367 days ago, the optimist were predicting 8-4 if everything broke our way. After all, CPJ was on the hot seat. Everyone not named Johnson hated the Triple Option. Our Spring Game attendance was a national laughing stock. Around a dozen players from the spring were no longer on the team including our top recruit and almost all of the DL depth. We had a new starting qb that was smaller than a hobbit and could not possibly stand up to a season's worth of hits. There were three new starters on the OL and not much behind them, a new starter at B Back with no depth behind him, a half dozen also rans at A Back that had never been able to break into the starting lineup, and one reliable WR that was entering his second year after being out of football for three years. And that was the good news about our football team.
Defensively, the previous year had been miserable. The 2014 DLine was one proven player with a strange accent, an oft injured senior that hadn't shown much, an undersized true freshman at one DE, and a question mark at the other end. The best defensive lineman, linebacker, and defensive back from the previous year were in the NFL. Both of our safeties were trying to come back from season ending injuries the previous year. Essentially 7 new starters though a couple of backups had played a lot.
We were coming off a 7-6 season with heart breaking losses in the last two games. We had been physically manhandled in 2TD+ losses to Clemson, Brigham Young, and Miami, and had brainfarted against VT at home on national TV. We were 1-11 against the Big Four the previous three seasons.
And, Oh Yeah, our recruiting sucked. We were barely edging out WF in recruiting rankings for the ACC.
Now, here we are a year later, and we've seemingly made no progress as many are still predicting an 8-4 season. At least that is now the pessimistic prognostication, so I guess that's something.
All joking aside, what a wonderful year it has been as we enter into this next season. We are in the best shape as a program that we have been in for the last quarter century. Those people to the east, I think, are in their worst shape in a dozen years. There is no one on the schedule that is as good as our team. Yes, some of them have better athletes, but the combination of players, coaching, smarts, and schemes on North Avenue right now could possibly be the best in the nation. Last year WAS 1989 all over again.
It makes an old fart giddy just thinking about it. Who are going to be the heroes this year? What game will we win on a miracle? Will my heart last thru a late 4th quarter goal line stand? Will my Clemson friends still be speaking to me on the morning of October 11th? Whiteout. Night games. South Bend. Damn, I'm going to love driving thru the dawg hole towns in South Georgia with GT magnets stuck all over my car all season long. What new Bourbon can I bring to our tailgate? How did I get so lucky as to be a Tech man at this time and place? You young farts don't deserve what you are about to receive.
