State of program

[MWBATL]

There is a pretty good chance that Fuente could go somewhere like Tennessee,Florida or Texas A&M. I could see Bud Foster being named head coach if that happens and VT having a mediocre to poor 2018. I think Bud Foster would be VT's version of Ed Orgeron.

Be careful...the jury is still very much out on Orgeron...he might do pretty well in Baton Rouge. C'est vrai!

 

[MWBATL]

UM will be a contender for the National Title in 2018 and could be just as good or better in 2019 if Jacob Eason transfers to Miami.

Agree about Miami, but disagree on Eason. He has not impressed me at all, despite his high rating as a recruit.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

Be careful...the jury is still very much out on Orgeron...he might do pretty well in Baton Rouge. C'est vrai!

Ole' Ed is probably the dirtiest recruiter ever and the NCAA will probably be visiting LSU pretty soon

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

There is a pretty good chance that Fuente could go somewhere like Tennessee,Florida or Texas A&M. I could see Bud Foster being named head coach if that happens and VT having a mediocre to poor 2018. I think Bud Foster would be VT's version of Ed Orgeron.

I think Fuente to Tennessee makes the most sense.

Bud Foster will never be the head coach at VT. If he wasn't hired to replace Beamer, they're not going to change their minds now.

(Anecdotal evidence to follow): I read once where Foster interviewed somewhere for a head coaching job, and was turned down because, basically, he's bat-**** crazy. Like, crazier than Les Miles without the HC resume to make him palatable. Word was VT knows this, Foster knows this, and that's why both parties have been so content to keep the status quo. Now, all that was relayed via a message board several years ago from a VT fan who was confident Foster wouldn't be stolen from VT as a HC. Makes sense when viewed in hindsight, but I have no proof.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

I think Fuente to Tennessee makes the most sense.

Bud Foster will never be the head coach at VT. If he wasn't hired to replace Beamer, they're not going to change their minds now.

(Anecdotal evidence to follow): I read once where Foster interviewed somewhere for a head coaching job, and was turned down because, basically, he's bat-**** crazy. Like, crazier than Les Miles without the HC resume to make him palatable. Word was VT knows this, Foster knows this, and that's why both parties have been so content to keep the status quo. Now, all that was relayed via a message board several years ago from a VT fan who was confident Foster wouldn't be stolen from VT as a HC. Makes sense when viewed in hindsight, but I have no proof.

Les Miles to VT would be interesting

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

UM will be a contender for the National Title in 2018 and could be just as good or better in 2019 if Jacob Eason transfers to Miami.

Eason can't start for Miami in 2018. He'll have to sit a year per NCAA undergrad transfer rules. Unless, of course, he manages to graduate from uga in 2 years...

Ole' Ed is probably the dirtiest recruiter ever and the NCAA will probably be visiting LSU pretty soon

Meh. After UNC, the NCAA has no teeth anymore when it comes to major programs like LSU. Ole Miss might feel the hammer, though...

 

[MikeJackets1967]

Eason can't start for Miami in 2018. He'll have to sit a year per NCAA undergrad transfer rules. Unless, of course, he manages to graduate from uga in 2 years...


Meh. After UNC, the NCAA has no teeth anymore when it comes to major programs like LSU. Ole Miss might feel the hammer, though...

I could see Eason sitting out 2018 in Miami and possibly being the starter in 2019

 

[Jacket in Dairyland]

There are at least three glaring weaknesses that I don't think can be addressed in the off-season. 1) The DC seems incapable, due to a change in personnel or scheme, of making any significant adjustments to resist what other teams do on offense as the game goes along. Early, or late, they figure out our D and we seem to have no response. This has been the case for years. 2) Without a semblance of a consistent passing game, we are so predictable at this time of the year, even Virginia and Duke can stop us, especially if we are behind. Still can't understand why we can't develop a quick short passing game to the ABs 3) To somehow expect us to be substantially improved next year, with a year of experience, or some new good ( but not great) players, is not realistic. Our depth is thin, our talent level is average, and has been for years. If just about EVERY BREAK goes our way and we suffer minimal injuries, we can get 9+ wins. Otherwise, it's from 5-6 to 7-5. Recruiting at Tech is VERY difficult, IMO for 2 reasons : 5* players don't want, or need to work at school as much as we ask them to, and the TO is not really attractive to athletes looking at the next level. Can things improve? Sure! Can we be equal to the factories in most athletics( even if we wanted to)? Not as long as UGA remains the " big Dawg" in the state! We will probably end this season 5-6. Considering our talent available, I don't think that's a Fluke.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Les Miles to VT would be interesting

LOL. That would be a match made in heaven. Not sure VT will ever let that happen, though. FWIW, I think the need to keep Foster at DC in VT might actually hurt them in hiring a new HC if Fuente bails. HCs need to be in control of a program, and few want to come into a place with high expectations and the inability to control half the staff.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

LOL. That would be a match made in heaven. Not sure VT will ever let that happen, though. FWIW, I think the need to keep Foster at DC in VT might actually hurt them in hiring a new HC if Fuente bails. HCs need to be in control of a program, and few want to come into a place with high expectations and the inability to control half the staff.

Without Justin Fuente in 2018 I think VT stumbles to a 6-6 and 7-5 record and more rebuilding. Fuente going to Tennessee in 2018 would be a huge kick in the nuts for VT

 

[Big Philly]

If you believe Vegas knows what they are doing, then Georgia Tech under Paul Johnson and Paul Johnson in general are incredible overachievers based on CPJ's record against the spread. If you closed your eyes and just bet Georgia Tech to Cover every week since he came to the flats you would have made a lot of money, especially this year (Don't take the Over though).

If you're over CPJ the #1 question is "Who exactly, and it has to be someone who can actually be hired, do you think is going to perform better?" If you really reflect on that question you will realize that you are just upset at losing close games. The fantasy where GT was undefeated, Top 5, going into Clemson is just that: a fantasy. If you aren't looking only at the results of the games you'll have a much more grounded view of how good or bad the team is.

If you want a state of the program speculation, I think TaQuon Marshall is only marginally better than Vad Lee. Yeah, he broke some ACC records in Week 1, but I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't the starter next year. If Jay Jones or Lucas Johnson show that they can run Inside Veer like Nesbitt or Washington did, they will pull a Justin Thomas and become the starter.

 

[albanyjacket]

If y'all think the level of suckitude in this thread is high, just wait if/when the dwags put a beat down on us!

 

[takethepoints]

I haven't said anything about our poor performance at Duke. I can't figure it out, frankly. We have beaten two teams that are better then them - Wake and VT - and another team - Pitt - that's pretty much the same. It was easy to see why they won, however: it's the DL. We aren't stout enough there to take on a team that really runs the ball well, especially if they have a running QB. I can only hope that with the players in development and coming in we can solve this problem. Moving Branch out to SDE where he belongs will help next year.

I do agree, however, that we need to find a QB who can make medium throws consistently. TM probably could do it and will get the first chance, but I look for spring next year to be a real prizefight between him, Jones, and Johnson. I don't know who'll win out, but it had better be someone who can make that short hitch route throw that Smelter made famous. As for the TO: well, as I've said here before, we've had a QB like TM before. Nesbitt was exactly the same kind of a ball hog in 2008 and for exactly the same reason: he was a great runner and inexperienced. Whoever wins out at QB has to get to the point Nesbitt was in 2009. Having a big AB (Ponchez-Mason) coming up might help make that happen.

I don't think the program is in real trouble; remember, we had the #2 team in the country on the ropes until the last 10 seconds and beat another ranked team (and maybe another Saturday). We've had some bad luck and inexperience at skill positions this year and it has made our record suffer. (Don't get me started on what our record would be *cough* 9-1 *cough* if Jordan wasn't hurt and Mills hadn't been dismissed.) I don't see a major talent problem either, except on DL. I hope that can be addressed soon, even if it means playing freshmen to do it.

And, no, I don't think getting Coach out of the picture will help one bit.

 

[CrackerJacket]

The whole program just seems, well, stale to me. But just changing coaches wouldn’t be enough. We need the ‘resources’, er, $$, to add top flight assistants and give the program some buzz. (Sorry. Had to go there. Won’t happen again).

 

[MikeJackets1967]

I haven't said anything about our poor performance at Duke. I can't figure it out, frankly. We have beaten two teams that are better then them - Wake and VT - and another team - Pitt - that's pretty much the same. It was easy to see why they won, however: it's the DL. We aren't stout enough there to take on a team that really runs the ball well, especially if they have a running QB. I can only hope that with the players in development and coming in we can solve this problem. Moving Branch out to SDE where he belongs will help next year.

I do agree, however, that we need to find a QB who can make medium throws consistently. TM probably could do it and will get the first chance, but I look for spring next year to be a real prizefight between him, Jones, and Johnson. I don't know who'll win out, but it had better be someone who can make that short hitch route throw that Smelter made famous. As for the TO: well, as I've said here before, we've had a QB like TM before. Nesbitt was exactly the same kind of a ball hog in 2008 and for exactly the same reason: he was a great runner and inexperienced. Whoever wins out at QB has to get to the point Nesbitt was in 2009. Having a big AB (Ponchez-Mason) coming up might help make that happen.

I don't think the program is in real trouble; remember, we had the #2 team in the country on the ropes until the last 10 seconds and beat another ranked team (and maybe another Saturday). We've had some bad luck and suffered from inexperience this year and it has made our record suffer. I don't see a major talent problem either, except on DL. I hope that can be addressed soon, even if it means playing freshmen to do it.

And, no, I don't think getting Coach out of the picture will help one bit.

This was the worst GT game against Duke since 1987

 

[takethepoints]

This was the worst GT game against Duke since 1987

You had to remind me.

 

[tech_wreck47]

Hire a new DC, promote Roof to assistant head coach and let him "shadow" the D and be over special teams. And then go hire Pat Swilling to help with the D and recruiting. This would give us two extra staff memebers and a lot of help on D.

Then we can go find out what the top 10 majors that kids in college football take and add those to our majors, without calculus of course.

Do this and we could be a real contender.

 

[jacob]

The whole program just seems, well, stale to me. But just changing coaches wouldn’t be enough. We need the ‘resources’, er, $$, to add top flight assistants and give the program some buzz. (Sorry. Had to go there. Won’t happen again).

Then help us get there. https://swarmweek.atfund.org/campaigns/swarm-week-1

 

[Jacket in Dairyland]

I haven't said anything about our poor performance at Duke. I can't figure it out, frankly. We have beaten two teams that are better then them - Wake and VT - and another team - Pitt - that's pretty much the same. It was easy to see why they won, however: it's the DL. We aren't stout enough there to take on a team that really runs the ball well, especially if they have a running QB. I can only hope that with the players in development and coming in we can solve this problem. Moving Branch out to SDE where he belongs will help next year.

I do agree, however, that we need to find a QB who can make medium throws consistently. TM probably could do it and will get the first chance, but I look for spring next year to be a real prizefight between him, Jones, and Johnson. I don't know who'll win out, but it had better be someone who can make that short hitch route throw that Smelter made famous. As for the TO: well, as I've said here before, we've had a QB like TM before. Nesbitt was exactly the same kind of a ball hog in 2008 and for exactly the same reason: he was a great runner and inexperienced. Whoever wins out at QB has to get to the point Nesbitt was in 2009. Having a big AB (Ponchez-Mason) coming up might help make that happen.

I don't think the program is in real trouble; remember, we had the #2 team in the country on the ropes until the last 10 seconds and beat another ranked team (and maybe another Saturday). We've had some bad luck and inexperience at skill positions this year and it has made our record suffer. (Don't get me started on what our record would be *cough* 9-1 *cough* if Jordan wasn't hurt and Mills hadn't been dismissed.) I don't see a major talent problem either, except on DL. I hope that can be addressed soon, even if it means playing freshmen to do it.

And, no, I don't think getting Coach out of the picture will help one bit.

I'm not for replacing CPJ or Roof. I just think we ( being the "Homers" that we are ) tend to overestimate our talent level. When Coach says "missed
assignments" so consistently, I hear that we got out muscled, or out quicked instead. We have good players. They are good men and represent our school well. We just need more big play guys, some game changers.

 

[1979jacket]

I really like CPJ but am also concerned about staleness of the program. AD's don't make coaching decisions based on wins/losses or how good/bad they think the coach is. They make coaching decisions based on interest in the program. Right now there is a lot of apathy. If the AD believes the apathy is bad, then sometimes a new coach may raise interest level just from newness. We are getting close to that point.