What concerns me most right now

[redmule]

is the hidden danger in the schedule. Everyone seems to be thinking that the first three games are a cake walk. Tulane will be a struggle. Those boys will target that game. New stadium, big crowd, and their coaches have had the entire off season to study the TO. I suspect we're looking at a Kansas type game where they shouldn't be able to stay on the field with us, but they do. I don't think this one is decided until the 4th quarter. Then we come home to a buzz saw. If we lose to Tulane, we lose to GSU. If we slip by Tulane late, we come out flat and get down double digits to a fired up GSU early, and then this one goes to the 4th qtr.

That's obviously the worst case. I think that even in the best case (which I think is the more likely), we have a fight on our hands for two of the first three games, but play solidly and have some margin for error in the 4th qtr. But since "That which does not kill you makes your stronger", we go to Blacksburg as a better team. We find out that we can take a punch in the mouth. I would rather we leave the first quarter of the season a little more tested than rested. Of course that will cause the fan base to panic. But we should know how to deal with that as it happens regularly.

 

[Eric]

I'm not worried about that.

What concerns me most is getting through those first three games healthy. Especially with our B backs and DT's.

 

[techman78]

I think many people may seem to forget that Tulane was a bowl team last season, I do expect a W but it's not gonna be as easy as many think.

 

[AE 87]

Kansas 2010 was about a locker room problem. All reports are the opp this year.

If we struggle in any of 1st three games, it will be a long season.

 

[Eric]

Tulane is going to be bad this year.. lost both main guys on offense...RB Orleans Darkwa and WR Ryan Grant...QB situation is bad and they will be starting a new guy...Rob Kelly was suppose to be the starter at RB but is having academic issues..also have no good TE's now and may count on a Freshman to start.

On defense they lose 6 starters with four coming from the front 6...at LB they are so thin they had to cut Spring practice short...they have very little depth.

They also play @Tulsa the week before us so they don't have all off-season to get ready.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Kansas 2010 was about a locker room problem. All reports are the opp this year.

If we struggle in any of 1st three games, it will be a long season.

Would you mind refreshing us on the nature of the locker room problem? I forget.

 

[jacketup]

What concerns me most is whether or not Bobinski can dig the GTAA out of the deep hole that Braine and Clough put it in, and Radakovich kept it in.

So far, I'm not seeing it. The problems are much greater and systemic than winning the first FBS game of the season.

 

[Techster]

Which underscores that we are thin at too many spots.

BB: Laskey, then a sizable falloff to Conners, Wilson, and Leggett. The latter two are just inexperienced freshmen, though Wilson redshirted.

QB: JT is the dynamic playmaker we are all counting on, and Byerly is a legit QB even if he was a walk-on. Back up QBs ALWAYS play a role in our system every year. I think the offense will be fine with Byerly, but he's not going to bring the dynamic skillset that JT has. Beyond that we'll have a true freshmen in MJ. I hope it doesn't get to that.

OL: We're not thin in terms of bodies, but experience and age. Mason is an All-American level player, but inexperience at Center, and Tackles may hurt with Griffin (R-Fr) manning one spot and who know who else at the other. I expect Trey Braun to man the opposite guard spot, and Devine to rotate in. Any of those guys get hurt and...pray for JT/Byerly.

DT: We lost an entire DL this offseason, and the guys that we didn't lose have tons of question marks. Gotsis is a potential All-ACC player, but he can only do so much.

DB: DJ White is going to be a stud, but IJ is coming back from year of no football and Golden is coming back from injuries. Milton still hasn't found a home this late in his career, Lynn Griffin has also moved positions. We're definitely going to count on some freshmen to play here like Step Durham and possibly the Austin twins.

I'm most worried about our lines and BB. Laskey is going to carry a heavy load due to the guys behind him, and hopefully we can rest him up some the first three games to save mileage for the rest of the season. If our frontline OLs get hurt, it leads to potential affects on the QB position which is not a good thing considering JT isn't built like Nesbitt or Tevin, and our offense isn't one you can hide the QB from contact. DL...jeez...

 

[techman78]

Tulane is going to be bad this year.. lost both main guys on offense...RB Orleans Darkwa and WR Ryan Grant...QB situation is bad and they will be starting a new guy...Rob Kelly was suppose to be the starter at RB but is having academic issues..also have no good TE's now and may count on a Freshman to start.

On defense they lose 6 starters with four coming from the front 6...at LB they are so thin they had to cut Spring practice short...they have very little depth.

They also play @Tulsa the week before us so they don't have all off-season to get ready.

Didn't realize they had lost so much, was basing what I said off last season. Even then in their bowl game their QB was terrible. Hope we come out of the first 3 healthy and confident.

 

[forensicbuzz]

We will be playing mostly 2nd and 3rd teams by the beginning to middle of the 3rd Quarter. Neither game will be close. Both games will be decided by the end of the first half. I'm not sure GSU will even score on us at all. Maybe they get something if we turn the ball over deep in our own territory.

These are my opinions, but I am very confident in my opinion with regards to the first three games. If we do not manhandle all three of these games, we'll be starting over in 2015 because this coaching staff will not be here, and we'll have missed playing in December for the first time in 18 years.

 

[jeffgt14]

The sky really must be falling if redmule says something negative.

 

[GTonTop88]

Byerly will be more conservative, 3 yards and a cloud of dust. He wont blow nobody away but very efficient and you know what you get. JT is a risk/reward guy, he may make some risky pitches that become fumbles or Tds. I believe Byerly could get us through those games, JT can make us look like a top 10 team or make a couple of mistakes and give them hope. His athleticism should be hard for them to contain, I dont think they will be able to keep up.

 

[AE 87]

My answer: defensive consistency.

I think we have the talent, but we've got to play better more often.

 

[sidewalkGTfan]

I think many people may seem to forget that Tulane was a bowl team last season, I do expect a W but it's not gonna be as easy as many think.

They lost 52-17 to Syracuse in their bowl game. We should beat them pulling away.

 

[AE 87]

Would you mind refreshing us on the nature of the locker room problem? I forget.

I don't think the details were ever made public, but there were rumblings of discontent leaking out. My guess at the time was that it was tied to the early departure of some of the 2007 guys, some residual Chan v Paul stuff, and Groh v Wommack. IIrc, after the season, the AA initiated some team-chemistry building program for the football team. I think the miracle of that season was that we were able to turn it around and get bowl eligible even after JN was injured.

 

[DaddyBill]

Of couse Coaches Pelton and Roof...and McCullom... have quite a task ahead over the next five weeks, but those guys know football and the defensive aspects way more than I do. I think it would be beneficial in the three opening games of the season if the offense could rattle off several 9-12 play drives and wear out the opponents' defense while building a good lead. Then the 2nd and 3rd string players could get some credible PT while the first units rest most of the second halves. This will leave them in good shape as conference play gets underway as well as providing the depth with actual game experience.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I don't think the details were ever made public, but there were rumblings of discontent leaking out. My guess at the time was that it was tied to the early departure of some of the 2007 guys, some residual Chan v Paul stuff, and Groh v Wommack. IIrc, after the season, the AA initiated some team-chemistry building program for the football team. I think the miracle of that season was that we were able to turn it around and get bowl eligible even after JN was injured.

Thanks!

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Of couse Coaches Pelton and Roof...and McCullom... have quite a task ahead over the next five weeks, but those guys know football and the defensive aspects way more than I do. I think it would be beneficial in the three opening games of the season if the offense could rattle off several 9-12 play drives and wear out the opponents' defense while building a good lead. Then the 2nd and 3rd string players could get some credible PT while the first units rest most of the second halves. This will leave them in good shape as conference play gets underway as well as providing the depth with actual game experience.

Me too!

 

[CuseJacket]

They lost 52-17 to Syracuse in their bowl game. We should beat them pulling away.

They lost to Syracuse early in the season in Syracuse. Syracuse ended the year beating Boston College and then Minnesota in their bowl game. I'm not sure what that does to change the multi-year transitive property of GT vs. Tulane though

 

[GTNavyNuke]

If we have trouble in any of the first three games, we will have a battle to win 3 more.

Tulane was not good and as Eric points out, they have their problems too. Of course they will want to win very badly. But if they don't have the physical talent, it will take a lot of luck (or bad play on our part) for them to win / make it close.

I'm more worried about the VT / Miami combination. If we don't win one of those, then the team psyche will be severely tested. I think we beat VT but lose to Miami and have an 8 win season. But with bad luck in the VT / Miami games, we could have an awful season.