Just asking after watching GT for my entire life.

[Vespidae]

I think the transfer portal, NIL, and the upcoming SEC realignment were all implemented to benefit the schools with the larger fanbases…ultimately making them more successful and separating the haves from the have nots. Bitter? Angry? Irritated? All of the above.

This has been a trend for at least 15 years ... the evolution of college football to a handful (and I mean a handful) of mega-factories.

When I attended Tech in the 79-83 period, schools like Alabama were good but ... the gap between the top schools and the bottom schools wasn't insurmountable. It might have been 2 or 3X, but it wasn't 10X.

The system that has evolved is that the mega schools are now THE pipeline for the best players to get to the NFL and monetize their talents. That's why SA's jump into the portal ... "can I get more playing time at X school than where I am today? How will it benefit me?" Better athletes translates into marquee matchups which result in more ESPN revenue. And the cycle repeats.

This has been discussed ad nauseam by the NCAA and they have opined that FBS will probably split into two groups ... the CFA (College Football Association) which competes for the national title and .... everyone else ... who won't.

This is really why the Bet on Geoff Challenge happened. TStan understands this and that's why the strategy was ... "Come to Georgia Tech, the Center of the Football Universe and either play ball or get a degree!" It sounds like a good strategy. But ... it doesn't work when you are currently 100 in a race with 130 participants.

The CFB committee met in Dallas recently and ... there will be no changes. Which means the SAME 5-6 teams that are winning now will continue to expand their dominance. Yes, they will go up and down from year to year, but it's going to be basically the same teams. That's why some are throwing huge money at coaches to break INTO the cycle. Good luck.

I think we will eventually return to a 7 win average. But the leaders are pulling away faster with greater money and greater resources than ever before. I just don't see a scenario for Tech to compete with that.

There was a comment on the Paul Finebaum show today that went ... "Apologies to Georgia Tech but ... Kirby is one of three coaches in the country (the other two being LSU and Ohio State) that have NO serious rival for recruiting. Georgia can literally reload at will and has hundreds of high schools with kids having spent their whole life dreaming of playing for that school."

Others see what is happening. And it's a trend that is affecting 100 schools. Not just Tech. I'm guessing our ultimate strategy is to use the TV money to build up OTHER sports like BB. (Which is what Duke and Vandy do.)

Long post .. I think I've forgotten the point of it ...

 

[lauraee]

I dont remember a time. in my limited memory, when GT was not competitive. GT needs a new Head Coach. This guy is all fluff and cashing checks. He is not a good coach.

During the Bill effing Lewis era. The current clown is giving him a run. Lewis edges the clown out by a little because he blew up a solid Tech locker room with the Luginbill Donnie Davis fiasco.

 

[croberts]

During the Bill effing Lewis era. The current clown is giving him a run. Lewis edges the clown out by a little because he blew up a solid Tech locker room with the Luginbill Donnie Davis fiasco.

I’m sorry, we won a dang NC just two years before Billy Boy showed up. I’m not happy about our clown show but I’m still hurting from our original idiot. The pain was compounded by the fact that the fool came highly recommended with just being honored as National Coach of the year!
To me it’s like fools gold when we try to project how well someone will perform based on their previous success and awards.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

So, I remember going to the Varsity and the Jr Varsity w my Dad.It was awesome watching 25 inch color TV's. We were not UGA fans, and the AJC was heavy GT. I ended up playing at UGA, so we became UGA fans. My older son played baseball at UGA, Football at GT, my younger Will comitted to CPJ when he was a Sophomore in HS. We were very impressed w the education and the staff. The pitch was the education. So where R U now w the trans portal.. GT used to be Competitive. Even my Sons Freshman year, when they only won 3 game ,they were in every game except for CU , and beat FSU. GT is at the lowest level that I can remember and im 59 years old.

I don’t have your illustrious sports legacy but I resonate with a time when Atlanta and the media were solidly in Tech’s corner. Even though my parents were huge UGA supporters, my childhood growing up in Atlanta made me a Tech fan.

Yes. We are at the lowest point in my lifetime for Tech football. What happens in the next 2-3 years may determine whether or not this is the new normal.

 

[85Escape]

This has been a trend for at least 15 years ... the evolution of college football to a handful (and I mean a handful) of mega-factories.

When I attended Tech in the 79-83 period, schools like Alabama were good but ... the gap between the top schools and the bottom schools wasn't insurmountable. It might have been 2 or 3X, but it wasn't 10X.

The system that has evolved is that the mega schools are now THE pipeline for the best players to get to the NFL and monetize their talents. That's why SA's jump into the portal ... "can I get more playing time at X school than where I am today? How will it benefit me?" Better athletes translates into marquee matchups which result in more ESPN revenue. And the cycle repeats.

This has been discussed ad nauseam by the NCAA and they have opined that FBS will probably split into two groups ... the CFA (College Football Association) which competes for the national title and .... everyone else ... who won't.

... ...

Long post .. I think I've forgotten the point of it ...

I've decided to switch my GT fandom primarily to Baseball, where most of the student-athletes are still...well...students. NIL and the Portal have made college football a semi-pro sport without the parity-driving controls that all good pro sports use (drafts, salary caps, etc.) There's too much money to be made and it has ruined the sport (and I'm not blaming those who are getting 'paid', just lamenting that money has become both the means and the measure of success, rather than competition driven by a love of the sport.)

I was a rat in 1981, so I know what it is to root for a losing team. I take pride in it. But this isn't about the state of GT football. It's about the state of college football in general. I'll still follow casually, but college football is mostly dead to me. The passion is gone and it's been a year of grief and coming to terms with the loss. The game I loved has changed and I can't find my way to loving what has replaced it. Maybe time will help, but I don't see that happening.

The good news is that I get my fall Saturdays back to do something that has lasting meaning and value.

 

[gt02]

This biggest problem in this locker room--on defense at least-- is a Johnson recruit who has been here four years.

Lol. I've tried to ignore posts like this but this is ridiculous. Let's ignore the fact that our players are too busy lifting weights before a game and dancing on the sidelines, or that our staff is too busy updating a twitter feed dedicated to the coach's shoes.

Do you have any suggestions on the cause of global warming and the Israel/Palestine conflict?

 

[Northeast Stinger]

The idea that the portal benefits the blue bloods is just a myth. The mid level teams benefit way more from the portal than the factories. Name me all these top level players that UGA and Bama have gotten from lower level teams thru the portal? It’s a total myth. Sure, some guys have moved from factory to factory like Fields or more recently Haselwood. But mostly depth guys at factories are portaling to lower level teams for playing time. And don’t give me a sob story about Gibbs. Gibbs is leaving because we are a bad team.

As a GT fan I am glad the portal exists. It gives us a way to get players who would never take our phone call thru regular high school recruiting. Plus, it gives us a way to process guys without the guilt.

Alabama and many of the “big boys” like to churn and process players in and out of their program till they get exactly who they want. The portal should really help them speed that process up.

 

[GT_05]

I've decided to switch my GT fandom primarily to Baseball, where most of the student-athletes are still...well...students. NIL and the Portal have made college football a semi-pro sport without the parity-driving controls that all good pro sports use (drafts, salary caps, etc.) There's too much money to be made and it has ruined the sport (and I'm not blaming those who are getting 'paid', just lamenting that money has become both the means and the measure of success, rather than competition driven by a love of the sport.)

I was a rat in 1981, so I know what it is to root for a losing team. I take pride in it. But this isn't about the state of GT football. It's about the state of college football in general. I'll still follow casually, but college football is mostly dead to me. The passion is gone and it's been a year of grief and coming to terms with the loss. The game I loved has changed and I can't find my way to loving what has replaced it. Maybe time will help, but I don't see that happening.

The good news is that I get my fall Saturdays back to do something that has lasting meaning and value.

Well said. We are now in the age of the athlete student instead of the student athlete.

 

[GT_05]

Lol. I've tried to ignore posts like this but this is ridiculous. Let's ignore the fact that our players are too busy lifting weights before a game and dancing on the sidelines, or that our staff is too busy updating a twitter feed dedicated to the coach's shoes.

Do you have any suggestions on the cause of global warming and the Israel/Palestine conflict?

Yesss! I’m assuming CGC would make this CPJ recruit ride the pine if he had someone more suitable for that position.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

During the Bill effing Lewis era. The current clown is giving him a run. Lewis edges the clown out by a little because he blew up a solid Tech locker room with the Luginbill Donnie Davis fiasco.

I’m not sure why but I was able to be more philosophical during the BL time. We had proven that would could compete and everyone knew that Lewis was not going to stick around. There was no AD saying “I have my man” nor did Lewis have a cult following. “This too shall pass” felt more appropriate then than now.

Now we not only know we have another Bill Lewis, we are unclear about how much longer he will do damage, the money gap between us and the factories is exponentially greater now, Tech is even less of an attractive destination for new coaches, and the digital media/hype machine no longer cares that we even exist. And did I mention how bad attendance has gotten?

I hate dumping all that negativity on everyone but just wanted to explain why in 60 years of following and supporting Tech this feels way darker.

 

[croberts]

I dont remember a time. in my limited memory, when GT was not competitive. GT needs a new Head Coach. This guy is all fluff and cashing checks. He is not a good coach.

Ga Tech is a wonderfully unique place. Sadly I do remember several times when we were not very good. We have 12 more months to view this experiment and either move on or watch the greatest transformation in the history of college football!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Actually, I like some of his ideas and hope he can turn it around. I’ve only despised one coach in Tech history and he was removed when most on here were little kids.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

This has been a trend for at least 15 years ... the evolution of college football to a handful (and I mean a handful) of mega-factories.

When I attended Tech in the 79-83 period, schools like Alabama were good but ... the gap between the top schools and the bottom schools wasn't insurmountable. It might have been 2 or 3X, but it wasn't 10X.

The system that has evolved is that the mega schools are now THE pipeline for the best players to get to the NFL and monetize their talents. That's why SA's jump into the portal ... "can I get more playing time at X school than where I am today? How will it benefit me?" Better athletes translates into marquee matchups which result in more ESPN revenue. And the cycle repeats.

This has been discussed ad nauseam by the NCAA and they have opined that FBS will probably split into two groups ... the CFA (College Football Association) which competes for the national title and .... everyone else ... who won't.

This is really why the Bet on Geoff Challenge happened. TStan understands this and that's why the strategy was ... "Come to Georgia Tech, the Center of the Football Universe and either play ball or get a degree!" It sounds like a good strategy. But ... it doesn't work when you are currently 100 in a race with 130 participants.

The CFB committee met in Dallas recently and ... there will be no changes. Which means the SAME 5-6 teams that are winning now will continue to expand their dominance. Yes, they will go up and down from year to year, but it's going to be basically the same teams. That's why some are throwing huge money at coaches to break INTO the cycle. Good luck.

I think we will eventually return to a 7 win average. But the leaders are pulling away faster with greater money and greater resources than ever before. I just don't see a scenario for Tech to compete with that.

There was a comment on the Paul Finebaum show today that went ... "Apologies to Georgia Tech but ... Kirby is one of three coaches in the country (the other two being LSU and Ohio State) that have NO serious rival for recruiting. Georgia can literally reload at will and has hundreds of high schools with kids having spent their whole life dreaming of playing for that school."

Others see what is happening. And it's a trend that is affecting 100 schools. Not just Tech. I'm guessing our ultimate strategy is to use the TV money to build up OTHER sports like BB. (Which is what Duke and Vandy do.)

Long post .. I think I've forgotten the point of it ...

Well, you had a lot of good and true points in this. I wish our entire fanbase understood this. This is not 1960, not 1990, heck, not even 2014. This is a time when GT MUST, and I emphasize must, be different to compete at a decently high level. And, I am not sure that would even be enough. I do know trying to recruit our way out of this mess will not be enough. We need a very, very smart coaching staff with acumen above our opponents. I agree with the 7-8 win theory that we will probably get back to, but it is sad to know that 10+ and wins over powerhouses might never occur again without a miracle.

The part that so many miss is how wide the gap is between those recruiting in the top 5-7 and everyone else. I believe it is possible a lot of the PJ option hates will look back and realize he gave us something we might never attain again. And, if he had never coached, that might have started even sooner.

 

[jgtengineer]

Well, you had a lot of good and true points in this. I wish our entire fanbase understood this. This is not 1960, not 1990, heck, not even 2014. This is a time when GT MUST, and I emphasize must, be different to compete at a decently high level. And, I am not sure that would even be enough. I do know trying to recruit our way out of this mess will not be enough. We need a very, very smart coaching staff with acumen above our opponents. I agree with the 7-8 win theory that we will probably get back to, but it is sad to know that 10+ and wins over powerhouses might never occur again without a miracle.

The part that so many miss is how wide the gap is between those recruiting in the top 5-7 and everyone else. I believe it is possible a lot of the PJ option hates will look back and realize he gave us something we might never attain again. And, if he had never coached, that might have started even sooner.

I think if we hadn't got Johnson we'd have got Cutcliffe. We'd have probably still had a few good seasons out of cut but once Threet (i think that was the guy whoever that QB we passed on) and DT were gone we'd have started the decline and never got a 2014.

 

[iopjacket]

Alabama and many of the “big boys” like to churn and process players in and out of their program till they get exactly who they want. The portal should really help them speed that process up.

At least the Transfer Portal gives the players pushed out by the factories, a better chance to play again. I don't really know what group of schools benefit more, but I am glad the players benefit the most. Losing Gibbs was tough, but overall I think GT has gained more than we lost in the portal.

 

[MACHETE]

Because , it used to be you were at a school you were a team player, and not a me only POS. This all started w basketball. One and done. GT is screwed w the new system. Face it, "most" players who believe in " money down" dont want to go thru the academics at GT. GT is screwed.

We have to adapt to the new reality, just like anything else that changes in life. I think Collins has the right idea to position Tech. Too bad he can't coach.

 

[flea77]

Grad rates seem to be doing ok

I didn’t play football but I did play baseball. It happens every year in baseball. Juco transfers come in and take spots from guys who were counting on playing in their junior and senior years. It happens. You can either be a man about it and accept the fact that it’s going to help the team, or you can whine and pout. But guess what, the guy that whines and pouts about it gets outcast anyway.

Also, this is completely irrelevant to your original point, so nice try on moving the goalposts.

Sorry about that, I got hit in the head a lot in college...

 

[Northeast Stinger]

At least the Transfer Portal gives the players pushed out by the factories, a better chance to play again. I don't really know what group of schools benefit more, but I am glad the players benefit the most. Losing Gibbs was tough, but overall I think GT has gained more than we lost in the portal.

Gained more than we lost? Let’s agree to disagree on that one. Unless we pick up someone huge of course.

 

[Vespidae]

At least the Transfer Portal gives the players pushed out by the factories, a better chance to play again. I don't really know what group of schools benefit more, but I am glad the players benefit the most. Losing Gibbs was tough, but overall I think GT has gained more than we lost in the portal.

I don't know any analysis that has been done, but anecdotally ... most of those pushed out by factories are going to ... other factories. Leave Texas, go to Alabama. Leave LSU, go to Auburn. Leave Georgia, go to Ohio State. Yes, a few crumbs might fall through ... but the goal for the BEST players is to play for a team that has a path to the NFL (which means, get on TV). No one is leaving Notre Dame to play for the University of Lower Slobodia.

 

[southernhive]

I have been a fan since Pepper Rogers era. I remember listening to the Notre Dame vs GT game on the radio while raking leaves in the fall. Very fond memories. The transfer portal, the money(and recruiting goes hand-in-hand), our current coach is all heading in the wrong direction for the success of GT football. This is Very sad to see.
Our head football coach is a clown. I, like a few others who I could name on the message board, saw this clown for who he is. All hat and no cattle.

 

[GT33]

It's unfortunate it has come to this, but we all know where this bus is headed. There's no other alternative other than to endure 1 more year of wandering aimlessly & hope we do not fail on our second attempt to find a replacement head coach at the end of next season. Those of us a bit older feel a little differently about just giving up years as maybe we don't have that many left, however it's not like we can change the channel like on our tv at home. Someone else owns the remote and we're gonna watch whatever they put out there. I do feel sorry for the players, most cannot use the transfer portal without dropping down a couple of levels or more. Gibbs will experience a level of demand and make out good most likely & Yates is marketable either at a struggling P5 or probably 1 level down, not so much the others. If they tried to go sideways, they'd just be jumping from one disaster to another.