From what I've seen on other forums like reddit and such the fan base that seems the most confident in beating us is VT because they say Bud Foster would never lose to the triple option 2 years in a row. Everyone else seems to be at least somewhat worried about having to play us. Of the biggest named teams the Notre Dame fans seem the most worried. Clemson fans are just happy the game isn't in Atlanta because then it would be a lost cause for them.
Just based on past performances there is no reason VT ought not feel some confidence, but the twice-in-a-row thing is just goofy. If we don't beat them it will be because once again their defense played us very tough, and I give them that. Last year Thomas was on a skateboard the whole game, trying to avoid getting hammered. Well, until late anyway. But as big a twinkie as I am with statistics knows there is no basis for that at all. (Remember Paul Johnson once famously said that "Good teams don't lose two straight," before losing two straight twice, I think, and last year wound up 11-3.) Good for pep rallies, bad for planning. Betcha Bud Foster is not scheming on that basis. it will be a good game again.
Only reason the VT game was even close last year was the ridiculous fumble recovery TD by the QB, which was such a lucky bounce that it's a 1 in 1000 (minimum) chance of happening. I'll give him credit for following the play, though, that's from good coaching. Then as the year went on we got better while they got worse. I fully expect us to crush them this year.
I fervently pray you are right and we can start relaxing early. Regardless, I am keeping my mortgage papers locked up.
Any scenario someone comes up with has to assume certain things. I was going with the scenario that seems to be widely popular which assumes the critical games are the six I mentioned. I then teak that scenario for the fun of it. Sure, we could lose to Alcorn State but one has to start with a likely scenario and go from there.
Oh, I am not complaining and I hope your best made-up projection is on target. But it is another year, another season, and another possible Kansas game with somebody. Last year it was Duke. MTSU before that. (I turned Duke off after the first two possessions because it seemed obvious we were tanking. Took me weeks to watch the tape. Wonder if Johnson will force them to watch it before Durham this year?)
And that of course is the reason why preseason speculation is really just a lot of nonsense. Fun, but nonsense none the less.
Come in off that limb, fella.
You can imagine my investment portfolio is not junk bonds.
Their best option is that dunce from UVA last year.
but dont they have a bunch of 5 stars?
Hyperbole?
If so, Richt haters rejoice because he is toast by the second quarter of the second game.They all think John Rauch and Zeke Bratkowsi could still play.
It did occur to me, belatedly, that GT itself benefited from two very bad -- bad as in epic making -- throwing decisions by the VT QB. I didn't fault Beamer for throwing in the last couple of minutes to try to win and avoid overtime -- I wouldn't want to play an option offense from 25 yards out in OT, either -- but boy was that a bad throw. There's ying and yang and at the end a dozen things that coulda, shudda or wouda happened, but either did or didn't. Generally but not always the best team wins after 60 minutes, and the dark years we won 6 or 7 games, well, our team wasn't good enough to do better. But otherwise, if we coulda, so to speak, we wouda. (Had Butker missed that late FG against Georgia, then in my opinion the best team would have lost. I would make that exception.) But I would like to have a comfortable win against VT. That would be different, wouldn't it?
Since I can't even figure out an office pool I don't have a clue what all this means, but I guess it is good for GT? Or is it bad? A good example of why the house always wins. People like me.
Why would best case be 2-1 against the three mentioned? By definition (mine anyway) best case is 3-0.This is going to appear as shear sophistry, and perhaps it is, but bear with me.
Here is a thought experiment. Let's say Tech has a given number of sure wins on its schedule coupled with 6 unknown games -ND, Clemson, Miami, VT, FSU and UGA. Further let's say that Tech is going to be competitive with every single opponent this year (not a stretch in my mind). Finally let's assume that Tech is a very good team but not a dominating team and therefore Tech will not win all of its games.
So how do these six games play out? There are three "typical ways." One way is that Tech makes some bone head plays, has injuries, the refs blow some major calls, the ball takes a funny bounce and the coaches make some bad decisions. The result of that combination of calamities is that Tech wins only 1 game out of the six and finishes 7-5 on the season.
Now let's assme a different scenario in which virtually everything that can go right for Tech goes right and Tech wins 5 games out of this string of 6 games. Then Tech finishes 11-1.
Most of the "voters" on this site have chosen a middle course in which Tech wins half of these games going 3-3 and finishes the season at 9-3. A reasonable choice all things considered.
But let's stir the pot. Assume that everything we have said previously about the season in general holds except for the following change. What if Clemson, Miami and VT have unusually bad seasons for them? What if each of them is as likely a win for Tech as Tech's other "sure wins" that most people on here have already factored in? That means the key games for Tech come down to ND, FSU and UGA.
Now let's apply the same logic as before that Tech is not going to win every game but with regard to these 3 opponents there is a best case, a worst case and a "middle of the road" case. So Tech could lose to all 3 (worst case) lose 2 (middle case) or lose 1 (best case).
All of this gives us a new range, if you will, of possible outcomes for the season.
Worst case is now 9-3 rather than 7-5
Middle case is now 10-2 rather than 9-3
Best case remains at 11-1
All of this is to say our middle case of a 10-2 season is what we might reasonably project given that it is off season, we have too much time on our hands to think about this and we are all just making stuff up anyway.
My guess is that Stinger is an accountant and can make 3 be whatever he wants.