Looking for Answers in 2015

[Whiskey_Clear]

In each of the last 20 years where would you rank our talent, across the board, on our rosters? What win loss record would you expect with those talent levels? How often did our coaches exceed, meet, or underachieve your expectations?

CPJ and staff, Sewak included, have met or exceeded mine every year but this year.

We need to continue to improve our recruiting. Especially at DT. (I know I'm beating a dead horse on the DT issue)

 

[iceeater1969]

In each of the last 20 years where would you rank our talent, across the board, on our rosters? What win loss record would you expect with those talent levels? How often did our coaches exceed, meet, or underachieve your expectations?

CPJ and staff, Sewak included, have met or exceeded mine every year but this year.

We need to continue to improve our recruiting. Especially at DT. (I know I'm beating a dead horse on the DT issue)

Last month I gave my gtaa contribution, but labelled it for football recruiting. Maybe should add dt.

Reflecting on your point of coaching up talent, I agree we regularly get pretty good results

One issue = we are so committed to a set system of plays we expose player weakness UNTIL he learns get it. (Brian Chamberlain at rt then finally and mercifully moved to left tackle)

Recruiting!!!!!!

 

[PBR549]

I don't know that I am necessarily "upset or disagree" with Red's comments. As I said, I am "surprised." Particularly given that CPJ has a better ACC record and better record against UGA than Gailey did.

To your other point though, if we remove the two years with Gailey's players in 08 and 90, and then remove last year as a fluke, and then maybe the game over FSU as luck and any other cherry picked stats, I agree that it does start to look bad for CPJ. I mean, certainly we all agree that Gailey would have won 19 games in two years with Nesbitt at QB. That is just a given. Maybe could have done better actually. We should probably be mad that CPJ only went 9-4 and 10-3 with Gailey's players.

So the same people who wanted Gailey fired want Johnson fired. It is what it is. We lost this year for two reasons. The injuries were unbelievable and we lacked a deep threat on offense. The staff has recruited well the last two years and hopefully it will show up in the depth and speed area next year. No coach has won consistently since integration at Tech. Paul Johnson is a great football coach and we have a great staff. It would be a big mistake to fire him.

 

[collegeballfan]

So the same people who wanted Gailey fired want Johnson fired. It is what it is. We lost this year for two reasons. The injuries were unbelievable and we lacked a deep threat on offense. The staff has recruited well the last two years and hopefully it will show up in the depth and speed area next year. No coach has won consistently since integration at Tech. Paul Johnson is a great football coach and we have a great staff. It would be a big mistake to fire him.

Since integration? Here are the numbers:
Seasons 1967 through 11 games in 2015 - 302 wins - 257 losses with 8 ties.
Seasons 1893 through 1966 - 409 wins - 217 loses - 34 ties.

Johnson has won 8 or more games 4 of his 8 seasons.
Gailey won 8 or more games 2 of his 7 seasons.
O'Leary won 8 or more games 3 of his 6 seasons (we will not count the takeover season against O'Leary).

 

[Ibeeballin]

After reading this thread, I'm not sure anyone is truly looking for answers

 

[JacketFromUGA]

After reading this thread, I'm not sure anyone is truly looking for answers

Are scapegoats and answers the same thing?

 

[augustabuzz]

Yes, part of the problem this year is based in a coaching decision when he decided to separate the wheat from the chaff two years ago. Mistakes were made in granting too many scholarships to kids who were not mature enough to recognize the opportunity each had been granted. Georgia Tech. requires more maturity from students seeking success. The same requirement is magnified for Tech. student athletes. How many did we lose in the off season before the 2014 season? There went the required depth to make it through this season without relying on so many very young but gifted athletes. The record this year was founded in the season of 2013 and the ensuing off season.

But, I disagree with any assertion that the medicine was improperly prescribed and administered.

 

[1979jacket]

I think the OP did a good job - injuries and the toughness of the schedule had a lot to do with it. I think CPJ is a good coach and want him to stay. With that said, I think his recruiting is subpar. I don't care about stars or rankings but let's name some of his best players - Smelter not a recruit but came from baseball team - Gotsis fell into his lap. Look at Gailey -Wheeler, M Johnson, Roberson, Dwyer, Burnett, Choice, Butler and there were others. Gailey teams had more talent and Gailey had an eye for talent. I don't know if it is the offense CPJ runs which hurts both offensive and defensive recruiting, CPJ's personality or what but the players are not as good. It's probably a combination. It does look like this year's freshman class may be decent but others have been poor. We have to recruit better and if he doesn't start doing it, it will lead to his demise. He was helped by Gailey's recruits when he started and did a good job of developing last year's team with some guys who he coached up - particularly Abacks. Things will improve but without good players, no coach can win.

 

[augustabuzz]

I think the OP did a good job - injuries and the toughness of the schedule had a lot to do with it. I think CPJ is a good coach and want him to stay. With that said, I think his recruiting is subpar. I don't care about stars or rankings but let's name some of his best players - Smelter not a recruit but came from baseball team - Gotsis fell into his lap. Look at Gailey -Wheeler, M Johnson, Roberson, Dwyer, Burnett, Choice, Butler and there were others. Gailey teams had more talent and Gailey had an eye for talent. I don't know if it is the offense CPJ runs which hurts both offensive and defensive recruiting, CPJ's personality or what but the players are not as good. It's probably a combination. It does look like this year's freshman class may be decent but others have been poor. We have to recruit better and if he doesn't start doing it, it will lead to his demise. He was helped by Gailey's recruits when he started and did a good job of developing last year's team with some guys who he coached up - particularly Abacks. Things will improve but without good players, no coach can win.

Smelter was a recruit, but he chose baseball. Gotsis didn't "fall into his lap". He was recruited as the direct result of a prior relationship. It is not the offense that hurts recruiting defensive players and we know from the time that Tenuta was here that we can recruit defensive linemen. What is hurting the defense is that we use the DL to screen for the LB. Tenuta attracted the DL by letting them play.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Smelter was a recruit, but he chose baseball. Gotsis didn't "fall into his lap". He was recruited as the direct result of a prior relationship. It is not the offense that hurts recruiting defensive players and we know from the time that Tenuta was here that we can recruit defensive linemen. What is hurting the defense is that we use the DL to screen for the LB. Tenuta attracted the DL by letting them play.

Thank you for re stating what have been stated numerous times about both Smelter and Gotsis. It gets very old having to see this put out there as gospel that Smelter or Gotsis weren't actively recruited but somehow Tech football lucked into them!

 

[croberts]

Thank you for re stating what have been stated numerous times about both Smelter and Gotsis. It gets very old having to see this put out there as gospel that Smelter or Gotsis weren't actively recruited but somehow Tech football lucked into them!

Smelter and Gotsis were just luck but Choice came to Tech via the bench behind AP at Oklahoma due to Gailey being a great recruiter. I see the logic?????????

 

[GTNavyNuke]

......... I don't think the coaching has been that bad. PJ said today they went over the goal line play for 10 minutes Wednesday and Thursday - and for a late-season practice, that is a long time - and it still got screwed up. He said the O line probably wasn't good as everyone made it out to be. It did play pretty well at the end of the season - rewatched the O vs Georgia from last year, and those guys moved the line of scrimmage back two yards on so many snaps - but he said after the first two games we're still making mistakes we shouldn't be making. When you've got this many experienced O linemen back, there isn't much they hadn't seen. I saw it at Southern with PJ and Sewak's lines. Those guys played with so much confidence it didn't matter what opposing defenses lined up in. We're playing with some guys who don't have a lot of experience and that may have something to do with it, too.

Maybe the play calling has been more than some of the guys can handle at this point. Maybe he really did know something back in August when he said not to crown these guys champs just yet. And if the coaching is that bad, why would the players be playing this hard so late into a crappy season? Effort hasn't been the problem. And I saw enough PJ practices at Georgia Southern to know neither he nor the coaches nor the players half-a$$ it through practice. Plus, players are given tests Friday on their assignments. They're taught what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. When they don't do it right, then what do you do? You can change out personnel but at some point, with all the injuries, there ain't much to shuffle in and out.

I think part of the problem is that the offense is too hard and has to be run perfectly. We should have been much better in the UVa, VT and Miami games even with the injuries, IMHO.

I can't explain the D or ST (punting and lack of returns).

 

[1979jacket]

you guys can argue all day about certain players like Smelter and maybe some of the stats aren't totally right (Choice) but I stand by the main point. CPJ recruiting has not been that great and, in my opinion, we had better players during Gailey's reign. Not a better team mind you, but better players. We need some 4 and 5 stars or at least 3 stars that turn in to 4/5 star players. Maybe some of this year's freshman team - defensive linemen, Cottrell, Marshall, Mitchell, Gray could develop into stars. They are not yet like Dwyer and Burnett were as freshmen but have shown some talent. Maybe we need to spend more money on recruiting or a coordinator - I don't know.

 

[00Burdell]

I love the 11 win seasons, but I wish our floor was 6 instead of 3/4.

Johnson has two wins over ugag, an ACC title and an Orange bowl win to his name. I'll take that all day over 6 wins a year, no ACC titles, 7 straight losses to the gaggers and wasting the best receiver in Tech history.

 

[Lee]

I don't agree with any of you guys who think Coaching was the issue in spite of the massive injuries. When they started the season they were pretty good, despite the youth at the skill positions. But, by the end of the ND game they had to train another group of skill players on a crash course to replace other injured players. Then that group was injured before they became proficient. That went on the whole season. There was no continuity with personnel.
I will defend CPJ in face of any who doubt him. We are very lucky to have such a great Coach at a place that makes it so difficult to succeed.

What does this have to do with the offensive line? That has been the biggest problem for our offense this year IMO. I have yet to see anyone say that PJ isn't a good coach, but to blindly defend him and the product on the field this year just doesn't make sense.

He has said himself that he needs to do a better job, yet we have fans on here saying he is not part of the problem. I don't understand why some of you get so defensive over the guy. He is a grown man, he can fend for himself. It's obvious that he hasn't done a good job with this team. There has been little improvement from September to now. We have seen players regress as the season has gone on as well.

I don't think anybody around here thinks this is the new norm, but a lot of people in that locker room need to do some soul searching this off season. That includes the head coach. There have been some glimpses of the future with the young guys we've run out there and PJ is a smart guy. Here's to hoping we get it turned around sooner than later.

 

[AE 87]

What does this have to do with the offensive line? That has been the biggest problem for our offense this year IMO. I have yet to see anyone say that PJ isn't a good coach, but to blindly defend him and the product on the field this year just doesn't make sense.

He has said himself that he needs to do a better job, yet we have fans on here saying he is not part of the problem. I don't understand why some of you get so defensive over the guy. He is a grown man, he can fend for himself. It's obvious that he hasn't done a good job with this team. There has been little improvement from September to now. We have seen players regress as the season has gone on as well.

I don't think anybody around here thinks this is the new norm, but a lot of people in that locker room need to do some soul searching this off season. That includes the head coach. There have been some glimpses of the future with the young guys we've run out there and PJ is a smart guy. Here's to hoping we get it turned around sooner than later.

I agree with you about this year's issue (and previous year's) being OL.

However, your pivot to those defending Johnson is off point in two respects. 1) he's not in this forum to defend himself so that's nonsense and 2) the complaints haven't focussed on the issue you identified.

"We turned a guy loose" is an expression I'd be happy not to hear again. Whether that's player focus or coaching, I don't know.

 

[augustabuzz]

What does this have to do with the offensive line? That has been the biggest problem for our offense this year IMO. I have yet to see anyone say that PJ isn't a good coach, but to blindly defend him and the product on the field this year just doesn't make sense.

He has said himself that he needs to do a better job, yet we have fans on here saying he is not part of the problem. I don't understand why some of you get so defensive over the guy. He is a grown man, he can fend for himself. It's obvious that he hasn't done a good job with this team. There has been little improvement from September to now. We have seen players regress as the season has gone on as well.

I don't think anybody around here thinks this is the new norm, but a lot of people in that locker room need to do some soul searching this off season. That includes the head coach. There have been some glimpses of the future with the young guys we've run out there and PJ is a smart guy. Here's to hoping we get it turned around sooner than later.

No, it becomes obvious that a coach isn't doing his job when the players quit playing during the game. This team will fight to the end.

 

[Papa Doc]

Recruiting is part of the deal when it comes to college coaching. So, yes, coaching is an issue this year. I like PJ and this is not a fire PJ post but come on. We still can't put a competent defense on the field. Our defensive line has been a joke since 2008. That is ALL coaching and recruiting.

CobbTech you are mostly correct. CPJ was hired to counter fan complaints about his predecessor's anemic offenses which couldn't average more than 19 points per game even with Calvin. Those teams had good to great defenses built around great D-line play, but fans complained about lack of scoring. Each head coach recruits and builds his team around his core belief. CPJ believes his offense can outscore other teams and keep the ball away from them in the process. That leads to recruiting strategies tilted toward the offense. A review of the roster shows where scholarships are used to create depth. CPJ always weights it toward the offense. Is that bad? Maybe or maybe not.

It is frustrating as a fan because if the O struggles, has injuries and turns the ball over, GT loses. The D really can't consistently win games for the team, only occasionally and inexplicably (FSU). If CPJ was a defensive minded coach and weighted it the other way, I think fans would feel the same frustrations as they did in the past. The venerable Coach Dodd frustrated the heck out of my dad with his philosophy of winning by putting his best players on D and playing for 3-0 wins. "You can't lose, if they don't score." I really don't think today's fans are yearning for a return to that style of play.

Why can't GT get enough talent to have a great players on both sides to balance the roster? That frustrates GT coaches, too. In case we choose to ignore it, CPJ is not the first coach to struggle here. Coaches would much rather have great players always say yes to their offers and qualify. GT is tough gig for coaches. We brag about the academics, rightly so. We joke about "do the math", rightly so. But fielding a balanced team year in and out with smart, great players, well the probabilities are against it. Being able to concentrate limited numbers of qualified athletes to one side of the ball or the other increases the probabilities of limited success. Experiencing up and down years with wins and losses is predictable. "Do the math."

 

[ATL1]

What I would like to see;

1. Examine OLine blocking. How the line blocks. What the guys seem to be good at opposed to forcing the issue? Should GT look into zone blocking? Are they capable of consistently drive blocking, especially elite front lines?

2. What could help with pass protection? How much time should be devoted to the passing game during practice? Would increased reps help the team in passing downs in game? Should GT pass more in game to be better effective overall? Is the Run & Shoot the best passing offense for this system? Should they incorporate other passing concepts and routes? Would re-instituting the shotgun help with JT?

 

[Lee]

I agree with you about this year's issue (and previous year's) being OL.

However, your pivot to those defending Johnson is off point in two respects. 1) he's not in this forum to defend himself so that's nonsense and 2) the complaints haven't focussed on the issue you identified.

"We turned a guy loose" is an expression I'd be happy not to hear again. Whether that's player focus or coaching, I don't know.

The he can fend for himself comment wasn't about him being able to come on here and defend himself. It was about the fact that he couldn't care less about what some fans are saying about him in a message board.

There are some things about him that I do not love and wish that were different (stubbornness, how he interacts with the media, and seeming inability to compliment players publicly), but I love the man's competitiveness. I know he wants to win as bad as anybody and absolutely hates losing. This season is killing him and I know he is working and will work his tail off to try and right the ship. My hope is that he will think outside the box (a little, not a huge scheme shift) to try and improve things going forward.

I also agree that a lot of the complaints haven't been aimed at the main issue, but I don't think some of them are unwarranted either. Play calling has been suspect at times this year as well as some personnel decisions IMO. I know it's easy to cherry pick certain play calls, but there have been several instances in short yardage situations where one would question the logic behind a play call (Duke and UNC jump out at me). I will also acknowledge that some of that could be checks made by JT as well.

Overall, I still think PJ is a great offensive mind. His biggest weakness in my opinion is his stubbornness. This doesn't matter on senior laden teams like last year, but when we don't have the guys that can execute at a level he finds acceptable, it does. I do think he will get us back on track next year. I just hope there are some tweaks, especially in how we "protect" the passer. I would be happy to never see a WR lined up a LT trying to block a DE.