us. If we beat them, could we have ended up in the Russell Athletic Bowl?

 

[Eric]

It's not the highest ranked team that goes to the Orange Bowl.

It's whoever wins the ACCCG goes to the Orange Bowl....unless that team is in the top 4 and goes to the playoffs...then the highest ranked team goes to the Orange Bowl...just like what happened this year.

But if we had beat FSU and didn't make the top 4 we would have still went to the Orange Bowl.

 

[GlennW]

On the other hand, IF all things would have fallen just right, including us beating FSU, that was a good chance WE would have gone to the College Football Playoffs INSTEAD of FSU because we would have closed out our season beating a Top 20 ranked Clemson, Top 10 ranked UGA, and then Top 5 Ranked FSU at the end of a, I believe, a six game winning streak.

I think had we won, and there had been one other upset against a team ranked ahead of us, WE would have gotten a TON of National attention, support, and therefore, serious consideration at that point. And in my humble opinion, had WE gotten into the Playoffs last season, I honestly believe WE would have beaten any team we played against had we had the same time to rest up for the first game and then had the short window to prep for the second game. Our offense was playing at too high of a level to be stopped by ANY defense, and our defense, even though they had the hiccup against FSU (Winston played outside of his mind and we should have still won the game had we not dropped the interception in the endzone in the 4th quarter because our 2nd half adjustments pretty much shut the Seminole offense down).

I truly believe that, absent key injuries, 2015 will be another special season, and the fact that 2014 set the team up for 2015, they will be in a position to play for the Championship because the spotlight will be on them going into the season and the schedule is in place that winning games will also give them that added respect needed to move up, and stay high, in the polls.

 

[Enuratique]

On the other hand, IF all things would have fallen just right, including us beating FSU, that was a good chance WE would have gone to the College Football Playoffs INSTEAD of FSU because we would have closed out our season beating a Top 20 ranked Clemson, Top 10 ranked UGA, and then Top 5 Ranked FSU at the end of a, I believe, a six game winning streak.

I think had we won, and there had been one other upset against a team ranked ahead of us, WE would have gotten a TON of National attention, support, and therefore, serious consideration at that point. And in my humble opinion, had WE gotten into the Playoffs last season, I honestly believe WE would have beaten any team we played against had we had the same time to rest up for the first game and then had the short window to prep for the second game. Our offense was playing at too high of a level to be stopped by ANY defense, and our defense, even though they had the hiccup against FSU (Winston played outside of his mind and we should have still won the game had we not dropped the interception in the endzone in the 4th quarter because our 2nd half adjustments pretty much shut the Seminole offense down).

I truly believe that, absent key injuries, 2015 will be another special season, and the fact that 2014 set the team up for 2015, they will be in a position to play for the Championship because the spotlight will be on them going into the season and the schedule is in place that winning games will also give them that added respect needed to move up, and stay high, in the polls.

Problem is we needed both Ohio State and TCU to lose, and I think they both won in blowout fashion. So even if one of them lost, the other's really strong win would have been enough to keep them in and us on the outside looking in.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Losing to Fluke and UNC in mid-season, there was no way we were going to the playoffs.

 

[Skeptic]

Losing to Fluke and UNC in mid-season, there was no way we were going to the playoffs.

Well, if TCU wasn't getting there then we weren't. But aside from all that, if one can tear his attention away from watching the play and listen to the announcers in the Clemson, FSU and MSU games -- throw Georgia out; don't think they were particularly biased just not particularly good -- it seemed to me that there was a lot more respect, if you will, in how they said and what they said. It was no longer a HS offense, kind of lucky to be here kind of thing, but real enthusiasm for the football team. Took some getting used to, but I sure liked it.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

TCU and Baylor would have been ahead of us for sure. Maybe even a one loss FSU. Even a win in the CG, finishing in the top 5 would have been doubtful.

 

[AE 87]

I want to agree with @GlennW, but I'm doubtful. As others have said, tOSU, TCU, and Baylor were all ahead of us in the hunt before our FSU game. However, so was Michigan State, iirc. While I agree with Glenn that we had a good argument on paper, beating a top 2o, top 10, and top 5 team, I'm not convinced it would have played-out that way. National press wasn't believing FSU. I think beating them would have been more likely seen as undermining CU and FSU than elevating GT. We would've beat two over-rated teams and won a rivalry game in OT.

The ACC needs to put together several seasons of good out of conference wins in order to overcome popular prejudice against it.

 

[GlennW]

Problem is we needed both Ohio State and TCU to lose, and I think they both won in blowout fashion. So even if one of them lost, the other's really strong win would have been enough to keep them in and us on the outside looking in.

I believe I said if everything fell into place (meaning other teams had to lose besides FSU, and I think we would have had to have beat FSU convincingly), HOWEVER, just beating them WOULD have been enough had there been enough teams upset ahead of us alone. Just saying as my opinion because we had gotten so much support at the end of the season and DID finish SO strong.

 

[MySouthernJacket]

America's sweetheart TCU didn't make it and you want to say that Tech would have jumped everyone? Not a chance.

 

[Ggee87]

If we could have found a way to win that UNC game at the end, we would have been considered had we beaten FSU by as little as 1 point. Seeing what we accomplished last year and how high we ended up in the polls. This team should have all the fuel needed for their fire to get back next year. We left alot of the table last year and easily could have been playing in the 1st ever CFP. When you are at GT, seasons like that dont happen often. Especially ones in where you have alot of returning players and good recruiting classes coming in. The SOS next year sets up nicely to get back to where we were last year and some if opportunities are taken advantage of.

 

[stevo0718]

America's sweetheart TCU didn't make it and you want to say that Tech would have jumped everyone? Not a chance.

I mean TCU was only Americas sweetheart after they destroyed Ole Miss in the peach bowl. Before that they were just a good team that got left out.

Had we been in and TCU still out, and TCU performed the same, I think TCU would be perceived the same. They're basically 04 Auburn a really good team that didn't get a shot.

 

[ClydeBrick]

Losing to Fluke and UNC in mid-season, there was no way we were going to the playoffs.

Yup.

tOSU lost to VPI and has that aura that gives them votes when they may not normally be warranted (like in week 16 of 2014) and they were the "surprise" team that did jump TCU & Baylor*. With those two loses and no aura - the final 4 was never going to happen for GT in 2014.

* There was no way that the SEleCtion Committee could have foreseen those tOSU wins at the end of the season. A QB on his second & third starts winning it all? Smart money should have been on another team to provide more entertaining games. But tOSU has a bigger following . . .

 

[Skeptic]

But tOSU has a bigger following . . .

Just because a former QB for them, Kirk Herbstreit, now an esteemed TV analyst -- his work on the ACC championship game was outstanding -- had to move out of Columbus because he actually did his job on an OSU telecast, and it was not complimentary, and had a deluge of telephone calls to his home, and his home address and telephone number reported on message boards? And his wife had to deal with most of this because of the nature of his job? Oh, yeah. OSU has seemingly forever been like Texas was for so long in Texas: sucking up even average+ players that would have been better off at the MAC level but just had to go to OSU. And their fans do travel well. Badly.

 

[turfjacket]

So lets say we had beaten FSU in the ACCCG. Lets also assume that neither GT or FSU finished in the top 4. The Orange Bowl would have still been ours via the ACCCG victory. Where would FSU have ended up?

 

[Ggee87]

So lets say we had beaten FSU in the ACCCG. Lets also assume that neither GT or FSU finished in the top 4. The Orange Bowl would have still been ours via the ACCCG victory. Where would FSU have ended up?

Whatever bowl came after the Orange would have chosen FSU. But if we beat FSU in a close game.... I think they would have still made it in.

 

[GTonTop88]

I dont think any of the final four would've wanted to play us, the way we played against miss st.

 

[Skeptic]

I dont think any of the final four would've wanted to play us, the way we played against miss st.

I just watched again on the weekend. It was a remarkable performance, offense and defense, against a team supposed to be top rank of the SEC. To my mind for the first time in a bowl appearance under Johnson GT looked like it not only wanted to win, they always do, but expected to win, they didn't always, and damn well deserved to be there, and sometimes it seemed they questioned that. I at times in the past doubted that attitude. Not this time from the get-go the carriage and body language suggested they were for real and knew it. Tech was faster, quicker and far more explosive, and if MSU was bigger it wasn't by much. That as much as anything else in the whole season, including that November to remember, has me really pumped about the future of the program. And the more I consider it, the more I think the presence of Thomas has energized the entire team and made believers of them, and this is what a captain does. Boomer described him as "electric," and that is as good as any description. Third and long doesn't depress me any more, and I am reminded of Marine Gen. Chesty Puller's challenge in Korea that, "They've got us right where we want them."

 

[PBR549]

8 TEAM PLAYOFF

 

[JacketFromUGA]

I still think FSU would have been in a New Years 6 bowl