Which is the tougher game?

[Bruce Wayne]

I will second the mental factor for UGA being tougher.

Over the years I have strongly suspected at times that Tech players just don't have the maniacal a-hole toughness and plumb dog mean in them regularly enough to fare well in this huge rivalry game. Look at how Duke played so dirty this year and profited from it and won? UGA always intentionally injures or attempts to injure our QB and I am sure they will try to do the same to at least Smelter this year along with Thomas. Now, I am not actually saying I want Tech to ever match these schools in terms of promoting or encouraging dirty play after whistles, especially intentionally dirty like with gouging or rolling ankles. There is a difference between "mean" and dirty. The former is something I always wish to see more of in this game from Tech. I want them to really play angry and mean. I see this in Will Bryan's tape where he goes after his assigned man and gets him to the ground even if it is 10-12 yards down the field and 20 yards away from the play at that point. He has no idea where the ball is and wouldn't care even if he did. He plays tough and "mean" to and through the whistle but is not therefore playing "dirty."

I hate thinking after GT-UGA games that our players didn't play "mean" enough. Now, last year I did think I saw some more fire than in most years from Tech players to shove back, to finish getting a player down through the whistle and be a bit "meaner" than other years. You especially have to do this against dirty teams like UGA and (now) Duke.

I know that Tech football players are not the "softer" ones because of a) the talent differential that always will favor UGA and b) the fact they are real students at a tough school. Tech players are so much smarter, have so much going for them in life beyond their athletic ability, and actually have to study and go to class during game weeks (and have finals, projects and papers coming due around this game every year) that they do not have that incentive to be thugs on the playing field. A UGA player (God bless their souls) can't afford to have perspective like that because this game is "their livelihood" as wassisname admitted a couple years back.

Every year the UGA fans amuse themselves over ranking their "rivalries" and pretend to not care much about the Tech game since the results are lopsided in their favor. But no matter what their fans say the UGA players always play this game as mean and dirty as they can because it truly means the world to them. There future in making a living employed in some capacity depends on the appeal of the UGA football program in the state of Georgia.

I want Tech players to be play the smarter game (so not dirty) but to be as fierce and mean as UGA every year. Here's hoping for that this Saturday!

 

[Treb1982]

Neither:

I think we have a very good shot at beating UGA. To me if you look at UGA's schedule they really don't have a better win than a Tech does. Arkansas was not playing at the level they are now when UGA played them. Mizzou was a good win but Missouri had 5 turnovers that game which allowed UGA to hold the ball for 42 minutes also freaking Indiana beat Mizzou in Columbia. The only common opponent is Clemson. They won by 24 points at home and we won by 25 points at home. Tech is #25th in total offense UGA is 28th in total offense. UGA's defense is rated higher than ours but they are not better than Clemson's defense and we were still able to put up 250 yards rushing. I see Miami's defense comparable to UGA 1) lots of athletes 2) Miami is #15 in total defense and UGA is #13. We were able to rush for 318 and control the clock against the canes. IT ALL COMES DOWN TO TURNOVERS!!! If we get one or two and don't commit any ourselves I think it will be very competitive. I think Smelter and Waller have the potential to have a field day if we can establish the dive. I think losing to them so much in the last 20 years has Tech fans always thinking UGA is better than they really are.

FSU:

I also think we have an equal chance to upset FSU. Common opponents: Clemson (both at home) Tech won by 25 FSU by 3; NC State (both on the road) Tech won by 33 FSU won by 15, UVA (both at home) Tech won by 25 FSU won by 14, Miami (FSU on road Tech at home) Tech won by 11, FSU won by 4.

Side Note:

Also big factor most people are forgetting comparing FSU and UGA: 1) Pruitt has never faced the option as a defensive coordinator. Only time he saw it was when he was defensive backs coach at Bama when the tide played GSU in 2011. CPJ normally has a pretty good success rate against coordinators who have never seen it before. 2) Kelly is the defensive coordinator at FSU (he is very familiar with our system since he coached at Tech 2006-2012). Last time we played a former defensive coordinator Ole Miss held us to 17 points and only 151 yards rushing.

 

[Atomic Jacket]

Ouch. I think it's high, but it is what it is. We won't get respect in this series until we start winning. I obviously had gold colored glasses.

As I remember, the Sagarin prediction method is comparable in performance against the spread of Atomic Football and JHowell. The Sagarin spread of 14 points would put the odds of winning at about 10%?

16%

 

[Atomic Jacket]

Over the years I have strongly suspected at times that Tech players just don't have the maniacal a-hole toughness and plumb dog mean in them regularly enough to fare well in this huge rivalry game.

I would have to say you're right. Nothing illustrates the disparity in attitude than the play linked below. You would have thought after this play that Tech would have sent a big third-string player (but one with a mean streak) out there with the sole purpose of getting himself ejected by taking out one of the Bulldog players with a cheap shot. No one should get away with humiliating one of our players like that. Instead, Tech players just cowered and cringed away like a whipped dog. It was kind of pathetic. Memo to Georgia Tech players: If you see something like this happen to one of your teammates, you get your *** out there and extract a pound of flesh in retribution. You don't stand idly by and let this kind of thing happen unanswered.

 

[iggymcfly]

To me if you look at UGA's schedule they really don't have a better win than a Tech does. Arkansas was not playing at the level they are now when UGA played them. Mizzou was a good win but Missouri had 5 turnovers that game which allowed UGA to hold the ball for 42 minutes also freaking Indiana beat Mizzou in Columbia. The only common opponent is Clemson. They won by 24 points at home and we won by 25 points at home.

Georgia beat Auburn 34-7. That might be the best win by any team in the country this year when you account for margin of victory. Vegas still has Auburn #5 in the country and Sagarin has them #6. They're definitely a lot better than Clemson. Hell, Clemson's barely even better than South Carolina without Watson according to the betting markets.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I would have to say you're right. Nothing illustrates the disparity in attitude than the play linked below. You would have thought after this play that Tech would have sent a big third-string player (but one with a mean streak) out there with the sole purpose of getting himself ejected by taking out one of the Bulldog players with a cheap shot. No one should get away with humiliating one of our players like that. Instead, Tech players just cowered and cringed away like a whipped dog. It was kind of pathetic. Memo to Georgia Tech players: If you see something like this happen to one of your teammates, you get your *** out there and extract a pound of flesh in retribution. You don't stand idly by and let this kind of thing happen unanswered.

I won't even watch that play again it makes me so mad. First what UGAg did, second that the refs let it stand and third that we didn't retaliate.

Make no mistake, this is not a "game" that we play on that field with UGAg. It is a street fight with a bunch of goons. Allowing this type play to happen and not defending the team honor is much worse than scoring fewer points in the game.

 

[WreckinGT]

Georgia beat Auburn 34-7. That might be the best win by any team in the country this year when you account for margin of victory. Vegas still has Auburn #5 in the country and Sagarin has them #6. They're definitely a lot better than Clemson. Hell, Clemson's barely even better than South Carolina without Watson according to the betting markets.

Here are Auburn's last 5 games:
7 point win at home over a pretty mediocre SC team.
4 point miracle victory over an Ole Miss team that lost by 30 a couple of weeks later.
3 point loss at home to a Texas A&M team that Alabama beat 59-0.
27 point loss to UGA
A win over a FCS team in which they were tied or behind most of the first half.

They aren't that great. Im not sure how beating them by 27 can be considered a better victory then Alabama's 59 point victory over a team that beat Auburn.

 

[ibeattetris]

Here are Auburn's last 5 games:
7 point win at home over a pretty mediocre SC team.
4 point miracle victory over an Ole Miss team that lost by 30 a couple of weeks later.
3 point loss at home to a Texas A&M team that Alabama beat 59-0.
27 point loss to UGA
A win over a FCS team in which they were tied or behind most of the first half.

They aren't that great. Im not sure how beating them by 27 can be considered a better victory then Alabama's 59 point victory over a team that beat Auburn.

I think after Alabama completely dismantles Auburn this weekend there will a lot less talk about them.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

The only reason UGA ends up being tougher is the mental thing. We need to get over that hump.

I think our fan base has the damaged psyche, not worried about this years team.
UGA and fsu are both darn good teams. But a lot of you guys are giving credit to UGA for their record over us the past 40 years. That ingrained belief that they rule us plus the espn hype machine has to be coloring perspectives here IMO.
FSU > UGA. The big zero in their loss column demonstrates this.
Both are tough games for us. Both are beatable.
As for playing UGA in the first game.....really??? Always leave the best for last. UGA to start the season would deflate the rest of the schedule win or lose. And on years we might lose....you think filling BDS is tough now...would be a ghost town all year after a loss.

 

[WreckinGT]

I think our fan base has the damaged psyche, not worried about this years team.

Hopefully this years team is different but I do think the psyche of the fans affects the team year to year. When you hear fans build it up every year as the only meaningful game you play, and you are currently in a long losing streak to them then you are going to go into it with a different mindset than other games. I honestly think if we played Alabama every year along with UGA, then we would beat Alabama more often than UGA. There is no reason for us to lose to them quite as much as we do. It's all in our heads. Like I said, hopefully this years team can drown that out and get the job done.

 

[Treb1982]

Georgia beat Auburn 34-7. That might be the best win by any team in the country this year when you account for margin of victory. Vegas still has Auburn #5 in the country and Sagarin has them #6. They're definitely a lot better than Clemson. Hell, Clemson's barely even better than South Carolina without Watson according to the betting markets.

I'll give you Auburn (I am not sure how I missed that game) but I will say this if Ole Miss' WR doesn't break his leg going into the end zone Auburn would be 1-2 vs ranked opponents (and if you watch the K-state game Auburn could/should have lost that game). Also factor in Auburn has a loss at home to an unranked Texas A&M team and the realistic probability that they will lose this Saturday that is not a top 5 win.

As far as the betting market goes they don't always get it right.

Odds to win College Football FBS championship in August 2014:

Auburn 10/1
LSU 22/1
USC (W): 25/1
South Carolina 28/1
Florida 40/1
Stanford #40/1
Michigan 50/1

None of these teams will be ranked after this week

 

[MidtownJacket]

I am not so sure I follow in on the eye-for-an-eye mentality.. Agreed we needed to hit some people a little harder, and bring the blocks to the ground, but I won't ever advocate for intentionally trying to hurt another player. I don't care who it is or what they've done.

The Refs should have made a call on the play - but they didn't. Football is a violent sport, and one played with heavy emotion. I just wish the team would have used it as fuel to stomp them on the score board.

 

[Atomic Jacket]

Always leave the best for last. UGA to start the season would deflate the rest of the schedule win or lose. And on years we might lose....you think filling BDS is tough now...would be a ghost town all year after a loss.

This statement touches on possibly the only good reason for leaving UGA until last. If Tech gets exposed early in the season, then people won't come to the games later in the season. But I feel that it is also a dishonest position. It's like saying, "Okay, we know we're going to get beat by Georgia 95% of the time. But let's trick everybody into thinking we're still pretty good so they'll keep coming to games, and not let them in on the sad fact that Tech still lags behind Georgia until the very end of the season, after we've taken all their money." My position is that it's more honest to say, "Okay, we know we're going to get beat by Georgia 95% of the time. But let's get the pain out of the way early on, so that we can end the season on a positive note, and head into the off-season with fresh memories of wins and good times, not mockery and ridicule." And by doing it the way I propose, you actually have a greater percentage of the year (the off-season) with fresh memories of wins. The way it's done now, you end up with a large percentage of the year with the freshest memories being another beat-down by Georgia.

 

[jeffgt14]

That has nothing to do with it. It’s an in-state rivalry game and like 95% (See, I can use percentages too) of the other teams out there, you play it the last week of the regular season (rivalry week). Unless you want to put our in-state rivalry game on the same plane as Iowa-Iowa St and Colorado-Colorado St then this is beyond stupid.

 

[Atomic Jacket]

That has nothing to do with it. It’s an in-state rivalry game and like 95% (See, I can use percentages too) of the other teams out there, you play it the last week of the regular season (rivalry week). Unless you want to put our in-state rivalry game on the same plane as Iowa-Iowa St and Colorado-Colorado St then this is beyond stupid.

Just saying something is stupid doesn't make it so. Neither does it refute any of the arguments I made.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

@atomic........That's just a defeatist mentality IMO. FWIWI don't think UGA is 95% likely to win vs. Tech in the next 5 years. I know you love to proposition percentages for likelihood of winning upcoming games but your percentages have been off this year

 

[Atomic Jacket]

@atomic........That's just a defeatist mentality IMO. FWIWI don't think UGA is 95% likely to win vs. Tech in the next 5 years. I know you love to proposition percentages for likelihood of winning upcoming games but your percentages have been off this year

Focusing on the 95% is a red herring, a distraction from the real issue. I don't intend 95% as an actual probability, but as a colorful way of saying "most of the time." Look at recent history. Tech has beaten Georgia exactly once in the last 13 years. And even if the same probability doesn't hold true today, it's safe to say at the current state of affairs, Georgia will beat Georgia Tech more times than not. So my rationale still holds true. It's not being defeatist. It's being pragmatic. It's living in a clear-eyed state of reality, not fantasyland.

 

[RamblinCharger]

I want UGA to get into the sec championship and I want them to look past us, and then I want us to blow them out. Then, I want them to beat Alabama and I want zero SEC teams to make it into the playoff.

 

[jeffgt14]

We play UGA before they would know if they're in the championship or not.

 

[AE 87]

We play UGA before they would know if they're in the championship or not.

I thought Arkansas Mizzou was on Friday.