Virginia postgame discussion

[Jacket in Dairyland]

On the subject of majors, here are the totals for comparison:

GT has 46 majors
uga has 130 majors
bama has 72 majors
Clemson has 80 majors
USCe has 100 majors
Auburn has 77 majors
Tennessee has 100+ majors
Stanford has 56 majors

Hate to open the Stanford can of worms again, but they are the school most like us, yet recruit well and play well the last decade. We can debate ad nauseum their majors vs ours, but the real difference between our two programs is the $270+ million athletics endowment Stanford is operating with. I would imagine that with $270 million earmarked solely for athletics, we'd be a bit better as well...

You and I are on the same track.

 

[Vespidae]

Why is anyone surprised our recruiting is mediocre? Our fans are mediocre. We have a modestly sized stadium, and we can’t fill it. I don’t blame kids for wanting to play elsewhere. We gripe like we are entitled to something, but when it comes time to put up some investment, be it financial or emotional, we don’t do it. Want better? Be better.

I'm not sure I fully agree with this.

Is our recruiting mediocre? I think it is, yes. Tech MUST be able to recruit to a unique offense. But it appears that the methods we use are just the usual run of the mill approaches. It is not at all clear that we have a SYSTEM that works. (I am always surprised that for an engineering school, we suck at using effective problem-solving when it comes to improving our own sports teams.)

Re our stadium, yes - it does average about 48K in attendance. But, it's consistent and better than our peers. We, like many conferences, lag FAR below the fill rate of the SEC stadiums for good reason. We are an urban school (a negative), with a low alumni-student ratio, with a pro sports team in town. Not sure what to do be done here, but I'd rather have a smaller, more intimate stadium than the mega-stadiums. Just my view.

Wanting to play elsewhere? I'm not sure how effective we are in recruiting to begin with.

To my mind, it all starts with a team's approach to winning. UT has its "Maxims". ND has the Notre Dame Way. Even USC. Tech relies on whoever is coaching at the moment.

I always like Bobby Dodd's approach at Tech. Paraphrasing, "We can't compete with the big schools. But our kids are smarter. Recruit locally - it's especially important to get kids who think like one another than mash a bunch of kids with nothing in common. Make sure their friends and family show up for the games. Local kids with their families always play harder. When playing, do what you can to keep the score close. (Bob Neyland's influence). Then, if we can control the ball with a few minutes to go, I'll find a way to win."

Dodd was supremely confident that if the game was close, we'd win. I don't see any of that thinking today.

 

[sidewalkGTfan]

2006. Reggie Ball. Nesbitt and Dwyer came in 07. I wish Gailey had gotten 1 more year

You're about the only one.

 

[Jacket in Dairyland]

GT has about 45 majors. None are true liberal arts majors, as they confer BS degrees, not BA degrees.

Also, it's not only the limited amount of majors, (we offer roughly a third of what our FBS competition offers), it's the variety of majors. We don't have many "fluff" majors, and have to use minors in order to even claim we compare with some other schools. It's not apples to apples. But the calculus issue is oversimplified by both sides. While it can be just an excuse for some, it's also a very real issue with some recruits, so much so, that it's used against us in negative recruiting.
True, especially in state. I heard it 50 years ago!
http://www.gatech.edu/academics/bachelors-degree-programs

 

[up state jacket]

9-6 WF

I am not a proponent of gomer or Johnson. They both suck.

 

[up state jacket]

That’s very subjective. B-Back I would agree with. QB, I would not. Either way, Gailey wasn’t the incredible recruiter people want to make him out to be. He was relatively awful aside from one decent class.

Whose been better at this high school offense? Jet may be, but I'd take Josh any day.

 

[JorgeJonas]

I'm not sure I fully agree with this.

Is our recruiting mediocre? I think it is, yes. Tech MUST be able to recruit to a unique offense. But it appears that the methods we use are just the usual run of the mill approaches. It is not at all clear that we have a SYSTEM that works. (I am always surprised that for an engineering school, we suck at using effective problem-solving when it comes to improving our own sports teams.)

Re our stadium, yes - it does average about 48K in attendance. But, it's consistent and better than our peers. We, like many conferences, lag FAR below the fill rate of the SEC stadiums for good reason. We are an urban school (a negative), with a low alumni-student ratio, with a pro sports team in town. Not sure what to do be done here, but I'd rather have a smaller, more intimate stadium than the mega-stadiums. Just my view.

Wanting to play elsewhere? I'm not sure how effective we are in recruiting to begin with.

To my mind, it all starts with a team's approach to winning. UT has its "Maxims". ND has the Notre Dame Way. Even USC. Tech relies on whoever is coaching at the moment.

I always like Bobby Dodd's approach at Tech. Paraphrasing, "We can't compete with the big schools. But our kids are smarter. Recruit locally - it's especially important to get kids who think like one another than mash a bunch of kids with nothing in common. Make sure their friends and family show up for the games. Local kids with their families always play harder. When playing, do what you can to keep the score close. (Bob Neyland's influence). Then, if we can control the ball with a few minutes to go, I'll find a way to win."

Dodd was supremely confident that if the game was close, we'd win. I don't see any of that thinking today.

Okay, I’ll bite. If we start from the idea that our recruiting is mediocre, then let’s look at the balance of your comment. Who, exactly, do you think we are recruiting against for the better players, particularly those in our region? If you think we should do something unconventional to attract them, cool. I’m all ears.

Regarding the stadium, we are competing against schools which have almost double the capacity and are at or near capacity every damn week. It’s not shocking a 17 year old wants to play in that environment.

Maxims are bull——. Texas is successful is because they have a huge demand and more resources. Ditto Notre Dame.

Lastly, playing close games is how you get beat. In general, most teams are going to end up around .500 in one score games over a large enough sample. There’s no magic potion that can overcome that.

 

[Jacket in Dairyland]

Clemson built their Athletic program with a grass roots effort called IPTAY. It stood/stands for " I pay a thousand a year".

 

[g0lftime]

It started as I Pay Ten A Year.

 

[Jacket in Dairyland]

It started as I Pay Ten A Year.

That was about 40+ years ago. That's what my Clemson grad date told me. Is it still going?

 

[Captain killem]

That is a big part of GT and their problem no interaction with the sidewalk fan. They cater to the alumni instead of the casual fan. Call it like I see it. Been to several games and plan to go to more but it is what it is.

 

[Captain killem]

Why does ugag have the following they do they interact with the casual fan and connect with the common person not just the elites.

 

[OldJacketFan]

That is a big part of GT and their problem no interaction with the sidewalk fan. They cater to the alumni instead of the casual fan. Call it like I see it. Been to several games and plan to go to more but it is what it is.

As a sidewalk season ticket holding fan I have NEVER been called in regards to fund raising, I guess they're happy enough with my ticket purchase money............................

Don't talk to me about the A/T fund or roll call or the like. My money is reserved for the athletic programs. With a 2BB endowment the Institute is well funded unlike the athletic programs.

 

[Sideways]

Feel free to call whatever you like but I think we are more in agreement than you might think. Do we face obstacles? Certainly. Insurmountable? No. Like any organization, we need leadership. And I am talking above the head FB coach's office. I hope Todd is our next Homer Rice. You may be too young to remember Dr. Rice but he faced larger challenges at Tech "back in the day" than our current AD does.

"...larger challenges at Tech..." does not even begin to describe the utter despair that surrounded this program in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The challenges facing the football program now are significant to be sure but are hardly insurmountable as it appeared to be back in the day.

 

[LibertyTurns]

Actually have a game question. On the interception when we were up by 8, wasn’t Green wide open for an easy TD but we threw late into coverage?

 

[Vespidae]

Okay, I’ll bite.

Regarding the stadium, we are competing against schools which have almost double the capacity and are at or near capacity every damn week. It’s not shocking a 17 year old wants to play in that environment.

Are we? Who are our competitors? If you say it's the ACC, ok. Let's look at the data. For the period 2005 - 2016, Tech averages attendance of 48,235 vs. an ACC average of 51,233. And our attendance has been statistically solid for all years but two. So against our competitors, we stack up very well.

Maxims are bull——. Texas is successful is because they have a huge demand and more resources. Ditto Notre Dame.

Really? Ever run a company? I have. Maxims do a great job of getting a lot of very different people on the same page. Bear Bryant quipped, “I told them my system was based on the “ant plan,” that I’d gotten the idea watching a colony of ants in Africa during the war. A whole bunch of ants working toward a common goal.” Maxims create a common goal.

Lastly, playing close games is how you get beat. In general, most teams are going to end up around .500 in one score games over a large enough sample. There’s no magic potion that can overcome that.
Who said "one score" games? If it's an up tempo game, you have to match score quickly or you'll be behind. (Neyland and Bear Bryant both advocated this. Never, ever stay behind long. If an opponent scores, you must score quickly to keep the gap close.)

 

[Captain killem]

If GTAA wants more money start trying to associate with us common folks who didn’t “get out” of the institute. I buy all kinds of GT merchandise all the time, although it is hard to find. I can walk in ANY store around augusta and find ugag stuff. See this is what I see on this board and in general is the elitist attitudes of the alumni and us folks that love a school we never attended are beneath them. This is the reason tech doesn’t have many casual or sidewalk fans. I know some will dislike this comment, but prove me wrong.

 

[Sideways]

Why does ugag have the following they do they interact with the casual fan and connect with the common person not just the elites.

Well, it is considered fashionable among such folks to bark like a dog. I guess among many people in this state that is endearing. I have lived here most of my life and never understood the attraction of UGA. iiwii

 

[Captain killem]

See sideways that is a disparaging remark but they have something tech never will and that is a FAMILY of endearing fans.

 

[Vespidae]

If GTAA wants more money start trying to associate with us common folks who didn’t “get out” of the institute. I buy all kinds of GT merchandise all the time, although it is hard to find. I can walk in ANY store around augusta and find ugag stuff. See this is what I see on this board and in general is the elitist attitudes of the alumni and us folks that love a school we never attended are beneath them. This is the reason tech doesn’t have many casual or sidewalk fans. I know some will dislike this comment, but prove me wrong.

I grew up in Alabama and it always felt like to me it was "Auburn vs. Alabama" and "Georgia Tech vs. Georgia". That's not really true, but it's a good proxy.

The difference is, Auburn (and Alabama) have HUGE booster networks. Fund-raising, recruiting, fan engagement ... and it starts in high school and in some cases, grade school. I remember coaches and athletes visiting the schools to build good will. When was the last time Paul Johnson or 3 or 4 Yellow Jackets visited a high school?

I think Tech feels like it is fine to sit behind a wall and manage all of this. But, it's a people business. I'd love to see Tech build a professionally run booster program instead of just relying on a few mega-donors.