Where do we go from here?

[Root4GT]

well since that's entirely subjective...

Of the 3 most talked about potential hires, one is 4-0 and beat Bowling Green, one is 4-1 with a 17 point loss to Ole Miss who they lead at the half and were tied with going into the 4th quarter despite starting the 2nd string qb, and one is 2-3 with a 11 point loss to Bowling Green and a 25 point loss to Ole Miss, although they were within a touchdown in the 4th quarter. The first coach's team has a talent composite ranking of 123, second is ranked 71, and 3rd is ranked 36. Bowling Green and Ole Miss are 111 and 23 for reference.

Anyone who thinks our talent level is #36 in the Country should be analyzing college football talent. Our talent level is way overestimated.

 

[bobongo]

Lol. Are you trolling everyone? This was ABSOLUTELY a gimme game. That's why we paid them 1.1 million dollars for the f'ing pleasure.

Historically, Bowling Green is 4-9 against the Power 5. That's hardly a "gimme". The gimme was S.C. State. And why do I have to be "trolling" to express a contrary opinion?

 

[GTJake]

We just lost the one we shouldn't lose, now that that's out of the way, we go UP !!

 

[Southern psu fan]

Anyone who thinks our talent level is #36 in the Country should be analyzing college football talent. Our talent level is way overestimated.

It could be around 36th because of the QB and OL. I know some disagree with me about the OL but I think they’re pretty good better than Penn States OL and Penn State is #6 and the Ga Tech QB is better today the Penn State QB might be better down the road. The defense is what’s killing Ga Tech. Saturday was just one of those games where the offense struggled and the defense ain’t good enough to carry the team. This happens to teams all the time not just Ga Tech.

 

[AugustaSwarm]

Historically, Bowling Green is 4-9 against the Power 5. That's hardly a "gimme". The gimme was S.C. State. And why do I have to be "trolling" to express a contrary opinion?

Any game where we are paying the other team to come play us is a gimme game.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

So we win first, then the donations and tickets sales come. Oh, withhold those till we show long term sucess. The coaches and players are paid as much as they can negotiate.

Somehow we need to show some increase in $ so we can compete. Note Pennstate Budget 180m, Gt budget 100m..

But taking the side of beibg mad at BG loss- BG budget 25m. After that game Key has to show something besides strong talk.

Excuse me, I never said people should withhold funds until we show long term success. You are creating a straw man and burning it down. I said if you want more fans to attend and give, you have to stop losing games to bad teams. Complaining about the fans is not going to win back those who left, winning will.

Also, did we not just have an extremely successful campaign last fall? People are giving. Not everyone, but many are. If you want more to attend and give, then the team needs to stop laying eggs against bad teams like BG.

Also, PSU is a false comparison. They are one of the largest public university systems in the US. To suggest we should be close to their budget in sports is absurd. We are a medium sized public university that is focused on academics. We have no equivalents across the P5.

 

[bobongo]

Any game where we are paying the other team to come play us is a gimme game.

Bowling Green beat Minnesota just two years ago, 14-10.

 

[AugustaSwarm]

Bowling Green beat Minnesota just two years ago, 14-10.

So Minnesota lost a gimme game too. I'm not concerned about Minnesota.

Edit: We shouldn't try to sugarcoat the ugly parts. As a program and a fan base, we must embrace these failures so we can address them and correct the problems.

 

[slugboy]

Anyone who thinks our talent level is #36 in the Country should be analyzing college football talent. Our talent level is way overestimated.

I tend to agree. If it is #36, it’s not evenly distributed. That’s in the top 1/3rd of FBS. That’s “clearly going to a bowl game, if not a good one” talent. Also it’s either even and deep (which we aren’t as far as I can tell), or has a 3-5 difference makers on each side of the ball—a Percy Harvin or a Butker, if not someone on offense or defense.

I know Pitt is having a terrible season, but they usually have several players fans of the other team knew the names of or would complain were killing us in games. That’s top 50 talent. Right now, for us, I can name one on offense, possibly two, that the other teams would take a long look at.

 

[bobongo]

So Minnesota lost a gimme game too. I'm not concerned about Minnesota.

Edit: We shouldn't try to sugarcoat the ugly parts. As a program and a fan base, we must embrace these failures so we can address them and correct the problems.

I'm not sugar coating anything. I've stated several times that the Jackets should have won the game. I'm simply taking issue with the assertion that this was a "gimme".
Maybe taking them lightly is one of the problems that needs to be addressed.

 

[CTJacket]

You're on the GT rollercoaster ride. Thought we were climbing off the bottom then surprise, **** the bed and found ourselves back in the crapper. It won't be your last disappointment, but somewhere over the hill is a pretty good run. It's the GT way.

On the losing fans side, well this game set us back another 2 years imo. Speaking for myself, the end of last year restored some hope. Louisville game was maddening, but a few more peices in the right spot and we win. We looked ok at Ole Piss, as good as expected. We won at Wake like I expected, they were significantly weaker without Hartman and prime to be spanked. I was a little concerning we came out flat in 2nd half, because that appears to be a troubling trend. I saw some friends at the tailgate yesterday that I had not seen since 2019. We come out hot yesterday, everybody's talking about seeing what the 2 & 3 deep look like with significant snaps in the 2nd half. Next thing we know we're imploding, disinterested. Concerning was there was no emotion, we had the energy level of a funeral viewing. Those fans that were reserving judgment before coming back into the fold are probably going to wait & see now until next year unless something miraculous happens this year.

The set up of this season sucked. Game at Benz, then no conference or significant home game until late October. Now instead of 3-2 and some hope and momentum, then probably we split Miami and BC and go to Homecoming 4-3, we're likely 2-5 and the chatter among those even wanting to show up for Homecoming will be if Key can stop the embarassing string of implosions from the staff he was part of or whether or not he & Thacker were key to the implosions.

Key needs some time to rebuild, but damn this did not help cement him as the guy that's going to undo the last 4 years of crap performances.

You really nailed it. All true, maybe still split and are 3-4 but the same emotions for most fans.

 

[BuzzStone]

What worries me is this is at least the third time since Key took over that our team was completly unprepared in every aspect. That falls on Key. That is a trend that I don't like at all. I would not be as worried if we lost and looked like we were prepared in some aspect but this was a complete meltdown in every aspect and if we see it again we should rip the bandaid off at the end of the year.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I'm not sugar coating anything. I've stated several times that the Jackets should have won the game. I'm simply taking issue with the assertion that this was a "gimme".
Maybe taking them lightly is one of the problems that needs to be addressed.

While I understand where you are coming from, you are in a vast minority of people who think this game should have been in any way competitive. We are team that is projected to win 4.5 games this year with the BG game being one of them. Those same people that projected 4.5 wins against this schedule predicted a three TD victory for us in this game. This game absolutely should have been a gimme game.

I do, however, appreciate your persistent optimism, and I wish more people on these boards tried to find the positive in GT football as hard as you do.

 

[tmhunter52]

It could be around 36th because of the QB and OL. I know some disagree with me about the OL but I think they’re pretty good better than Penn States OL and Penn State is #6 and the Ga Tech QB is better today the Penn State QB might be better down the road. The defense is what’s killing Ga Tech. Saturday was just one of those games where the offense struggled and the defense ain’t good enough to carry the team. This happens to teams all the time not just Ga Tech.

If we have 36th talent level in the country, what talent level does BG have, because they sure pushed us around all day on Saturday. Maybe talent level is not as important as playing every snap with passion and preparation.

 

[bobongo]

While I understand where you are coming from, you are in a vast minority of people who think this game should have been in any way competitive. We are team that is projected to win 4.5 games this year with the BG game being one of them. Those same people that projected 4.5 wins against this schedule predicted a three TD victory for us in this game. This game absolutely should have been a gimme game.

I do, however, appreciate your persistent optimism, and I wish more people on these boards tried to find the positive in GT football as hard as you do.

I know full well I'm in the minority. And I was also in the minority when I tried to ring the warning bells before the game. As I've said, we should have won the game. But no, it was never a gimme and just speculating but maybe the reason we lost was that it was erroneously thought to be a gimme all along. And just because we were three TD faves means nothing. Obviously, the line was way off.

By the way, my stats above were way off. Bowling Green has now beaten TEN Power 5 teams since 2000:

2001: Missouri, Northwestern
2002: Missouri, Kansas
2003: Purdue, Northwestern
2007: Minnesota
2008: Pittsburgh
2021: Minnesota
2023: Georgia Tech

Maybe calling them a "gimme" is the problem that needs to be corrected.

 

[g0lftime]

If we have 36th talent level in the country, what talent level does BG have, because they sure pushed us around all day on Saturday. Maybe talent level is not as important as playing every snap with passion and preparation.

I agree that they pushed us around on the LOS. That surprised me. Their OC called a great game against our FORMER defensive coordinator.

 

[IronJacket7]

Maybe instead of CBK telling them they are a good team he should instead tell them they are just simply not a good team and that they have not accomplished anything in 5 years as a program...?

I know that sounds negative but it seems to have created a false assurance and building them up mentally does not appear to be working. CGC did the same approach if IIRC.

This team has to dig an entire program out of a dark pit. And I think the mentality we currently have is that "we are 4 natty Georgia Tech" so that automatically means we are a good program. I think this mentality needs to change.

 

[Southern psu fan]

If we have 36th talent level in the country, what talent level does BG have, because they sure pushed us around all day on Saturday. Maybe talent level is not as important as playing every snap with passion and preparation.

I’m thinking around 50th but I’m assuming they’re ranking us 36th because of the QB and OL and our WR’s are pretty good. Saturday was a bad loss and I’m not saying BG is a powerhouse by no means but they’re better than what people think. They played Michigan tough until the second half and Michigan pilled on but they did play tough and they got some good football players but we’re not supposed to lose that game.

 

[gtie73]

may not matter, but go to the section that weekly share starting lineups of GT FB and Opposition. for whatever reason we have a very young team and BG had a starting 22 of Jrs and Srs . Sometimes the young one have to learn the hard way.

 

[CEB]

If we have 36th talent level in the country, what talent level does BG have, because they sure pushed us around all day on Saturday. Maybe talent level is not as important as playing every snap with passion and preparation.

So many people stew about recruiting rankings and talent rankings… if we’re winning games without enough “talent,” they are wringing their hands in angst. It’s smoke and mirrors and sure to fail! If we improve our talent and lose games, the “talent” evaluators must be wrong.

The bolded above could not be more true. We have had an intensity problem all year. We have not reacted well to getting “punched in the mouth” once all season. We are capable of playing some really good football, but we don’t respond when we get hit with adversity.
It’s hard to tell what is schematic (some undoubtedly is, especially on D) and what is psyche. We have a lot of new guys who shouldn’t be prone to “here we go again” moments from the last couple of years, but collectively we’ve shown ourselves to come out flat when we can bury people and then wither at gut check time.

I am hoping that its 90%+ schematic because that’s a hell of a lot easier to fix than psyche…