Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech Already Silencing ACC Critics

The critics said it would be a long first season for Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson.  They said Johnson’s option-oriented system couldn’t succeed in the ACC.

Members of the ACC media voted Georgia Tech to finish fourth in the Coastal Division, while SI.com had the Yellow Jackets ranked 80th in the country with a 3-9 record by season’s end.

Johnson simply brushed away every criticizing comment.  In a preseason interview with the Georgia Tech media, Johnson said, “Those are opinions.  That’s all they are.  It’s up to us to go out and prove them wrong.”

A look at four pre-season criticisms of the Yellow Jackets:

“The Option-Oriented Offense Won’t Work in the ACC”

To the general football fan who’s not too familiar with Paul Johnson’s offense—describing it as a triple-option offense is actually frowned upon, because that’s really not what it is.

It’s that and much more. 

While most football fans are used to a RB and FB in the backfield, the Jackets instead have an AB and BB, that’s A-Back (basically a morphing of a running back and slot receiver) and B-Back (described as half-running back, half-fullback).

The offense thrives off its ability to provide multiple looks to a defense, and as a result, yards can pile up quickly—specifically with big plays in the running game.  The Yellow Jackets had 349 yards on the ground against Jacksonville State in week one.  Saturday’s totals against Boston College—162 yards rushing—would be average against most schools. 

However, it’s a respectable total on the road against an Eagles front seven that is arguably the best in the ACC.

“The Overall Talent Pool Isn’t There to Compete”

There are those with the ill-conceived notion that all of Georgia Tech’s talent bought a one-way ticket out of town once Chan Gailey was let go.  That simply isn’t true. 

In fact, Georgia Tech’s 2007 recruiting class—15th in the country according to Scout.com—still features a number of its most talented players, including four-star recruits Jonathan Dwyer and Josh Nesbitt, who both are at the forefront of Paul Johnson’s offense.

Dwyer, the starting B-back who also appears on the Doak Walker watch list, has exploded for two 100-yard games, including 109 yards against Boston College.  Nesbitt, the athletic QB and head of the offense, escaped pressure from the Eagles defense time and time again on Saturday.

“He made plays when he needed to make plays”, said Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski.  “He’s a good athlete and that offense suits him well.”

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