Bleacher Report - Georgia Tech Football

Breaking News: Georgia Tech and Paul Johnson Agree to Contract Extension

Seth Haynes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:42:27 -0500

CPJ will remain at Tech through at least 2016.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that Paul Johnson has signed a one-year extension at Georgia Tech, meaning his contract with the Institute will now run through 2016.

What does this seemingly innocuous one-year deal mean to Tech fans?

Well, for starters it means Johnson has done a spectacular job at Tech, going 19-5 in his first two seasons.

Fans have noticed, attendance is up, and there is a certain fervor around the program that did not exist in the Chan Gailey era.

The Georgia Tech faithful are very anxious to have Johnson stick around; he is enjoying a level of success that the Yellow Jackets have not seen since the national championship run of 1990.

Also, this small extension should serve to ease any fears Tech fans may have about Johnson leaving at the end of the season for a position with a certain prestigious Catholic school.

While no monetary figures have been reported as of yet, there is no doubt that another win over nemesis Georgia and a trip to the ACC Championship Game will earn Paul a considerable bump in pay very soon. He is already the ACC's second highest paid coach, behind only Bobby Bowden of Florida State.

Basically, the today's one-year add-on is just Tech's way of saying they are committed to doing whatever it takes to keep their favorite coach around, no matter what the price tag may be.

Rest assured, Tech fans, Paul Johnson is at Tech to stay.

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Bad Advice, Bold Prediction and Something Else: Bye Week Edition

Zachary Osterman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:26:37 -0500

(Without Chan Gailey, Tech never lands Morgan Burnett. Think about that.)

Ah, rivalry season. It's the greatest time of year.

The Jackets will spend the first weekend of this wonderful stretch on their first real bye week (it's sort of fair to count long week after the Miami game).

But a bye week should never, ever stop bad advice, bold predictions, absolutely not. So away we go ...

Bad advice

We're going to depart from the regular script this week and just treat this a little bit more like a notebook. With that in mind, my bad advice is to read this article by Doug Roberson of the AJC, which talks about how some of the Jackets' best players came to be playing football on the Flats.

It's full of the usual recruiting stories—kid leaves Bulldog country/family, recruit bonds with coaches, the works.

What's really interesting is something that actually sort of snuck up on me. With all the ranting Tech fans will do if you start them down the "Chan Gailey got a raw deal" path (I don't think he did), they have Gailey and some current and former coaches to thank for their success this season.

It was Gailey's second-to-last class, with help from recruiting coordinator Giff Smith (still there), that would later become the foundation of this 10-1 Georgia Tech team.

That 2007 class, ranked No. 18 in the country by Rivals, including players like Josh Nesbitt, Joanthan Dwyer, Burnett, Derrick Morgan and starting tackle Nick Claytor. But it also yielded some less-expected returns, like two-star-turned-starter Joseph Gilbert, a pair of linebackers by the names of Brad Jefferson and Kyle Jackson, and a three-star receiver named Demaryius Thomas.

It was far and away Gailey's best class, and the talent it provided set the stage for one of the best seasons in Georgia Tech history.

Bold prediction

Clemson wins the ACC Atlantic tomorrow. Shocking, I know, but forgive me, bye weeks are slow.

I also predict—retroactively, of course—that plenty of Tech's best players sat out most of practice this week, probably only strapping up full pads once or twice.

Having a bye week this late in the season can either be a blessing or a curse. Ask Auburn, who's got talent, but not a lot of depth, and could have used a bye week to rejuvenate a month ago (They're getting one this week as well).

For the Jackets, things have generally gone well. The injury bug has, for the most part, stayed away, similar depth issues have not arisen and the Jackets get to treat their bye week as a luxury, not a necessity.

A bye week at any time is a good chance to give your No. 1s a rest, your twos and threes a few looks in practice, to try a few things and mostly, to get healthy. At this point in the season, seriously, nobody's 100 percent, and everybody would welcome some time off.

Beyond that, it's also a good chance for Tech to get the post-Coastal clinching jitters out and bear down on Georgia. The Jackets have struggled with focus this year, and the extra week could be helpful in alleviating some of that after an emotional stretch run in the conference.

Something else

The Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate (is the best rivalry name in college football and) has for years fostered the usual feelings of animosity and trash-talkery—that's an industry term—between opposing fanbases.

But it's clean, and it's old-fashioned, which I assume means that it's respectful.

Which is why even Tech fans ought raise a glass tonight in memory of Uga VII. Yes, Uga VII.

The seventh in a prestigious line of Ugas passed away unexpectedly Thursday, suffering a heart attack. There won't be an Uga on the sideline against Kentucky, but there will be a stand-in for the Tech game and whatever bowl game Georgia plays.

I offer you this take on Seven's passing.

It's a common question, the one you're asking yourself right now: Why so much fuss? It was just a dog.

Well first, I'll say that as an owner of six different dogs and the two cats sitting next to me now in my lifetime, I have never known "just a dog."

Second, I understand, to Georgia fans, it's not just a dog. Uga is a tradition, the symbol of a beloved past-time that is handed down through families like a rite of passage. To steal a great writer's line, it's what our fathers taught us.

There have been seven Ugas, each more beloved than the last, and none of them were ever just dogs.

Finally, A Prediction

I predict that I will be awake at 7:30 tomorrow morning to watch my beleaguered Reds take on Manchester City in a game they, sadly, will not win.

I predict, as I said before, that Clemson will clinch the ACC Atlantic this weekend.

And finally, I predict my beloved alma mater, Indiana, will avenge last season's 52-point loss to Purdue (go ahead, laugh, we get that a lot) with a 31-17 victory over the Boilermakers in Bloomington.

But what do I know?

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Georgia Tech Football: Awards, Injuries, and Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate

Seth Haynes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:04:00 -0500

Uga VII. Rest in peace, buddy.

Before I get to some Georgia Tech news, let me first say that it breaks my heart to see Uga VII pass away at such a young age.

He was only four years old, and all indications are that he died of a heart attack at his home in Athens, Ga.

It was just a few weeks ago I was watching him on television, on a scorching day in Athens, laying on a huge bag of ice in his house on the sidelines. Very sad, indeed.

And listen, Tech fans, I have seen many of you posting cruel things about Uga VII's passing on the blogs and message boards today, and this garbage should immediately stop.

Not only was he the Dawgs' mascot, but he is also a beloved pet of the Seiler family, the folks who have bred Ugas for the University since the very beginning of the tradition. So grow up guys, and show some class; you're acting like Georgia fans.

Anyways, on to some Tech stuff:

Awards

I don't know how many of you noticed, but Georgia Tech played their best game of the season at Duke.

They absolutely dominated both lines of scrimmage; manhandling Duke on offense and getting a ton of pressure on Thaddeus Lewis on the defensive side.

Due to the domination in the trenches, two Tech players were given weekly awards by the ACC: Junior DT Ben Anderson won Defensive Lineman of the Week, and Senior Guard Cord Howard snagged Offensive Lineman of the Week.

Congrats, guys.

Injuries

As far as injuries are concerned, Georgia Tech has certainly had their fair share this season.

First is was Jaybo Shaw's collarbone and Roddy Jones' wrist.

Then many defensive players began to miss significant time, and the offensive line was recently described by Paul Johnson as being "pieced together."

That being said, the Yellow Jackets will likely go into the Georgia game as healthy as they have been all season, especially on defense.

However, there are a few causes for concern: starting C Sean Bedford has an injury to his foot/ankle, and likely will not play in the UGA game. If he is not able to go backup C Dan Voss will take his place.

On a better note, backup G Omoregie Uzzi is likely to play in the next week's game against the Dawgs after missing the Duke game with a sore back.

Rivalry Game News

Next week's game against the Dawgs certainly figures to be another good one.

Any Tech fan worth his or her salt knows that, without a doubt, the Georgia game is the biggest one of the year.

Not the ACC Championship, not the Orange Bowl, not the Virginia Tech win. The only thing that matters is beating UGA.

The kickoff time for the game has recently been set for 8 p.m. on ABC; a prime-time matchup, and the Yellow Jackets will likely open on Sunday as the early favorites.

UGA still has injury issues of their own, with A.J. Green being out for the Kentucky game Saturday and his status still unknown for the Tech game. FS Bacarri Rambo is likely out for both games, as well.

This is certainly a worrisome game for Tech, however, as Georgia possesses a plethora of playmakers on offense, and Willy Martinez's sieve-like defense performed much better last week against Auburn.

A win over UGA would give Tech 11 wins for the first time since 1990, and possibly vault them up even higher in the BCS rankings.

A loss would, well, I don't even want to talk about that.

Let's just hope Paul Johnson and Dave Wommack can iron out some of the defensive kinks (especially pass coverage) before the 28th, or else I'm afraid it could be a long, high-scoring affair.

Either way, it's shaping up to be an exciting installment of Clean, Old Fashioned Hate.

Read more Georgia Tech Football news on BleacherReport.com

Georgia Tech Football: Top 10 Games of the Last 10 Years

Seth Haynes — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:15:50 -0500

Over the past ten years, college football fans have certainly been able to witness some spectacular games. At Georgia Tech, things have been especially special. Even though the Yellow Jackets have not won a National Championship since the 1990 season, they have certainly had their share of amazing and memorable games. Here, in this list, are ten of what I consider to be the most memorable Georgia Tech games from a decade gone by. So sit back, enjoy, and don't forget to tell me what you think and what I might have left out!

Begin Slideshow

The 2009 All-ACC Defensive Team

Ben Gibson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:08:46 -0500

With the 2009 college football season nearing an end, it is time to look back and reflect on the top performers across the ACC. Even though the ACC continues to be maligned by the mainstream media, the conference has produced some high quality talent and some very entertaining games with the ACC Championship game yet to come. This week, we will take a look at the defensive side of the ball and pay tribute to the best the conference has to offer. Next week, we will take a look at the offensive side of the ball and the debate will undoubtedly begin over who was ignored and who was over-hyped? Before we begin, I would like to thank Jeffrey Fann, Angel Melendez, Zac Osterman and Michael McGuffee for their insight and opinions in helping compile this list. Without further ado, the All-ACC Defense of 2009...

Begin Slideshow

Thoughts from Georgia Tech's Bye Week: Dawg Days Ahead, Dukies in Rearview

Seth Haynes — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:57:14 -0500

Will the Dawgs let Roddy Jones run wild in 09'?

Was that impressive, or what?

Just one week after barely squeaking by Wake Forest, Georgia Tech came out and locked up the ACC's Coastal Division with a resounding 49-10 thumping of a much improved Duke squad.

Some things that stood out about the win:

Jonathan Dwyer is officially back. After struggling a little earlier in the season (5 carries, 7 yards vs. Miami), the Diesel went over one hundred yards for the fourth straight game against Duke, and should definitely be receiving more Heisman attention than he currently gets.

Finally, someone besides Derrick Morgan succeeded in pressuring the quarterback. Ben Anderson, a Junior defensive tackle, sacked Duke QB Thaddeus Lewis twice, and created havoc in the backfield on numerous other plays.

As a matter of fact, the defense as a whole played much better than expected. After being picked apart on the first drive of the game, Dave Wommack's defense turned up the heat, and held Duke to just three points for the remainder of the contest.

Is it just me, or is Demaryius Thomas completely uncoverable in man coverage? He leads the nation in yards-per-reception, and Tech has more passes over 50 yards than any other team in the FBS.

The penalties on the offensive side of the ball are beginning to be a disturbing trend. Tech had four false start penalties, two on the same drive, and it's not like crowd noise was a factor.

Penalties or not, Paul Johnson is the best offensive mind in football. End of story.

Well, we all know what comes next, don't we?

At some point on November 27, probably around ten in the morning, the Georgia Bulldogs are going to come rolling down Highway 316 and into downtown Atlanta, and they ain't bringing fruit baskets.

Don't be surprised if UGA comes out firing on all cylinders; they'll be very hungry after being humiliated in Athens last year and essentially being relegated to the second best team in the state, at least for a while.

Trust me, these Georgia players have been hearing about the sieve-like quality of their defense all year, and every media pundit in the nation has something to say about the power of Tech's option attack. Plenty of bulletin board material for Willy Martinez to use in this year's Clean, Old Fashioned Hate match-up.

I fully expect the Dawgs to be brimming with confidence after the huge win over Auburn, regardless of what happens this weekend against Kentucky.

The victory over their SEC foes was, however, a costly one for UGA. Keep an eye on the health of both superstar WR A.J. Green (sprained shoulder), and FS Bacarri Rambo (concussion). Green's loss would be a horrendous loss for the Bulldogs, because he is QB Joe Cox's primary deep threat and security blanket when things get too hot.

Well, that's about all I have for today, I'll leave you all with a fascinating video I found on Youtube, if you're a Paul Johnson fan definitely check it out here .

Read more Georgia Tech Football news on BleacherReport.com

Georgia Tech-Clemson Just the Medicine for ACC Title Game

Zachary Osterman — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:31:09 -0500

(Could this rematch save the ACC Championship game?)

For those who haven't been paying attention or just don't care—and it would appear there are a lot of you—the ACC Championship is celebrating its fifth birthday in December.

You'll pardon us if we don't have enough cake for everybody. In truth, the Conference's title game has been lacking in such celebratory luster since, well, ever.

The switch to a 12-team league and a split-division, championship game format was a noble idea. The ACC took one long look at the dollar signs the neighboring SEC was rolling in with its yearly conference championship, raised its hand, and said, "Yes, please."

But just as Rome wasn't built in a day (or as you can't make chicken salad with chick...never mind), the going has been tough for the ACC title game thus far. But the ACC powers that be need only one more win from the Tigers of Clemson for things to start breaking their way.

All joking aside, the proverbial well has been pretty dry for the ACC's so-called headline game.

In four years, it's only featured a matchup of top-15 teams once. Attendance has dwindled to alarming levels, from a 72,000-plus crowd in its first year to last season's Boston College-Virginia Tech tilt, which featured a crowd of 27,360, a number that, amazingly, might have been inflated.

Between them, the Hokies and Eagles sold about a quarter of their allotted fan tickets, after selling just over half of that same allotment when they met the year before. Holy empty stadium, Batman!

The long-term solution to the ACC's perennial problem is to move the game to Charlotte permanently . But while it's still in Tampa, the best the ACC can hope for is a prime time showdown between two Southern teams with headline stars and plenty of storylines.

In other words: Georgia Tech vs. Clemson.

Obviously, one half of that equation has already been solved. The Jackets' win over Duke last weekend sealed their spot in the conference championship, though the ACC would surely prefer Tech run over their in-state rivals Georgia in less than two weeks and stay in the top 10.

With a win Saturday, Clemson would clinch the ACC Atlantic and book their ticket as well—and with the way they've been winning and the schedule they have left, there's ample reason to think the Tigers could be in the top 15 come Dec. 5.

It would be a dream matchup for the ACC.

Such a game would feature some of the conference's best players: C.J. Spiller, Jonathan Dwyer, Demaryius Thomas, Derrick Morgan, Ricky Sapp. It would be a rematch of a great early-season game.

And it would be the right game, played between the two teams that are clearly the best in their respective divisions.

Most importantly for the ACC, it would sell out.

After 19 wins in less than two years, Georgia Tech fans have completely bought in to what Paul Johnson is selling. The man they call CPJ has re-energized a fanbase lulled to sleep by six years of Chan Gailey, and he's got Jacket fans talking about national titles, now or, most likely, in the future.

And after years of underperforming or overperforming (it was never quite clear) with Tommy Bowden, Clemson fans suddenly have a team that looks and acts capable of beating just about anybody. Clemson fans will travel, even if the Tigers are playing on the moon.

It would be the kind of high-profile, attention-grabbing, seats-filled title game the ACC has been without arguably since its inception. It's what the ACC needs, and if Clemson wins Saturday, it's what the ACC is going to get.

Read more Georgia Tech Football news on BleacherReport.com

Paul Johnson's Spread Option: A Beginner's Guide

Big Philly — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:49:14 -0500

The end of the 2009 regular season is approaching and Paul Johnson's Spread Option is starting to gather national attention. His team, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, have risen to No. 7 in the BCS standings and AP Poll thanks to an eight game win streak and his former team, the Navy Midshipmen, hung on in the fourth quarter to upset Notre Dame on national television. This week Sports Illustrated published an article on Johnson's offense, but it tells fans what they already know: its different and its working.

The national sports media can't explain to curious fans why Johnson's Spread Option is one of the top offenses in the FBS because they don't know how it works either.

Football commentators, in particular Bob Davie, do fans a great disservice by presenting fans with analysis that is wrong. Contrary to what they say...

It's not the Wishbone

The most common pitfall of analysts, such as Bob Davie with his still photos of the 1971 Texas Longhorns, is to equate Johnson's offense with the Wishbone. To see the Wishbone watch Mississippi State where Dan Mullen uses the Wishbone with two tight ends as a goal line and short yardage set.

Option plays can be run from the Wishbone, but the Wishbone is really geared toward a power running game with multiple lead blockers. That's not what Johnson is trying to do.

As opposed to using lead blockers to create artificial running lanes, Johnson's offense moves the defenders away from each other to create natural running lanes. He aims to do this by...

Spreading the Field

In relation to college football the term "spread" is usually associated with a shotgun quarterback with four and five wide receiver sets, but any formation that forces the defense to cover more area pre-snap and creates space between defensive players is a spread formation.

In the context of his offense, Johnson simply refers to his base alignment as the spread formation.

First, the base formation spreads the defense horizontally by using wide splits between the linemen. The offensive tackles end up standing roughly 20 yards away from each other which causes the defensive linemen and linebackers to follow suit, if they did not it would be easy to seal the edge of the defensive line and run around them.

Second, the often overlooked element of Johnson's offense, is that it spreads the defense vertically. This seems like an odd thing to say about an offense that runs the ball four out of five plays and averages almost 315 yards rushing per game, but Johnson's base alignment presents the defense with the threat of four vertical routes from two wide receivers and two wingbacks.

The key is that it is not an empty threat; the Yellow Jackets do run these pass plays. Two examples of this are Thomas' TD catch against Miami and Stephen Hill's TD catch against Duke which was both plays with four receivers attacking down the field.

By spreading the defensive players out both horizontally and vertically with his formation, Johnson has created the opportunity for natural running lanes before the ball is snapped. A prime example of this is in the Ramblin Wreck's highlight video of the Vanderbilt game at 48 seconds.

As Josh Nesbitt crosses the line of scrimmage between the tackles, look how much space he has to run the football. Nesbitt is able to navigate his way through four defenders and gain 10 yards on a run between the tackles. Spreading out the defenders with a formation is merely the beginning; next Johnson uses an option-based rushing attack to...

Put the Defense in a Bind

When color commentators discuss stopping the "triple option" common themes used to describe it are "playing assignment football" and "being disciplined." Unfortunately for the casual fan, they never describe in depth why that is important.

Don't defenders always have to play their responsibility regardless of what the offense is doing?

The basic "triple option," more specifically called the "Inside Veer," utilizes three potential ball carriers to remove two defenders from the play. If executed correctly, the defenders who are the two option reads can never make the tackle; the ball always goes away from them.

First the quarterback keys on the dive read, either giving the ball to the running back or keeping the ball himself based on what the dive read does. One player down. If he still has the ball the quarterback keys on the pitch read. He either keeps the ball himself or pitches the ball to the wingback based on the pitch read's actions. Two players down.

The two cornerbacks are out on islands matching up with the wide receivers and on a basic triple option play the wide receivers stalk and block the cornerbacks. Four players down.

Remaining are five offensive linemen and one wingback that, in a perfect world, can block or engage six defensive players bringing the total to ten blocked defenders. When running the option it is possible to get solid blocks on linebackers and safeties away from the line of scrimmage because the linemen ignore the dive read, usually a defensive end, and the pitch read, usually an outside linebacker. The lineman and wingbacks can simply run past them and block a different defender.

All that remains is the ball carrier and a lone defender.

One mental mistake, or even a step of hesitation by the defender, means there is nobody to make the tackle. Anthony Allen is gone down the sideline, put six on the board, and fire up the band.

So, this is the bind: all 11 defenders have to be ready to stop the run at the same time four defenders need to be prepared to defend against a vertical passing game. The Wishbone doesn't do this, since it only presents the threat of two vertical receivers.

One mental mistake, or even a step of hesitation by the secondary, and Demaryius Thomas is flying free, put six on the board, and fire up the band.

At this point, with every defender needing to be ready to stop the run, you might think a play action pass would be devastatingly effective. In case you aren't sure, it is. Georgia Tech is third in the nation in passing efficiency for a reason.

Congratulations for making it this far, now you know more about the basic philosophy of Johnson's offense than the average football announcer, especially Bob Davie.

Read more Georgia Tech Football news on BleacherReport.com

ACC Roundup After Week 9: One Team In, One To Go for ACC Title Game

ACC SEC Blog — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:34:28 -0500

Georgia Tech wins the Coastal Division by romping over Duke 49-10. The Blue Devils jumped out to an early 10-0 lead scoring on their first drive and taking advantage of a bad punt snap from the Yellow Jackets.

I am sure Ga. Tech fans did not hit the panic button, but some SI jinx mindset might have slipped in after Paul Johnson’s offense was profiled in this past week's issue.

This offense is not unstoppable, but you better have a really good defensive line and be able to tackle in space. Pressure from the line will render any offense incapable just like it would this one.

Miami was able to get that back in September and also caught the Jackets playing their third game in 13 days handing them their only loss of the season.

As to whom GT will play in the Championship Game is yet to be determined. Both Clemson and Boston College won on Saturday, but if the Tigers defeat Virginia at home next week they will be heading to Tampa.

Clemson jumped out early on NC State, but saw the Wolfpack creep back in before the Tigers blew the game open again in the fourth.

This is a different Clemson team this year and I fully expect them to take care of the business next week against Virginia.

After some early season troubles, Dabo is proving Clemson made good hire for at least the short term and maybe the long term too.

Speaking of BC, they needed a late drive to beat Virginia on the road and keep their title hopes alive. Behind closed doors though, I highly doubt the ACC office wants to see the Eagles in this game for a third straight year.

Do not put me in the camp of surprised spectators that North Carolina upset Miami . Something clicked in this UNC team a few weeks ago at Blacksburg and they have not looked back since.

QB TJ Yates is playing much better eliminating much of the poor decision-making that plagued him early on. And this defense is shaping into one of the nation’s best.

They put pressure on Miami’s Jacory Harris just like I thought they had to and forced four interceptions returning two for touchdowns.

Miami’s offensive line, a unit that played so well early in the season, is showing some wear. But I think more experience here and on the defensive side will lend the ‘Canes very well next year.

Is the end near for Ralph Friedgen at Maryland? The Fridge has already named his replacement and the big guy’s health is an ongoing concern. The 2-8 Terps look over matched on offense, which is very unusual for a Friedgen coached team.

And as right as I was about UNC, I was equally as wrong about E.J. Manual and the Seminoles this weekend. Manuel completed 15 of 20 passed for 200 yards as FSU broke a three game losing streak to Wake Forest.

The Seminoles are not going to let the NCAA’s longest bowl streak die easily.

And now some National thoughts…
Mack Brown knows exactly when to turn the volume up for his Texas Longhorns. They limped into the Oklahoma game, but won, and have blown their opponents out since.

TCU showed again why they deserve to be in the discussion for the BCS Championship if one of the top three falter. The Horned Frogs have blown through their MWC competition this year and have also beaten two BCS conference teams on the road.

I have not seen a USC team get dominated like that since the 90s. Stanford literally pushed the Trojans around up front, especially when the Cardinal had the ball.

I don’t know if recruiting has fallen off on both lines of scrimmage, but that should be priority No. 1 for Pete Carroll in the offseason.

Second priority has to be sticking it to Jim Harbaugh and Stanford next year for going for two to give them 50 on the scoreboard when the game was clearly out of reach.

Ohio State clinches the Big 10 title. Too bad they aren’t even the best team in their own state.

And Michigan looks like they are not going to go bowling for the second straight season after their sixth Big 10 loss in a row.

I still think Rich Rodriguez will get it together next season and compete for the Big 10 title, but that is probably the minimum requirement to keep him around at this point.

Picks:
Last Week: 11 – 1 Straight Up, 7-4-1 Against The Spread

My ACC & SEC Top 10

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Georgia Tech
4. LSU
5. Clemson
6. Virginia Tech
7. Miami
8. Tennessee
9. North Carolina
10. Boston College

Read more Georgia Tech Football news on BleacherReport.com

College Football Playoff Prediction Series: Week 11

Crayton — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:29:36 -0500

Last Week

Nothing much has changed at the top of the BCS Standings since last week . Ohio State defeated Iowa in overtime to claim the Big Ten title, and a trip into our eight team playoff.

Iowa is not out, however, as they can still vie against Penn State for a likely second Big Ten BCS berth.

USC took a mighty fall this past week to the Stanford Cardinal, dropping out of all of the playoffs. Oklahoma State has now slid into the larger playoffs in place of the ailing Trojans.

The Houston Cougars were upset by the Knights of Central Florida (my brother's school) and the Conference USA lead now falls to the (6-4) Southern Methodist Mustangs.

The "Expanded MWC" proposal took three times its share of the votes last week and moved up a spot.

I was the only one–again–who voted for the Add One playoff, but that was one more than the votes for Tyler's playoff, which has been removed.

The Poll

If you have proposals that you'd like displayed next week, then link to them or describe them in the comments section. Up to two may be added for each new iteration of this series.

Each week, there will also be a poll for whichever proposal makes the most sense. The playoff with the least amount of support may not appear next week, at my discretion.

Enjoy the playoffs below, given in an order considering last week's vote.

The Playoffs

Daniel's Playoff (first two rounds on campuses in early December; January Final Four at neutral sites)

SMU @ No. 1 Florida
No. 9 Pittsburgh @ No. 8 LSU

No. 13 Iowa @ No. 4 TCU
No. 11 Oregon @ No. 5 Cincinnati

Troy @ No. 2 Alabama
No. 10 Ohio State @ No. 7 Georgia Tech

Temple @ No. 3 Texas
No. 12 Oklahoma St @ No. 6 Boise State

Crayton's Playoff (top conference champions in BCS Top Five and top at-larges in playoff)

New Year's Bowls
No. 1 Florida/Alabama-No. 4 Cincinnati (Sugar Bowl)
No. 2 Texas-No. 3 TCU (Rose Bowl)

Add Two Playoff (top four at-larges play for two BCS spots, like CCGs)

Dec. 5 Games
No. 6 Boise State-No. 12 Oklahoma State (western play-in game)
No. 8 LSU-No. 9 Pittsburgh (eastern play-in game)

The 10th and final BCS spot goes to the highest-ranked team not yet in a BCS bowl.

Current BCS Playoff

BCS Bowls
No. 1 Florida-No. 3 Texas (BCS Championship)
No. 11 Oregon-No. 10 Ohio State (Rose Bowl)
No. 7 Ga Tech-No. 5 Cincinnati (Orange Bowl)
No. 12 Oklahoma St-No. 4 TCU (Fiesta Bowl)
No. 2 Alabama-No. 13 Iowa (Sugar Bowl)

Expanded MWC Playoff (eight-team playoff beginning Jan. 1)

BCS Bowl Quarterfinals (rankings modified to seedings)
No. 1 Florida-No. 8 Boise State (Sugar Bowl)
No. 2 Alabama-No. 7 Ohio State (Rose Bowl)
No. 3 Texas-No. 6 Cincinnati (Fiesta Bowl)
No. 4 TCU-No. 5 Georgia Tech (Orange Bowl)

Second Tier BCS Bowls
No. 8 LSU-No. 12 Oklahoma State (Cotton Bowl)
No. 11 Oregon-No. 9 Pittsburgh (Sun Bowl)
No. 15 Virginia Tech-No. 13 Iowa (Citrus Bowl)

Regional Playoff (first two rounds on campuses in early December; next round in bowl games)

West Region Games (winner to Rose Bowl)

No. 4 Oregon @ No. 1 TCU
No. 3 SMU @ No. 2 Boise State

South Region Games (winner to Sugar Bowl)

No. 4 Temple @ No. 1 Texas
No. 3 Oklahoma St @ No. 2 Ga Tech

East Region Games (winner to Sugar Bowl)

No. 4 LSU @ No. 1 Florida
No. 3 Troy @ No. 2 Alabama

North Region Games (winner to Rose Bowl)

No. 4 Iowa @ No. 1 Cincinnati
No. 3 Pittsburgh @ No. 2 Ohio State

Add One Playoff (top two teams still play in NC; another high-profile BCS play-in game added)

Dec. 5 Games

No. 1 Florida-No. 2 Alabama (SEC Championship Game)
No. 3 Texas-(un-ranked) Nebraska (Big 12 Championship Game)
No. 4 TCU-No. 8 LSU (BCS play-in Game)

Playoff Proposal Graveyard

Five-Team playoff

Crayton C playoff

Tyler's playoff

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Ranking the ACC after Week 11 of College Football Action

Jeffrey Fann — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:16:57 -0500

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have clinched the ACC's Coastal Division with their win over the Duke Blue Devils Saturday. Congratulations to them! The Clemson Tigers only need to beat lowly Virginia to join them in the Championship game.

North Carolina has been playing great football the last month and defeated the Miami Hurricanes this weekend.

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1) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10-1, 7-1) - Last Week 1

The Yellow Jackets spotted the Duke Blue Devils 10 points, then scored 49 straight unanswered points. The Georgia Tech offense is not just good; it's one of the best offensive attacks in the country.

Today they had 519 yards of total offense that included better than 200 in the air. They can run it, but when needed the Jackets can take it to the air.

If the defense plays with the consistency they showed today, holding the Blue Devils to under 300 yards and only 25 on the ground, this team can finish the season 13-1.

2) Clemson Tigers (7-3, 5-2) - Last Week 2

The Clemson Tigers picked the right time of season to get hot. C.J. Spiller became the first Tiger to throw, run and receive for a touchdown in a game. The offense hasn't scored less than 38 points in a game since the first week in October.

Time to give some credit to head coach Dabo Swinney. He has Clemson on the verge of their first Atlantic Division title. All they have to do is beat the Virginia Cavaliers next week at home. That shouldn't be any problem for a team playing as well as Clemson is.

3) North Carolina Tar Heels (7-3, 3-3) - Last Week 6

Since their loss to Florida State a few weeks ago, the North Carolina Tar Heels have really turned their season around. They are now playing like the team many thought could threaten for an ACC Division Title.

The Heels defeated the Miami Hurricanes 33-24 on Saturday. The defense came up with four interceptions, and the offense, while not spectacular, is light years ahead of the way it played earlier in the year.

Next up for the Heels is a tricky game at Boston College. North Carolina can't win the division, but they can keep improving their bowl status.

4) Virginia Tech Hokies (7-3, 4-2) - Last Week 4

The Hokies have now officially entered the cupcake portion of their schedule. They beat Maryland 36-9 in College Park. RB Ryan Williams had another 100 yard rushing game, and QB Tyrod Taylor had 268 yards and 3 touchdown throws.

The Hokies get to pick up their eighth win of the year next week when NC State comes to Blacksburg. This not a vintage Frank Beamer squad, but they are a solid team.

5) Miami Hurricanes (7-3, 4-3) - Last Week 3

After Miami survived their brutal early schedule, I thought the sky was the limit for this team, but the Canes are now limping to the finish line. As well as Jacory Harris has played most of the year; its apparent if you can get pressure on him, you can force him into mistakes.

The Tar Heels were the recipient of four Harris passes in their game Satruday. The Canes are improved, but the U is not quite back. They get a reeling Duke team next week, and can still finish with a 10-win season.

6) Boston College Eagles (7-3, 4-2) - Last Week 5

Boston is probably the least impressive looking of any of the top 6 teams in the ACC, but that's not their problem. They just keep winning. This time a 14-10 win at Virginia, that keeps their slim Atlantic Division title hopes alive.

Montel Harris had 151 yards rushing. He's been the Eagles best most consistent player. They get North Carolina next week at home in a game critical to the ACC's bowl pecking order.

7) Florida State Seminoles (5-5, 3-5) - Last Week 8

The Seminoles went into Winston-Salem and won 41-28 over Wake Forest. The Deacs had given the Noles a lot of trouble in recent years. The game keeps Florida State's bowl hopes alive. Redshirt freshman QB EJ Manuel played solidly. filling in for injured Nole starter Christian Ponder.

Manuel threw and ran for a touchdown. A win next week against Maryland would lock up a bowl bid. They better beat the Terps for that bid, because after that is a game with top-ranked Florida.

8) Duke Blue Devils (5-5, 3-3) - Last Week 7

For the Blue Devils, a great season would be getting to a bowl. It's starting to slip away. The Blue Devils were no match for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. A 10-0 start early for Duke gave them some hope, but then the Jackets' offensive attack overwhelmed them.

Duke must win their final two games to get to a bowl. Next is a game at Miami for the Blue Devils. Whether they make a bowl or not, the Blue Devils have become respectable, and that's still saying something.

9) North Carolina State Wolfpack (4-6, 1-5) - Last Week 9

This has to be a bitterly disappointing season for the Wolfpack. In Raleigh, the Clemson Tigers just hammered them in yet another game where they gave up more than 30 points.

The defense has been terrible. The offense has been inconsistent at best. They play at Virginia Tech next, then North Carolina. The Wolfpack will be spending bowl season at home.

10) Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-7, 2-5) - Last Week 10

After playing a number of close games and losing this year, the Deacs just seemed to run out of gas in their loss to Florida State.

It wasn't that long ago (2006) that Wake Forest won the ACC Championship and the Deacs were getting used to going to bowl games, but this year there is no chance at any bowl game.

QB Riley Skinner was in tears after the game. That's a shame. He's been a very good quarterback, that has led the Deacs to some great wins the last few years.

11) Virginia Cavaliers (3-7, 2-4) - Last Week 11

Al Groh's days are numbered. They fought hard in a 14-10 loss, but couldn't come up with a win in their game with Boston College.

The Cavaliers can still play the role of spoiler. They go to Clemson next week and can severely damage the Tigers division hopes.

I don't see how they can win there though. They can only hope for bad weather, some turnovers, and that the Tigers are looking past them.

12) Maryland Terrapins (2-8, 1-5) - Last Week 12

Did Ralph Friedgen really have three consecutive 10-win seasons in the early part of the decade at Maryland? This team is a total disaster and barely showed up in their loss to Virginia Tech.

At least they'll help Florida State get bowl eligible next week.

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So Where Does Georgia Tech Go From Here?

Zachary Osterman — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:50:46 -0500

(Jonathan Dwyer is headed there in a hurry.)

Why, to Tampa Bay, of course.

Oh, you meant in a more metaphorical sense? Well, good question. The answer, honestly, is up to them.

“We’re not satisfied,” Jonathan Dwyer told Jeff Schultz of the AJC. “We won the ACC Coastal Division today, and, don’t get me wrong, that’s good and we’re going to celebrate.

"But we haven’t finished what our main goals were, which is to win the ACC and be in a BCS bowl game, and then win the BCS bowl game. And right now our minds are on Georgia.”

Well that's the right sentiment anyway, and a noble one. But talking it and proving it are distinctly different beasts.

No reason Georgia Tech shouldn't be favored against the Bulldogs when Georgia comes to Atlanta in two weeks' time. And facing their first true bye week of the season, the Jackets will have time both to rest and prepare for their archrivals.

Assuming Clemson is their opponent in the ACC title game, then again, I'd think Georgia Tech should be favored.

Again, I'll say: Where Georgia Tech goes from here is up to them. The Jackets are good enough right now, at this moment, to determine their own destiny.

The offense is near unstoppable when it's executing, which it's very good at. The defense is spotty, but it employs halftime adjustments quite well.

And while it's long been a weakness, Georgia Tech's special teams unit has made important plays this season.

Beyond the next three weeks, it's impossible to say what's next. Whether Tech wins the ACC or not will determine their bowl opponent, which isn't determined either.

Possible bowl opponents could include Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Iowa, TCU, Boise State, and West Virginia, at least. So you get my point.

All the Jackets can control is the next three weeks. They've already broken the magic number of 10 wins, but this team can and should achieve so much more.

So where do the Jackets go from here? As has been with every stage of this season to date, we'll find out soon enough.

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Ask and Ye Shall Receive: Jackets Give Near-Perfect Effort, Win ACC Coastal

Zachary Osterman — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:10:24 -0500

(Paul Johnson and the Jackets have booked a trip to Tampa.)

A perfect game.

It has been Paul Johnson's lusted-for holy grail all season. The Jackets beat Virginia Tech, and he still found fault. They rolled up 56 points and almost 600 yards of offense at Vanderbilt, but there were flaws, he said.

He said even this week that the Jackets have yet to play what he considers a perfect game. So how did this one register in his gradebook?

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets answered the bell, demolishing Duke 49-10 on the road and clinching for themselves a place in the ACC Championship next month. The win was Tech's eighth in a row, a feat not matched since a man named Dodd was head coach.

Struggling early, it was, somewhat ironically, a special teams play that sparked a rout.

Down 10-0 with momentum against them, the Jackets set up to return a Duke kickoff, only to have Orwin Smith fumble the kick. He picked it up, found a seam, and sprinted to the Duke two-yard line, setting up Tech's first touchdown.

Those seven points (PAT included) would be the first of a crushing 49 unanswered points, paving the way for Georgia Tech's second trip to the ACC title game since the split-division format began.

Total perfection is something coaches everywhere say is impossible to achieve, and they're probably right. But the Jackets gave it the old college try Saturday, rolling up 500-plus yards of offense while holding Duke to less than 300 of its own.

They harried Thaddeus Lewis, the Blue Devils' quarterback, into an uncharacteristically average day, while Josh Nesbitt probably threw some of the best passes of his college career.

In short, the Jackets weren't perfect, but they were darn close. And close was more than enough.

Johnson is a man well-known for his demanding demeanor. On Saturday, he gave his team credit for reacting to that in just the way he wants.

"Sometimes I get after them," Johnson told Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I got in the face of a couple of them today, even when the score got to be [one-sided]. They’ve learned to accept that and go on. Other kids might not. So my hats off to them. They’ve earned it."

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Bad Advice, Bold Prediction and Something Else: Week 11

Zachary Osterman — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:41:04 -0500

(Yes, Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech's magic number is one.)

Former Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight used to explain to his teams how every game was important through a favored phrase.

"You have to put yourself in position to get in position," he'd say, referring to the idea that you can't be great without focusing on important short-term tasks, which will set you up for long-term success.

That's where Georgia Tech is right now: putting itself in position to get in position.

Assuming simply that the goal in from any given week forward is to be as successful as is possible with the allotted time left to you, Georgia Tech's ultimate aim is an ACC Championship and a BCS bowl win. Anything else would be out of their hands.

A win against Duke, therefore, is all part of Bobby Knight's sage wisdom. 9-1 to this point, the Jackets have put themselves in position to clinch the ACC Coastal. Do that Saturday in Durham, and they put themselves in position to win a conference title.

You see, it's all about putting yourself in position to get in position. Georgia Tech has done that already, and could do it again this Saturday.

And with that, away we go...

Bad advice

Get to Thaddeus Lewis early, and get to him often.

There are honestly times when Derrick Morgan is plain unblockable. I said earlier in the year that I thought he was 50/50 for the pros, but now I'd say don't expect him back next year.

Too bad he's doing it alone. He's first in the conference in sacks, but Tech is ninth overall in the ACC in sacks per game.

That said, Duke is seventh in conference and 85th in the country in sacks allowed.

Lewis is a prolific passer, and Tech's secondary has been carved up like a holiday roast by good quarterbacks this year. Getting to Lewis might be the Jackets' best way of shutting down Duke's offense.

Between a bad pass rush and bad pass protection, something's got to give. Georgia Tech has had success getting things to split their way in those 50/50 situations this season.

Bold prediction

This will be the least bold prediction I've ever made: Jonathan Dwyer is going to have a huge game Saturday.

Duke's run defense is 62nd in the nation, and while I still maintain that that doesn't matter as much against the entire option, it does tell me the Blue Devils will struggle against the dive, the most normal running look in Tech's arsenal.

I've said before, he gets stronger as the season winds down. In his last two games, he's averaged 187.5 yards and two scores, and he's up over 1,000 yards again.

These next few weeks will likely be Dwyer's swan song as a Yellow Jacket, and he's poised to make the most of them.

Something else

Forty-three years.

That's the history Tech's trying to make by beating Duke on Saturday. The win would make it eight in a row for the Jackets, a mark they have not reached since 1966.

That season, legendary coach Bobby Dodd's last, ended with an Orange bowl berth.

Finally, a score

In some ways, Duke is a scary draw for Georgia Tech. The Jackets have definitely lived on the edge at times this season, and that overtime win against Wake Forest was about as close as it comes.

Make no mistake, Wake is a good team, but a lot of people expected the Jackets to win by a bigger margin, and rightfully so. Now, enter Duke, of the prolific passing game and well-coached players (David Cutcliffe never should have been fired at Ole Miss, but it's been the Dukies' gain).

Someone made the point this week (can't remember who) that Thad Lewis does not have a signature win to his credit in almost four years as Duke's quarterback, and unlike most who've come before, he's a fine player at his position. Duke's passing attack ought to scare the Jackets, and scare them good.

But I've said it before and I'll say it again: You aren't a one-loss team at this stage in the season without good reason.

Paul Johnson said this week that he has yet to see what he considers a complete performance—offensively, defensively, across the board—from his team this season.

It won't take one against Duke, and even with one, I think the Blue Devils cover the spread. But as good as Duke has been this season, the Jackets are simply a better team overall, right now, whatever.

Chan Gailey-coached Georgia Tech might lose this game, Paul Johnson-coached Georgia Tech won't.

I think the Jackets take it, and punch their ticket for Tampa: Georgia Tech 31-Duke 23.

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