Pre Season Thoughts

Longestday

Longestday

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Target 12-0 actual 9-3 total ACC 6 and 2 with no call on ACC Championship, but we go…
  • I saw significant improvement in the OL during the spring game
  • Byerly is tough and JT is fast... both read as good/better as/than Vad start 2012. They will get better by game time and better every game after.
  • Byerly and JT will be good passers with field vision with some great targets in Autry, Smelter, a new aggressive Waller (you better get on it dog and want it like I want ice cream), Summers, and Denis. Searcy and Jeune will push them as well.
  • Full ammo belt of the entire option offense with no training wheels of 3TO, midlines, QB veer, ABack counter, speed option, BB dive, BB counter dive, rocket toss, Counter option, etc and all ran as if that it is the only thing the team practices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and all the blocking variations no normal fan can see!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Laskey will finally prove himself... no one is in his way! I hope Connors Godhighs everyone!
  • Days is one of the best blockers period. I wonder if coaches keep track of career knock downs! All guts giving away all the glory. Days I see you, you the man...
  • Perkins and Deon Hill have a chance to show out. Don't count Zenon out, he had great runs early in his career. Bostic also had some take your breath away game receptions. Is Owrin or Godhigh here... only game time will tale.
  • The LB are beasts with motors and Gotsis anchors the center
  • Isaiah is back, some doubt, but I got a feeling about his play with a change in Defensive coordinator
  • I don't want to leave the corners out, I just don't have a lot of information. I will make it a point to watch them in my million slow motion marathons.
  • Golden is back and will add his home run ability to punts and kickoffs... no doubt he is worth 1 win just for this alone.
  • There is more depth for everyone on special teams in general!
  • Best schedule yet... no 5 day rests, no thursday, no world travel, tough games at home, 3 games to warm up
  • Lots of changes and big time losses for other teams like Sammy, Ebron, and a few QBs. I'll add logan in there as he plays his best against us.

I worry about:
  • Laskey better let some young guys take reps in practice so he can stay healthy!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • DE, but I think the LB are so strong they will balance out inexperience. The future at DE looks good!
  • I am in wait and see on who steps up at AB to make the yards like GodHigh. If they seal the BB, take the QB to force the pitch, all the AB needs to do is run forward ; )
  • New OL (but better than an injured experienced OL forcing new OL starters and people playing out of practiced position)
  • New QB jitters... I think they showed out fine last year. This is not their first time on the field and 3 game warm up.
  • QB injury... for the players sake but also the shallow experienced depth. I bet Swilling can pinch hit/MJ will be saved to take over after JT/Byerly (did I say that right?)
I feel good now that I had time to think through it... I hope you enjoyed all the spelling mistakes and the journey through my mind.
 

danny daniel

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Very good analyses. I agree (that probably makes 2 of us) that Swilling can adequately handle QB3 in a short duration situation. IMO we are better at the corners than at safety. Avoiding injuries at either DT, at BB, and at QB is critical to success. I hope we specifically target Smelter on slant and smoke quite often as we need the ball in his hands often.
 
texasjacket

texasjacket

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Longestday said:
Target 12-0 actual 9-3 total ACC 6 and 2 with no call on ACC Championship, but we go…
  • Byerly and JT will be good passers with field vision with some great targets in Autry, Smelter, a new aggressive Waller (you better get on it dog and want it like I want ice cream), Summers, and Denis. Searcy and Jeune will push them as well.
  • Full ammo belt of the entire option offense with no training wheels of 3TO, midlines, QB veer, ABack counter, speed option, BB dive, BB counter dive, rocket toss, Counter option, etc and all ran as if that it is the only thing the team practices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and all the blocking variations no normal fan can see!!!!!!!!!!!.
Click to expand...
I can't wait to see QB play improve, to have a QB not hesitate and play fast.
 

Oldgoldandwhite

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I would take 9-3 right now especially with a win after thanksgiving. I am usually optimistic this time of year, but there are way too many unknowns at this point to predict anything.
 
Sean311

Sean311

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What do y'all think would be the worst case scenario? I would honestly have to imagine either 6 or 7 wins with this schedule.
 

MWBATL

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My big issue is with the O line play. I thought it was poor last year. While Vad did not impress any of us with how he ran the option, it's not like there were tons of holes he simply missed because of misreads or hesitations. All too often, there simply were not any good choices, so we all blame the QB, when in fact I think the problem was the OL.

I am not sure why I should have any greater confidence in our O Line play this upcoming season compared to the last 2. We are going to be younger and less experienced. It would be hard for me to believe that we are simply that much better athletically up front. Hence, my fear remains that our offense will be...OK, but not great. OK to me means we can run easily and well against the teams in our first three games, but will have great trouble with the usual suspects (Miami, VPI&SU, UGa (sic). Our inability to run the ball and go on long drives in the 2nd half of games to rest our thin defense cost us last year, and I just don't see an O line that will make that happen this year. Fans always pay too much attention to the skill players/positions, and no where near enough to the trenches, but that is where games are won and lost.
 

knox

Georgia Tech Fan
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77
Sean311 said:
What do y'all think would be the worst case scenario? I would honestly have to imagine either 6 or 7 wins with this schedule.
Click to expand...
No way less than 6 wins. Less than 7 is pretty hard to imagine. We have 5 gimmes and only one guaranteed loss. no way we go 1-5 or 0-6 in the others.
 

MWBATL

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I think we win 8 (again) and lose to all the usual suspects (again) which will leave us 5-3 in the league (at best). I think there is a MUCH better chance we only win 7 than 9, as I just don't see the strength along the lines to win more than 8.
 
Longestday

Longestday

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OL positives
2013Players banged up, many starters did not play or played injured, or played out of practiced position due to others injuries.

2014 everyone is healthy, everyone is set to play the position they practice in camp.

Chamberlain showed improvement in the spring game. My hope is that he can use the fall camp to turn on his game.

There is a chance that a freshman could really show out.

DeVine may decided he wants the starting spot.

Last year was solid because experience that was ready to go... This taught me to do a George Constanza and do the opposite of what you think.
 
Ash

Ash

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I'm optimistic we will be better than last year.

The question is will our competition get better too? We have to improve enough to overcome what they do, not just measured against ourselves.
 

alaguy

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My only pre-season thought is --- I would love for us not to LOSE any more players before the start of season. (like --whitehead not showing up,Gotsis/key players getting hurt, "anybody " being disciplined).
 
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