Is Georgia Tech football in better spot today (2018) than when you started 2008?
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OldJacketFan
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Yes
stech81
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It is, I'm not I'm 10 years older and hurt in places I forgot I had.
GTJoeBrew
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I have to admit, I was wavering towards the end of the three game losing streak, posting something about hating not being competitive. I feel much better about our team today than a few weeks ago. We're beginning to see some light from the defense and the offense is clicking like we have never seen before. My vote is yes, but we are still teetering on the edge. Another great performance this weekend will help tremendously.
GTFLETCH
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Well besides our record... We have left RA for adidas, we have a new locker room... we also have stood up a recruiting center or team on the past six months....
We have 1 2009 ACC Title, 2008, 2009, 2014 we went to a Peach Bowl and two Orange Bowls. We won the OB in 2014. We have also missed out on a bowl game in 2 of the last three years...
We have 1 2009 ACC Title, 2008, 2009, 2014 we went to a Peach Bowl and two Orange Bowls. We won the OB in 2014. We have also missed out on a bowl game in 2 of the last three years...
Lavoisier
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I think you have to seperate "Team" and "Program". We have a much better program now just from an facilities standpoint. Indoor practice facility, new locker room, new lobby, and most importantly a vision and plan for the rest of the facilities.
If you think fan apathy is bad now, it was 10x worse under Chan. The ACC was bad, like the worst BCS conference bad, and we still sucked in it. When the first round of re-alignment was announced in 2010 there was serious concerns that the ACC would get absorbed because of how trash we were. The ACC is a super tough conference now and 7-5 Chan would probably be getting his teeth kicked in every week. I remember when we played Wake for a title and nobody cared, not even us fans. There was a lot more hype for the 2012 team that backdoored their way in.
ACC network money is coming in, Stansbury seems to know how to fundraise at both levels, and we already have some top notch facilities. So I think the program, regardless of how this individual team does, is way better now.
Edit: I'll say something nice about Chan because re-reading what I wrote, I come off a lot meaner than I intended. He was way, way, way better at hiring assistants than Paul Johnson is. His choice in OCs was dubious at best but look at where some of his guys wound up post Tech. Our S&C was also better under him imo.
If you think fan apathy is bad now, it was 10x worse under Chan. The ACC was bad, like the worst BCS conference bad, and we still sucked in it. When the first round of re-alignment was announced in 2010 there was serious concerns that the ACC would get absorbed because of how trash we were. The ACC is a super tough conference now and 7-5 Chan would probably be getting his teeth kicked in every week. I remember when we played Wake for a title and nobody cared, not even us fans. There was a lot more hype for the 2012 team that backdoored their way in.
ACC network money is coming in, Stansbury seems to know how to fundraise at both levels, and we already have some top notch facilities. So I think the program, regardless of how this individual team does, is way better now.
Edit: I'll say something nice about Chan because re-reading what I wrote, I come off a lot meaner than I intended. He was way, way, way better at hiring assistants than Paul Johnson is. His choice in OCs was dubious at best but look at where some of his guys wound up post Tech. Our S&C was also better under him imo.
BCJacket
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This is a tough question. Tougher than it feels at first blush.
In 2008, the previous few years' W-L record and recruiting rankings had been a little better. But we were on NCAA probation and had lost 12 (iirc) scholarships. Hadn't beaten uGA in years. We'd just fired our coach (and paid him to go away).
I think our roster top-to-bottom is better today. We were down scholarships and the 2008 roster was top-heavy. We had Dwyer, Nesbitt, D. Thomas, Burnett and D. Morgan on the roster... but we didn't know what we had with them yet. We might look back in 10 years and marvel that in 2018 we had 'Graham, Malachi, Mason and the Swilling brothers' on the roster.
Is the state of the program stronger today than it was in 2008? I think, definitely, yes. In 2008, we were 2 years into the Radakovich regime. He was only beginning to fix the mess Dave 'Can't Win Here' Braine left us with. DRad wasn't perfect, but he did some good things. MBob wasn't great either, but his reign was short and he didn't leave any massive problems- (NCAA investigations, Hewitt level bad contracts, bad debts, a 10 year Russell extension...) We're now 2 years into the TStan era and he looks like the best AD we've had in a while. We're moving in the right direction.
But when you phrase the question "Is Georgia Tech football in better spot today (2018) than when you started 2008?" You also have to consider the environment. Our 'spot' today is a stronger program, living in a much stronger ACC. Clemson was a 7-9 win program, Duke was lucky to win one game a year, UNC was almost as bad... and so on. Our competition level has ratcheted up and we're further behind. We have a long way to go to catch up to the competition.
I think we're in a slightly worse "spot" today. The path to competing for ACC championships is less clear and more difficult than it was in 2008. I don't believe we could fire CPJ and bring in a coach who could win 9-10 games and the ACC in the next two years. (Would be surprised, but not shocked, if CPJ pulled that off though. He's won 11 and 9 in the past 4 years.)
In 2008, the previous few years' W-L record and recruiting rankings had been a little better. But we were on NCAA probation and had lost 12 (iirc) scholarships. Hadn't beaten uGA in years. We'd just fired our coach (and paid him to go away).
I think our roster top-to-bottom is better today. We were down scholarships and the 2008 roster was top-heavy. We had Dwyer, Nesbitt, D. Thomas, Burnett and D. Morgan on the roster... but we didn't know what we had with them yet. We might look back in 10 years and marvel that in 2018 we had 'Graham, Malachi, Mason and the Swilling brothers' on the roster.
Is the state of the program stronger today than it was in 2008? I think, definitely, yes. In 2008, we were 2 years into the Radakovich regime. He was only beginning to fix the mess Dave 'Can't Win Here' Braine left us with. DRad wasn't perfect, but he did some good things. MBob wasn't great either, but his reign was short and he didn't leave any massive problems- (NCAA investigations, Hewitt level bad contracts, bad debts, a 10 year Russell extension...) We're now 2 years into the TStan era and he looks like the best AD we've had in a while. We're moving in the right direction.
But when you phrase the question "Is Georgia Tech football in better spot today (2018) than when you started 2008?" You also have to consider the environment. Our 'spot' today is a stronger program, living in a much stronger ACC. Clemson was a 7-9 win program, Duke was lucky to win one game a year, UNC was almost as bad... and so on. Our competition level has ratcheted up and we're further behind. We have a long way to go to catch up to the competition.
I think we're in a slightly worse "spot" today. The path to competing for ACC championships is less clear and more difficult than it was in 2008. I don't believe we could fire CPJ and bring in a coach who could win 9-10 games and the ACC in the next two years. (Would be surprised, but not shocked, if CPJ pulled that off though. He's won 11 and 9 in the past 4 years.)
AlabamaBuzz
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From a talent standpoint, I had to vote "no", but I do believe PJ's system gives us a fighting chance against factories. With that said, the factory recruiting advantage is starting to become insurmountable.
SteamWhistle
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Start of 2008 I had never seen us beat UGA so at lest we got that going now. Plus - New Unis, Lockeroom, and an Atheltic Director that gives a **** about the program. I’d say we are better off.
iceeater1969
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the scheme allowed us to skip over changes that should have been made in 10 and 14. (No recruiting help for co oline coach Spencer because were going to the orange bowl) .
In 14 we gave coach and coaches a raise, and then in 15 heard about behind the scenes stuff that was missing.
The basketball AD was clueless and let this slide further.
Now with a football AD we are headed up - with behind the scenes stuff.
Failure to identify the behind the scenes deficiencies which are recently being addressed has us slightly down but headed up.
If they had been addressed early ( recruiting mainly) , our scheme IMO would have made us much much better by now.
The real question is GOING FOWARD since we are faced w teams that are getting better at defending our scheme, WILL WE GET BETTER FASTER THAN THEY GET BETTER. ??
Next 6 games give us a window = Tstan it's on you.
In 14 we gave coach and coaches a raise, and then in 15 heard about behind the scenes stuff that was missing.
The basketball AD was clueless and let this slide further.
Now with a football AD we are headed up - with behind the scenes stuff.
Failure to identify the behind the scenes deficiencies which are recently being addressed has us slightly down but headed up.
If they had been addressed early ( recruiting mainly) , our scheme IMO would have made us much much better by now.
The real question is GOING FOWARD since we are faced w teams that are getting better at defending our scheme, WILL WE GET BETTER FASTER THAN THEY GET BETTER. ??
Next 6 games give us a window = Tstan it's on you.
Lavoisier
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I also forgot that we did all these improvements without the massive TV deal's of other conferences and having to pay out terrible contracts to basketball coaches.
I get flamed whenever I say it, but Tech basketball has singlehandedly held the entire Athletic department back for the past decade.
I get flamed whenever I say it, but Tech basketball has singlehandedly held the entire Athletic department back for the past decade.
NorthGeorgiaJacket
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If you say no, you are Chan Gailey.
Milwaukee
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In a word, no. Unfortunately our fans put too much weight on beating UGA. Irrelevant on a national scale for 4 years? No problem, as long as we can upset UGA every 3 years or so. The program is losing fans because of the fanbase itself, not even the results...as weird as that sounds.
We need to win out this year and win 9-10 next year. I think we can, actually. Will we? Our coaching is better now than it was before 08 but if you're telling me we are in better position right now than we were in 08 I think you don't know cfb. This is just my opinion as a fan since '03.
The accomplishments in 08 thru 14 are no longer serving or a part of where we are currently as a program.
We need to win out this year and win 9-10 next year. I think we can, actually. Will we? Our coaching is better now than it was before 08 but if you're telling me we are in better position right now than we were in 08 I think you don't know cfb. This is just my opinion as a fan since '03.
The accomplishments in 08 thru 14 are no longer serving or a part of where we are currently as a program.
Milwaukee
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I love PJ but I'm afraid that if UGA is #1 or #2 this year and we upset them we will have a big push from our fanbase to build a statue regardless of how our actual season played out. I wish I was kidding.
Milwaukee
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This is sad.
lv20gt
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Worse. The biggest advantage we had in 2008 was in coaching, when Johnson first got here. However that advantage has dissipated as the schools around us have made coaching improvements overall. In the meantime our recruiting, relative to our competition hasn't improved any. So we are probably marginally better off than we were in 2007 but we are probably in a worse spot if a change is needed.