Can Ted Roof work his magic?

That, friends, is actually the question Sports Illustrated asks about Georgia Tech’s new (old?) defensive coordinator at its website’s front page at the link to this article.

I know Mike Bobo certainly hopes so.

This is how the piece represents Roof’s halcyon days on the Plains:

For all of his movement, however, this is worth noting: Roof’s defenses have delivered at virtually every one of his stops. At Auburn, the Tigers’ ninth-ranked rushing defense helped limit Oregon to 19 points in the BCS title game — 28 points below the Ducks’ season average.

The reality at Auburn was a little less magical than that – 68th nationally in total defense in 2009 and 76th in scoring defense (good for 11th and 12th, respectively, in the conference) and 60th in total defense/53rd in scoring defense the next season (both were 9th in the SEC).  (Stats via Marty, of course.)

Then came 2011.  A truly magical season.

On December 8, 2011, Roof accepted the defensive coordinator position at the University of Central Florida. The move came after Roof led Auburn’s defense to one of the worst statistical seasons in the program’s history. Auburn’s defense finished the 2011 regular season 78th in the nation, allowing 405.8 yards per game. The previous yards-per-game high for an Auburn defense was 389.1 in 1979.

Roof’s three Auburn defenses yielded 107 points to Georgia, an average not much better than the now maligned Al Groh achieved in his two games coaching against the Dawgs.  This year, Roof will be weaning Tech’s 3-4 personnel off the old system and back into a 4-3.  We’ll see what gets delivered in Atlanta on November 30th.