Looking ahead to next week ...YES PLEASE !

[MWBATL]

First, I do have to say that I think USF is better than most on this board gave them credit for. The AAC is not a podunk league, just ask Arizona about playing a road game against a good AAC team. There was way too much over-confidence on this board based on the reputation of the league (non Power 5) and the school (no glorious history like ours) and way too little recognition that USF has a solid football program they have built in the last 10-15 years which (unfortunately) rivals ours.

After two games for all college teams, we are now getting some sort of handle on what our season looks like:

Likely Losses: Duke, @Louisville, Clemson, @Virginia Tech, @Georgia

Likely Wins: Bowling Green, UNC

Toss-Ups: @Pitt, Virginia, Miami

I think that is an optimistic assessment in that one can argue that Miami is better and should be favored to beat us. Duke has looked well coached and solid if unspectacular in starting 2-0 and beat a solid Northwestern team on the road yesterday. Louisville has some very good athletes. VPI&SU, on the road, on a Thursday night, as they try to clinch the Coastal...too big a hill to climb. UGa and Clemson shouldn't be close, really.

That adds up to 6-6 IF WE WIN EVERY TOSS-UP GAME.

I think 5-7 and 3-5 in the ACC is most likely at this stage.

What bothers me the most is that our program has now clearly been passed by Duke. That's sad, imho.

 

[UgaBlows]

What bothers me the most is that our program has now clearly been passed by Duke. That's sad, imho.

That bothers me more than anything, how in the hell have we been surpassed by duke fb? Thats just the worst

 

[BigDaddyBuzz]

Pitt is a MUST win

 

[smokey_wasp]

Well, Pickett doesnt look like nearly the qb Barnett is. 9-18, 51 yards, 1 INT. 14 rushes for 30 yards. Was fine against Albany, but didnt light it up, either. If we plan to win any road games, we have to start with this one.

 

[Coloradojacket]

So I look at it all this way. We lost because of 2 kick off returns. Our defense played very well the first half and then USF started throwing quick outs and we have always had trouble with those. Woody did not want to surrender the deep ball so he played off. Looking back I think he should have come up and hoped that we could get to the QB on the deep. But there is one thing I noticed yesterday that I have noticed a lot lately. Where are our inside linebackers? I think they were slow to respond yesterday and took some really bad angles.

Now on to next week and beyond.
Pitt will try the power running game and so we need to be prepared. As far as our offense, Pitt is slow so look for no let up on scoring. By the way, they also have a very good kick returner so we better prepare for that.

The rest of the way. UVA, UNC, BG, Louisville all look very beatable. Will we well I am just listing beatable.
Miami, VT, Duke to me are all toss ups. I have seen nothing from these teams that say other wise.
Clemson and UGA, well let's just call them as seen right now as losses.
7-5 or 8-4.

Our offense will only face two defenses that might be able to stop it and those I have listed as losses.

 

[Gold1]

Think about this for one second. Duke is now a better program. My God

 

[Jacket in Dairyland]

First, I do have to say that I think USF is better than most on this board gave them credit for. The AAC is not a podunk league, just ask Arizona about playing a road game against a good AAC team. There was way too much over-confidence on this board based on the reputation of the league (non Power 5) and the school (no glorious history like ours) and way too little recognition that USF has a solid football program they have built in the last 10-15 years which (unfortunately) rivals ours.

After two games for all college teams, we are now getting some sort of handle on what our season looks like:

Likely Losses: Duke, @Louisville, Clemson, @Virginia Tech, @Georgia

Likely Wins: Bowling Green, UNC

Toss-Ups: @Pitt, Virginia, Miami

I think that is an optimistic assessment in that one can argue that Miami is better and should be favored to beat us. Duke has looked well coached and solid if unspectacular in starting 2-0 and beat a solid Northwestern team on the road yesterday. Louisville has some very good athletes. VPI&SU, on the road, on a Thursday night, as they try to clinch the Coastal...too big a hill to climb. UGa and Clemson shouldn't be close, really.

That adds up to 6-6 IF WE WIN EVERY TOSS-UP GAME.

I think 5-7 and 3-5 in the ACC is most likely at this stage.

What bothers me the most is that our program has now clearly been passed by Duke. That's sad, imho.

Agree 100%. I said we were getting passed by Duke 2 years ago.......very sad !

 

[Scubapro]

The rest of the way. UVA, UNC, BG, Louisville all look very beatable. Will we well I am just listing beatable.
Miami, VT, Duke to me are all toss ups. I have seen nothing from these teams that say other wise.
Clemson and UGA, well let's just call them as seen right now as losses.
7-5 or 8-4.

Our offense will only face two defenses that might be able to stop it and those I have listed as losses.

My thoughts exactly....unless Kirby gets caught with a pound of meth and is forced to coach from the box.

 

[Scubapro]

I am hoping to see some leaders present themselves in the Pitt game. Can't let USF beat us twice.
Watching the Pitt game, after P State went up two scores, Pitt wanted nothing more than to get out of that stadium.
We HAVE to get up on them early.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

We better. Right now we are undefeated in ACC play and getting to ACC play off is doable. We moved the ball made a lot O yards.

But KO returns for TDs and two 90 yard TD marches in 4th quarter was the real difference.

Plus a senior usually very dependable RB not clutching the ball, enabling it to be knocked out of his hands. No excuse for a senior doing that. Although it harkens back to senior J. J. Green dropping a sure TD pass against the Vols last year.

 

[Jacket in Dairyland]

I seem to distinctly remember posts downplaying our success on 3rd down last year because we gave up too many first downs on first and second down. Ironic.

I posted on that . We were congratulating ourselves on our 3rd down conversion stop percentage when I noted a much smaller sample size. Kind of like yesterday. We are not forcing 3rd downs as much, obviously. What disturbs me is USF did it not once , but twice. We couldn't adjust ? We were out of gas from heat and humidity due to hurry up offense ? The concern is that this is all we have to offer. Since last year when the game is on the line , we cannot come up with anything to stop an offense. No scheme, no tricks, etc. When an O can move so easily down the field , without being forced to face one 3rd down, against good ( not great ) athletes and barely be slowed down , the rest of the year does not look promising. Stop saying USF was underrated. Not including UCF and their bowl last year their opponents were 35 wins , 75 losses. We lost to a middling team, and looked inept on D and special teams doing it.

 

[Jacket in Dairyland]

Ok, so after watching Pitt get absolutely curb stomped in their “rivalry game” and the way blew yesterday’s game, I think we come out pissed and beat the breaks off an emotionally deflated Pitt team. They looked like they quit last night.

Yeah , let's count on that for an edge.....assume they will be down and just fold like a cheap suit .....good strategy ! Guess what ? They are probably saying the same thing about us !!

 

[Jacket in Dairyland]

Don't lose sight of the fact we had over 600 yards of offense...I am still trying to process that number. Pitt absolutely does not want to face that offense...and the defense is bewly installed and will improve...

Yeah , but they probably are drooling looking forward to playing our D and ST. After playing against PSU D, it will be like going against a high school D.

 

[lv20gt]

I posted on that . We were congratulating ourselves on our 3rd down conversion stop percentage when I noted a much smaller sample size. Kind of like yesterday. .

And the problem with that argument was that it ignored that we only played 11 games, and, as people always want to point out, we tend to have fewer drives, both of which would drive down total 3rd down defenses. When adjusted for that, assuming 13 games, and 10% more drives (about one more per game) then we were looking at a middle of the road number of defenses. Still on the lower end on a per game, but part of that is when you don't give up 3rd down conversions other teams don't get another chance at 3rd downs later in the same drive.

Yesterday, we actually had one fewer 3rd down opportunities than we averaged per game last year, but were also 20% worse in defending them. It's why the downplaying of how good we were on 3rd downs last year was such BS, and was done just to try and scapegoat Roof after people railed against him the previous year because the % was so bad.

 

[alagold]

Penn State humiliated Pitt 51-6 and i think GT wins over Pitt on Saturday

I wouldn't bet the house on that.We just haven't found a way to win especially AWAY. Pitt did ok til near end. Oh, we may be favored but we were this week also.

 

[RyanS12]

As of right now we are a 4 pt favorite at Pitt

 

[MacDaddy2]

ML bet on the Panthers at around +145

 

[first&ten]

Right now if the defense doesn't get better i think GT is going to finish the season 5-7 and CPJ will probably retire or be fired

And that's a bad thing?????

 

[first&ten]

Not sure I agree that the administration, AA, etc., are arrogant. But CPJ is arrogant in the post-game presser. And most pressers, for that matter.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

okiemon, you hit it on the head,arrogant! plus I could have used other words to describe his insolence. In the presser a reporter pointed out that Oliver seemed to have a rhythm while he was in, as usual Johnson said"We'll thats your opinion, if you get to be the coach next year,put him in." God, I would love for that to be foreshadowing!!

 

[iceeater1969]

So I look at it all this way. We lost because of 2 kick off returns. Our defense played very well the first half and then USF started throwing quick outs and we have always had trouble with those. Woody did not want to surrender the deep ball so he played off. Looking back I think he should have come up and hoped that we could get to the QB on the deep. But there is one thing I noticed yesterday that I have noticed a lot lately. Where are our inside linebackers? I think they were slow to respond yesterday and took some really bad angles.

Now on to next week and beyond.
Pitt will try the power running game and so we need to be prepared. As far as our offense, Pitt is slow so look for no let up on scoring. By the way, they also have a very good kick returner so we better prepare for that.

The rest of the way. UVA, UNC, BG, Louisville all look very beatable. Will we well I am just listing beatable.
Miami, VT, Duke to me are all toss ups. I have seen nothing from these teams that say other wise.
Clemson and UGA, well let's just call them as seen right now as losses.
7-5 or 8-4.

Our offense will only face two defenses that might be able to stop it and those I have listed as losses.

Where are our LB - ???

Too often filling wrong hole and not aware of ball location.

I say let's get up closer to line and send at least 5 .