One thing I’m genuinely curious about: offhand, whom do you think the folks who are critical of Chaney’s work (and Bobo’s for that matter) would deem the ideal Georgia offensive coordinator?
Daily Archives: February 1, 2019
Mo’ money, SEC-style
Another year when nobody in the conference will be missing any meals.
You should take this as proof they’re still the smartest guys in the room. They do.
Filed under It's Just Bidness, SEC Football
Pygmies on the backs of giants
You’ll never guess the latest Georgia Tech recruiting pitch ($$).
Georgia Tech’s third step is taking advantage of Super Bowl LIII being played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the heart of Atlanta. This week, above any other week since Collins was hired and the subsequent addition of his staff, is crucial for — as Collins would say — “putting Georgia Tech back in the national conversation.”
The eyes of the football world are on Atlanta this week, and Georgia Tech needs to make the most of that.
That’s right — “kid, if you come play for the Jackets, you can suit up in the same facilities the Patriots used for practice!”
“Right now, the Super Bowl is in town, and it is (1.9) miles away from Bobby Dodd Stadium,” Collins told The Cheap Seats radio show. “The college national championship was played here last year, (1.9) miles away from Bobby Dodd Stadium. The College Football Hall of Fame is right here in our backyard. The center of the college football universe is in Atlanta, and Georgia Tech is in the heart of it.”
“And just think — a couple of years ago, Georgia lost a national title game just a couple of miles away from good ol’ BDS!”
You have to admire the efficiency of it. Tech’s fan base has been living vicariously through Georgia’s opponents for decades. The new coaching staff is just internalizing that approach for its own purposes. Well played, Geoff.
Filed under Georgia Tech Football, Recruiting
How dominant was Clemson in 2018?
I’m generally fascinated by the strength of schedule debate. It’s certainly not irrelevant, but there is a danger in overrating its importance. The simple truth is that a great team can play a weak schedule. The latter shouldn’t define the former, but I’ve seen plenty of cases where that’s argued.
What’s important is that a great team should dominate mediocre opposition and do it on a consistent basis. Take a look at what Matt wrote about Clemson’s latest national championship season.
A little less than four weeks ago, Clemson won their second national title in the past three seasons (and third overall). The Tigers dominated (on the scoreboard if not in the box score) an Alabama team that many thought might be one of the best of all-time. Clemson was touted as one of the best teams in the nation all season, but with the Tide sucking most of the oxygen out of the college football ecosystem, I feel like most casual football fans didn’t realize how dominant Clemson was this (I know I didn’t realize it until I was crunching the numbers for bowl season). The Tigers did survive a few tight games in 2018, edging Texas A&M in College Station and rallying to beat their Orange adversaries in Death Valley. However, those games share a common thread: quarterback Trevor Lawrence did not both start and finish them. In games Lawrence both started and finished, the Tigers won by an average of 36 points per game, with no team coming closer than twenty points!
He concludes, “The ACC was mediocre at best in 2018, but Clemson thoroughly dominated it, and with their non-conference performance (victories against two SEC bowl teams as well as a solid Sun Belt squad) and subsequent playoff thrashing of two unbeaten heavyweights, the Tigers can make a case they are the best national champion of the new century.” Agree or disagree? If you disagree, how much do you hold the overall weakness of last season’s ACC against Clemson?
Filed under ACC Football, Clemson: Auburn With A Lake, Stats Geek!
“Geography’s not undefeated, but it’s pretty close.”
It is well past time to recognize the level of wealth of high school talent produced in the state of Georgia. There are four states in 2019 that have each generated at least ten percent of the 382 blue-chip recruits (rated four or five stars on the 247Sports Composite). Three are the usual suspects — California, Texas and Florida. The fourth, with a smaller population base than the traditional giants, is Georgia.
The story is similar over the last seven recruiting classes. Which helps to explain something:
It’s not a coincidence that Kirby Smart’s signed only top-five classes since making his way to Athens after 2015. Florida, Texas, and California used to be the interchangeable top three recruiting states. But now Georgia’s in that group, and much closer to those three than any others in blue-chip count.
Blame it on Richt, blame it on a lack of institutional support for Richt, in any event it’s clear Georgia was leaving money on the table when it came to recruiting before Smart’s hire. Add that to Paul Johnson’s outright recruiting malpractice and it’s no wonder there were schools making a better living coming into Georgia to sign kids.
Filed under Georgia Football, Recruiting
“Coach Mullen knows the mentality, and he’s bringing that Gator standard back.”
The offseason happy talk in Gainesville, she is strong.
Unfinished business.
These juniors — including running back La’ Mical Perine, wide receiver Van Jefferson, linebacker David Reese, wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland and defensive end Jabari Zuniga — are coming back to try and win a national championship in year two under coach Dan Mullen.
“I believe this team has a chance to go to the national championship game and I want to be part of something like that,” Jefferson said.
“We feel we have a legitimate shot to win it all,” Perine said.
If you’re a Dawg fan, there are some reassuring echoes from a decade or so ago, to boot.
Florida wasn’t that far off from being a championship contender in Mullen’s first season.
“Man, two games,” Reese said. “The little things. Couple of games away, a couple of different snaps away, from being a contender. The margin of error is real small.
“If we find a way to beat Georgia (this season) and get to the SEC Championship Game, we’ll give ourselves a chance to play in the national championship game. I feel like there’s an opportunity with this team. But there’s a lot of work to be done.”
Under Mullen and the new staff, the players have shown they’re willing to put in the work. Numerous players have said the turnaround season in 2018 started about a year ago in the weight room, under strength and conditioning coordinator Nick Savage and his staff.
Savage and the Gators are back at it now, laying the groundwork for the 2019 season.
“This offseason is going to get us to where we need to be,” Jefferson said. “Coach Savage is putting us through these crazy workouts. All these workouts we’re doing right now are going to pay off. Once we hit spring ball and fall camp, we’ll be ready to go.”
Yeah, real small error in a game they lost by 19 and were outgained by 150 yards. No worries, though. The S&C coach is here to save the day!
I welcome our new mentality overlords, who sound a lot like our old mentality overlords.
Filed under Gators, Gators...
“Paul felt good, Tech felt good, the fans, the alumni base, all felt good.”
Greg McGarity does not approve of this message.
The transition from coach Paul Johnson to Collins and the hiring of new staff cost the athletic department a little less than $6 million, associate AD for finance and administration Marvin Lewis said Thursday at the quarterly meeting of the Georgia Tech Athletic Association. Tech already was projecting to run a $2.8 million deficit for the fiscal year, but now will be closer to $9 million.
As a result, Tech’s fund balance – its money for a rainy day – has been depleted. It was about $6.65 million at the start of the fiscal year in July.
I’m not really sure Collins needs the security of a seven-year contract. After all, they can’t fire you if there’s no buyout money in the bank.
Filed under Georgia Tech Football, It's Just Bidness
Get The Picture 