Team Vibe?

[Sheldon's]

At the start of the camp there was lots of emphasis placed on nothing given for this season, starting at a clean slate, and having to earn what you get. For some of you guys close to the program, how would you describe the team vibe - loose, still jelling, tense, quietly confident, think they have something special, a mix with all of the new players, etc.? Would love to get a feel for the team chemistry and mindset going into the season.

 

[JacketGirl]

I'm not close to the team but at the CFHOF event I asked Jamal Golden about team chemistry given that we heard so much about the impact of it last year. His immediate response was that it's even better this year than last. Hoping that's true and that it stays that way!

Is it Thursday yet?

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Team chemistry may seem better so far. Rubber will meet the road when adversity strikes. That is when chemistry truly gets displayed. Hoping it remains a strength and have no reason to think it won't be.

As for vibe...players are talking about playoffs...I'd call that optimistic

 

[ilovetheoption]

I have to be honest. I don'tn know about the team, but I'm secretly thinking that you guys are primed for a really big year. The defense is as good as it has been, and as good as it will be for a few years, you return a solid OL and a dynamic QB, what seems like a rock solid stop gap B back, and one proven playmaker at A back.

This seems to be "the" year, in my mind, at least for a couple of years.

 

[iceeater1969]

When We get little respect going into nd, it will be back to the full
"Chip, shoulder, nailed in mode" for rest of season.
Last year it was because no one respected us.
This year it will be they dont respect us enough.

 

[DC Bee]

One game at a time. Making the CFP is a giant soap bubble. One loss of focus or looking past an opponent and POP!

 

[CuseJacket]

Thought a lot about this during the offseason and have done my best to observe. I keep arriving at the conclusion that nothing can be said definitively and an answer to the contrary is basic speculation. CPJ said it in today's press conference - the team is new and hasn't faced adversity.

My most consistent observation is that the team has been quiet publicly relative to prior years - Twitter, demeanor/choice of words in interviews, interaction with fans. This could be quiet confidence. Could also be an undertone of anxiety around being perfect/living up to their own lofty expectations. Personally I'd put money on the former.

If I'm being honest and remove the mental training wheels that I keep on for fear of failure, I think this season will define the GT future with CPJ for the next 3-5 years. The current program is solid, no doubt about it. Can't complain about the multiple Orange Bowl and ACC championship appearances and wins. That said we have the opportunity for so much more. This is a prove it season not only to the nation but also to myself.

We are on an upward trajectory. How steep is that line? In my mind we're somewhere between a steady path toward national relevance to pouring gasoline on last year's fire. The realistic possibility of the latter has made me that much more apprehensive about the former. And if the former is worst case scenario, what does that say about our program? Time to take my training wheels off.

 

[FatPat]

I have heard one "vibe"
That B back from Stanford is a freak- you cannot tackle him........

 

[jason72]

With the team being quite and not saying much seems like maybe everyone is following Justins approach don't talk just play.

 

[DrJacket]

I asked someone this at the radio show. Wanted to see if there was a "pulse" or a vibe I could get going into game week. His response was interesting, but not necessarily disturbing:

"I don't know that there's an attitude that I could describe. You know, they're teenagers. They're young 20-somethings. They just kinda come and go and do their thing. We won't be able to read their minds until the games start. We got to let them experience something other than practice. When they have an actual opponent, then we'll know what we have."

 

[Legal Jacket]

Thought a lot about this during the offseason and have done my best to observe. I keep arriving at the conclusion that nothing can be said definitively and an answer to the contrary is basic speculation. CPJ said it in today's press conference - the team is new and hasn't faced adversity.

My most consistent observation is that the team has been quiet publicly relative to prior years - Twitter, demeanor/choice of words in interviews, interaction with fans. This could be quiet confidence. Could also be an undertone of anxiety around being perfect/living up to their own lofty expectations. Personally I'd put money on the former.

If I'm being honest and remove the mental training wheels that I keep on for fear of failure, I think this season will define the GT future with CPJ for the next 3-5 years. The current program is solid, no doubt about it. Can't complain about the multiple Orange Bowl and ACC championship appearances and wins. That said we have the opportunity for so much more. This is a prove it season not only to the nation but also to myself.

We are on an upward trajectory. How steep is that line? In my mind we're somewhere between a steady path toward national relevance to pouring gasoline on last year's fire. The realistic possibility of the latter has made me that much more apprehensive about the former. And if the former is worst case scenario, what does that say about our program? Time to take my training wheels off.

Amen on the first points. Look at how the team handled adversity last year. That's what defined the season. If we don't play as well with our backs against the wall this year, our record will likely be worse (unless we just avoid those situations altogether).

• Wofford - up 10-9 at halftime, 17-12 in the third, and 24-19 in the fourth. Didn't let that get to us; found our stride in the fourth quarter
• Tulane - down a score three times in the first half after an opening fumble. Didn't let that get to us; squeeked out the lead to end the first half and shut Tulane out in the second half.
• GSU - Got complacent and lost a 25 point halftime lead. Made a huge play forcing and recovering a fumble on our side of the field, and marched on an 11 play, 72 yard drive for the win.
• VT - After a tough three quarters, finally took the lead 17-16. A couple of BS plays left us down 24-17. No biggie - forced a three and out, then marched downfield to score a TD, picked one off, and kicked the game winner.
• Miami - Down early 7-0 and 14-7. Kept it going all night against a pretty tough Miami team.
• Duke - We played terrible and our QB got hurt. But something tells me if the game were 5 minutes longer we could have won. Don't get me wrong - it was painful to watch. But at 31-12 the team was still thinking comeback.
• UNC - another hard one, since the D couldn't quite get it done, but we were down 11 points in the fourth quarter and managed to take a 1 point lead late in the game.
• Pitt - we fell asleep after taking a big lead. Instead of letting them get back in it, we kept our foot on the throttle.
• UVA - yeah, can't find any adversity in this one.
• NCState - rough first quarter followed by foot meets throttle.
• Climpson - just a grind. Lesser teams I think would have given up a TD in the third to keep clemson in the game.
• uga - do I really need to explain this one?
• FSU - we never quit, which is why we had several chances to win the game in the fourth quarter.
• MSU - a lesser team would have reacted poorly to the hail mary. Instead we put them away in the third, 21-0.

 

[kyle.smith828]

To elaborate on what the doctor said: I think, given the age of our athletes, team chemistry will truly be defined until the team faces adversity. I imagine that will come in the 3rd game.