"Talent Gap" and 1-8

Minawreck

Minawreck

Ramblin' Wreck
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624
96Jacket said:
Where did all this "#1-8" business start anyways? Seems like some gimmick "stat" ESPN came up with to create programming filler. Completely arbitrary and utterly meaningless.

Like someone above posted, I prefer to think of "#1-85."
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CPJ originated it I believe as he said we're getting deeper 1-85 but we need a couple more of the stars to get us over the hump.
 
AE 87

AE 87

Helluva Engineer
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@96Jacket, @Minawreck has it basically right, iirc. CPJ was asked about our 2011 or so team in comparison to 2008-2009 and said something like, "We may not be as talented 1-8, but we're more talented 1-85."

I think that 's still kind of true, but probably not next year. I think we have some talent that's going to show-off next year. If we can keep the same chemistry and resiliency next year that we have this year, watch-out!
 
ramblinvak

ramblinvak

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546
Looking back, it seems we have always had a play maker such as Orwin, Stephen Hill, Godhigh, Anthony Allen, Roddy Jones, Tevin Washington, etc. I guess I am trying to say our 1-8 has looked pretty much the same since that 07 class left, and after further thought, it seems those are the same caliber play makers we have this year, but the difference being better O-line play, and a defense stepping up. It almost makes me want to change my OP, and say we have always had the talent at skill positions to be competitive but for the first time in a while we have to o-line play necessary to take us over the hump, and a defense opportunistic enough to keep us well into games. It just goes to show what a marvelous coaching job CPJ has done to keep this team together even after all the attrition over the summer and the mid season stumbling we had at Duke and UNC, possibly one of his finest coaching campaigns.
 
potatohead

potatohead

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stylee said:
Laskey was criminally underrated coming out of high school. There's a fairly clear reason why.

He was a HS running back athletic enough to play DB and establish himself as a pretty good punt returner as a true freshman at Tech. Then he makes the switch to BB and is the team's leading rusher in his first year at the position.

I think Smelter's our second best player, after Mason. He'll go well before Mason in the draft.

1) Mason
2) Smelter
3) JT
4) DJ White
5) Golden
6) Burden
7) Laskey
8) Butker

I'm probably wrong on this list.
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gotsis needs to be somewhere on that list, I think. I think he plays out of position frankly, and i wish we had the depth and size at DL so he could slide outside. He's got an incredibly strong base, can hold the point of attack, he's very long, but also has some good moves. There is a reason he's a Junior and played in every game since he walked on campus. Our DL is underrated, and I can't believe I'm saying that (who would've thought at the beginning of the year). I know we're shallow, but with the losses we've suffered it's amazing how well they've ended the season. Also, I know that is a list of current form, but Keshun Freeman will walk out of here as one of Tech's best DE in quite awhile (and that's some good company).

Speaking of 1-8, how well does our d set up next year? We're going to look very good. I love what Johnson has done for us in his years, but I think we've got some great, young talent in the backfield to replace him. Green will be a loss, but perhaps a wash with the return of Hunt-Days (although green is underrated too).

I think you could make a strong case for having the strongest backfield in the ACC next year and the young guys are really good and already battle-tested.
 
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