Pete Fiutak sets the table for Georgia Tech:
Head coach Paul Johnson is going into his 11th year with the Yellow Jackets, with four division titles and an ACC championship. But the team is 17-19 with two losing seasons in the last three since taking out Mississippi State in the 2015 Orange Bowl. That’s as many losing campaigns as Johnson had in his previous 18 seasons as a head man.
He’s a brilliant, legendary coach who’ll end up in the College Football Hall of Fame, but even for him, a third losing season in four years is a problem.
And here’s where Georgia Tech will be an interesting case study once the season is over.
Outside of the elite teams coming into the season, find anyone else who might have a shot at doing something positive with a slate that includes road games at Georgia, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Pitt and USF, and home games against Clemson and Miami. Throw in dates against Duke and Virginia – who went bowling last year – and a road trip to North Carolina, and good luck.
And why does Georgia Tech have that chance to survive and even thrive against this slate?
Before we get to his answer, realize that somehow Johnson, in the midst of his worse run ever as a head coach, somehow managed to snag a contract extension. Hmm… maybe the guy is a genius. But I digress.
So, Pete, how does that chance go?
The good news is that Georgia Tech gets Clemson in Atlanta. The bad news is that it has to play Clemson.
Going to Pitt, USF, Louisville, Virginia Tech, and then closing it all up with Georgia would be the end of most teams before the season even started. And then, throw in home dates against Miami along with Clemson, and the season is all about having a little fun and killing some time.
But with the option attack, and the likely improvements on defense, there will be an upset or three – like the win over Virginia Tech last year – and without the clunkers like there were against Virginia and Duke.
Oh it’ll be a struggle to get to bowl eligibility, but it’ll happen.
Seven wins. Maybe he’ll get another extension.
Get The Picture 
He lost me when I read “.. a brilliant and legendary coach..” what the hell?
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He’s got national titles at Georgia Southern and he made Navy football relevant again. That’s not nothing.
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But he did it with Erk’s players!!!
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That would be a nifty trick, since there’s a seven-year gap between their tenures.
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To-MAY-to, to-MAH-to.
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Agreed, no argument there. I guess his perspective on what “brilliant and legendary” is different than yours truly. Your mileage may vary, of course.
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Like it or not, he’s gonna get credit for his offensive scheme.
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Meh, if I were judging HOF entry I’d be skeptical. Sure, natty titles at Ga Southern are a good start – winning at lower levels is how most coaches advance. Bringing Navy back from the dead is mildly impressive. But when he got up with the P5 big boys the record gets a lot more mediocre. If fishfry is HOF material the bar is pretty low.
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Again, he’s closing in on 200 D-1 wins. How many coaches like that don’t make the HOF?
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I for one can’t wait for the day when Georgia Tech commemorates some part of BDS with Hall of Famer Paul Johnson’s name despite never having beaten UGA in that stadium (to-date, anyway). It’ll be as Georgia Tech a thing to do as Ole Miss hanging an SEC West Division banner they tied LSU for in 2003.
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He meant “legend has is that he used to be a brilliant coach”.
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Johnson & Dauber Offense represent the cutting edge of offensive football theory…
…in 1976.
Still, I DO love the option… such a pretty thing, when well run.
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“…who will end up in the Hall of Fame.” I get that PJ had a great career at Ga Southern and was successful at Navy, but he’s been mediocre at Tech. Put that resume on any coach not running the triple option, and I don’t think we’d consider the man a hall of famer.
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I hate it when y’all make me defend the man, but in addition to what he did at GSU and Navy, he’s got an ACC title and several division titles at Georgia Tech. If you think that’s easy, more power to you.
He’s also closing in on 200 career wins. If he hits that, it’s hard to see how he doesn’t make the HOF.
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The man only has one conference championship, and that one was vacated.
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You can talk vacate all you want. The wins still happened.
Now, stop making me do this. 😉
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Sorry for the double/premature post. But in the interest of not making your Monday morning filled with PJ defense, I’ll relent. Let’s move along to another topic…has Mark Bradley published anything hilarious lately?
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The man only has one conference championship, and that one was vacated. His overall record at Tech is a ho-hum 75-54, and this at the only Power 5 conference job he’s had. I’m not saying he’s a bad coach. I’m just saying he’s not a Hall of Famer unless we’re giving him some kind of special credit for having success with the triple option.
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It’s the 1-AA success that will get him in the Hall of Fame. Same as with Donnan. Neither did anything at the FBS level to warrant induction. It’s also a damn shame that Erk isn’t in based on that criteria.
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Jim Donnan did his best work as an investment advisor.
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If he’s really as brilliant as he thinks he is, he should be able to parlay another 5-7 season into another contract extension. Paul Hewatt can only applaud in amusement at the mini Skipper uses the Jedi mind trick on a weak minded Tech AD and president yet again.
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Clemson at Tech looks just like UGA at Tech. Lot more Orange in the stands than the home team’s Black and Gold. Looking at this schedule, they’ll be lucky to win 4 or 5. I cannot believe they extended this guys contract.
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Paul the Johnson may or may not make the Hall of Fame on his coaching record, but he’s a strong candidate to get in on the Corch Irvin Meyers Asshole slot.
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Corch already has that one nailed down in perpetuity.
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Yeah he retired the trophy, but it’s awarded to a new recipient periodically.
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In this crazy world, I love the consistency of May predictions telling us that Georgia Techs defense is going to improve. It’s like the top from Inception.
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I also don’t get where his multiple assertions that Marshall is going to get better in the passing game is coming from. Is it because of his performance in spring practice against that secondary that replaces every player?
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I have a feeling the tech faithful are going to be pining for the Chantastic days of Gailey before long when they have to retool their entire program post-Fish Fry.
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Have you heard that their new DC is going to play more aggressive defense?
I’m still waiting for the first DC who says that he plans on sitting back and letting the game come to him.
I predict the techies might regret the woody/Johnson pairing for more than the obvious reason.
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Their defense last year was one of their better ones under Johnson, though it didn’t force many turnovers. Why does he think it’s going to improve under new management?
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Tech and Johnson are the perfect match. Tech uses a built in excuse for poor recruiting and Johnson despises the recruiting game. Could that be why they extended him?
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Folks here in Statesboro would love for him to come back to GSU as AD or head coach.
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Not understanding why theirs is such a tough schedule. Pitt is mediocre, USF lost their best offensive players, Louisville can’t defend and lost their Heisman QB, VA Tech may have lost theirs as well. GA Tech should win at least 7 games with that schedule.
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senator, here is my response that will make you stop defending him. Erk isn’t in. If Erk isn’t in, no way fishfry gets in.
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