Postseason Chances?

RamblinRed

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
5,902
Last thing i'll say about this until Sunday night.

GT will be off the bubble today - and it probably should be. But if it can find a way to upset ND Sunday night it will be right back where it was before the game last night - right on the knife's edge of in vs out.

Generally once you get to 13 regular season losses you are done (very few 14 loss teams have gotten an at large bid), but there are so many teams trending to around 13 losses +-1 this may be a year the right 14 loss team could get a bid. GT is probably not that team, but I don't think GT is eliminated because of last night, I think the road got significantly more difficult.
 

BigDaddyBuzz

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,189
So after listening to Pastner today on multiple radio shows, I am taking his approach. Last night's loss means nothing to our chances, we HAVE to win at ND or Syracuse. We do that and win a game or 2 in ACC we are in.
 
orientalnc

orientalnc

Helluva Engineer
Retired Staff
Messages
10,054
Location
Oriental, NC
With our thin bench, if we finish the regular season needing to get a couple of ACCT wins it could be very difficult. I am hoping it will work in our favor.
 
eg1

eg1

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
13
Location
Burlington, ON
BigDaddyBuzz said:
So after listening to Pastner today on multiple radio shows, I am taking his approach. Last night's loss means nothing to our chances, we HAVE to win at ND or Syracuse. We do that and win a game or 2 in ACC we are in.
Click to expand...
I will be astonished if we can beat either of those teams on the road
 
Bruce Wayne

Bruce Wayne

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,870
I didn't like our chances against NC State. First because their coach was fired but still in charge which I assumed could shame them into finally playing hard for him. Then when I realized it was on one day rest I became even more pessimistic. However, I have more hope for the Jackets against ND as some of the circumstances favor them. First, they will have more rest. Second, they are coming off a disappointing loss which could help them focus. Similarly, they will be more desperate for the win than ND given the postseason implications (I am hoping that really helps the seniors have good games). Also, ND has a full week off which could leave them out of rhythm and may at least give Tech the chance at a faster start than the Irish. Finally, the Syracuse game showed that the team was at least sufficiently recovered from injuries to be competitive again.

I never predict wins and also don't trust my gut when I feel optimistic, because I am a Tech (and Atlanta) sports fan. But I am really hoping for a strong bounce back of a game and a road upset, and think it's possible.
 

BigDaddyBuzz

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,189
After last night I think Cuse is locked in. I feel like Clemson and Pitt are almost officially out but it's not over. We need to cheer against Wake. I firmly believe the acc will get 10 teams in. Right now it's a GT/Wake battle just ahead of Clemson and Pitt. If and it's s big if, we can win on road it would be big boost to rpi.
 

Deleted member 2897

Guest
BigDaddyBuzz said:
After last night I think Cuse is locked in. I feel like Clemson and Pitt are almost officially out but it's not over. We need to cheer against Wake. I firmly believe the acc will get 10 teams in. Right now it's a GT/Wake battle just ahead of Clemson and Pitt. If and it's s big if, we can win on road it would be big boost to rpi.
Click to expand...

I'm going to minorly disagree. Syracuse has a better chance after beating Duke last night, but they are still 17-12. I think they play @ Louisville next and then home against us. If they lose @ Louisville, they'll be 9-8/17-13. Losing to us would mean 9-9/17-14 - that would be a tough sell to get in. I think they might squeak in thanks to last year's performance in the NCAA tournament, but what I'm saying is there will be just enough 'maybe' that their crowd is going to be BRUTAL in our game. Its basically going to be a playoff game atmosphere to them. Yuck.

I will also stick to my theme from the last few weeks - Clemson is not going into the NCAA tournament. No way. They may not even make the NIT. They're 4-11/14-13. No way. They finish with 3 home games - Florida State, NC State, Boston College. Even if they go 2-1, that's still 6-12/16-14. Thats pitiful in terms of trying to get into the NCAAs. That would be like 12th place in the ACC as a best case scenario. If they screw up and lose to NC State too, that's 5-13/15-15...they could lose in the first round of the ACC tournament and not even finish with a 0.500 record.
 
jeffgt14

jeffgt14

We don't quite suck as much anymore.
Messages
5,899
Location
Mt Juliet, TN
Doesn’t matter what Syracuse does. Us getting in is not depending upon what any other ACC team does. The only victory last night that hurt us was Wake beating Pitt and that is solely because of ACC Tournament seeding only.
 

RamblinRed

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
5,902
jeffgt14 said:
Doesn’t matter what Syracuse does. Us getting in is not depending upon what any other ACC team does. The only victory last night that hurt us was Wake beating Pitt and that is solely because of ACC Tournament seeding only.
Click to expand...

I agree. If GT found a way to win out the last 3 they are in.
Also, you are not competing against bubble teams from the ACC. You are competing against bubble teams in every conference in the country.
 
SecretAgentBuzz

SecretAgentBuzz

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
818
Location
ends of the earth
Win and we're in. That's really as simple as it gets. We should consider the next few games as tournament games, and if we can win all three (or at least, 2 out of 3), we're in.

Come on, Jackets! Dig down deep and finish strong! Let's go dancing!
 
Peacone36

Peacone36

Helluva Engineer
Messages
10,530
Location
Maine
We need conference tournies to go our way as well. Illinois State BYU and MTSU can't win their conference tournaments and all have the talent to do so. That would hurt.
 

JDjacket

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
635
I mean... on the plus side... Cuse beating Duke boosts Cuse RPI which increases the value of our win over them thus boosting our RPI.. maybe.
 

Deleted member 2897

Guest
JDjacket said:
I mean... on the plus side... Cuse beating Duke boosts Cuse RPI which increases the value of our win over them thus boosting our RPI.. maybe.
Click to expand...

According to the RPI I just saw on ESPN, we're #86. But that is not the end all be all. For example, Wake Forest is #38 but is 0-8 against the top 25 and has only 1 win total against the entire top 50. Its hard to argue you are a top 50 team and deserve to go to the NCAA Tournament if you're 1-9 against those teams.

I continue to be baffled why Clemson is on any bubble list. They are 4-11 in ACC play and 14-13. They may not even finish the season above 0.500. They are 0-7 against the Top 25. They could finish 6-12 and 16-14 which is definitely on the bad side of terrble. But there is a chance they finish 5-13 and 15-15. They play Florida State, NC State, and Boston College. I mean hell, they could finish 4-14 and 14-17 with the way they've been playing.
 

RamblinRed

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
5,902
Don't focus on team's conference records, they are irrelevant. That information is not even provided to the committee and it is done for a reason.
With few conferences playing round robin, conference records don't really tell you much. It is not hard at all to construct a scenario where an 8-10 conference record is better than a 10-8 record depending upon who you play.

That is why the committee looks at individual wins an losses.
In some ways you are competing in one 350 team conference - that analogy doesn't hold completely but there is a little validity to it.

I don't think Clemson will get a bid, but it's not due to their conference record. It is due to their overall record of 14-13. I think the reason they are still being mentioned is that if they win out and win a game or 2 in the conference tourney they could get a bid. if they lose to FSU this weekend then I think they are done.
 
AE 87

AE 87

Helluva Engineer
Messages
13,030
The reality is that losing 10 games in this year's ACC is not like losing 10 games elsewhere.

However, while you are possibly still a top 68 team, you are probably not a top 10 team and a threat for the NC. So, giving a shot to a lesser tested team with fewer losses has a logic.
 

RamblinRed

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
5,902
It's pretty clear at this point that the NCSU loss isn't a fatal blow yet.

Really have to have the game in South Bend, but GT is not eliminated due to NCST.

ESPN as mentioned still has GT in.
Bracket Matrix updated this morning, it has GT the first team out - with GT on 45 brackets.
You start looking at the team behind GT and you get a sense why GT is hanging around - Vandy, TN, Clemson, Wake, RI, Providence, TT
most do not have GT's wins.

Still a ways to go, but still in the conversation.
 
Top