What does Paul Johnson Bring to the Table?

[pckl300]

What does Paul Johnson bring to the table for our football team?

In 2008 and 2009, people may have said: a genius offensive scheme, bold play calling, discipline, and execution. He plays chess while you play checkers. A ragtag offensive line cleared the way for one of the best rushing attacks in the ACC. Those teams were clutch - they didn't shoot themselves in the foot often. Johnson's play calling was masterful - the fake field goal against Clemson was perhaps the highlight of all his 4th down gambles. He had mastered the art of "Goforit". Remember this chart? We used to be proud of that.

Now, snap forward to 2012 and 2013. Our offense has been struggling to find consistency for a while now. Every decent defense we play seems to be blowing up our plays in the backfield before we can even think about which defender to option. Bold play calling has transitioned into, "did he really just run a reverse?" Our disciplined team seems to have disappeared - we have no more toes left to shoot off. Our execution is inconsistent - a talented offensive line is having trouble blocking for our 4-star QB. Our backs are not quite as good as before, but the running lanes should be open for them, and they're not. All of this adds up to us looking inept on the field, like we can't get out of our own way. We won't take the game when it's handed to us on a silver platter, whether it be against Ole Miss or Georgia or VT.

To make things worse, with the offensive revolution that has swept through college football, this offense doesn't seem quite so potent anymore. We can't keep up with the avalanche of points that teams like Clemson and FSU can put up.

So, what does Paul Johnson bring to the table for us? All of the strengths that we are supposed to have, we don't. My faith in him is wavering. Maybe I'm just disappointed - I'm not sure. But, all of this was on my mind as I was driving back from Nashville.

 

[PatrickinGa]

Another thing I have noticed...

In watching all the teams who now run some variation of the option we run, MOST of them seem so much more up-tempo, crisp, and few as predictable as ours is. Seems so easy to tell what play will be run, and we get stopped more and more.

Ours seems so slow, plodding, deliberate, and easy to anticipate. Plays are so slow to develop that DL get into our offensive backfield before play can develop.

Even Ga. Southern offense seems faster than does ours.

And the more time a team has to prepare for us, the better they play against us. Seems like the more time we have to prepare, the LESS ready to play we seem to be.

I realize that these are just kids, and they usually play their hearts out, wanting to win more than any of us fans do.

But, does anyone else see our offense as being so limited, so slow to develop, so plodding and deliberate?

These are now ALL CPJ's recruits, but he did better with other coaches recruits than he has EVER done with his own?

I LOVE watching CPJ's offense when it really clicks, but seems like some offensive players are coming and leaving in a 4-5 year career before they ever develop and reach the potential they were recruited for in this offense.

We used to dream about adding a passing offense to our rushing offense, believing that we could put up video game numbers if we only had that. A triple option rushing attack added to a passing game...

Now we have, and seem to rely more on passing than we used to because the rushing game is becoming less and less efficient and more and more predictable.

I want us to be able to beat the cupcakes (then beat our share of better teams).

I am getting tired of us being one....

 

[poodleface]

I don't think any team that played GT this year saw them as a cupcake. If anything, the earlier success ensures no team will overlook GT and fail to prepare for them.... apart from Syracuse.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Another thing I have noticed...

In watching all the teams who now run some variation of the option we run, MOST of them seem so much more up-tempo, crisp, and few as predictable as ours is. Seems so easy to tell what play will be run, and we get stopped more and more.

Ours seems so slow, plodding, deliberate, and easy to anticipate. Plays are so slow to develop that DL get into our offensive backfield before play can develop.

Even Ga. Southern offense seems faster than does ours.

And the more time a team has to prepare for us, the better they play against us. Seems like the more time we have to prepare, the LESS ready to play we seem to be.

I realize that these are just kids, and they usually play their hearts out, wanting to win more than any of us fans do.

But, does anyone else see our offense as being so limited, so slow to develop, so plodding and deliberate?

These are now ALL CPJ's recruits, but he did better with other coaches recruits than he has EVER done with his own?

I LOVE watching CPJ's offense when it really clicks, but seems like some offensive players are coming and leaving in a 4-5 year career before they ever develop and reach the potential they were recruited for in this offense.

We used to dream about adding a passing offense to our rushing offense, believing that we could put up video game numbers if we only had that. A triple option rushing attack added to a passing game...

Now we have, and seem to rely more on passing than we used to because the rushing game is becoming less and less efficient and more and more predictable.

I want us to be able to beat the cupcakes (then beat our share of better teams).

I am getting tired of us being one....

Quarterback play and quarterback recruiting and development continue to be a significant weakness for Georgia Tech. I am not a coach or a recruiter, but as an experienced observer, it seems to me Vad Lee has none of the attributes that are needed in this particular offense. I really pity the kid, because it is starting to be very obvious that Vad Lee should have never been recruited for this system and should have never come to Georgia Tech. He has a very high level of athletic and leadership ability that will be utterly wasted playing quarterback in the triple option. After Lee, what is there? No real depth, no quarterback on the horizon to train and groom to be his successor. We are in the same exact place that we were with Jaybo Shaw and Jordan Luallen. Similar situations exist at several KEY positions on the team. We have not beaten a good team in about 30 games, and only beaten one in the last 50 games. All the cliches apply--extra prep time, athletic defenses, SEC vs ACC. It was stale two years ago.

 

[niel9533]

I too, have grown weary of the Paul Johnson experiment. re: Vad Lee - on only one or two plays did he attack with the ball in his hands. Vad studders, or stops, or turns back on most of his keepers. Maybe the play didn't develop as it should have or someone missed an assignment, but I feel like he should keep moving forward. Given the talent on defense and our offensive line play once he hesitates, he's cooked. My most disappointing moment was in the 4th qtr with >10 minutes to go - we had the ball and the momentum. Why not grind out the clock, inch our way down the field for the go-ahead score - do what this Paul Johnson offense is supposed to do? Nope - our beloved genius play caller throws on all three downs. This has happened too many times for me - it's like he has forgotten how to run the ball - when it is most appropriate to run. On the previous series we were successfully running the ball w/the dive...OM took away the edge so we were making progress up the middle. Why? Why go right to the pass when we are in a 1-score game w/the clock on OUR SIDE!?! It isn't fun anymore - for me. I really feel badly for the kids.

 

[flounder]

I don't mind losing because we don't have the athletes. We're never going to be able to consistently compete for the highest level of recruits. But if we are going to be less talented than the teams we play, our margin for error is razor thin. We can't be making mental mistakes and blowing assignments.

I can't blame Paul Johnson for the recruiting, but the lack of preparation that this team exhibits is all on him.

 

[MacDaddy2]

At this point he brings a big ole' contract that we can not afford to buyout until after the 2014 season

 

[GTrob21]

Honest answer is that He doesn't bring much. He is Gailey 2.0 except the fan base hasn't turned on him to the extent they did on Gailey. Give it another year of 7-6, losing to UGA and having a quarterback that looks lost and you will see the fan base really turn on him.

I think there is a real possibility Coach Johnson is coaching for his job next year.

 

[GT Man]

Honest answer is that He doesn't bring much. He is Gailey 2.0 except the fan base hasn't turned on him to the extent they did on Gailey. Give it another year of 7-6, losing to UGA and having a quarterback that looks lost and you will see the fan base really turn on him.

I think there is a real possibility Coach Johnson is coaching for his job next year.

agree 100%

 

[KlausMikaelsonTheOriginal]

Answer:

Nothing!

 

[Mack]

PJ has good offensive mind and on the black board the x and o guys can draw up any play and make it a sucess.I still say we are running a offense that when done right is fine but too many folks have eaten our chili lately.Yesterday for you stat folks we got 151 yds rushing.Somebody needs to get some hosses in the barn and soon.Yes Lee looks lost and rightfully so since he was a spread qb in HS not a option one.He has had time to get it and I think he will but not sure when .He is a competitor and has strong arm but he is not that polished on the pitch .Yes GSU is quicker than we are for folks who question our speed.

 

[Sean311]

I honestly think if we had a different offensive scheme we would be a very good team and the talent that CPJ recruited would actually come to fruition. Vad is a very good QB in my eyes but is limited by a horrible pass protecting offensive line and time to actually make dicisions. I just wish we would fire CPJ and see what a normal offensive scheme would look like..or Matthew Jordan and travis custis come in and dominate in this offense and make me forget about everything I said...

 

[jacketup]

Paul Johnson is 2 games under .500 over the last 4 years against FBS teams. A losing record in the FBS.

He is consistent, however. 1 game under for 2010 and 2011. 1 game under for 2012 and 2013.

There really is no debate. No other stat that matters. You are either OK with that record, or you aren't. Some are, some aren't.

 

[pckl300]

Paul Johnson is 2 games under .500 over the last 4 years against FBS teams. A losing record in the FBS.

He is consistent, however. 1 game under for 2010 and 2011. 1 game under for 2012 and 2013.

There really is no debate. No other stat that matters. You are either OK with that record, or you aren't. Some are, some aren't.

The W/L record isn't so much what gets me. It's the manner in which we lose those games. If we played our tails off and lose to another team that's simply better, that would be much easier to stomach. But when our losses come as a result of our own miscues to teams that we should be able to beat, I find that unacceptable, and it's been happening for a while now. How many more false starts can we commit on key drives in the 4th quarter?

 

[LongforDodd]

What does Paul Johnson bring to the table for our football team?

In 2008 and 2009, people may have said: a genius offensive scheme, bold play calling, discipline, and execution. He plays chess while you play checkers. A ragtag offensive line cleared the way for one of the best rushing attacks in the ACC. Those teams were clutch - they didn't shoot themselves in the foot often. Johnson's play calling was masterful - the fake field goal against Clemson was perhaps the highlight of all his 4th down gambles. He had mastered the art of "Goforit". Remember this chart? We used to be proud of that.

Now, snap forward to 2012 and 2013. Our offense has been struggling to find consistency for a while now. Every decent defense we play seems to be blowing up our plays in the backfield before we can even think about which defender to option. Bold play calling has transitioned into, "did he really just run a reverse?" Our disciplined team seems to have disappeared - we have no more toes left to shoot off. Our execution is inconsistent - a talented offensive line is having trouble blocking for our 4-star QB. Our backs are not quite as good as before, but the running lanes should be open for them, and they're not. All of this adds up to us looking inept on the field, like we can't get out of our own way. We won't take the game when it's handed to us on a silver platter, whether it be against Ole Miss or Georgia or VT.

To make things worse, with the offensive revolution that has swept through college football, this offense doesn't seem quite so potent anymore. We can't keep up with the avalanche of points that teams like Clemson and FSU can put up.

So, what does Paul Johnson bring to the table for us? All of the strengths that we are supposed to have, we don't. My faith in him is wavering. Maybe I'm just disappointed - I'm not sure. But, all of this was on my mind as I was driving back from Nashville.

It should be obvious to most that PJ only brings an offense that, up until recently, only service academies run. He is fixated on running the ball to the detriment of overall balance. He has brought with that offense two negatives:

1. A lexicon of position descriptions that the better RB's don't relate to.
2. A blocking scheme that he hasn't been able to recruit to that plays out in W's and L's.

Oh yes...every national telecast there is a graphic showing how we are No. 2 or No. 4 in rushing yards per game but by the end of the game the national audience is saying "whaaaat? No. 2? No. 4?". We all know how those stats are achieved.

Sure... the Hill has tied PJ's hands and all coach's hands up to the present but it obvious that the players aren't here to be any better than what we are but if want to recruit better athletes, IMO, you need to recruit from the bigger pool. The better players at least think they can play on Sundays but who has PJ recruited that is playing on Sundays? And here were are stuck at 7 wins being the norm. I believe there is someone out there that can recruit better than PJ. I just hope PJ can turn it around and we don't have to go through the trouble of finding him. I'm not opposed to finding him but I'd rather not have to.

 

[pckl300]

It should be obvious to most that PJ only brings an offense that, up until recently, only service academies run. He is fixated on running the ball to the detriment of overall balance. He has brought with that offense two negatives:

I'm fine with focusing on running the ball. Auburn is #1 in the country in rushing yards this year. It's all they do, and they execute it against the very best. My issue is that we're not even good at our purported strengths anymore. Sure, we can beat the snot out of Syracuse, and maybe UNC will never figure us out. But, how many times now have teams like VT, Clemson, and Miami eaten our lunch?

 

[Mack]

It is a new era in less than a day now and I will give credit where credit is due.In my opinion PJ did a wonderful job first two years convincing JD and Nesbitt to stay at tech and run a offense they had no familiarity with.........JD was a power off tackle sweep guy and JN was a spread guy and both did a good job......now when it gets to Pauls recruits there is a drop off but he did a good job first two years with those two studs..

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

Here is my answer:

IF, and IF isn't happening, he could recruit players to about 70-75% of the talent level of the factories, his system would probably give us a chance in every game against any opponent, but unfortunately, I don't think he can recruit to that level with the academic rigor, restrictions and his own system's negative perception.

He seems to be trying now to overcome a talent gap of 40-50% against the better BCS teams, which is too much, even for his system. I will agree that the gap with VPISU is less than this, but Bud Foster kind of makes up for that.

That is my answer...Just my opinion though.

 

[GTJoeBrew]

It's very hard to say this after that debacle yesterday, but I'll give him one more season before I turn on him. I just can't stand how many games we lost for ourselves this year. I don't know that I have ever seen anything like it. Games were handed to us on a silver platter and we refused to take them. Boneheaded mistakes and terrible play calling have lost us at least 3 games this season. Virginia Tech, Miami, and Ole Miss come to mind.

My big take from yesterday is that we are a very predictable offense now. I knew when we were going to throw about 90% of the times that we did. If the defense knows when your going to throw and when your not, then your screwed from the beginning. In 2008 and 2009 it seemed that I was always surprised when we threw the ball and it was going to go for huge gains with BeyBey....

Here's to hoping we become a run threat next year with Custis. Its put up or shut up time CPJ...

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

Is there anything stopping CPJ from changing the offense to look more like what Malzaun has done at Auburn?

Is there anything stopping CPJ from coaching more stand-up pass-blocking to both the OL's and the RB's?

To me, these 2 things would do more for recruiting than just about anything, but it may be too late now.....