Ok Make your Statement

[Sideways]

Historically the road goes through Blacksburg (six appearances). Miami gets way too much love for a team that's never made it to the ACCCG, although to be fair they chose not to represent in 2012. Miami is the ugag of the Coastal. Perennial preseason favorites.

Yep, always pining for past glories, always "next year", always complaining that someone somewhere has it out for them. That's Miami. Still a team with 9, count em, NFL draft picks has some serious talent. They are a force to be reckoned with especially in a topsy turvy division like the Coastal.

 

[Sideways]

I forgot the Heels won the tiebreaker in 2012. So again I say way too much love for a team (Miami) that has never won the Coastal.

But, but, we have more NFL draft picks than those blue nosed Tarheels, or either of those Techmites (Virginia brand or GT) so we should have won a passel of Division championships by now. Amiright?

 

[Sideways]

Just throwing this out. Anyone think that our improving fortunes against uga the last 4 years (all the games coming down to the 4th qtr and we split with them) is a result of a tougher Coastal? By the time we get to uga, we've played against several teams just as athletic so we are not being intimidated. We've also gained on them depth wise I think.

Now that is an interesting proposition. I really think playing Miami, Clemson, and Virginia Tech pays dividends in that regard. We are not intimidated by the array of 4 and 5 stars that UGA trots out every year. I also think that most years that we have won we have just proven to be mentally tougher. An impartial, outside observer would conclude that there is no way we should be competitive with UGA as much as we have given the glaring talent gap. On the other hand, we have improved our recruiting and we have done much better in player development than they have in many instances. To be fair, there have been years when we could not really stay on the field with them. 2012 comes to mind. They had really great players at every position especially on defense. That UGA team could have won a national championship with a few right bounces.

 

[Dustman]

Yep, always pining for past glories, always "next year", always complaining that someone somewhere has it out for them. That's Miami. Still a team with 9, count em, NFL draft picks has some serious talent. They are a force to be reckoned with especially in a topsy turvy division like the Coastal.

Agree. We had to play a near perfect game to beat them in '14 and they killed us in '09. Their struggles in the Coastal don't come from us.

 

[Dustman]

But, but, we have more NFL draft picks than those blue nosed Tarheels, or either of those Techmites (Virginia brand or GT) so we should have won a passel of Division championships by now. Amiright?

Yep - the ugag of the Coastal

 

[gtwcf]

Agree. We had to play a near perfect game to beat them in '14 and they killed us in '09. Their struggles in the Coastal don't come from us.

Let's be honest, 09 was the 3rd game in 12 days on a Thursday night in the swamp known as Miami. The Clemson game the week before we held on by the skin of our nails.

Kind of fun in 09 to be at the Duke game. Miami was playing at UNC later that day and a few fans made their way over to Wallace Wade, hoping to see whether whether they had more to play for that day. They left by the first quarter after the beating we put on Duke to start that game.

And 14 was a systematic beating. We didn't do anything fancy.

I'll admit they've had our number since Golden took over, but I think it's more that we've played them most of the time before they lose to FSU. They lose a lot of steam after losing that game....

 

[augustabuzz]

I forgot the Heels won the tiebreaker in 2012. So again I say way too much love for a team (Miami) that has never won the Coastal.

UNC lost the first tie breaker. (1) Are you eligible?

 

[ilovetheoption]

TBH, I think it all comes down to MJ.

Boomer says if somebody beats out MJ you guys are fine, but that's not the question. The question is "what if MJ was clearly the number one guy, but doesn't recover well from his injury, and somebody else beats out 75% of MJ".

If MJ comes back 100% and somebody beats him out, you guys are in FANTASTIC shape.

If "MJ at 100% or better" is your QB, I genuinely believe you guys take the coastal, and are a darkhorse threat for the playoff if things go your way.

Your A and B back set is the most talented Johnson has ever had at GT (yes, including when he had dwyer at B back and Allen at A back). Your OL should be the best OL Johnson's ever had. Your WR's will be nothing worse than solid, and perhaps good.

And this should be the best defense since 2008. You have 3 legit rush ends, you return your entire secondary which should be a top 25 level unit, and I think your LB's are nothing worse than rock solid. The ONLY question for me is at DT, and I think you guys are going to be just fine there with a rotation of Branch/Surge/Adams/Glanton.

I fully expect you to beat the brakes off of a lot of teams next year if you have MJ or better at QB. I expect UNC to be down, I expect Miami to be hamstrung at QB, at least until late in the year, I think you guys are just plain better than UGa at the moment.

I think VT is probably a coin flip.

I think Clemson is better than you, and I think some bounces would have to go your way to get that win, but crazy things happen.

 

[alagold]

TBH, I think it all comes down to MJ.

Boomer says if somebody beats out MJ you guys are fine, but that's not the question. The question is "what if MJ was clearly the number one guy, but doesn't recover well from his injury, and somebody else beats out 75% of MJ".

If MJ comes back 100% and somebody beats him out, you guys are in FANTASTIC shape.

If "MJ at 100% or better" is your QB, I genuinely believe you guys take the coastal, and are a darkhorse threat for the playoff if things go your way.

Your A and B back set is the most talented Johnson has ever had at GT (yes, including when he had dwyer at B back and Allen at A back). Your OL should be the best OL Johnson's ever had. Your WR's will be nothing worse than solid, and perhaps good.

And this should be the best defense since 2008. You have 3 legit rush ends, you return your entire secondary which should be a top 25 level unit, and I think your LB's are nothing worse than rock solid. The ONLY question for me is at DT, and I think you guys are going to be just fine there with a rotation of Branch/Surge/Adams/Glanton.

I fully expect you to beat the brakes off of a lot of teams next year if you have MJ or better at QB. I expect UNC to be down, I expect Miami to be hamstrung at QB, at least until late in the year, I think you guys are just plain better than UGa at the moment.

I think VT is probably a coin flip.

I think Clemson is better than you, and I think some bounces would have to go your way to get that win, but crazy things happen.

wow, talk about golden -tinted glasses.
LBs -nothing short of rock solid? top 25 secondary but with no proven rush? (last in conf), MJ unproven as passer even if healthy, and new YOUNG guys at P/PK--but you could be right lol

 

[AE 87]

wow, talk about golden -tinted glasses.
LBs -nothing short of rock solid? top 25 secondary but with no proven rush? (last in conf), MJ unproven as passer even if healthy, and new YOUNG guys at P/PK--but you could be right lol

He's a wahoo. You can disagree without accusing of bias

 

[ilovetheoption]

wow, talk about golden -tinted glasses.
LBs -nothing short of rock solid? top 25 secondary but with no proven rush? (last in conf), MJ unproven as passer even if healthy, and new YOUNG guys at P/PK--but you could be right lol

Regarding the pass rush, replacing rook with Simmons significantly improves it. Yes, you're not at stout against the Run, but Simmons is going to be the guy who's going to give you the occasional random first down pressure on a play-action that rook never was. It also makes blocking schemes a little more complicated, but you cuz you can't just always slide your protection toward Freeman.

Also, yeah, I think you'll be Rock Solid at linebacker. Mitchell will be a third-year starter and while he's never going to be a guy who runs like the wind more experience equals being in the right place at the right time equals better production. I also for see little to no drop-off from PJ to Alexander.

 

[Jerry the Jacket]

It's there for the taking. If our boys want it and have the cahones to take it, we will be Coastal Champs, ACC Champs and possibly National Champs. Every game is winnable and every game can be lost, it comes down to who wants it the most.

Go Jackets!

 

[GTpdm]

I forgot the Heels won the tiebreaker in 2012. So again I say way too much love for a team (Miami) that has never won the Coastal.

Just to be clear, I do agree with you 100% on that point.

 

[alentrekin]

Can't say there's much I disagree with in the above.

Should be be favored but not by much to win 7:
JaxSt, @UCF, Pitt, UNC, Wake, @UVA, @Duke
...
Should be pick em to single digit dogs for 4:
UT, VT, @theU & UGA
...
But Dexter Lawrence and friends still play D for Clemson, @Clemson.
...
So I'll say 9-3 with losses to Clemson, @theU and one of the basketball schools.

 

[Skeptic]

It's there for the taking. If our boys want it and have the cahones to take it, we will be Coastal Champs, ACC Champs and possibly National Champs. Every game is winnable and every game can be lost, it comes down to who wants it the most.

Go Jackets!

I fear we might spike the ball before crossing the goal line. It's a tough league and hard season and while recognizing the question marks we tend to assume they all will be resolved in our favor. I want all these things to happen and within reason -- a NC is something one is optimistic about only in the abstract and then only if your team is historically in the chase, and that means the factories. There are too many uncertainties -- defense, LBs (how much better do we have to be there?) QB, Bback backup -- say that five times real fast -- kicking (for the first time in what, four years? And will we again have teams starting outside their 30 on kickoffs? The longer the field the better the defense -- and as we were painfully reminded in 2015, injuries. I am sticking with one game at a time, hoping for the best, preparing for the worst.

 

[ilovetheoption]

..... I'll be honest, I completely neglected the new kicker when I was thinking about the team. If he can consistently put the ball through the end zone that's a big deal too

 

[redmule]

I refuse to anoint Clemson the Atilla of the ACC. They lost to Pitt at home, were a chip shot FG away from losing to NC State at home, Louisville and FSU both complained bitterly (with some justification I think) that the refs decided their games, and they paid the scheduler to get us on a short week after Vandy to avoid their Atlanta curse. In the playoffs, they were something special, no doubt. But the something special left early to go play pro ball.

I think we can play straight up with anyone on the schedule. I then have to admit the reciprocal; everyone on the schedule can play straight up with us, too (ACC games I mean). Then it comes down to will we have momentum, do we get on a roll and expect to win like in '14. Or do we stagger from heart breaking loss to heart breaking loss like in '15? Who will be the miracle win, and who will be the brain fart loss that we seem to have every season? What player goes from average to all conference? And, most importantly, will I get to see a win in Atlanta the Saturday after Thanksgiving for the first time in almost 20 years? Hell Yes! We're going to win them all!

 

[Coloradojacket]

Just throwing this out. Anyone think that our improving fortunes against uga the last 4 years (all the games coming down to the 4th qtr and we split with them) is a result of a tougher Coastal? By the time we get to uga, we've played against several teams just as athletic so we are not being intimidated. We've also gained on them depth wise I think.

Well if you look at it only in 2012 were we just beat out right. I think the closeness of the series is two fold.
1. Let's face it CPJ is a very good coach and his offense gives everybody fits. Teams don't recruit to beat our offense.
2. I never buy the recruiting and star rankings. Frankly I think Eason, the 5 star is maybe a 3 star as he played in Washington St. where there is no football. CPJ does a better job developing players.

 

[Dottie1145]

If we get a top 25 defense, we win the ACC

Top 3 defense and we win the world.

 

[redmule]

Top 3 defense and we win the world.

I think if we can just play like a top 25 defense for two quarters a game, then we will have a surprisingly good season.