Ted Roof's job

[AE 87]

I won't accept underachieving but I will be patient to allow young players to develop. If he is unable to fix some of the issues next year that we are facing especially given our inexperience in the secondary. I will expect CPJ to do some kind of change on the defense. At the same time, I look back at the 2012 class (which would be 5th yr seniors) and the 2013 (which would be 4th year seniors), those classes didn't have much on the defensive side. I take this year as a growing pains year. A lot of the 2014 and later classes are the players that are playing. 2014 was the first step and the 2015 class was about depth. The ACC has only gotten tougher and Roof was left nothing for the future. Sure he inherited several great players. But the misses of the 2012 and 2013 classes put us in a bind for last season and this season. I'm sorry but GT will never recruit on the same level as Clemson. A majority of our players need time to develop. Next year we only lsoe 3 players on defense and bring back all of our DBs.

Our two starting corners are juniors and one of our safeties is a RS Jr. They are in their 3rd year of playing experience. Our other starting safety is a So who got playing time as a true freshman. I wouldn't count that as "inexperience in the secondary" just because we had the starters graduate.

 

[tech_wreck47]

Our two starting corners are juniors and one of our safeties is a RS Jr. They are in their 3rd year of playing experience. Our other starting safety is a So who got playing time as a true freshman. I wouldn't count that as "inexperience in the secondary" just because we had the starters graduate.

I think his point is that they didn't play much which means they don't have much experience. But I didn't read his comment so I'm just assuming that's way he was talking about by your comment lol

 

[jandrews]

Our two starting corners are juniors and one of our safeties is a RS Jr. They are in their 3rd year of playing experience. Our other starting safety is a So who got playing time as a true freshman. I wouldn't count that as "inexperience in the secondary" just because we had the starters graduate.

For an analogy, last year they were interns and this year they are new grad ft employees. I know they played but they are still new starters to where they are the guys. I think they have been playing good for the defense that is being called. But let's not kid ourselves, they aren't 3 yr starters but they aren't completely new to college. Still doesn't mean they aren't inexperienced. Inexperience also means they have little experience doesn't mean they have no experience at all.

 

[AE 87]

For an analogy, last year they were interns and this year they are new grad ft employees. I know they played but they are still new starters to where they are the guys. I think they have been playing good for the defense that is being called. But let's not kid ourselves, they aren't 3 yr starters but they aren't completely new to college. Still doesn't mean they aren't inexperienced. Inexperience also means they have little experience doesn't mean they have no experience at all.

It's college football. You only get four years. If anything less than starter counts for an inexperience excuse, most teams will suffer from inexperience somewhere most years.

 

[up state jacket]

I was right with you up to this point. What does this even mean? How do you prepare for such a thing? They lost 1/4 of the DL depth in one swoop. They were also some of our biggest gets, too.

Not saying anything negative. They were losses the coaches weren't prepared for. Not a slam, those three losses go in the books and probably keep the attrition number the same but those were three of the biggest losses to the growth of this defense and direct result of why the DL is so young and low on talent. It is one thing to lose 3 players off your defense in the off season, but 3 in one position group is and same recruiting class is crippling.

 

[jandrews]

It's college football. You only get four years. If anything less than starter counts for an inexperience excuse, most teams will suffer from inexperience somewhere most years.

Our two starting corners had a combined 2 starts last year and and 12 tackles. That's half our secondary. You are right our safeties do have experience but there numbers from last year were also about 1/3 of our starters. Maybe I wasn't specific enough. This group in the beginning of the season hadn't played a single snap all together against an opponent. Now my belief is that is why Roof is playing them the way he is. We really haven't given up any huge pass plays. I'm not trying to make excuses. But let's be real, saying that since someone has a start under there belt they are all of a sudden experienced is ridiculous. Also, when our corners step out on the field they are facing different animals than our WRs. I will always hold the belief that due to the offense we run our pass defense will always suffer. Our DL lacks any kind of pass rush moves. A lot of the times I see either bull rushes and speed rushes and that's it. It shows in our sack totals which steadily declined until leveling out.

 

[awbuzz]

Don't forget the huge pass play for Pitt at the end of the game...

 

[awbuzz]

No team returns 11 starters on D year after year after year.
We are past the halfway point in the season. Even freshman that are playing now have experience. Maybe not lots of experience or good experience, but the excuse of no experience should be changed to "limited seasoning".

 

[grandpa jacket]

It's college football. You only get four years. If anything less than starter counts for an inexperience excuse, most teams will suffer from inexperience somewhere most years.

Bingo, the rebuilding excuse could apply any year.

 

[jandrews]

No team returns 11 starters on D year after year after year.
We are past the halfway point in the season. Even freshman that are playing now have experience. Maybe not lots of experience or good experience, but the excuse of no experience should be changed to "limited seasoning".

You are correct but still doesn't mean they don't suffer from inexperience at a position. Inexperienced also means that someone has little experience in that particular thing. It doesn't mean all or nothing. I'm not too familiar with the numbers but we brought back 42% of our defensive production from last year. (Gotsis, Marcordes and the whole secondary) Being half way thru the season, sure they aren't as inexperienced but the first couple of games they were. That pass play against Pitt looked like it was going to be short but only because we tipped it up.

 

[AE 87]

Our two starting corners had a combined 2 starts last year and and 12 tackles. That's half our secondary. You are right our safeties do have experience but there numbers from last year were also about 1/3 of our starters. Maybe I wasn't specific enough. This group in the beginning of the season hadn't played a single snap all together against an opponent. Now my belief is that is why Roof is playing them the way he is. We really haven't given up any huge pass plays. I'm not trying to make excuses. But let's be real, saying that since someone has a start under there belt they are all of a sudden experienced is ridiculous. Also, when our corners step out on the field they are facing different animals than our WRs. I will always hold the belief that due to the offense we run our pass defense will always suffer. Our DL lacks any kind of pass rush moves. A lot of the times I see either bull rushes and speed rushes and that's it. It shows in our sack totals which steadily declined until leveling out.

Our starters were the primary backups last year. That's how experience work in college football. That's all I'm saying.

You can certainly measure experience by starts and production. It's just that it seems by that measure every team will always have a position of inexperience when they graduate a starter.

I disagree about the impact of our O, but arguing against your settled beliefs is pointless.

As far as DL moves, I think that's coaching.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Don't forget the huge pass play for Pitt at the end of the game...

That was a fluke play. I really have a hard time pinning that one on the D.

 

[jandrews]

Our starters were the primary backups last year. That's how experience work in college football. That's all I'm saying.

You can certainly measure experience by starts and production. It's just that it seems by that measure every team will always have a position of inexperience when they graduate a starter.

I disagree about the impact of our O, but arguing against your settled beliefs is pointless.

As far as DL moves, I think that's coaching.

Understood. I think my only hang up is that our corners really didn't play last year. I agree that you build experience by being in the two deep but they didn't really see the field. Being listed on the two deep does not mean you play.

My beliefs aren't settled on the O. I actually think the option is right for Tech and I don't want more passing or anything else. I just want us to play efficiently and not make mistakes during big games. I played at a small college before transferring to Tech. We ran a spread offense that passed a ton. Our DL was great at rushing the passer but when we faced a power run team we didn't get the same looks from our OL during practice. Just making a statement from personal experience.

Agree coaching would handle it but how often do they practice pass rushing against the OL. I don't know the in and outs of our time slots for practice but it definitely looks like something we should invest more time in given the opposing teams offenses in the league.

 

[MWBATL]

That was a fluke play. I really have a hard time pinning that one on the D.

Huh? Exactly who do you "pin that one on" if not the defense? Of course, it's the defense's issue...remember their receiver was BEHIND our defender.

 

[jandrews]

Bingo, the rebuilding excuse could apply any year.

This among other things is the difference between the NFL and college. You have to rebuild and replace starters and experience more frequently. Never once did I mention rebuilding. A majority of teams have to replace starters year over year with players that haven't seen the field much other than special teams.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Huh? Exactly who do you "pin that one on" if not the defense? Of course, it's the defense's issue...remember their receiver was BEHIND our defender.

I don't pin it on anyone. Sometimes, weird stuff happens. The defender was in the right place and made a great play on the ball. Unfortunately, he tipped it so that it went directly to an eligible receiver who happened to catch it. It is no different that the Ray Beno catch we had a few years ago. We got lucky. So did Pitt on that play. It happens.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

remember their receiver was BEHIND our defender.

BTW, he wasn't behind the defender until the defender came up to make the play on the ball.

 

[awbuzz]

BTW, he wasn't behind the defender until the defender came up to make the play on the ball.

Hence still on the D.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Hence still on the D.

No. It's not. You coach kids to make plays on the ball. The defender made the absolute right play. Statistically, that ball is either caught or deflected safely away 99 times out of 100.

Everyone on this board has harped on our lack of take aways. In this example the defender was trying to get the take away and it just worked against us in the flukiest of ways. I don't blame the defense for fluke plays like that. If the receiver was behind our defender and the pass went to him without a deflection, then yes, blame the defender. There was enough going wrong in the Pitt game to hang on the D. That play is not one of them.

 

[jandrews]

No. It's not. You coach kids to make plays on the ball. The defender made the absolute right play. Statistically, that ball is either caught or deflected safely away 99 times out of 100.

Everyone on this board has harped on our lack of take aways. In this example the defender was trying to get the take away and it just worked against us in the flukiest of ways. I don't blame the defense for fluke plays like that. If the receiver was behind our defender and the pass went to him without a deflection, then yes, blame the defender. There was enough going wrong in the Pitt game to hang on the D. That play is not one of them.

Just like how we benefitted from that kicked interception that Nealy had against NC State. Goes in the books as an interception but it was more of being in the right place at the right time.