Yet another CPJ vs CGC thread

Roswellgoldmember

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
98
System change involving great athletes adapting to a new system is quite a bit different from system change when the continuing athletes are not great.

Johnson inherited a bushel full of great athletes from Gailey. I am sure I don't have to name them as they are legends on the flats. How many legends did Collins inherit? I am speaking as someone who greatly admires Paul Johnson but once we transitioned to the guys recruited for his system anyone could have seen that it would not be easy to move away from it.

Hiring Collins made a very difficult situation an unbearable one.
I agree mostly but I think we all collectively exaggerate the talent that we had on the 2008/2009 teams at least compared to the teams that we were playing. For one, I am not sure that all of those players would of been legends on the flats without Johnson coaching them. I actually think that the job that Johnson did those first few years was some of the best coaching that I've ever seen at GT but it seems to be remembered as him having inherited an elite roster that he didn't' screw up. That point aside, we had 9 future NFL players on the 2008 roster less than most P5 teams we played that year. I loved all of those players and some others too who didn't end up playing in the NFL. That being said and I am trying to be very respectful of those teams which i loved but we were 2 deep with 2 and 3 star players at most positions.


Here are the rivals recruiting rankings for the 5 classes that proceeded Johnson's arrival:

2003: 50th
2004: 56th
2005: 62nd
2006: 57th
2007: 18th

AVG: 46.6


The 5 classes proceeding Collins:

2014: 47th
2015: 39th
2016: 67th
2017: 41th
2018: 53rd

AVG: 49.4


BTW I agree that Key likely has an easier transition than Collins but I think that we gloss over the transition that CPJ made and how successful it was.
 

cpf2001

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
827
Your just being kind to the previous coach. At this point it is OK to be honest about how bad he was
I think Collins was terrible, I think it's also just funny that here the transition-apologists are talking a LOT about how the changed roster needs means coming off a winning season with a couple of recent 9+ win seasons is actually "the hardest transition in college football" but aren't doing any specific handicapping of, say, is that harder than trying to get back to bowl games after taking over a program that's gone 3-9 year after year after year? If you expect the "average" non-option coach to struggle with the 2019 team, what would you expect the "average" coach to do after taking over a 3-9 Collins team?

If we want to see quick improvement - hell, if we even believe in the improvement we saw last year - we have to hope that the Collins factor was a massive hindrance.

And then if we accept that Collins was holding the recent teams back by a few wins... why wouldn't we assume he also held the 2019 team back? But some folks seem willing to say "Collins sucked, we're gonna be better without him" but *not* say "Collins sucked, we would've been better without him in 2019 too."
 

CEB

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,164
The only mitigating circumstance would be if their coach was truly abysmal, one of the worst to ever coach at a high level anywhere… ;)
9C36E91F-F617-4005-9532-F455AA3668B7.gif
 

Roswellgoldmember

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
98
I think Collins was terrible, I think it's also just funny that here the transition-apologists are talking a LOT about how the changed roster needs means coming off a winning season with a couple of recent 9+ win seasons is actually "the hardest transition in college football" but aren't doing any specific handicapping of, say, is that harder than trying to get back to bowl games after taking over a program that's gone 3-9 year after year after year? If you expect the "average" non-option coach to struggle with the 2019 team, what would you expect the "average" coach to do after taking over a 3-9 Collins team?

If we want to see quick improvement - hell, if we even believe in the improvement we saw last year - we have to hope that the Collins factor was a massive hindrance.

And then if we accept that Collins was holding the recent teams back by a few wins... why wouldn't we assume he also held the 2019 team back? But some folks seem willing to say "Collins sucked, we're gonna be better without him" but *not* say "Collins sucked, we would've been better without him in 2019 too."
I agree with all of this but I think the mitigating factor is that Collins was so inept at running the program, up to and including practice, that Key was able to make a dramatic change mid season just by resuming normal football operations.
 

Roswellgoldmember

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
98
If we want to see quick improvement - hell, if we even believe in the improvement we saw last year - we have to hope that the Collins factor was a massive hindrance.
My money is on this. Given that we were gonna do a full roster rebuild, which in retrospect seems really dumb, I think/hope that Collins did a pretty good job with the roster rebuild. Collins was such a horrible coach, both day to day and on gameday, that we didn't see the results of the roster rebuild until Key took over mid season.
 

Ibeeballin

Im a 3*
Messages
6,047
I agree mostly but I think we all collectively exaggerate the talent that we had on the 2008/2009 teams at least compared to the teams that we were playing. For one, I am not sure that all of those players would of been legends on the flats without Johnson coaching them. I actually think that the job that Johnson did those first few years was some of the best coaching that I've ever seen at GT but it seems to be remembered as him having inherited an elite roster that he didn't' screw up. That point aside, we had 9 future NFL players on the 2008 roster less than most P5 teams we played that year. I loved all of those players and some others too who didn't end up playing in the NFL. That being said and I am trying to be very respectful of those teams which i loved but we were 2 deep with 2 and 3 star players at most positions.


Here are the rivals recruiting rankings for the 5 classes that proceeded Johnson's arrival:

2003: 50th
2004: 56th
2005: 62nd
2006: 57th
2007: 18th

AVG: 46.6


The 5 classes proceeding Collins:

2014: 47th
2015: 39th
2016: 67th
2017: 41th
2018: 53rd

AVG: 49.4


BTW I agree that Key likely has an easier transition than Collins but I think that we gloss over the transition that CPJ made and how successful it was.

***facelalm*** please provide context. This is getting beyond ridiculous. Recruiting services were nowhere near what they are now. Even with how limited the recruiting services were, 03-2007 provided GT 12 Top 250 14-18 only 2 Top 250. If the offer list were different from the guys then to latter 4 yrs. Class size matter as well rankings.
 

MountainBuzzMan

Helluva Engineer
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Location
South Forsyth
My money is on this. Given that we were gonna do a full roster rebuild, which in retrospect seems really dumb, I think/hope that Collins did a pretty good job with the roster rebuild. Collins was such a horrible coach, both day to day and on gameday, that we didn't see the results of the roster rebuild until Key took over mid season.
I think that is part of the point. A good coach did not have to rebuild so much as just transistion and then build on a good transition. There was talent from the start for the worst coach ever in the history of coaching.
 

Heisman's Ghost

Helluva Engineer
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4,404
Location
Albany Georgia
This may be the wrong thread, so the mods may relocate it.

I am in Norway sightseeing and visiting friends. In a quirky moment yesterday I saw someone I assumed to be a tourist wearing a GT cap and stopped him to chat. He lives in Oslo! He asked me what I thought about coach Key and I said I am optimistic. He concurred. He added that Collins was a bad choice to follow Johnson, but wondered if anyone could have been successful with that transition. I have had that same thought during these past few seasons in spite of wanting Collins gone. Am I the only one?
Boy, its a good thing that the internet was not around when Bud Carson replaced the living legend himself Bobby Dodd. As for Collins, he is gone and Coach Johnson is enjoying a well deserved retirement. So leave it at that. IMHO
 

Root4GT

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,495
Is there any evidence other than someone speculating like 3 posts above that some type of transition plan being enacted like Fritz did at GSU was not allowed by higher ups?

If so, then GT 'higher ups' dictating the type of offense the football coach should run is pretty disfunctional.
And what indication do you have that ADTS wasn’t disfunctional
 

Ibeeballin

Im a 3*
Messages
6,047
I think Collins was terrible, I think it's also just funny that here the transition-apologists are talking a LOT about how the changed roster needs means coming off a winning season with a couple of recent 9+ win seasons is actually "the hardest transition in college football" but aren't doing any specific handicapping of, say, is that harder than trying to get back to bowl games after taking over a program that's gone 3-9 year after year after year? If you expect the "average" non-option coach to struggle with the 2019 team, what would you expect the "average" coach to do after taking over a 3-9 Collins team?

If we want to see quick improvement - hell, if we even believe in the improvement we saw last year - we have to hope that the Collins factor was a massive hindrance.

And then if we accept that Collins was holding the recent teams back by a few wins... why wouldn't we assume he also held the 2019 team back? But some folks seem willing to say "Collins sucked, we're gonna be better without him" but *not* say "Collins sucked, we would've been better without him in 2019 too."

This is getting even weirder. What inherited team won 9 gms? The 3 & 5 win season were just as recent as the the 9 win you speak that was inherited. Collins being horrendous has really change some memories of what had occurred before him. We 24-25 since our great OB run with 2 losing seasons and bowl streak ended. Not only were inconsistent on the field but we’re losing battles we should never lose in recruiting as well ala Duke. Changes had to be made. It’s obvious that changes were needed but it is now obvious that TS & CGC shouldn’t have been been guys leading the transition.

I advise some of yall to search the game day post and refresh how bad we were in the trenches on both sides the ball. That is mainly why i find it hard to believe anyway could’ve had that 2019 winning more than 5 gms
 

Root4GT

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,495
Good coaches can make it happen! Johnson took non option players and beat ugag year one and won the ACC second.
We have beat that dog to death. GT wanted change from the CJP Option program. There are plenty of opinions if that was a good approach.

Regardless of the merits of that approach it is the one the GT decision makers wanted.

Given that was the preferred GT approach then whoever was the coach faced a huge challenge.

We all know Collins failed at the challenge.

We all know the pool of candidates was bad, retread college and pro coaches who were not successful at their prior stops.

Had we hired a very good coach and decided to gradually move away from CJP’s offense could things have gone better. Of course. Could we have hired a much better coach, not likely as non were interested and we were paying bottom dollar for the full FB Staff.

If Key doesn’t do a better job than Collins then GT is in big trouble.
 

rfjeff9

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
411
The CPJ to TFG transition didn't have to be so drastic. While that offense didn't have to continue, I could have seen TFG come in and SLOWLY move away from it rather than try to run something that he had ZERO personnel recruited to fit.

The option should have still been in the playback, ditto the rocket toss, but used less. It was completely worthless and childish to line up in that formation and do the "just kidding" joke at the start of his first game.
 

Heisman's Ghost

Helluva Engineer
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Location
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This may be the wrong thread, so the mods may relocate it.

I am in Norway sightseeing and visiting friends. In a quirky moment yesterday I saw someone I assumed to be a tourist wearing a GT cap and stopped him to chat. He lives in Oslo! He asked me what I thought about coach Key and I said I am optimistic. He concurred. He added that Collins was a bad choice to follow Johnson, but wondered if anyone could have been successful with that transition. I have had that same thought during these past few seasons in spite of wanting Collins gone. Am I the only one?
I don't know the answer to your question but a cursory examination of that first year (2019) gives a good idea of what strange times the program was about to enter. Tech played poorly in losing to both the Citadel and Temple yet somehow managed to beat a Miami team that had been picked to place second in the Coastal and a pretty decent NC State team. Just try to wrap your head around that. The only thing I remember from that Miami game was that we actually played pretty well and that the Miami fan board Canes in sight absolutely crucified Manny for that and never let up during his entire tenure. Must have been a bad year for new coaches.
 
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