Question for y"all

Heisman's Ghost

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We are a 7 pt underdog so "should beat them"is not what the bookies -DraftKings-say. We can hope though.
I don't like being underdogs to Wake but any team that has given up 24 points in less than 8 minutes in the fourth quarter is not likely to be given the benefit of the doubt by bookies. Mercifully, this Wake team is a shadow of what they have been the last few years with an explosive offense trying to make up for a less than stellar defense. Seems I have seen that play before.
 

leatherneckjacket

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We aren't the team many hoped we were. We have the offense we hoped for but the defense is MIA so far. Maybe next week they find their mojo! Sure hope so.
Offense is much better than expected. Defense is much worse. Special Teams are about what I expected. I thought we would be 1-2, but could be 2-1, which we almost were and probably should be. I think those writing off the season and dumping on the staff are a bit premature. I still think we will end up 6-6.
 

Heisman's Ghost

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Albany Georgia
We aren't the team many hoped we were. We have the offense we hoped for but the defense is MIA so far. Maybe next week they find their mojo! Sure hope so.
There is always hope. Wake is not nearly as explosive on offense this year as they have been in the recent past. They are averaging about 34 points a game against pedestrian, to put it kindly, opposition while their defense is giving up about 20. They are 3-0 and have the confidence of a team rightfully so, that had a big fourth quarter to win a game they were about to lose. We will see what they are made of this week.
 

Root4GT

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Offense is much better than expected. Defense is much worse. Special Teams are about what I expected. I thought we would be 1-2, but could be 2-1, which we almost were and probably should be. I think those writing off the season and dumping on the staff are a bit premature. I still think we will end up 6-6.
Hope you are on target. I have very little faith in our defense. Holding anyone less than 30 points seems like a challenge. Our 3 opponents so far had big scoring games against us relative to the competition in other games against non FCS teams.
 

forensicbuzz

21st Century Throwback Dad
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I know several guys in my circle that do well, but they don’t buy tickets nor donate. I place blame at the GTAA’s feet, as well. For many, many years they have been lazy about reaching out and showing love. They pretty much just relied on the Tom Fannings to stroke big checks. We are leaving a lot of money on the sidelines. Need to broaden the base.
Do they complain about how we're doing? That's really my point. I agree the GTAA has not done everything they could do.
 

roadkill

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I know several guys in my circle that do well, but they don’t buy tickets nor donate. I place blame at the GTAA’s feet, as well. For many, many years they have been lazy about reaching out and showing love. They pretty much just relied on the Tom Fannings to stroke big checks. We are leaving a lot of money on the sidelines. Need to broaden the base.
Do you know if these guys are in the GTAA database? Because if they haven't ever donated or bought tickets, the GTAA may not know they exist. I've heard that the Alumni Association doesn't share its data with the Athletic Association. Not sure if that's still true. This doesn't preclude having GT Athletics do some grass-roots-level campaigning, but it does create additional challenges.
 

roadkill

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Offense is much better than expected. Defense is much worse. Special Teams are about what I expected. I thought we would be 1-2, but could be 2-1, which we almost were and probably should be. I think those writing off the season and dumping on the staff are a bit premature. I still think we will end up 6-6.
Your thoughts mirror mine almost exactly. I do think 6 wins is going to be a stretch, particularly after seeing some of the BC-FSU game. We should know a lot more about our team when we play a near-peer team in Wake.
 

Southern psu fan

Jolly Good Fellow
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How long does it take to build a good football program with a team that has only won 14 in the last 4 years?

I guess you could look at Coach Dodd and say it took him only one year But is that fair he took over a team that was 8-3 ,8-3 and 9-2 not the same as 14 wins in 4 years.

So, let's look at Bill Curry you could say 4 years. But the team won 21 games the 4 seasons before. But 2 of those years they did have a winning season 7-4 and 6-5 but better than 14 games in 4 seasons.

Ok now let's look a Coach Ross and it took him 2 years. and that team was 5-5-1 and 9-2-1 before he took over.

Now last let's look at Coach O'Leary it took him 2 years. This one may be more like what Coach Key was doing O'Leary took over after that other bad coach.

But what people seem to be for getting is today, is not like those past years. Because now you have the transfer portal and the NIL. I could live with the transfer portal but the NIL is no friend of Tech. We don't have the money to buy big time players like others. Our fan support point blank does suck. And what great players wants to play in front of a stadium that has 60 of 70% full?

I think most on here will say our offense is lots better than the last 4 years. Yes, the defense is in question, but fact is we don't have the money to hire the best top defensive coordinator to come to Tech something Coach Johnson had a problem with. I have no idea what Coach Key will do with the defense, but I think he has a plan.

I know everyone wants to win big, but we have improved from the last 4 years. I think we will turn this around will it be this next or next and 3 years I have no idea but you can't run people off every time we loss a game.

We do have a couple of people ( not to name them you know who they are) would be happy with a 12-win season. They would still complain.
George O’Leary is on another coaching level than 99% of coaches that’s ever coached but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Ga Tech winning 9 or 10 games in 3 or 4 years with Brent Key. Dude has made an immediate impact already he just don’t have enough studs on defense. Brent Key is our man and he will get this team back to winning and making the Ga Tech faithful happy. Get me 6 wins and go bowling and then we’ll talk about 7 wins. As the season goes depending on what happens sometimes goals change. With sports things change from week to week. As of today get me 6 wins and ole southern will be happy!
 

SandySpringsJacket

Jolly Good Fellow
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272
Good question. Historically it takes Tech longer than any of the factories. That said, some former elite factories have fallen on hard times that have gone on far longer than most would have suspected. Nebraska is a good example. As for the examples you provided.

Coach Dodd was blessed with recruiting advantages during his time that none of his successors have enjoyed and he was, as Bear Bryant noted ruefully, the absolute best game day coach of his time

Bill Curry had the most difficult rebuilding job of any coach in Tech history taking into account the worst division one facilities in the country, an administration that seriously considered deemphasizing football, a disgruntled fan base and surly alumni along with absolutely no depth and few difference makers.

Coach Ross was a coaching genius who was thrust into a situation he did not fully understand until he got here. He later said that had he known what he was getting into he would not have taken the job. That said, he has a national championship to his credit which puts him in good company: Heisman, Alexander, and Dodd.

Coach O'Leary had an outstanding staff of assistants starting with Ralph. He had improved facilities and was able to get players to fit his system starting with Joe Hamilton, Dez White, Ed Wilder, Kelly Campbell and a slew of very capable offensive linemen including Coach Key. He brought excitement to the Flats and good crowds.

I think we have a good coach but he knew what he was getting into and wanted it anyway. That cannot be lightly dismissed in this environment at Georgia Tech. This rebuild will take years. IIWII
I fully support Coach Key and will continue to buy season tickets and support the program financially to give him the best chance to succeed. Keep in mind that he faces a landscape than previous Tech coaches have not had to deal with given how the NIL and portal have changed everything. Just look at the three players we lost to Ole Miss., the one to Colorado, and the one to NC Tar Heels just since last year. We are in danger of becoming the Pittsburgh Pirates of college football with coaches who find diamonds in the rough, develop them into good players, and then watch helplessly as the big schools come along and poach them as free agents in the new system because we cannot afford to keep them.

If you love Tech and want the team to be good, I ask that you support them in whatever way you can now until we get good. We have good coaches but the best way to help them recruit is for recruits visiting the campus to see a full stadium. I was at Ole Miss yesterday and it was a great environ,ent. Also, I am glad to report that Tech fans turned out in force. I just wish our home crowds were bigger. Let’s not wait until the team gets good to support them. Let’s use our support to help make them successful. Go Tech!
 

jeffgt14

We don't quite suck as much anymore.
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2 years. If you aren't making bowl games in year 2, it's not going to get much better. Developing talent isn't as necessary as it was in years past with the transfer portal.

I've been extremely pessimistic about this team and this program as a whole, but I do feel like we are least have hope for next year right now unlike every year I watched Collins coach. We have some real talent at a few positions but need some serious (huge emphasis there) help on the lines.

What we're also severely lacking is that true top 8 elite talent. As bad as we've been in recent years, this might be the first year where I just don't see any dominant players on our roster that force an opposing coach to gameplan around. Singleton is on the verge of that but not there yet.

It's like we're better coached, better QB play, better "sum of the parts" talent, but worse elite talent and our record won't change a bit just because of that.
 

Augusta_Jacket

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2 years. If you aren't making bowl games in year 2, it's not going to get much better. Developing talent isn't as necessary as it was in years past with the transfer portal.

I've been extremely pessimistic about this team and this program as a whole, but I do feel like we are least have hope for next year right now unlike every year I watched Collins coach. We have some real talent at a few positions but need some serious (huge emphasis there) help on the lines.

What we're also severely lacking is that true top 8 elite talent. As bad as we've been in recent years, this might be the first year where I just don't see any dominant players on our roster that force an opposing coach to gameplan around. Singleton is on the verge of that but not there yet.

It's like we're better coached, better QB play, better "sum of the parts" talent, but worse elite talent and our record won't change a bit just because of that.

Agree. I think next year has to see a bowl game.

From a development standpoint, we are in a good spot. On Offense we have a QB who is a SO and already transferred, so likely not to test the portal unless he gets supplanted by an even better QB. We have a young but good core group at WR. OL is a mix of upper and under classmen, which is ideal as we continue to develop. Our three primary TEs are seniors, but there is some potential talent in the wings. Our offense looks primed for long term success if we can keep them here.

On Defense, we have a lot of JRs and SRs playing, but we have some good pieces to build around. We need some real development to happen this year to get guys ready to take the reins.

Unfortunately for us, next years schedule is no easier, and might prove to be harder. We start with FSU in Ireland, play a couple of winnable games against Ga State and VMI but then play ND, Clemson, NCSU, Louisville, WF, Cuse, Pitt, and VT before ending with uga.
 

jeffgt14

We don't quite suck as much anymore.
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Agree. I think next year has to see a bowl game.

From a development standpoint, we are in a good spot. On Offense we have a QB who is a SO and already transferred, so likely not to test the portal unless he gets supplanted by an even better QB. We have a young but good core group at WR. OL is a mix of upper and under classmen, which is ideal as we continue to develop. Our three primary TEs are seniors, but there is some potential talent in the wings. Our offense looks primed for long term success if we can keep them here.

On Defense, we have a lot of JRs and SRs playing, but we have some good pieces to build around. We need some real development to happen this year to get guys ready to take the reins.

Unfortunately for us, next years schedule is no easier, and might prove to be harder. We start with FSU in Ireland, play a couple of winnable games against Ga State and VMI but then play ND, Clemson, NCSU, Louisville, WF, Cuse, Pitt, and VT before ending with uga.
That schedule isn't any more difficult than anyone else in the country. 8 wins should be a realistic goal. I haven't seen anything in years to suggest we can do that but there's 8 very winnable games there for any team that isn't a **** show.
 
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