Publics perception of the program

[Boss Ross]

i think we may win more than just 8, but i see your point. i'm looking for our defense and our oline to continue to improve and we'll be a tough out for anyone. if justin thomas can find the same pass and catch relationship with receivers next year then we'll be in good shape.

all in all, we may not win as many next year but i expect to see a better team...or at least hope to.

This year GT will have a great ol and if every one stays healthy it could be a great year.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Notre Dame is perpetually over-rated. You are correct, however, that beating them will carry a lot of weight with the public, pollsters, and committee.

Yes, they are ALWAYS overrated and over-hyped, and that's why beating them, especially at South Bend will do so much for us.

 

[thwgjacket]

I don't see how 2016 will be better than this year. We lose a TON this season.

JT as a senior. A huge OL in '16 that features Burden as a Senior, Devine and Griffin as Juniors and the other young, big, OL guys will be older. Leggett with an extra year, MLD with an extra year. A junior and senior laden WR group. On DL Freeman will be a Junior, Gamble a Senior, Simmons with another year and the 2 DT studs we got this year will be in the mix. Paul Davis will be a senior at LB and we have a lot of young DB talent that will be Juniors then. I do think the one position we will be worse at in 16 is the secondary though. Butker will also be a senior kicker.

On top of all that we will have an easier schedule, which is my main point here. We might be only slightly better in '16, may even be a little worse, but I think the schedule lines up for us to win more games.

 

[BabyJacket1990]

JT as a senior. A huge OL in '16 that features Burden as a Senior, Devine and Griffin as Juniors and the other young, big, OL guys will be older. Leggett with an extra year, MLD with an extra year. A junior and senior laden WR group. On DL Freeman will be a Junior, Gamble a Senior, Simmons with another year and the 2 DT studs we got this year will be in the mix. Paul Davis will be a senior at LB and we have a lot of young DB talent that will be Juniors then. I do think the one position we will be worse at in 16 is the secondary though. Butker will also be a senior kicker.

On top of all that we will have an easier schedule, which is my main point here. We might be only slightly better in '16, may even be a little worse, but I think the schedule lines up for us to win more games.

You can't tech experience. I hope your right
Though!

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I wonder how many opposing fanbases are penciling us in as w?

 

[OldJacketFan]

I wonder how many opposing fanbases are penciling us in as w?

IMO? Not too dang many

 

[Animal02]

A win at South Bend on 9/12 will define the season. Beating ND AT South Bend carries a helluva lot of weight nationwide, and that game will obviously be nationally televised, so that the whole country can see what we are. ND may have a better team on paper, but so did several teams we beat this past year, and I don't think, based on the way they play Navy, that they will be able to stop Justin.

A win in South Bend on 9/12 will be meaningless.......ND @ UVA that day......I am expecting a win at ND on 9/19

 

[cuttysark]

Notre Dame will always have the cache every year. However, I'll take an experienced O-Line returning along with Justin Thomas at QB and an opportunistic defense heading into an early season game in South Bend. Hopefully the Irish DC Van Gorder will use the same game plan to defend CPJ as he did when he was leading the Mutts. Remember, he had much better players at UGA than he does at ND.

 

[TheSilasSonRising]

Perception - not sure I care.

Selling more tix - I care.

That will happen for us, in this place, at this time by beating uga more.

Simple.

 

[wuzjrbuzz]

I am seeing a noticeable increase in the amount of GT apparel in the Atlanta area. Hope it translates into increased ticket sells.

 

[GTech63]

I don't see how 2016 will be better than this year. We lose a TON this season.

But we have better upside RSF and new recruits coming on board than in the past. A proven Oline with depth plus good RSF, A backs with experience, WR some good potential coming and some good young guys to take over, It just feels like we are getting depth. In college ball you almost always lose a ton. Coaching is important because you have to coach many players up and quickly. DL still big ? mark and B back but we have always been productive at B back. I have this feeling we will not regress at b back and D will be better. This team now seems to be a better balanced team skill wise. No NFL for sure stars, or AA first team for sure stars. Lots of good players committed and working together to get better. Pushing each other and seemingly accountable to each other. My glasses may have gotten a rose colored tint. We should win the coastal, Great chance to win the ACCCG and another major bowl.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

A win in South Bend on 9/12 will be meaningless.......ND @ UVA that day......I am expecting a win at ND on 9/19

Oops. LOL

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Remember, he had much better players at UGA than he does at ND.

I don't know about that. Both teams rank in the top 15 or so recruiting rankings every year.

 

[GTJake]

To some extent national perception does matter for a program, especially if we want to take the next step from a great year to a great program.
All indications from actual progress to media attention and even "street cred" among college football fans are all bullish right now for us.
But ... because of the long standing lack of all of the above, our margins for error are very thin. It's very important to get off to a strong start in 2015 !

 

[redmule]

Keep JT and the OL healthy till 9/19, and ND will have to be really on their game to beat us. Can't say it won't happen. They are usually way over ranked, but once in a while they play up to their ranking for a game or two. I suspect they will work on defensing the TO quite a bit in spring and summer practice because if we beat them, we move up in the ranking only a couple of spots. They beat us, and they vault into NC contenders in the press's eyes. We might even get to be a little over ranked going into that game so that a ND win would look even better.

Besides ND will be coming off a loss. Tenuta proved the last time we went to South Bend that he has the template for beating ND's offense.

 

[UgaBlows]

CPJ wants Van Gorders head on a plate, should be interesting

 

[dressedcheeseside]

CPJ wants Van Gorders head on a plate, should be interesting

I think coach knows what two consecutive years in the national spotlight means to recruiting and the program in general. Next year is huge!

 

[jchens_GT]

Yes, they are ALWAYS overrated and over-hyped, and that's why beating them, especially at South Bend will do so much for us.

And I would add that beating them early in the season is also a big plus in the polls and perception-wise. If we hand them their first loss, it could be a big boost at that time. Usually, nobody really knows what a team has that early in the season. If Notre Dame follows the same script they have as of late, they will ride their hype train until they end up losing a few head scratchers. Better to beat them early before they are found out.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

And I would add that beating them early in the season is also a big plus in the polls and perception-wise. If we hand them their first loss, it could be a big boost at that time. Usually, nobody really knows what a team has that early in the season. If Notre Dame follows the same script they have as of late, they will ride their hype train until they end up losing a few head scratchers. Better to beat them early before they are found out.

I dunno. FSU beat them when they were "good." How much cache did that get them at the end?

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

I wonder how many opposing fanbases are penciling us in as w?

UNC, Duke, VT, UM, uGa, ND, FSU, Clemson, and probably several other fan bases because that's what fans and the media does.