WTF happened...sorta rant

[awbuzz]

I'll never take a 7-5 season for granted ever again. I know that much.

Welcome to the world of the 50+ year old GT football fan club.

 

[awbuzz]

Plus you add in the players that quit to the list of injuries and wow it is hard to win

LB A. Harrell
LB B. Hankins
WR Mike Summers
DT J. Hunt

I

Hankins left team due to concussions and made a decision to protect his future because of potential future damage. I respect his decision despite it being mid season.

 

[awbuzz]

Regarding ST... Take away the KOs for touchbacks and I would bet we're a lot worse than 50 something in the rankings.

 

[CHE90]

Regarding ST... Take away the KOs for touchbacks and I would bet we're a lot worse than 50 something in the rankings.

That's ridiculous. Let's just cherry pick everything to make your case. I suppose you don't want to include a huge blocked field goal(against best kicker in the nation) and return for TD to win the game vs a top 10 opponent. Let's just not include that either. If my aunt had a **** she'd be my uncle.

 

[Skeptic]

Regarding ST... Take away the KOs for touchbacks and I would bet we're a lot worse than 50 something in the rankings.

anybody think that in his off-season reviews Johnson eliminates special teams coach to return to his prior "everybody coaches ST" -- really not that unusual in college ball actually -- and goes back to two O line coaches?

I wish our KO team was reliable enough to make stops inside the 20 so that we didn't have everybody starting at the 25 against us. Yeah, I know, I know. Wasn't that long ago we were begging for EZ KOs.

 

[awbuzz]

@CHE90 - No it's not ridiculous. would be interesting to see the rank breakdown of each portion of ST play.

Just because one's feet are in a freezer at 0 degrees and their butt sitting on an stove at 300F head in freezer at -75F doesn't mean they are healthy or comfortable even though the average is a comfortable 75F. (maybe not the best analogy, but the point should be obvious)

As pointed out our KO Return coverage w/o those that are touchbacks is lacking. Our ability to reliability get to at least the 25 if we choose to return a KO is poor, and the number of shanked punts seems to be outside of at least one standard deviation. (JMO)

If after excluding the KOs that are touchbacks, I'd bet we don't crack the top 70.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

anybody think that in his off-season reviews Johnson eliminates special teams coach to return to his prior "everybody coaches ST" -- really not that unusual in college ball actually -- and goes back to two O line coaches?

I wish our KO team was reliable enough to make stops inside the 20 so that we didn't have everybody starting at the 25 against us. Yeah, I know, I know. Wasn't that long ago we were begging for EZ KOs.

I thought our ST coach shared OL responsibilities already.

 

[awbuzz]

From http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/feist They have us as the 34th most efficient ST.

Well our Punt Efficiency - when we punt - ranks #106 - shanks and long returns will do that to you.

Even with all the touch backs, we end up rank #74 in kickoff efficiency. If Butker doesn't put it into the EZ things aren't so rosy on a regular basis.

Our KRE ranks 59, better than I'd have thought.

When we attempt a field goal we are very efficient - #11.

All areas have room for improvement... some just have a lot more room than others.

FGE: Field Goal Efficiency, the scoring value generated per field goal attempt.
PRE: Punt Return Efficiency, the scoring value generated per opponent punt.
KRE: Kickoff Return Efficiency, the scoring value generated per opponent kickoff.
PE: Punt Efficiency, the scoring value generated per punt.
KE: Kickoff Efficiency, the scoring value generated per kickoff.
Opp FGE: Opponent Field Goal Efficiency, the scoring value generated per opponent field goal attempt. Opp FGE is not included in STE ratings.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

@CHE90 - No it's not ridiculous. would be interesting to see the rank breakdown of each portion of ST play.

Just because one's feet are in a freezer at 0 degrees and their butt sitting on an stove at 300F head in freezer at -75F doesn't mean they are healthy or comfortable even though the average is a comfortable 75F. (maybe not the best analogy, but the point should be obvious)

As pointed out our KO Return coverage w/o those that are touchbacks is lacking. Our ability to reliability get to at least the 25 if we choose to return a KO is poor, and the number of shanked punts seems to be outside of at least one standard deviation. (JMO)

If after excluding the KOs that are touchbacks, I'd bet we don't crack the top 70.

We are tied for 7th in the nation in blocked punts and 15th in the nation for blocked FG/XP. We have allowed 159 total punt return yards. We are averaging a little over 35 yards a punt, however, which isn't good and allowing 23 yards on non-touchback kickoff returns. The 23 yards, while it ranks us in the bottom third, isn't far from being in the top third. There are a LOT of teams in the low 20's on kickoff return defense. If we were 2 yards better on KO and hadn't shanked a few punts (some due to bad snaps by the long snapper), then we'd probably be ranked a good bit higher.

We aren't very good at KO returns ourselves, but we are also missing Qua Searcy, who had a lot of promise on that unit.

 

[daBuzz]

And how many of those years was he able to recruit a FULL recruiting class? TWO !!! Yes, these are all his players now, and they haven't performed up to expectations, whether because of their (lack of) talent or coaching. Do you not remember that when he arrived, he was immediately hit with recruiting limitations because of "sins" of the past, and that because of DRad's screwup with the NCAA, he was hit with more. And on top of that, DRad consistently refused to increase the recruiting staff. Only when MBob was hired, was Johnson able to hire recruiting assistants like every other school in the country has. YOU are the one not living in the real world and facing up to FACTS. The fact that we could win last year with his recruits and yet not this year would certainly seem to indicate that there is something wrong somewhere in coaching, and Johnson must bear the responsibility for that as HC. I don't deny that, but I also don't believe that the blame can be laid entirely at his feet. If you are going to lay all the blame at his feet, then you must also give him all the credit for 2014. Are you willing to do that?

What are you talking about? We had scholarship reductions for 3 years -- 2005, 2006 and 2007 seasons. The scholly reductions were finished by the time Paul Johnson took over. The penalties you mention from DRad and the Demaryius Thomas incidents resulted in probation, fines, loss of ACC Championship trophy, etc but not scholarship reductions. Let's don't go revising history here.

http://espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2227377

The NCAA added a limit of 79 total grants-in-aid for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 academic years in football, down from the normal limit of 85. Georgia Tech's self- imposed reduction of scholarships this year did not include a corresponding overall limit on scholarships.

 

[Skeptic]

I thought our ST coach shared OL responsibilities already.

Just so, but maybe "shared" is the operative word. Just sort of wonder if given the lack of ST success despite dedication of a coach, maybe Johnson -- given the abysmal OL play this season with what was supposed to be a veteran unit -- might want to return to the future.

 

[vamosjackets]

Have any of you guys ever had a bad year? Just curious? Who's fault was it?

 

[yellojello]

Have any of you guys ever had a bad year? Just curious? Who's fault was it?

In my experience, if one person has a bad year, it's on them. If the entire team has a bad year, I'd blame the management. It doesn't mean that the individuals aren't at fault, but the bigger share of blame goes to the management. It's their job to motivate and get the best out of the team.

 

[Essobee]

In my experience, if one person has a bad year, it's on them. If the entire team has a bad year, I'd blame the management. It doesn't mean that the individuals aren't at fault, but the bigger share of blame goes to the management. It's their job to motivate and get the best out of the team.

I have found that it can be difficult to motivate people but easy to demotivate people. Either way, the buck stops at the top. So who is at the top?

 

[yellojello]

I have found that it can be difficult to motivate people but easy to demotivate people. Either way, the buck stops at the top. So who is at the top?

Very astute observation Essobee. Rings true from my experience.

 

[Skeptic]

In my experience, if one person has a bad year, it's on them. If the entire team has a bad year, I'd blame the management. It doesn't mean that the individuals aren't at fault, but the bigger share of blame goes to the management. It's their job to motivate and get the best out of the team.

Sounds somewhat like a former DI. Motivating, I mean. Because no matter how well you do it, the inescapable fact is that one cannot be motivated beyond his ability. The trick is motivating them to play at their ability.

 

[Skeptic]

I have found that it can be difficult to motivate people but easy to demotivate people. Either way, the buck stops at the top. So who is at the top?

So you are saying, what? The team is being "demotivated"? Kind of weird I would think.

 

[Essobee]

So you are saying, what? The team is being "demotivated"? Kind of weird I would think.

I'm not saying the team is being demotivated, Skeptic. I'm not saying that at all. They go out each game and play their butts off, so how could that translate to being demotivated? Yellojello gets what I am suggesting.

I asked who is at the top? I would suggest that we fans and alumni are the ones at the top and that some very vocal fans and alumni have engaged in unjust criticism of specific coaches and players. If you agree, then you might also agree that any coach or player who feels he is unjustly criticized could hence feel he is justified in being pissed at the "boss"...and subsequently become demotivated.

IOW, suppose you had a recent record of success that demonstrates, at least in your opinion, that you are an exceptional performer at your coaching or playing position. Then along comes your "boss" -- a "higher-up" who doesn't know a fraction of what you know about performing your job -- and he or she broadcasts to the whole world that you aren't even pulling your own weight. Motivating? I think not. Demotivating? I think so.

Now if that attitude were to permeate all the way down the line, then you could easily have a mutiny on your hands. That hasn't been happening insofar as I can determine. Quite the opposite. If anything, our team has remained self-motivated in the face of extreme adversity. So credit someone, maybe several people, along the chain of command that has absorbed the blows in place of downward buck-passing, thereby stopping the finger-pointing and scapegoating in its tracks.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Graduation + attrition + schedule was too much to handle and none of it was coach's fault. I doubt any coach could have done much better.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

.........If my aunt had a **** she'd be my uncle.

After the season is over (probably within two weeks), I'll do a ST summary. Some good but some regression. We are worse overall with more experience and no notable injuries.

But back to your quote, what does that make your Uncle?