Some random Orange Bowl thoughts

Say what you will about Georgia Tech, but the Jackets finished 2014 on quite the roll.  The genius has every right to puff his chest out a little bit.  I’ve got three observations after last night’s impressive win.

  1. Way to go, Mississippi State.  You managed to become the first school that couldn’t defend the triple option in a bowl game after having three-plus weeks to prepare for it.  I know you lost your defensive coordinator mid-way, but still.  The way 2014 ended isn’t a feather for Dan Mullen to stick in his cap.  (He and Freeze didn’t exactly make strong cases for big raises yesterday.)  He’s a good coach, but a guy who can take a program to the promised land?  So far, I’m not seeing it.
  2. Justin Thomas confirms two theories I have about Paul Johnson’s teams. One, as legitimately critical as you can be about the limits on recruiting for the triple option puts on a program, the one plus is that there are kids out there who… well, if not fall through the cracks, have to accept being switched from the position they want to play to get a D-1 scholarship.  Thomas is a perfect example of that.  He was good enough coming out of high school to get an Alabama offer to play defensive back, but his first love was quarterbacking, which is how he wound up at Georgia Tech.  And two, while the triple option has proven itself to be no worse than a competent offensive scheme, it takes a special athlete to really elevate a Johnson team.  Thomas has it in him to be the best fit at quarterback for Tech since Joe Hamilton.  He’s good enough to make me understand why Vad Lee left.  And that means we may need to take this program a little more seriously over the next few seasons.
  3. And, sincere congratulations to the Georgia Tech fan base.  Your program scaled heights it’s rarely seen.  That’s good for some keyboard smack and water cooler bravado, but if you want to impress the outside world into cutting back on the Dragon*Con jokes, you need to start showing up.  Sell out your 50,000-seat stadium, not just when Georgia shows up, but every week.  Put some real asses in the seats when your team goes on the road.  Otherwise, you’ll keep looking like… Tech fans.

132 Comments

Filed under Georgia Tech Football, SEC Football

132 responses to “Some random Orange Bowl thoughts

  1. Cojones

    Exactly my sentiments, Senator. Give the Devil his due.

    First question: How many saw it that way earlier with their “bet” in the Fun Pool?

    Like

  2. Mark Richt

    How do you like me now?

    Like

  3. Hogbody Spradlin

    More and more, Paul the Johnson looks like a good fit at Tech. After our game, he had a satisfied smile telling the info-babe: “I am 2 and 2 here” (in Sanford). Then last night’s crack on not hearing about the SEC for a while.

    A chip on the shoulder coach for a chip on the shoulder school. That can be exploited.

    Like

  4. SEC West

    Was I overrated?

    Like

    • Mayor

      In a word-Yes. All the SEC West hype started with 1 game–the aTm-South Carolina contest, where a mediocre West team beat an over-hyped bad East team. What happened is the poster child for why the polls shouldn’t produce any rankings until mid-season. The artificially high rankings for aTm and other West teams began early when the West teams won their cupcake games and then beat some lousy SEC East teams. Remember Auburn was in the top 5 and ended up with 4 regular season losses (I’m betting the WarTigers lose their bowl, too, for a 5th loss). Ole Miss-4 losses. Missy State-3 losses. LSU-5 losses. Arky-5 losses. Maybe Bama ain’t as great as everybody seems to think.

      Like

      • Scorpio Jones, III

        Mayor I got a really bad feeling about the Sugar Bowl…that Orange Bowl thing there…it got me very itchy. I hope Sauron is in deep concentration.

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    • Bob Smith

      You know its pretty trying times when college football fans use fan turnout to trash the rival. The truth is we got beat and the worst part is that Tech dominates us in basketball, baseball, golf and now they are better than us in football (yes they are a better team this year). Regarding fan base our 7 times more alumni endow our school at a measley $700 million, behind Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, South Carolina and Auburn yet our rivals who don’t show up for games endow Tech at $1.7 billion. It’s time for UGA alumni to get off the ego bandwagon and look with a realistic eye at how poorly we are performing on many levels.

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      • Dear Anonymous
        Because Bob Smith sounds like a Days Inn register name….If you think Tech has a better football team than UGA you clearly didn’t see the actual game this year . If your eyes are open and you are taking emotions out of the contest they were just the luckier team. If a 14% winning percentage is the making of a dominating/better team (that is Tech’s winning percentage against Coach Richt) than you need to stay away from Vegas. Actually the win this year by the Nerds will only benefit the Dawgs because they have once again stupidly tied themselves to mediocrity by extending the contract of an impudent man-child. This is their pinnacle…a lucky win against the dominating big brother and a win against Mississippi State in an Orange Bowl attended by what …25-30 thousand fans. Damn that will help recruiting.
        The comment regarding the endowment makes me feel very confident that you are a Tech troll and reminds me of the game at Tech the year BAYBAY dropped the ball and Tech fell out of the top ten . You remember that year …the year Tech was supposed to win but DIDN’T. After the game while still in the stands I went to find my friends with better seats(still in the upper deck but better seats). I was accosted by a short fat Tech man and his short fatter wife along with their ,not surprisingly, short fat children. He gratuitously told me that he made four times as much money a year as I did. My first inclination to object based on utter speculation was rejected as being pearls before swine. After deciding that telling him to spend some of his great wealth on weigh-watchers might actually cause a breach of the peace ,given that he would have had to defend his morbidly obese wife’s honor I opted to inform him that with that much money I would have thought he could get better seats in their erector set stadium.(We were after all in the upper deck) For some reason that seemed to also piss him off . Techies like to think they are smarter and richer but they(you) ain’t. We rule this State ,Deal with it Nerds.

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  5. TennesseeDawg

    Falcons hire Paul Johnson

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  6. @gatriguy

    PJs best season at Yech and one of the best in school history, and he and the fan base would rather make it about how much smarter they are than everyone else than be happy. It those two parties aren’t a match made in little man, inferiority complex having, a-hole heaven, then I don’t know how is. I have never wanted nerd blood like I do next season. Happy New Years y’all.

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    • Cojones

      With you, @.

      Like

    • Mayor

      Right on, tri.

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    • DrJ

      Nailed it @gatriguy…classless at best..certainly reflected by players as well..gestures etc…act like you have been there..oh wait..they haven’t. And to think we left 17+ points on the field against them. Nerds are this years Barners with 4-5 games giftwrapped with turnovers and poor coaching…they were and will be only be a high ankle sprain away from a meltdown…return to the mean next year. Go you new silver britches!! Happy New Year.

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      • Bob Smith

        Dr. J, congrats on yet another awesome recruiting class. Did you enjoy Charlotte? Maybe you can find a varsity sport that UGA can beat GT in and talk some smack. Tennis and women’s basketball are real sports right?

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        • AusDawg85

          Bob…say it ain’t so! One minute you are an UGA alum chastising us to give more. An hour later, you’ve become a Gnat!? Someone call 911!!

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          • Bob Smith

            Different poster. I’d never pretend to be, act like, dress like or behave like a UGA fan. That would be like selling my soul to the devil.

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            • @gatriguy

              GFY. Take it to Stingtalk douchebag.

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              • Bob Smith

                Thanks but Gatriguy I like reading the posts of the unwashed.

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                • @gatriguy

                  Sure, sure. I get that. One quick question though; please enlighten me and the rest of the unwashed that post here often: just where the fuck have you been for the past 6 years.

                  Because to this lowly, uneducated UGA grad, it seems that you’ve been hoarding up 6 years of shit talking but were to pussy to come post while you were getting your ass beat. Ironically enough, your behavior in the wake of a really good season reeks of new money. Congrats on your season, even a broken clock is right twice every 14 years.

                  Like

            • Well, unless you’ve got a Georgia fan sharing your computer, you’re lying, friend.

              And that gets you gone.

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  7. sectionzalum

    impressive smacking of msu. danny kannel will be most pleased. fear the nerds!

    https://www.google.com/search?q=georgia+tech+stormtroopers&tbm=isch&imgil=VC9Hy3hxM0NZ1M%253A%253B_np4xfU6MTNDtM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fgeorgiasports.blogspot.com%25252F2005%25252F11%25252Fgeorgia-tech-parade-honors-15th-year.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=VC9Hy3hxM0NZ1M%253A%252C_np4xfU6MTNDtM%252C_&usg=__VBw2M8_qtH64OUNj7pECLGX-hJU%3D&biw=1180&bih=586&ved=0CDEQyjc&ei=01SlVPKuOcmYNpvkgZgK#facrc=&imgdii=&imgrc=VC9Hy3hxM0NZ1M%253A%3B_np4xfU6MTNDtM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fphotos1.blogger.com%252Fhello%252F265%252F1411%252F640%252FTechStormtroopers.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fgeorgiasports.blogspot.com%252F2005%252F11%252Fgeorgia-tech-parade-honors-15th-year.html%3B640%3B418

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  8. Cojones

    Love the pundits jabbing at the SEC mantra by using both Miss teams as fodder. What they don’t say is that they had better than normal teams this year that were promoted ad nauseam by ESPN past their relative strengths in the SEC. Picked against both of them several weeks ago after the GPOOE shoeshine had worn off.

    TCU made a big point to have been in the Final 4. Expect Baylor to do the same. The TCU team I witnessed last night can take it to anyone when their D is playing lights out. I don’t know a single team that could have beaten them last night.

    Kudos to Tech’s D as well.

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  9. ctfain

    Justin Thomas is trouble

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    • SouthGaDawg

      With the ACC like it presently is, if Justin Thomas stays healthy and CPJ gets a few more guys on D, they may make the CFP before Georgia does. Just sayin’…

      Like

  10. Doubledawg09

    I am actually really excited to see some juice come back to this rivalry. I am very excited about the game in Atlanta this coming season. Would be nice to see us beat a highly ranked tech team.

    Like

  11. Scorpio Jones, III

    Your thoughts about Thomas are spot on…great to see a kid follow his dreams, even if he follows them to a mediocre program.

    When does spring practice start….Oh…I may have found a hat.

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  12. Scorpio Jones, III

    Paul TheJohnson with his chest puffed out…what a pitcher…”Won’t hear about the SEC for a while” as he is being interviewed by an SEC graduated journalist. It is always great to see a mid-level program rise up once in a while.

    Tech, according to Brent and Jessie (Blabber and Blabber) is one of the great academic institutions in the country.

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  13. The reality is if we punch it in the 3x we were inside the 5, tech wouldn’t have been in Miami last night. We didn’t and they were. No one with real NFL ambition plays in that offense, and no blue chip defensive players want to spend 4-5 years fighting off the cheap shot blocking scheme Fish Fry teaches. Remember Towel Boy got gashed his first year against that system. It never happened again. I’m confident Pruitt will figure it out this offseason.

    Like

    • @gatriguy

      For all the things I didn’t like about Grantham, how he played Tech after 2010 was dead-on. He covered up the G-C-G and wouldn’t let those guys get up to the LBs. He forced the pitch, which is really the goal: a.) the ball is going backwards, and b.) that’s where the turnovers live. MSU lost their DC after the regular season and Deshea Townsend was calling plays last night. He got schooled. Taking nothing away from tech, they are good and had a great season. But they’re not being honest with themselves if they don’t admit they had a bit of a charmed life in how the schedule/season ended up breaking for them.

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      • That’s exactly right. You have to force the pitch to make the ball go backwards before it goes forward. I still say you can’t play against the option on your heels because that makes the outside defenders even more susceptible to the cut blocking. Thomas is a good QB for the system, but there’s no way this gets him to the next level like Saban could have. TG attacked the line of scrimmage especially with the LBs and put on a clinic his last 3 years on defending the triple option. They got their points in 2013 off the passing game where they took advantage of our knuckleheads at safety.

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      • Mayor

        +1. Said another way, you have to stuff the dive play and then cover the QB, making him pitch it while hitting him on EVERY play in the process.

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        • www

          Fairly accurate description of how to stop the triple option. Now a team just has to execute that plan.

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          • playmakers in space

            It’s happened plenty of times during Fish Fry’s tenure, and it will happen plenty of times in the future.

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      • Will (the other one)

        They had a LOT of fumble luck during their second half run (that Pitt game in particular basically handed them a 4 TD lead a few minutes into the game. When they held on to the ball Pitt was destroying their D.)

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  14. www

    Fun game to watch.

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  15. joe

    I was telling someone last night that I sort of envy tech’s position. When you go into every season pretty sure that you are going to suck, it feels great when you actually win 10 games. You don’t hear any wailing or gnashing of teeth about how you could have possibly lost to a team as terrible as unc, everyone is just in euphoria.

    That’s how I felt about uga in the goff and early donnan years. Last night was the first time that I realized that richt is merely a victim of his own success.

    Also, gtu is not really a serious threat going forward. Thomas is fine, but they have 1aa talent at the other rb positions, plus Ted roof has a 20+ year track record of being mediocre to terrible, so I consider what he managed to cobble out of his limited talent to be a complete fluke this year. He will regress next year.

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  16. Scorpio Jones, III

    Every bad thing that happens always produces some good things…like somebody mentions above, we almost need to lose to Tech once in a great while to make the series something other than a warm up for a bowl game.

    For the first time in a long time I can honestly, from the bottom of my heart think….FUCK TECH.

    Like

  17. Scorpio Jones, III

    “He’s a good coach, but a guy who can take a program to the promised land? So far, I’m not seeing it.”

    LMAO….:)

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    • Mayor

      So Scorp, are you saying Fish Fry CAN take Tech to the promised land? 🙂

      Like

      • Scorpio Jones, III

        May, baby, WTF are you smokin? The quote was from Bluto in re: Dan Mullen. It made me giggle cause its been written here so often in re: Mark Richt. That Bluto…ya gotta watch him, there.

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  18. joe

    On Thomas, I just hope he finishes his mechanical engineering degree because in 3 years he will be not doing the same thing Josh Nesbit is not doing, which is providing for his family with an nfl paycheck. Sometimes following your dreams at 18 years old is stupid.

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  19. Yeah, congratulations to Tech fans. And by “congratulations”, I mean “go choke on a bag of dicks”.

    They had a good year, but their fan base is still a seething mob of vicious, chestless social misfits.

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    • JT

      My sentiments exactly.

      Like

    • Cojones

      Why don’t you really say what you feel, Irish? 🙂

      Good counterpunch to all the schmoozing we are giving them.

      Happy New Year you damn rousterbout. Sic’em!

      Like

      • Yeah, Cojones, I’m told all the time I really need to be more direct and to the point.

        Really, though, I despise Tech fans like I do al-Qaeda members. It’s ten feet beneath low class’s cellar to mock the dead just because they’re associated with a sports team you don’t like. And the worst of it is, they do it in the most bitch made punk passive aggressive way possible,on the internet. Go to a Bulldog Club meeting and make fun of Dan McGill’s passing if you’re such a tough guy.

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        • Bob Smith

          Being complimented by a UGA fan is like being loved by the ugliest girl in the state. Tech fans don’t want you to like us. We don’t want your friendship and other than having our way with your coeds don’t want any interaction with any of you except to process your weekly time cards.

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          • Oh, look – a Tech fan talking smack. How cute.

            Enjoy yourself. I’ll see you back here in about six or seven years.

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            • Bob Smith

              Senator, congrats on all the UGA dominance over GT across varsity athletics. Women’s basketball, gymnastics and tennis do count right?

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              • What interaction with UGA coeds do any of you hapless losers have that doesn’t involve roofies and plastic restraints? And I still have yet to see any Tech grads managing anything besides call centers in New Delhi, so fuck off.

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                • Bob Smith

                  Irishdawg, did they teach you to control your temper in one of those athlete no-attendance courses at UGA? Maybe that’s why your UGA coeds look elsewhere for their jollies. Don’t worry, you can have them back in short order.

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                • Hey Smith, I know you Tech guys are really smart, but an inflatable sex doll in a red and black cheer costume is not a “UGA coed”. That’s why she won’t play X box with you.

                  How’s that for controlling my temper, you trolling diaper stain?

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                • Bob Smith

                  Between Irish and Dawgs you touch ALL the delusional wannabe programs. UGA is the worst and with the loss to Florida you all started talking to yourselves again about Lindsay Scott, Herschel and 1980 like it was just yesterday and even remotely relevant. Face it, UGA football is stuck in the middle of the pack in one of the worst divisions in division 1 football and entire athletic program in serious decline. Your temper just can’t process that.

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                • IndyDawg

                  Boooob! Help me out? Have you touched a booby yet? No? It would help your chances if you spent less time slobbbering over your big brother’s blog site and more time chasing women!

                  Like

              • Dawgfan Will

                You should come back and brag on those more often, but you won’t because we both know the only thing that matters is football, and the only reason you’re being feisty now is that your boys got their once-a-decade win against us. Should I come cook your dinner now, whatever that means?

                Like

  20. On the SEC West front, we learned what we learn every year. Ole Miss and Mississippi State beat up on a joke of an OOC schedule, maybe beat somebody they shouldn’t, and then lose the war of attrition in conference due to lack of depth. Arkansas is going to be good if they are patient with Bert. LSU is as good as their desire to be good takes them because they have athletes stacked at every position. Texas A&M needs to learn to play defense consistently. Auburn has to play perfectly and get some breaks to be at the top because they still get the Georgia, Alabama and Florida recruiting leftovers. Alabama does what it does – execute The Process and win. Alabama and LSU are the two powers in the West with Auburn slightly behind. The other 4 are going to be spoilers with A&M as the highest ceiling with Arkansas as next year’s sleeper. The more thing change, the more they stay the same.

    Like

    • Mayor

      I agree with you mostly ee but I think Arky may very well be the favorite in the West next season–at least co-favorites with Bama.

      Like

      • Not without better quarterback play.

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        • Mayor

          I’m thinking (no basis for this-just speculation) that Brandon Allen is going to be better next year. But Arky’s run game is there and their D is there, too. All they need is a modicum of a passing attack, enough so the opposition can’t line up with 9 in the box every play.

          Like

          • Mayor, you’re exactly right. That’s why I think Arky is my 2015 candidate for a sleeper to challenge the Tide. If they can find a passing attack, they will be a tough out.

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        • McTyre

          QB play is same reason I disagree with assessments that LSU is currently a power. QB talent has been poor for five years save Mett’s 2 years and now the D is slipping. Bama still seems far above the rest of that division.

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          • McTyre, that’s true but that defense and their running game allow them to beat anyone. Remember they had Alabama beaten. If Brandon Harris lives up to the hype, he could be the answer under Cameron.

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    • Cojones

      LSU will need a good D coor to take Chavis’s place for that to happen next year. And A@M has taken care of their biggest problem..

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      • I agree, Cojones. My point really is that the Tigers have the most raw talent in the conference outside of T-town. Still not sure about the QBs in Red Stick. Just tell them all telephone communication is down in Athens and will be until they hire a defensive coordinator.

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    • www

      Sounds about right.

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  21. JT

    Senator;
    You and depart on this. I will NEVER EVER NEVER EVER give those people an once of recognition. May that blight in Atlanta be destroyed by a meteor. May a sink hole open up and such them all to HELL.
    I wouldn’t pee on them if they were on fire!

    Like

    • FarmerDawg

      Wow, you are a deranged poet sir.

      Like

    • Bob Smith
      1. We would rather burn.
      2. What would all your coeds do for real men?
      3. Speaking of “blights”…why can’t your alumni provide a decent endowment for your school?
      4. You probably should NEVER NEVER EVER should buy more Taylor Swift albums.

      Like

      • IndyDawg

        Bob Smith burns with the passion to slobber himself all over big brother’s web site. I bet he spends more time taling about UGA than his favorite team. You…are…a…Tech…grad? Maybe? Hilarious you are!

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  22. ChilliDawg

    So with all that gnashing of teeth about coaches pay, IPF’s, and the like, how could LSU, MSU, and Miss fail so miserably? And how could those coaches not have their teams ready for the “big game?” CMR looks better all the time! And McGarity just smiles…

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  23. Uglydawg

    I can’t imagine Dak ever being a Heisman candidate.
    MState didn’t show up. They were bad.
    But the most impressive thing about GT is the way the defense flies to the ball…zero yards after catches.

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  24. ROCK DAWG

    I have a friend who is a die hard Tech fan . He said the gift in Athens was nice but until they put several in a row then he is not convinced about Tech football. Tech returned tickets to the Georgia game . CPJ is 2-5 vs the DAWGS and 2-5 in bowl games . Last time the DAWGS lost on the flats was in 1999 . As mentioned in an earlier comment,they can not fill up that joke by the coke unless a major top quality team is the opponent . The DAWGS STILL RUN THIS STATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GLORY,GLORY to OLE GEORGIA and to HELL with Ga.Tech !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Like

    • Bob Smith

      Baseball, Basketball, Golf and now football. UGA’s endowment is behind South Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas and Auburn at a pitiful $700 million compared to $1.7 billion at GT (regardless of the fact UGA has 7 times more alumni). I don’t think UGA runs much of anything in this state. You could probably make the claim that is runs CLARK COUNTY.

      Like

      • Clarke, jerkoff. Where’d you learn your spelling?

        Also, if you knew anything about anything, you’d know that all of those schools listed have long established engineering programs and I believe 3 of the four have medical schools, the existence of which contribute mightily to a university’s endowment.

        Also, the state of Georgia provided for more of the needs of higher education way longer than many other states, so there wasn’t as great of a need for private fundraising.

        Tech, while a good school, is a trade school. I’ll take a flagship any day.

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        • Bob Smith

          Anon,
          Nice try on the lack of endowment. Georgia’s law school is plenty large enough to provide ample endowment to compete with anything any of the schools listed could provide. The simple fact is that UGA is all talk when it comes to support for their school. Money talks knucklehead.

          Congrats on all your endowment and athletic success. You are squarely in the middle of the pack for SEC schools and at the bottom of the list of 2 in Georgia.

          Like

      • Normaltown Mike

        Georgia has a billion dollar endowment. You couldn’t figure that out?

        https://dar.uga.edu/uga_foundation/index.php/site/page/-/-/overview_of_the_foundation/1

        Man, Tech has gotten really slack in the reading comprehension skills for incoming students. To be so stupid that you can’t even figure out the assets of a public foundation. Wow. It’s so sad. I guess they are more concerned with attracting students that plan on waging jihad against the great Satan.

        http://www.cbs46.com/story/24636309/man-burned-after-fire-in-midtown-atlanta

        http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/10/georgia.terror.trial/index.html?eref=ib_us

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  25. I always take them seriously. A well run triple option and eth cut block is still the most difficult offense to defend.

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  26. Patrick

    Justin Thomas is fast and very talented, and they are a very good team.

    It’s hard to fumble twice on the 1-yard line and beat a very good team. Full stop. It sucks, but it happens. To everybody.

    I wonder why Tech fans aren’t screaming about Paul Johnson’s pooch kick before the half which led to the inexcusable MSU Hail Mary TD. Oh, I know, because there were literally hundreds and hundreds of other coaching decisions and player performances that affected the final outcome.

    But hey, let’s just hire Freeze or Mullen, who never have their teams “not prepared” to play. Oh wait…

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  27. W Cobb Dawg

    WTF is with head coaches having to show their a$$es by dumping on the sec in post game comments? Can’t they just win and fricken enjoy it? Seems some coaches are almost consumed with envy & jealousy toward the sec.

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  28. charlottedawg

    It’s kinda sad seeing tech fans crawl out from whatever bridge they live under the few times they can. The fact that you post on a rival fan blog after a game that didn’t even involve us says all one needs to know about the depths of your sad little obsession.

    Why would I not be surprised if bob is the same as a previous poster named www or Wesley Nicholas only he finally wised up and didn’t link his website and LinkedIn profile like he did after the tech win against Georgia.

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    • www

      Nah, different guy. There are actually more than 2 Tech fans. Probably hard for you to wrap your head around that after spending all of your time reading ESS EEE SEE propaganda. But thanks for thinking of me. Sorry I didn’t think about you at all.

      Like

  29. Chip

    Lots of passive aggressive back handed compliments. Keep ’em coming.

    I actually really enjoy the articles and comments.

    Like