LOS

[ibeattetris]

Based on ???

We can start with points per drive. In 2019 we scored 1.3 points per drive and was ranked 125 in that stat. Given being ranked 125 in the country, I don't need to explain how bad that is.

Granted, in 2019 we did have a tough schedule, and our overall FEI Offensive rating was 94th overall.

Points per play we were 122nd with 0.254 and the SP+ for the offense was 117 after accounting for strength of schedule.

To contrast this year. We came into Pitt game averaging 2.06 points per game (this will go down as we averaged 1.61 last night), and are currently in 69th (nice) place for that stat. This alone is a big improvement. FEI offense had us at 74, but I expect that to drop a little.

We are averaging 0.426 points per game this year for 50th place (averaged 0.32 against Pitt). Sadly, I don't know how to access SP+ rankings anymore as the only thing I can find on espn is paywalled. Regardless, with a 50th place in points per play, we can expect to be in the 50-60 range.

I do not believe any of the stats point to our offense being good this year, but it cannot be argued we haven't improved from 2019.

 

[slugboy]

We can start with points per drive. In 2019 we scored 1.3 points per drive and was ranked 125 in that stat. Given being ranked 125 in the country, I don't need to explain how bad that is.

Granted, in 2019 we did have a tough schedule, and our overall FEI Offensive rating was 94th overall.

Points per play we were 122nd with 0.254 and the SP+ for the offense was 117 after accounting for strength of schedule.

To contrast this year. We came into Pitt game averaging 2.06 points per game (this will go down as we averaged 1.61 last night), and are currently in 69th (nice) place for that stat. This alone is a big improvement. FEI offense had us at 74, but I expect that to drop a little.

We are averaging 0.426 points per game this year for 50th place (averaged 0.32 against Pitt). Sadly, I don't know how to access SP+ rankings anymore as the only thing I can find on espn is paywalled. Regardless, with a 50th place in points per play, we can expect to be in the 50-60 range.

I do not believe any of the stats point to our offense being good this year, but it cannot be argued we haven't improved from 2019.

A of last week—pre-Pitt—Offensive SP+ was 85th and Defensive SP+ was 45th. I expect Defensive SP+ to take a massive tumble, and offensive to stay about the same.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

We can start with points per drive. In 2019 we scored 1.3 points per drive and was ranked 125 in that stat. Given being ranked 125 in the country, I don't need to explain how bad that is.

Granted, in 2019 we did have a tough schedule, and our overall FEI Offensive rating was 94th overall.

Points per play we were 122nd with 0.254 and the SP+ for the offense was 117 after accounting for strength of schedule.

To contrast this year. We came into Pitt game averaging 2.06 points per game (this will go down as we averaged 1.61 last night), and are currently in 69th (nice) place for that stat. This alone is a big improvement. FEI offense had us at 74, but I expect that to drop a little.

We are averaging 0.426 points per game this year for 50th place (averaged 0.32 against Pitt). Sadly, I don't know how to access SP+ rankings anymore as the only thing I can find on espn is paywalled. Regardless, with a 50th place in points per play, we can expect to be in the 50-60 range.

I do not believe any of the stats point to our offense being good this year, but it cannot be argued we haven't improved from 2019.

Listen, we are better on offense But it’s not the coaches. It’s the players. In 2019 we had no QB and no one who was dynamic on offense other than Tobias Oliver. And our coaches decided to start the season with Lucas Johnson. I’ll agree that Brown stood out once Graham was installed and that was the only play that worked.

The only reason we are better on offense now than 2019 is our QB position is way better whether it’s Sims or Yates, our RB’s are way better with Gibbs, and our WR’s are much better. So, again, Collins can recruit. But the incremental improvement is horrible compared to what it should be. The coaches are not putting our offensive players into a system that leads them to success. Our OLine stinks so we need an offense that takes that into account, not one that forces our RB’s to transfer.

 

[danny daniel]

Forgive my ill knowledge of football terminology but from the stands it looked like plays where Pitt’s d linemen were switching or crossing were plays where our O Linemen were confused and protection would break down. It seems like a basic concept to scheme for. Is that something we haven’t seen this year?

They were not only crossing and switching on us but also out numbering us. We did not prepare well, scheme well, or did not adjust well. They came at us aggressively taking away the run and forcing us to pass. We did not scheme or block well enough to protect for the pass consistently enough. Still there was no excuse for not being able to get back to the LOS on several short yardage attempts.

 

[kg01]

From the stands, it looked like Marco Coleman was about kill an umpire. Would have liked to see him not held back. @kg01 was on his game.

It's a thankless job but I'm sure we don't wanna see an ump get beheaded on our watch.... or do we?

Sorry, I been watching Squid Games so my last for blood is definitely not waning.

 

[kg01]

* lust

 

[CuseJacket]

Many sound points on both sides of the OL debate. I'll toss in two things that I've been thinking since preseason.

1) Every OL signed out of HS by this staff is a either freshman or has yet to hit campus, save for Jordan Williams if you want to take away his free Covid year and call him a true soph. (FYI this is true for all of CGC HS recruits - redshirt + true frosh - save for the handful that "burned" their shirt a year ago). Personal expectation is that only a truly special OL should hit the field meaningfully by this point in their career, otherwise expect intense inconsistency.

2) If our OL transfers were NFL prospects, why did they transfer to a far-from-sure-thing at Georgia Tech vs. their other options of 1) staying put, 2) going to a more stable school/factory, or 3) going to the NFL? I don't think anyone really knows the answer. PFF suggests Cochran is still doing his thing pass blocking, so it's not like he's missed expectations relative to the grades he had two years ago.

 

[Lotta Booze]

We can start with points per drive. In 2019 we scored 1.3 points per drive and was ranked 125 in that stat. Given being ranked 125 in the country, I don't need to explain how bad that is.

Granted, in 2019 we did have a tough schedule, and our overall FEI Offensive rating was 94th overall.

Points per play we were 122nd with 0.254 and the SP+ for the offense was 117 after accounting for strength of schedule.

To contrast this year. We came into Pitt game averaging 2.06 points per game (this will go down as we averaged 1.61 last night), and are currently in 69th (nice) place for that stat. This alone is a big improvement. FEI offense had us at 74, but I expect that to drop a little.

We are averaging 0.426 points per game this year for 50th place (averaged 0.32 against Pitt). Sadly, I don't know how to access SP+ rankings anymore as the only thing I can find on espn is paywalled. Regardless, with a 50th place in points per play, we can expect to be in the 50-60 range.

I do not believe any of the stats point to our offense being good this year, but it cannot be argued we haven't improved from 2019.

re: SP+
Per SP+ Pitt is top 15 (!)

 

[IM79]

I remember a discussion a few years ago about the Key hire... that he was not really liked at Bama so a GT job came at a good time for him. Anyone have more insight to this?

One of the AJC reporters said in a column back when he was hired that he was fired by Saban. I believe it was Orlando Ledbetter who said that

 

[bobongo]

I don't know what the problem is on our OL, or really a whole lot about football in general, but one thing I do know after watching it for 50 years is this: If you have a poor offensive line, you are not going to win very many games. The OL is the single most important component of a team. If it's weak, the offense is going to sputter no matter how good the rest of it is. And then the defense is pressured as a result. Our weakness on the OL is the single biggest factor making this team less than the sum of its parts. It is by far the biggest problem we have. If it isn't fixed, we're just going to be all dressed up with nowhere to go.

I don't know how much our problems are the fault of our OL coach, if any. But I wonder if he's all hat and no cattle. He supposedly has a good reputation but as IM79 pointed out, he is reported to have been fired by Saban. When he was OC for UCF, they went 0-12 and his offense was dead last out of 127 teams. And he's making $490,000 a year. I find those facts troubling.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

One of the AJC reporters said in a column back when he was hired that he was fired by Saban. I believe it was Orlando Ledbetter who said that

I don't know how much our problems are the fault of our OL coach, if any. But I wonder if he's all hat and no cattle. He supposedly has a good reputation but as IM79 pointed out, he is reported to have been fired by Saban. When he was OC for UCF, they went 0-12 and his offense was dead last out of 127 teams. And he's making $490,000 a year. I find those facts troubling.

I've spent the better part of the last hour looking into this, and I can't find any mention of this, much less confirmation, anywhere. I'd like @IM79 to post a link to this article. As it stands, this just looks like message board slander.

 

[KCJackets]

I've spent the better part of the last hour looking into this, and I can't find any mention of this, much less confirmation, anywhere. I'd like @IM79 to post a link to this article. As it stands, this just looks like message board slander.

Agree with you.. AJC article on January 3rd that Key is rumored to be joining Collins' staff. Bama loses national title on January 9th. Key announced as OLine coach at GT on January 10th.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

Agree with you.. AJC article on January 3rd that Key is rumored to be joining Collins' staff. Bama loses national title on January 9th. Key announced as OLine coach at GT on January 10th.

Listen - it was probably a mutual breakup, but I know one thing for sure. If S thought a lot of Key, Key would still be at Bammer. He could have easily beat our $$ by 500K if he wanted him.

 

[smokey_wasp]

I've spent the better part of the last hour looking into this, and I can't find any mention of this, much less confirmation, anywhere. I'd like @IM79 to post a link to this article. As it stands, this just looks like message board slander.

Yeah, I think this line of thinking was invented by Bama fans to explain Key leaving. Wouldn't be totally shocked if someone like D. Orlando picked it up, though. More likely to have been a tweet than an article, I suspect.

 

[WreckinGT]

Bama hired Kyle Flood to replace Brent Key. Flood had worked two years with Sark in Atlanta and left with Sark when he went to Texas. It’s not hard to see what happened. Sark wanted his guy.

 

[IM79]

I've spent the better part of the last hour looking into this, and I can't find any mention of this, much less confirmation, anywhere. I'd like @IM79 to post a link to this article. As it stands, this just looks like message board slander.

Sorry, but I don't have that column handy to link. I am just telling what I read with my own two eyes in the AJC. I was taken aback by it as well. If there is any slander it's from the AJC and their sources.

 

[FlatsLander]

It's really disappointing how quickly we went from 3rd and 2 being like 75% conversion to now we go backwards on 1st and goal from the 3. We really need to develop the short yardage game on offense.

 

[ilovetheoption]

Many sound points on both sides of the OL debate. I'll toss in two things that I've been thinking since preseason.

1) Every OL signed out of HS by this staff is a either freshman or has yet to hit campus, save for Jordan Williams if you want to take away his free Covid year and call him a true soph. (FYI this is true for all of CGC HS recruits - redshirt + true frosh - save for the handful that "burned" their shirt a year ago). Personal expectation is that only a truly special OL should hit the field meaningfully by this point in their career, otherwise expect intense inconsistency.

2) If our OL transfers were NFL prospects, why did they transfer to a far-from-sure-thing at Georgia Tech vs. their other options of 1) staying put, 2) going to a more stable school/factory, or 3) going to the NFL? I don't think anyone really knows the answer. PFF suggests Cochran is still doing his thing pass blocking, so it's not like he's missed expectations relative to the grades he had two years ago.

Y'all, please listen to your mod. Whether you like collins or not, if he's going to succeed, he's going to succeed his way, which is jimmies and joes.

I claim this should be your mantra:

Saturday Sep. 2, 2023

vs Louisville Cardinals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA

THAT is when you can begin to evaluate the success or failure of Collins, and not before. His first class will be seniors at that point, so he'll have an entire roster of his guys, with an entire recruiting cycle of S&C and reps. That is your baseline year to evaluate up or down from.

 

[VRTechFan]

Both coordinators should be on warm seats at this point. I suspect if GT wins fewer than 6 games that Collins will have to jettison at least one of them to appease fans and management.
Outside of the Clemson and UNC games I have seen little in the 2+ years to suggest either are really ACC level coordinators.

I've also been unimpressed with Coach Key to this point. The OL doesn't look any significantly better than it did in year one. Now that was always going to take longer, but if they OL doesn't take a huge step forward in year 4 then it is hard to justify what we are paying him.

The only thing that I would say to defend Coach Key, is that ALL the OL players have not played together for a complete season. That's including the transfers. Majority of sports you would have a cohesive unit if they have played a substantial amount of time together. That's my two cents.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Sorry, but I don't have that column handy to link. I am just telling what I read with my own two eyes in the AJC. I was taken aback by it as well. If there is any slander it's from the AJC and their sources.

I've scrubbed the AJC archives. There is apparently no such article. I'm calling BS on this one.