Tech in Birmingham Bowl

bobongo

Helluva Engineer
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7,720
Handicapping these types of games is really difficult. If this was a regular season game that mattered, Old Piss would blast Puke.

But does Old Piss show up? They barely did against a 2 win Miss St team in the egg bowl.

I’m looking to fade teams like Bama, Miami, and Ole Miss if it looks like they don’t care.
Motivational levels are often widely different for bowl opponents. It's a good thing to wager on this time of year.
I'm sure Vandy will be fired up to play in any bowl game - hope the Jackets are, too, or it could be a long day.
 

GoJacketsInRaleigh

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1,068
I don't get all the whining. All the bitching about wanting to play an SEC team and we got one. One that beat Alabama and lost to Texas by only 7. Quit whining.

So much whining about getting screwed by the bowls and the ACC. Would you rather be in Boston playing UConn? NY playing Nebraska? Charlotte playing Minnesota? Annapolis playing East Carolina? Detroit playing Toledo? Hell even if we got the Sun or Holiday there would be bitching about the travel.

You want Gator and Pop Tart bowls? Then win at least 8 or 9 games and start attending bowl games because they want crowds, where possible.

The CFB playoff is going to ruin whatever fun the bowls had left, which really wasn't much. How many games outside of the playoffs are must watch? Maybe Illinois vs South Carolina. We got what we wanted (SEC opponent) in a location that is drivable from Atlanta.
 

Jacket4Life

Ramblin' Wreck
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525
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Georgia
Some comments from Vandy fans. Haynes King has a pretty good reputation.

"That’s an interesting / scary opponent…battle of the gritty QBs"
"Very tough matchup"
"In all seriousness this gonna be a hard game to win"
"If their QB doesn’t opt out it will be a tough matchup."
"I hate being in Birmingham about as much as I hate having to play Georgia Tech. If King and Haynes are playing, they're going to have a field day running over our defense full of guys that can't make tackles. Tech is also on a pretty good heater beating Miami and taking Georgia to eight OTs."
I didn't know there was such thing as a Vandy fan. That's like finding a leprechaun!
 

Thwg777

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
813
I haven’t offered much positivity, but our game will be between two teams that want to win and play hard.

Iowa St is already favored over Miami. I can’t see Miami showing up. I doubt their QB plays.

No lines yet in other games that feature teams that just missed the CFP.

And I hope Geoff’s hair plugs freeze over in Boston.
 

Yaller Jacket

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
989
I had the same sense as many of you. I went from excited about the possibility of playing an SEC team to deflated to find out it was a Vandy. I think it is important for next year to win this game, as was said above.

What worries me more than fan opinion is how the players are taking this. They are fully aware of the prestige order in college football, and I have watched countless generations of Tech teams play uninspired if the opponent has a so-so reputation. it will be up to the coaches and team leaders to be up for this game.
 

4shotB

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Retired Staff
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5,113
Eh, I think "lol they lost to Vandy" combined with "they went 7-6 last year, basically a .500 team" would have significant negative impact on preseason rankings. I wouldn't expect that team to be ranked. I would expect a team that went 8-5 and finished with a win over Oklahoma to be ranked preseason.
I don't think bowl performances matter much anymore. Remember the FSU team that was beat down by Uga by 60+ points in last year's bowl? They were ranked at #9 in the preseason iirc. People write these games off anymore win or lose. Our game against Uga will carry more weight next spring than this game.

WTBS, people (on here) who dismiss Vandy are doing that based on preconceptions apparently. They are a good FB team (assuming of course they show up in full engagement mode...who can tell these days?) I was hoping for the Sun Bowl (have relatives in Las Cruces) but this is a good bowl for me logistically.
 

4shotB

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we still could have had the clown here
Ryan Gosling Shut Up GIF
 

reckrider

Jolly Good Fellow
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413
Location
Suwanee Georgia
I had the same sense as many of you. I went from excited about the possibility of playing an SEC team to deflated to find out it was a Vandy. I think it is important for next year to win this game, as was said above.

What worries me more than fan opinion is how the players are taking this. They are fully aware of the prestige order in college football, and I have watched countless generations of Tech teams play uninspired if the opponent has a so-so reputation. it will be up to the coaches and team leaders to be up for this game.
I’m gonna say our players get up for the game just to make Coach Key look good in his home town. Coach Key grew up in Trussville, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. He attended and played football at Hewitt-Trussville High School.
 

eetech

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
208
The knock on Tech is fan attendance. Y’all want better bowl games? Show up for this one.


No one is showing up to any bowls anymore. Unless the invited team has a local fan base.

Bowls never mattered, but with them all being on TV and then being devalued by a championship, and now completely devalued by a 12 team playoffs, bowls that are deciding based on “travel” are just foolish.
 

techfan#14

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
201
Vandy beat some good teams this year. This is tough because it's definitely a game we can lose if we are not ready. As some have alluded to we better win for the optics.
 

stech81

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Woodstock Georgia
Any oneremember the 2003 vandy game at Vandy. I had to listen on the radio not sure if it was on TV. Good old Wes was calling the game seems like it happen late in the game And Wes started shouting balls loose and I got pissed and throw my beer at the wall. Then a few moments later I realized he was talking about Reggie Ball was run free.
( Note here I had to paint that room the next day)
 

4shotB

Helluva Engineer
Retired Staff
Messages
5,113
Cheer up, there's a Buc-ees in Birmingham, 10 minutes before you get to the stadium.
Bro, this true but you left out the very best part, the Buc-Key is literally across the street from the Bass Pro Shop. M'lady doesn't know it yet but her belated Christmas gift will be the brisket sandwich, some frilly Mossy Oak underbritches, a new baitcaster, the honeymoon suite at the Red Roof Inn in Leeds, two tix to the B'ham Bowl with unlimited popcorn and soft drinks and a flask full of Jim Beam (Double Oak). Best Christmas ever!!! Our wandering around in the desert is finally over.
 
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