Why I'm Psyched on 2014 Despite Flaws on Paper

[InsideLB]

The Flaws:

• DE - Two new starters including a true freshman, lack of depth
• DT- Lack of experienced depth and bodies in general
• The power teams on our schedule will pound the ball and play a game of attrition to wear out our defense which is short-handed on the DL.
• No proven pass rush/pass rushers. Likely will need smoke and mirrors to get pressure.
  
• OL- Replace several starters, # of combined starts on OL is will be low. Pass protection, blocking adjustments, coordination as a unit are typically affected.
  
• QB- New starter. Talented yes however still unproven.

Our question marks for this season are along both lines and in the trenches. No we aren't devoid of talent there, just experience and depth.

I am one of those who thinks realistically we'll end up with about 7 wins because the difference in the trenches will show out against the power teams.

So why I'm I psyched on 2014?!?!

• I bleed White & Gold so I'm always psyched no matter what
• I love our players. They have chosen a difficult academic route at Georgia Tech that will pay off for themselves and their families in the future. We don't have a bunch of idiots who do dumb stuff and get in big trouble--we have smart guys who work hard and do it the right way. Very easy to pull for these guys. Very easy.
  
• Despite it's flaws I think this team has a chance to catch lightning in a bottle:
  • Style of offense is ball control and Roof sells out to stop the run. This makes it harder for opponents to wear us down, which is the biggest problem I see.
    
  • JT appears to be running the offense smoothly and playing within himself. Byerly is more than capable running the offense.
    
  • Despite the new faces on the OL I think there is some real talent there and it is a place where we are deeper than in the past. I like having a second OL coach as well in Coach Ry.
    
  • Jamal Golden & Harrison Butker are proven producers on special teams.
    
  • AB & WR are very solid and experienced and should do a terrific job blocking the perimeter. I like how the triple is shaping up with old hand Laskey pounding the interior, a lightning quick QB who is a breakaway threat putting pressure on the defense, and experienced, capable A backs taking the pitches.
  • I like the emphasis on going back to basics. This team really seems like it has bought in and seems very Navy-ish in that regard. IMO that's a very good thing.
• While I think the defense is going to give up a fair number of yards--particularly in the passing game--I know Coach Roof will get the most out of what he has. I know our guys are going to hit, tackle well, take good angles, and bring the pain. We will cause some turnovers. 2009 showed if the offense is clicking a few stops or turnovers is all that's needed. This defense can do that.
• We've come out of camp very healthy which is a great start.
• Regardless of W's & L's I think we are going to see our guys really BRING IT and compete hard. That is always fun to watch!

GO JACKETS!!!!!!!~

 

[DCSS]

As usual, I think our Yellow Jackets will outperform the preseason pundit predictions.

 

[jwsavhGT]

The excitement is building...from coaches, players, fans. I'm ready for the 30th to get here so I can watch some GT football in BDS! #GOJACKETS

 

[GTech63]

• "I love our players. They have chosen a difficult academic route at Georgia Tech that will pay off for themselves and their families in the future. We don't have a bunch of idiots who do dumb stuff and get in big trouble--we have smart guys who work hard and do it the right way. Very easy to pull for these guys. Very easy."

I have to agree. There seems to be something special building. There seems to be a lot of character, maturity, and responsibility in this group. Although we have no one super star there seems to be quite a few potential ones building. There seems to more balanced talent throughout this team than there has been in previous CPJ teams except maybe for 2009.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

There seems to be a lot of character, maturity, and responsibility in this group.

Well, I'm sure we all thought that before having to kick several guys off the team for low character, immaturity and irresponsibility. It was an unfortunate but smart move. You can't always read guys for such intangibles in the recruiting process. What it does do is send a clear message to the team, GT community and college football world what we stand for and what we don't. Net positive.

 

[GTJoeBrew]

I know that we say this just about every season, but I have a really good feeling about how the team is shaping up. At the beginning of last year, I was excited to see the wrinkles CPJ was adding in to the offense to account for Vad's strengths. What that ended up being was changes because Vad couldn't execute the base offense. I really hope to see some semblance of what we had in 08 and 09. I want to see us win the TOP by a lot in the big games. If we can do that, we will win most of them. Bring back the death march.

 

[Stinger90]

I'm psyched that they don't play the game on paper. You guys also make some very good points to make me more hyped about this year along with a certain GT site and it's neg. remarks. Another thing, this team sounds, looks and is practicing more like a team. IMHO

 

[GT Man]

I think we are going to be a force to reckon with this year. If we can handle VT and miami, we will have our shot at flu

Imagine what an acccg upset of flu would do for the program... not likely, but exciting to think about.

 

[GT Man]

Meant to say FSU but auto correct strikes again. I don't want us to get the flu.

 

[southernhive]

Too late, you have cursed the season.

 

[00Burdell]

There are a lot of reasons to get jacked about this upcoming season.

But I would like to highlight one thing in particular.

I think we are done screwing around with our offense to mask deficiencies in running the base package. No more diamond, box-and-one, infield-in, everybody turn to the guy next to you and ask what the snap count and play is right before the snap, etc. I think a lot of our problems last year sprang from non-intuitive variations of our base package leading to a lot of "what the hell are we doing again?" head-scratching right before the snap.

This year, we run what we run and run it some more. No more smoke, no more mirrors- instead, we run the base package with confidence, precision and brutal efficiency. That alone is reason to get jacked about this season. I already feel sorry for Wofford. And I also think CPJ is going to take out five years of misery on Bud "sign language on meth" Foster this year.

 

[Sean311]

11 days!!!!!!! AHHHHH

 

[awbuzz]

Love what I think is realistic optimism .

Even the vibe from the coaches seems less pessimistic than last year when you read between the lines.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Love what I think is realistic optimism .

Even the vibe from the coaches seems less pessimistic than last year when you read between the lines.

Yes.

 

[Boomergump]

The Flaws:

• DE - Two new starters including a true freshman, lack of depth
• DT- Lack of experienced depth and bodies in general
• The power teams on our schedule will pound the ball and play a game of attrition to wear out our defense which is short-handed on the DL.
• No proven pass rush/pass rushers. Likely will need smoke and mirrors to get pressure.
  
• OL- Replace several starters, # of combined starts on OL is will be low. Pass protection, blocking adjustments, coordination as a unit are typically affected.
  
• QB- New starter. Talented yes however still unproven.

Our question marks for this season are along both lines and in the trenches. No we aren't devoid of talent there, just experience and depth.

I am one of those who thinks realistically we'll end up with about 7 wins because the difference in the trenches will show out against the power teams.

So why I'm I psyched on 2014?!?!

• I bleed White & Gold so I'm always psyched no matter what
• I love our players. They have chosen a difficult academic route at Georgia Tech that will pay off for themselves and their families in the future. We don't have a bunch of idiots who do dumb stuff and get in big trouble--we have smart guys who work hard and do it the right way. Very easy to pull for these guys. Very easy.
  
• Despite it's flaws I think this team has a chance to catch lightning in a bottle:
  • Style of offense is ball control and Roof sells out to stop the run. This makes it harder for opponents to wear us down, which is the biggest problem I see.
    
  • JT appears to be running the offense smoothly and playing within himself. Byerly is more than capable running the offense.
    
  • Despite the new faces on the OL I think there is some real talent there and it is a place where we are deeper than in the past. I like having a second OL coach as well in Coach Ry.
    
  • Jamal Golden & Harrison Butker are proven producers on special teams.
    
  • AB & WR are very solid and experienced and should do a terrific job blocking the perimeter. I like how the triple is shaping up with old hand Laskey pounding the interior, a lightning quick QB who is a breakaway threat putting pressure on the defense, and experienced, capable A backs taking the pitches.
  • I like the emphasis on going back to basics. This team really seems like it has bought in and seems very Navy-ish in that regard. IMO that's a very good thing.
• While I think the defense is going to give up a fair number of yards--particularly in the passing game--I know Coach Roof will get the most out of what he has. I know our guys are going to hit, tackle well, take good angles, and bring the pain. We will cause some turnovers. 2009 showed if the offense is clicking a few stops or turnovers is all that's needed. This defense can do that.
• We've come out of camp very healthy which is a great start.
• Regardless of W's & L's I think we are going to see our guys really BRING IT and compete hard. That is always fun to watch!

GO JACKETS!!!!!!!~

Thanks LB for a wonderful post. I second many of your sentiments. Based on what little I have seen so far I am very excited, and not just because I get to go to games now, although I must admit it is a part of it. I think we will be a very exciting team in 2014, for good and possibly for a little bad. I feel pretty sure we won't be boring. We have a chance to go on a run for one major reason in my eyes: chemistry. It is hard to quantify exactly but its impact is potentially immense. Watching the scrimmage the other day it was palpable. We can look on paper and see deficiencies. Lord knows I have done it myself and commented so just recently. However, those comments, based on levelheaded reasoning, don't really capture the essence of what is brewing. This team IS different than any in the recent past. Call me crazy, but I think this team will show guts, flashes of brilliance, moments of ineptitude, but above all, the will to finish contests. We haven't had that in a few years. We have just enough explosive talent to be dangerous but not enough to be great. We are going to need a little luck, but more importantly, we will FINISH games that are there to be won. That will be the difference. You heard it here first.

 

[bartoma]

The one thing I desperately hope for is that we just not look incompetent on the field... That's what bothered my so much in the last few years - first, just so much pain watching the defense look confused and indecisive... Then, last year, the first time in CPJ's tenure that I felt that dread when the offense had the ball... Vad, God bless him, was so hard to watch last year, what with the poor reads, absence of a real TO threat, apparent fear of getting hit... I really think this year can be special of we stay healthy and a few key players play up to their potential...

 

[redmule]

Rope a Dope. Everybody is going to try and run it down our throat meaning they abandon their base offense and try to channel Woody Hayes. They will suck at it and their players will hate it. The game will be over in two hours and we have more than enough depth for that type game.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

There are a lot of reasons to get jacked about this upcoming season.

But I would like to highlight one thing in particular.

I think we are done screwing around with our offense to mask deficiencies in running the base package. No more diamond, box-and-one, infield-in, everybody turn to the guy next to you and ask what the snap count and play is right before the snap, etc. I think a lot of our problems last year sprang from non-intuitive variations of our base package leading to a lot of "what the hell are we doing again?" head-scratching right before the snap.

This year, we run what we run and run it some more. No more smoke, no more mirrors- instead, we run the base package with confidence, precision and brutal efficiency. That alone is reason to get jacked about this season. I already feel sorry for Wofford. And I also think CPJ is going to take out five years of misery on Bud "sign language on meth" Foster this year.

I agree but not with the "no more smoke and mirrors" comment. Smoke and mirrors is what our base O resembles when it's run correctly. Remember Boomer's comment on the scrimmage, "it was hard to follow the ball much of the time" (paraphrased).

 

[MacDaddy2]

From someone I know on the inside, there is great team spirit and everyone is working well together to achieve a common cause. There is, also, an obvious lack of overall talent. If this team achieves this year, and I hope we do, it will be because the sum is greater than the parts.

 

[Longestday]

GT has some good current players and some new players that look to be good as well. We need new players to prove themselves. I am excited and nervous for the new players.

Freeman is one to watch!
PJ Davis has it in him to be great.
The twins look to be future big time lock down corners.
Leggett is getting great reviews from camp.
Brown and Klock look to be possible first team ACC.

Next years class is looking to add some new players that can quickly contribute and become our future great players.

We lost some great ones... But I know we will have players step up and take on the role of our future great players.