Our History in Pivotal Games

[GTNavyNuke]

We are like every other team more or less. When you get to the elite levels and play elite teams, one elite team wins and one loses. The elite teams we are going to play this year by the polls are ND, Clemson, FSU and UGAg. I hope we end up as elite, but there's a lot of football to play.

Winning one big game in a season only makes the next big game bigger till you win the NC. Like we did in 1990. We also won the ACCCG in 2009.

But since 1990 we haven't been that good overall, so yes, in that period we will have lost most of the games to elite teams with a few exceptions. The only thing we can do is enjoy the crap out of what we have now because it may be gone tomorrow.

 

[SavannahBee]

In JBR's defense, I do get it. Turning the corner with a win Saturday would likely greatly enhance a positive, big-picture change in our perception by the media and others on a national level. In the ACC, only FSU and Clemson have that or have had that since 1990 (and maybe VT). But again, I totally understand where JBR is coming from. It is about changing the national presumptive perspective. As it pertains to the actual quality of any football team in any given year, pre-season rankings are meaningless; we all know that. But too often the stage is preset by the pre-season rankings and, as a season progresses, the moves up or down in the rankings from week to week for teams that are mostly winning are all still pegged (think albatross) to their pre-season ranking. This year, as it pertains to us, one loss early in any game, big or small, will send us plummeting. If we had, for instance, FSU status, not so much. If GT can produce a second amazing season and win at least 3 of the 4 "BIG GAMES" and achieve a regular season record of 11-1 or better, the narrative will change and we will be better positioned to remain higher in the rankings in future years when we are placed higher at the outset ("SEC-ish"). A 10-2 regular season would only extend our opportunity to turn the corner for another year. Anything less, and we are the same old GT we have been for a long time; up and down... top 20 sometimes, sometimes not... never horrible, but never creme de la creme. This Saturday matters... A LOT!

A preseason number 3 drops to number 7 or 8 after a loss; a preseason number 15 drops to 23 or worse, depending... and which hole is easier to climb out of?

Saturday's game is HUGE for our program! HUGE! I am feeling very confident that we can win this game and change the presumptive perspective! The national spotlight stage is being laid out for us! All our men have to do is to stay focused and find a way to effectively deal with the first-away-game/potentially-intimidating-environs and execute CPJ's and CTR's game plan.

 

[Boomergump]

It's the third game of the year, in a season of 13 to 15 games. It's big because it is a game, the next game. All this talk of 10-2 to 12-0 is really premature. It seems some of us have a desire to prove something to the CFB world about GT. Well I guess I do as well, to an extent, but you can't do a season's worth of proving in any single game. Just ask VT 2014 (OSU) about that.

I am anxious to see ND because I have never been there for a game. So, for me that part is pretty cool. They have a great stadium, fans and tradition. I haven't seen my old roommate much lately so it will be fun to reunite in such a venue. However, beyond that, in terms of what it means, it isn't much different than any other game. If we beat ND and lose later to PITT, it won't really make much difference than the opposite. Every game matters. Am I excited? Heck yes I am. I was excited for Tulane too. I'll be excited when UNC comes to town.

If we are lucky enough to win Saturday, we will not have turned any corner as a program. We will not have won any title. We will just have taken a successful step in a direction we would all like to go. It could all be thrown away with what happens the following week if we don't take care of business. If we happen to lose, it doesn't mean we aren't good, or repeated some failures of the past teams. It just means we are 2-1 with at least 10 games to go.

 

[Squints]

2009 Orange Bowl. The big spotlight. The perfect storm. An inferior Iowa team. Got embarrassed.

Whoa hold on. I was with you until there. That Iowa defense was stacked. I'm pretty sure every single starter on that D was drafted. Calling them inferior is a little disingenuous.

 

[thwgjacket]

One thing I can about this team that those teams didn't have, it's JeT under center with CPJ calling the shots. I have noticed this season that JeT doesn't leave CPJ side for much of the game. I wish our staff would let/make JeT wear a headset when he's not in the game.

Saturday can't get here fast enough! #THWG

Why would he need to wear a headset when he's standing next to the guy who calls the plays? That would be like standing next to Einstein and having a headset on just so you can hear what his lab assistants are saying.

 

[Techster]

That 1990 game against #1 UVA game...how'd that turn out?
How about the Citrus Bowl that same season against Nebraska...how'd that turn out?
Remember the 2003 Auburn game? For that matter, how about the 2005 Auburn game? Both times Auburn was touted as a national championship caliber team.
How about VT at home in 2009? Or Clemson in the ACCCG in 2009?
How about the Miss State game in the OB last year?

Seems like GT has won its fair share of "pivotal" games.

 

[Techster]

I think the ND game is important in terms of where we want GT to be. It's a nationally televised game, against one of college football's elite "name" teams, a team which happens to be in the top 10.

Our program has really good momentum going right now with how 2014 played out, and our 2015 recruiting class. We talk amongst ourselves a lot about how we want our program to get to the next level...beating teams like ND would do that. It keeps GT in front of the media, and it keeps the spotlight on us with recruits.

Some games mean more than a "W" or a "L". This game is definitely one of them.

 

[Frenchise]

I'm all for being cautiously optimistic, but JBR has been posting a lot of woe-is-me/us lately. First the ACC nightmare scenario and then this.

I know we'll show up to play on Saturday. ND will show up as well. It will be a great game. There is no reason to look more than a year or two in the past to predict the future when it comes to college football. Things change extremely fast and so does the game.

 

[BabyJacket1990]

Why would he need to wear a headset when he's standing next to the guy who calls the plays? That would be like standing next to Einstein and having a headset on just so you can hear what his lab assistants are saying.

So he could hear what the defensive coaches are saying. We are one of a few teams that doesn't ask for the QB to be involved with most conversations during the game.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

I'm all for being cautiously optimistic, but JBR has been posting a lot of woe-is-me/us lately. First the ACC nightmare scenario and then this.

I know we'll show up to play on Saturday. ND will show up as well. It will be a great game. There is no reason to look more than a year or two in the past to predict the future when it comes to college football. Things change extremely fast and so does the game.

FWIW, I think we will win, going away. Just saying I have seen us get to the brink of sustained success more than a few times. If we are to move from the 30th ranking to the top dozen (on a regular basis) this is the game to state our case.

 

[GTRX7]

I won't go into ancient, ancient history on this, but we have had a handful of games in the last 25 years where we had a golden chance to make a statement about the program.
1991 Kick off Classic, defending National Champs; spit the bit against Penn State, spiraled down, coaching staff jumped ship, enter B*** L****.
1999 Gator Bowl against Miami. Having beaten Georgia three in a row, we had a chance to move into elite territory. Would have been 19 wins in two years for O'Leary. Nope.
2009 against Georgia. At home, beat them the year before, we were the better team. Couldn't do it.
2009 Orange Bowl. The big spotlight. The perfect storm. An inferior Iowa team. Got embarrassed.

So now, here we are. Once again on the threshold of greatness. Heading to South Bend, Indiana, favored against the holy grail of Notre Dame. Win and we change the perception of millions for years to come. Fail and we are---well, a good team from the ACC.

I think this list of games actually says more about you as a pessimistic fan than it does about Tech's actual record in important perception games.

 

[DC Bee]

First of all, the premise of the thread started off very negative, but I've come to expect that from the OP. Then something has occurred to me while reading this thread that we all need to accept.

We've upset many, many, many favored and/or ranked teams over the years even when unranked.
We've won the ACC Coastal division 4 times within the last 10 years.
We've won the ACC Conference title within the last 6 years.
We been to a bowl every year for the last 18 years, winning a few, but not as often as we once did.
We've been to the Orange Bowl twice within the last 6 years.
We won the Orange Bowl last year.
We won a NC within the last 25 years.
We've won 4 football National Championships.

What has all that gotten us in regards to national perception? Not what we want and quite frankly, we never will get it. Oh sure, they'll talk about us for a while, say we have a great program, blah, blah, blah.

We could win the NC this year and they'll talk about how great we are in the moment. Guess what will happen next year? We'll think they don't talk about GT enough, and perhaps we'll be right.

We are just a small technical institute in SEC country. We are not a giant state university. We are not in the SEC, B1G, or PAC12. We can't get enough eyes on our program for long enough of a time to compete with the attention the other schools and their fans demand. Look at all the attention Michigan is getting in a down/rebuilding year. Look at OSU, Notre Dame, Penn State, or any SEC school in down years. Man, those programs float right back up to the top in a hurry even if only based upon potential. We don't get that benefit of the doubt.

Accept what it is. Be loud and proud about what we've got, what we are, and what we are not.

Just win, Jackets! To Hell with Rudy!

 

[PBR549]

So he could hear what the defensive coaches are saying. We are one of a few teams that doesn't ask for the QB to be involved with most conversations during the game.

How do you know that?

 

[BabyJacket1990]

How do you know that?

He may be involved but I have noticed that most of the elite teams have their QBs listening to the coaches conversations. I'm not complaining , just some suggestion that could maybe help JeT.

 

[BabyJacket1990]

Why would he need to wear a headset when he's standing next to the guy who calls the plays? That would be like standing next to Einstein and having a headset on just so you can hear what his lab assistants are saying.

You clearly don't follow much football do you ??? Most of the elite teams now days has their QBs with headsets on. It's fine that we don't use them this way but maybe he could even better our QB play.

 

[thwgjacket]

You clearly don't follow much football do you ??? Most of the elite teams now days has their QBs with headsets on. It's fine that we don't use them this way but maybe he could even better our QB play.

So he could hear what the defensive coaches are saying. We are one of a few teams that doesn't ask for the QB to be involved with most conversations during the game.

Are you suggesting that JeT should be in a conversation with our defensive coaches about what defense we are running? Most college QB's speak directly with the offensive coordinator through a headset or phone on the sideline. As for the not following much football comment...well I'm done breaking information on this site, yall have a good day.

 

[UgaBlows]

So he could hear what the defensive coaches are saying.

Oh holy crap what a great idea......not!

 

[deeeznutz]

You clearly don't follow much football do you ??? Most of the elite teams now days has their QBs with headsets on. It's fine that we don't use them this way but maybe he could even better our QB play.

That is a good idea, but only if the OC/playcaller is up in the booth. For us, with Coach Johnson standing on the field sending plays in directly, he needs to be able to talk and listen to the man next to him. I'm sure if Coach Cook is up in the booth and needs to talk to him, they have a phone line to enable that.

 

[BabyJacket1990]

That is a good idea, but only if the OC/playcaller is up in the booth. For us, with Coach Johnson standing on the field sending plays in directly, he needs to be able to talk and listen to the man next to him. I'm sure if Coach Cook is up in the booth and needs to talk to him, they have a phone line to enable that.

I would like to see our back up QB with the headset on.

 

[18in32]

I'm excited about this game, but it is not a make-or-break game for this season or for this program.