Mark Bradley

By GT GRAD

October 6, 2008 9:33 AM | Link to this

GT should be ranked in the Top 25. Sagarin has GT ranked at #11. I do not think we should be ranked at #11 just yet, but this does show how much negative bias there is in the sports media, AP poll & Coaches poll with regard to GT and the ACC teams. The Sagarin poll is based strictly on performance on the football field and the quality of the opponents.

Good Article with a broad range of topics!

By Jake

October 6, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this

Bradley - you might have the easiest job in America. Do you actually do any work or just rehash everything that ESPN, Fox and SI put out? It’s like all the sports highlight shows on your local news channel…horrible.

By Archetype

October 6, 2008 10:33 AM | Link to this

Not sure who the whiniest coach is, but I know who the whiniest columnist is.

By ugarulz44

October 6, 2008 10:46 AM | Link to this

OK I will give Tech a “good win” mark for the Boston College (rebuilding year for them btw), but blowout wins over Jacksonville State, Mississippi State, and Duke ( the worst team in the weakest conference) doesn’t give the geeks on North Avenue the right to even a Top 30 ranking…..Yes, I’m a Georgia fan….and I’m sure that I’ll hear about the Alabama game from all the geek squad members on here, but Alabama was the #8 team, and this topic isn’t about UGA ranking its about Tech. Sooo please give GOOD and plausible reasoning why Tech deserves any kind of ranking.

By James Adams

October 6, 2008 10:49 AM | Link to this

Articles like this are becoming very common, nationally. I, for one, love them. It’s not lazy it’s actually cool that someone else roots this stuff out so I can keep playing poker and not have to search for this stuff :-D Thanks Mark, or to whichever editor decided this would be a good idea.

By No respect for ACC

October 6, 2008 10:59 AM | Link to this

Forget about Tech not being ranked, what about the lack of respect for the ACC in general? All of these SEC pumpers on this blog need to wake up. Ugarulz- its not just about Bama beating UGA. Its about MS State losing 3-2 to Auburn and 34-24 to LSU.(yeah, the same team Tech POUNDED) Or Wake Forest beating Ole Miss who then goes on to beat Florida IN THEIR HOUSE. Or Maryland beating California who is widely recognized as the 2nd best team in the PAC-10. And before you go off ripping the PAC-10, keep in mind hapless UCLA beat Tennessee.(probably the worst team in the PAC-10 beating a middle of the road SEC team) And then NC beats the pants off of clearly overranked UCONN on Saturday.

After the first week of the season, you SEC homers were ripping the ACC and calling it weak. Well look what has happened since! It amazes me that when the SEC teams beat each other its “parity.” When the ACC teams beat each other its because they suck. So what if Miami and Florida State are down, what about the “other” ACC teams rising up?

And since Auburn beat MS State 3-2, why is it such a big upset that Vandy knocks off Auburn? You SEC guys are pathetic. The once mighty conference seems a little overhyped to me. Parity my arrs..

By James Adams

October 6, 2008 11:11 AM | Link to this

ACC fans are funny. How conveniently you leave off Alabama thrashing Clemson, and NC State-South Carolina. Wake Forest is the best team in that conference. Are you telling me, if your life was on the line, youd take them over: Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, LSU or even Vanderbilt? Come on. SEC bashers need to give it up.

By Ted Striker

October 6, 2008 11:13 AM | Link to this

Nothing is worse in sports than being known as a whiner. it’s worse than being known as a loser. That said, ever noticed how it’s usually the losers of a game who whine?

I disagree with Fox Sports pick of Rich Brooks as a whiner. If a football coach at Kentucky ever whined (and Brooks doesn’t), nobody would listen.

I don’t never heard of the Goalie Confidence Level but I think there should be a measurement on how many chicks an NFL player can score with — correlating to team success.

By Mike Vick

October 6, 2008 11:30 AM | Link to this

Mark Bradley you suck, just like your columns. I guess since your beloved Bulldogs got blasted by Alabama you won’t be writing about them anymore so now you are going to jump on the Tech bandwagon. All we heard from you for the first three games and since the pre-season polls came out was how Georgia was the 2008 National Champs. Well as usual you were wrong, and for all the whining those coaches do there are 5 National Championship coaches in that rating. Maybe Mark Ritch should become a whiner.

By No respect for ACC

October 6, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this

James Adams,

I think I referred to the first weeks of the season where everyone said the ACC was weak. A lot of that was based on Alabama thrashing Clemson. Well, that loss doesn’t seem so bad now does it? Considering the beat down the Tide put on the Dawgs in Athens. And considering that Clemson was clearly overrated from the get-go, like that team from Athens. And NC State is soft as baby doo..

Wake is clearly NOT the best team in the ACC! They lost to Navy for goodness sakes.. But they sure did beat Ole Miss who beat Florida. And the Jackets did POUND MS State. Don’t tell me they are the worst team in the SEC with Tennessee and Arkansas clearly playing for that title! MS State lost 3-2 to Auburn and 34-24 to LSU!!

You guys are still stuck on what happened to start the season. Regardless of how you look at it, ACC-SEC head to head is 2-2 right now. And thats not even looking at either conference’s head to head against other conferences..

Yeah, real domination. Take the Bama-Clemson reference elsewhere, pal, cause we all know Bama is BY FAR the best team in that overrated conference.

By New England Jacket

October 6, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this

GT has to win the game in front of them before we start thinking about being ranked.

That goes for every team in the FBS: if you don’t have a 0 in the L column of your record and it’s december, you shouldn’t even think about what your ranking is.

We need to beat Gardner-Webb, Jackets.

By Erik

October 6, 2008 11:42 AM | Link to this

All this stuff about the SEC being overrated??? Overrated compared to what? Surely not the ACC. That comparison isn’t even close. But, I will say that maybe the SEC isn’t as strong as the Big 12 this year. We all will know a lot more though, as teams get further into conference scheduling. But no sane person would compare the SEC and ACC. THat’s not false-chest pumping for the SEC. That’s simply a fact.

As for GT not being ranked, they shouldn’t be yet. They haven’t beaten anyone. All that talk about beating a team who beat another team who lost to another team is just spin.

Paul Johnson is a doing a good job. GT’s D looks for real. Win a game or two against a solid ACC opponent and you will find yourself in the rankings in no time.

And one last thing, as a UGA fan, this game vs. GT now seems a whole lot more interesting than it did at the start of the season. GT is playing better each week.

By Wake up Erik

October 6, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this

Erik,

ACC-SEC head to head is 2-2, yeah, thats really dominant. And don’t get me started on the both conference’s records against quality non-conference teams.(omitting all of the SEC and ACC cupcake games) Admit it, the SEC is dominant or in your mind second to the Big 12 only because you say so. Thats how its always been and thats how it always will be. You are a typical SEC fan in that you’re unwilling to recognize head to head, non-conference schedules, and simply dismiss it all as “spin.” Spin this.

By Miss Daisy

October 6, 2008 11:52 AM | Link to this

Professional baseball - who cares? I was sitting at a bar last Friday and the playoff game was on. I almost asked the bartender to switch on Andy Griffith Show reruns. Professional sports in general could just disapper. Once college football starts baseball interest has got to slip to near nothing. MLB should make sure their season starts after the Final Four and ends before the college football season starts to hope to have any audience.

By bill

October 6, 2008 11:52 AM | Link to this

Right and CMR never whines.I guess you don’t recall the Moreno leap over an overmatched 1-AA team?

By Robert M.

October 6, 2008 12:12 PM | Link to this

While I have been impressed with Paul Johnson and what he is doing at GT, I do understand why they have yet to crack the top 25. GT really has not beaten a good team yet. The only team that is debatable is Boston College. Until they play and beat a good team, it will be hard for them to crack the top 25.

That being said, yes I am a Dawg fan, but it should be noted too…. I don’t think UGA should be ranked at number 10 right now either. I am still concerned at the butt kicking that we received by Alabama. I knew we were over rated early in the season, and was hoping we could put it all together before we started playing better talent. Remember last year, we lost to South Carolina, and was embarrassed by Tennessee, much the same way Alabama embarrassed us. But then, magically, we put it all together and finished the season as strong as any team in the nation.

The jury is still out as to whether we can do that again. We are still vulnerable, and have to play Tennessee, Vandy, LSU and Florida in four straight weeks. YIKES!!!

By gatorman770

October 6, 2008 12:14 PM | Link to this

I guess Cryin’ Richt was omitted because he’s the “King of Whine” with his whining at the end of last year that UGA deserved to play in National Championship with 2 losses and no SEC championship and the cry’in this year when Knowshon leaped over a defensive player (as if he was the first offensive player to leap over a defensive player, which actually occurs quite frequently in college and the pros) and the play did not get displayed every sportscast by the national sports media until Richt whined enough about it.

By voice of reason

October 6, 2008 12:15 PM | Link to this

bill, If you want to call CMR a whiner for helping KM gain some exposure with the national media then go ahead and sound silly. I think it’s more of a question of who whines the most because they lose ball games. CMR, fortunately, doesn’t have to worry about that very often but when UGA does lose, he doesn’t whine or make excuses. He simply congratulates the other team and talks about what we did wrong and what we need to improve on. Spurrier, hands down, is the biggest whiner in all of sports followed by Stoops and CUM.

By George

October 6, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this

That list of coaches is the most comical thing I have ever read. First it mentions Tubs b*** about 05?????? um they lost to tech that year they did not b*** about anything. And it mentions 04. Well if that had happened to any other team in the SEC there would have been a civil war especially UGA. That brings me to my second point of why that list is such a joke. Mark richt is nowhere to be found. What???????????????? He b*** and complains when Uga does not make it to the national championship with two losses and does not even make it to their own conference championship and tubs goes undefeated and gets left out yet tubs is on the list because he b*** too much???? someone please explain that one to me.

By George

October 6, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this

That list of coaches is the most comical thing I have ever read. First it mentions Tubs b*** about 05?????? um they lost to tech that year they did not b*** about anything. And it mentions 04. Well if that had happened to any other team in the SEC there would have been a civil war especially UGA. That brings me to my second point of why that list is such a joke. Mark richt is nowhere to be found. What???????????????? He b*** and complains when Uga does not make it to the national championship with two losses and does not even make it to their own conference championship and tubs goes undefeated and gets left out yet tubs is on the list because he b*** too much???? someone please explain that one to me.

By George

October 6, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this

That list of coaches is the most comical thing I have ever read. First it mentions Tubs b*** about 05?????? um they lost to tech that year they did not b*** about anything. And it mentions 04. Well if that had happened to any other team in the SEC there would have been a civil war especially UGA. That brings me to my second point of why that list is such a joke. Mark richt is nowhere to be found. What???????????????? He b*** and complains when Uga does not make it to the national championship with two losses and does not even make it to their own conference championship and tubs goes undefeated and gets left out yet tubs is on the list because he b*** too much???? someone please explain that one to me.

By voice of reason

October 6, 2008 12:23 PM | Link to this

No respect for ACC, how can you say that a lot of the reason that people say the ACC is weak is because of what Alabama did to Clemson? That’s a drop in the bucket as to why people say that. It’s just how it is. I guess the truth hurts. Bowl records speak volumes in this matter and I’ll take the SEC over any other conference any day of the week. Especially the ACC! Give me a break!

By boomer

October 6, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this

How bout the most self promoting coach….aka high ego…..nick saban in a landslide….

By Gene

October 6, 2008 12:33 PM | Link to this

On an individual basis, Richt is not the prince of whiners, yet he is a chorus leader of sorts along with Adams and Sonny the Stooge. Georgia fans lead the nation in boasting and whining with these three acting as cheerleaders. And the big-time whining is about to begin along with the serious beatings.

By yellarjacket4life

October 6, 2008 12:37 PM | Link to this

Actually the ACC-SEC head to head is 3-2 SEC. Florida beat Miami, Alabama crushed Clemson, and SC beat NC State. Ga Tech beat MSU and Wake beat Ole Miss. The SEC is definitely the stronger conference, but the ACC is not as bad as originally thought. The SEC seems very top heavy with LSU, Alabama, Auburn as the usual contenders in the West and UGA, Tenn, UF, and hell even Vandy in the East. Any of these teams could get hot and win their respective division and play for the conference championship. To me, that is what makes the SEC so tough. They have so many teams that could possibly win the conference and they all get recognized on the national level as well.

While the ACC is a competitive conference, we do not have a team that gets a whole lot of respect on the national level, other than Virgina Tech and they aren’t as good as some of the other Va Tech teams in recent years. Clemson received some national attention in the preseason and that lasted all of one game. The ACC is full of above average teams, but it lacks a truly great team that can go out there and beat anyone from any conference.

By Mark Bradley

October 6, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this

To James Adams: Credit — or blame, depending on your view — for this feature should go to Ronnie Ramos, the AJC sports editor. It was his idea.

And you’re right: These aggregations are becoming commonplace. Here’s a good one — the Daily Fix from The Wall Street Journal.

By GT

October 6, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this

College football is a little like sitting on a railroad track pretending the train is not coming. Eventually it will prove ya wrong. All the sideliners can say that Tech is not this or that but eventually we have the opportunity to prove them all wrong in a big way. There is no team in college football unbeatable these days. Southern Cal proved that as has Georgia. I can’t stand the sideliner that says Alabama or Oregon State beat a better team, I am thinking that is just stubbornness on their part that the writer or announcer didn’t get it right so it must be someone else’s fault other than their knowledge of the game. They constantly are trying to read Ohio State into the national picture and a few years ago had Oklahoma the greatest team ever until the music stopped with a loss before the season ended. These guys aren’t really that good at what they make a living doing, following college football. I meet people at tailgate parties every week that are much better and whose opinions I value over these amateurs we call experts.

By Erik

October 6, 2008 1:51 PM | Link to this

To “Wake up Erik”:

It’s SEC up 3-2, not 2-2. And I never said the SEC was “dominant”. Not sure where you got that from. But, seriously, go ask any “rational” fan that’s not tied to either the SEC or ACC who is better. If you polled 100 people, 100 people would say SEC.

Now, here’s something for you to “spin”:

1-9: The ACC’s record in BCS Bowl games.

2-17: The ACC’s record against non-conference teams ranked in the top 10 the past four years.

9-31: The ACC’s record against non-conference teams ranked in the top 25 the past four years.

0: The number of times the ACC has received an at-large bid to a BCS game.

2 of last 3 national champs have come from the SEC, and 6 SEC coaches have won national titles.

And for one last comparison, let’s rate the conferences 1-12.

1: Wake Forest, Alabama 2: Va Tech, LSU 3.: GT, Georgia 4: UNC, Florida 5: FSU, Vandy 6: BC, Auburn 7: Clemson, SC 8: Maryland, UK 9: Miami, Ole Miss 10: NCSU, Tennessee 11: Duke, Arkansas 12: UVA, Miss State

I’m guessing that every SEC team would be the clear favorite in all of those games with the exception of Clemson/SC, Duke/Arky, and maybe Miami/Ole Miss.

I told you, I’m not an SEC chest thumper. I do think the SEC is a little down so far this year. But the SEC is still (at worst) the second best conference in the nation. That’s not “spin”. But I appreciate your enthusiasm on the subject. Makes for interesting debate.

By Big Bee

October 6, 2008 2:02 PM | Link to this

Robert M. According to you GT might play for the NC without being in the top 25. Why? Because there are no good teams left that they will be playing.hehehehehe

By BMC

October 6, 2008 2:07 PM | Link to this

The SEC vs ACC argument is the same every year. Until the ACC has more teams in the top 20 at the end of the year, they will always be considered the weaker conference. That being said, it doesn’t mean that every SEC team is better than every ACC team. In fact, it doesn’t even mean that the best SEC team is better than the best ACC team. It just means that the SEC is better as a whole. This year may prove to be the beginning of a slow turn for this argument. It seems that in both conferences the weaker teams are getting better. This would tend to benefit the ACC more as they have been perceived to have the weaker teams overall. It may not be long before the ACC is considered right up there with the SEC and it may be even sooner that the top ACC team is ranked above the top SEC team. Either way, it’s getting to be more fun to watch the inter-conference games as there are less cream-puffs in both conferences.

By James Adams

October 6, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this

If you REALLY want to make an ACC fan mad, go back and compare Sweet 16’s and Final Fours and National Champs with regards to the NCAA Tournament. The numbers are VERY similar since 1994. ACC fans hate numbers and facts.

By Pitbull

October 6, 2008 2:40 PM | Link to this

I am surprised it has taken this long for anyone to question O’Leary about the death of that player last march. Newspaper accounts at the time had O’Leary and some of his assistant coaches yelling down at him as he lay on the ground rather than immediately calling for medical assistance.

I am surprised the DA has not opened an investigation and I am willing to bet the kid’s family is consulting with an attorney at present to go after Cental Florida and O’Leary. O’Leary appears to be bad news.

Is it true that Auburn is changing the name of Jordan Hare Stadium to “The Barn Yard?”

If Tuberville wanted to trash his program, all he had to do was hire a Tech grad as his offensive coordinator. How about Ted Roof?

Will Tech beat Clemson. It depends on if Tommy Bowden shows up or Tammy Bowden shows up.

I am still laughing my butt off at Arkansas. They run off Houston Nutt and hire that loser Petrino. Now that is a school that should have made a play for Bobby Johnson. If he can win with Vandy academics, think of wht he could do at the Arkansas Pre-K school.

I am sure that 95% of the blog readers would like to put Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Bobby Petrino and Steve Spurrier in a rowboat two miles off shore with three life jackets and set the boat on fire. Now I would pay good money to see that. Put it on the big screen and you would have another Sanford Stadium sellout.

And does anybody feel sorry for Fill Fulmer? I didn’t think so. Vol fans would throw him under the bus, but it would wreck the bus.

And is Furman Bisher wearing his Georgia Tech halter top and panties these days? Selah

By Fred

October 6, 2008 2:55 PM | Link to this

Steve Spurrier is one of the worst Hinningest Coaches in Sports, bar none!!!!

By Alabama Jack

October 6, 2008 3:13 PM | Link to this

i have always found UGA to be rank.

By Left to Right

October 6, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this

Bad News For the Atlanta Spirit (Part 3)

Thirty-four posts so far responding to this blog, none of them concerning an Atlanta Spirit team.

Nothing positive, nothing negative, nothing.

Fans have gone from being angry to indifferent-and it will show this year in attendance.

By Erik

October 6, 2008 3:56 PM | Link to this

Left to Right,

I totally agree. It’s a shame what’s happening to the Hawks and Thrashers right now. They are irrelevant, even with the Hawks making the playoffs last year. The Thrashers have one of the more talent-depleted rosters in the NHL. They are going to be terrible.

The Atlanta Spirit group is a total joke.

By Tim Scott

October 6, 2008 4:07 PM | Link to this

YOU ARE AMAZING YOU HAVE THE GALL TO LIST THE TOP WHINERS AND NOT INCLUDE YOUR BOY MARK RICHT. YOUR A JACKASS WHAT WAS THAT WE HEARD COMING FROM ATHENS LAST YR. WE DESERVE NAT TITLE GAME WE CAN’T WIN OUR DIVISION OR COMPETE FOR OUR CONF TITLE BUT WE DESERVE.. OVER AND OVER AND OVER. WHY DON’T YOU HAVE YOUR LIPS SURGICALLY REMOVED FROM HIS BACK SIDE AND TRY TO LOOK AT THINGS IN SOMETHING OTHER THAN RED AND BLACK GLASSES

By GT GRAD

October 6, 2008 4:15 PM | Link to this

Someone stated that GT should not be ranked until they win against a really good team. I would like to point out that there are several teams ranked in the Top 25 who have not won against a really good team (UGA, AUBURN, VANDY, LSU, OHIO STATE, PENN STATE, TEXAS, TEXAS TECH, BYU, UTAH, BOISE STATE, ETC.) Several of these teams have struggled against lesser competition while GT has easily won the games against Mississippi State, Jacksonville State & Duke. GT beat BC on the road and came very close to pulling the upset against VT on the road.

GT is definitely under-rated. This is the case almost every year. GT almost ALWAYS ends up ranked higher at the end of the season than where the pundits place them in the preseason.

Sagarin currently has GT ranked at #11. I don’t think we should be ranked quite that high just yet; however, the computer ranking of #11 shows how much negative bias there is in the AP & Coaches polls regarding GT and the ACC.

Let’s ponder a few Facts:

The SEC is 28-5 out of conference.

The ACC is 28-10 out of conference.

The SEC losses were to Louisianna-Monroe, a pitiful UCLA, Wake Forest, GT & Texas. Only 2 of the 5 teams that beat these highly touted SEC teams are ranked in the Top 25. 60% of the SEC losses are to unranked teams & WF is barely ranked!. Also, the overall strength of schedule for the SEC out of conference games is simply pitiful.

The ACC losses were to USC, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, a very hot and lucky East Carolina, South Florida, Connecticut, a 5-0 Northwestern, Navy & Middle Tennessee. 7 of the 10 loses were to teams ranked in the Top 25. Only 30% of the ACC losses were to unranked teams. The overall strength of schedule for the ACC out of conference games is very respectable (best of all of the BCS college football conferences).

Conclusion: THE ACC IS NOT AS WEAK AS MOST SEC FANS AND THE SPORTS MEDIA WOULD LIKE TO THINK!!

GT SHOULD WITHOUT A DOUBT BE IN THE TOP 25. THE FACT THAT AUBURN WAS RANKED AS THE #9 TEAM AND IS STILL IN THE TOP 25 IS A COMPLETE JOKE!!!

Someone also stated that the ACC bowl record vs. the SEC bowl record is no comparison; well……….

ACC (All-Time Bowl Record): 143-124 (54% wins)

SEC (All-Time Bowl Record): 180-160 (53% wins)

ACC (Bowl Record Past 10 years): 30-26 (54% wins)

SEC (Bowl Record Past 10 years): 44-33 (57% wins)

SEC vs. ACC (Over-all Head to Head Past 10 years): 41-30 (58% in favor of SEC)

GT (All-Time Bowl Record): 24-14 (61% wins)

UGA (All-Time Bowl Record): 24-15 (61.5% wins)

The ACC had the BEST BOWL RECORD IN ALL OF NCAA FOOTBALL from 2001-2006 with a record of 25-16 (61% wins)!!

(**All of the numbers & stats above only count games where the teams were actually in the ACC; the numbers would be even better if the Miami, VT & BC bowl games were included when these 3 teams were with the Big East).

Give it a rest guys; the anti-ACC rant by SEC fans is getting old especially when the facts used by most SEC fans is “off of the top of their heads”.

AND the media bias against the ACC is almost as bad as the left wing media bias for Obama and the Democrats………it is very difficult to find a fair media outlet (newspapers or TV media). What ever happened to reporters simply reporting the freak’n news???????

By Erik

October 6, 2008 4:19 PM | Link to this

Tim Scott,

Making a case for your team to play in the national title game is not whining. Any coach who thought their team was playing as well as anyone in the country and deserved to be in the discussion would do the same thing. Unfortunately, without a playoff, coaches sometimes have to try to defend their teams.

And since when was winning the conference a criteria. Fact is, UGA was playing as well as anyone in the country, but then mysteriously feel 5 spots after LSU barely beat an average Tennessee team. There were about five teams that a legit beef in who played in that game.

And for what it’s worth, I’m a UGA fan and did not have a major problem with us not being in that game. We had two bad losses that cost us.

By GT GRAD

October 6, 2008 4:32 PM | Link to this

I will agree the ACC needs to win more BCS games; 1-9 is embarassing!

The ACC is better than many people are will to admit.

To Erik:

I think the ACC would win the following games (based on your match-ups): Va Tech might pull an upset over LSU, GT might very well beat Georgia if we played this weekend, FSU beats Vandy, BC beats Auburn, Clemson beats SC, Miami beats Ole Miss, NC State beats Tennessee, Duke beats Arkansas & UVA beats Miss State. The results are 7-3 in favor of the ACC teams with 2 games too close to call!

The SEC is top heavy with a few good/great teams up top and weak teams in the middle and bottom. The ACC is solid top to bottom, but we do not currently have any dominant top teams at this juncture.

If the SEC would play better teams out of conference, we would not be having this conversation, because the SEC would not SEEM so dominant.

By Erik

October 6, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this

GT GRAD:

You mentioned something about teams currently in the top 25 not having quality wins. First of all, UGA has beaten Arizona State and SC on the road. I’d say those are quality wins.

As for your other teams: UGA, AUBURN, VANDY, LSU, OHIO STATE, PENN STATE, TEXAS, TEXAS TECH, BYU, UTAH, BOISE STATE, ETC… Those are mostly all teams with a WINNING TRADITION, especially over the last few years. Winning 6 games a year and playing in the Humanitarian Bowl is not the kind of winning I’m talking about. So, of course, GT is going to fly a little under the radar nationally until they beat someone of consequence. Someone other than Duke or Mississippi State. That’s how the polls work. I’m not saying it’s right. But teams outside the top25 have to really earn their way in. There are exceptions sometimes, like Ball State. Not sure why they are ranked.

And I never was the one who said the ACC was weak. I just said, simply, that the SEC is stronger right now.

For what it’s worth, I agree with you on Auburn. Two early losses (I don’t care to whom) and a 3-2 win over Miss State does not equal top 25 material. I don’t care how close they played LSU.

By Erik

October 6, 2008 4:43 PM | Link to this

If the SEC would play better teams outside of the conference? I guess you mean if Georgia would play someone better than GT???? Yeah, lately, not getting style points for beating GT probably has cost us.

Of course any of those SEC teams you mentioned “could” lose to that ACC opponent. Anything could happen. But UGA has owned GT lately, and VT had the chance to beat LSU last year, and they got steamrolled 45-0.

Think of it this way, your highest ranked team lost to NAVY… AT HOME.

By 7Straight

October 6, 2008 4:54 PM | Link to this

Tech is in its customary October position in the AP Rankings…also receiving votes…and seven spots behind Ball State…I’d say that’s about right. After beating G-W Saturday they might make it to the 25th spot for a week…and then Clemson will spank them and that will be that….with subsequent losses to NC, FSU, Miami and Georgia—-there may still be a blue rug in Tech’s future—-if they are lucky.

By Steve Lloyd

October 6, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this

All your comments suck, GO DAWGS!!

By BCS Champs Again

October 6, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this

Tim Scott….lets get things straight…LSU beat an average UT team…with its 2nd string QB and without the CFB Defensive player of the year….the same average UT team walke the dog on the dogs….

By ME

October 6, 2008 5:28 PM | Link to this

All the comments about O’Leary are from the Orlando Slantinal. I would take the information is a grain of salt.

By TampaGator

October 6, 2008 5:33 PM | Link to this

I would rather be an “Urban Crier”, as you put it, than a “sideline female reporter basher” like your coach at Georgia. How rude can you be! At least Urban cries about something that matters. Richt “just b*** at reporters like a spoiled, self rigtheous” jerk. The lady was just trying to do her job. She can’t help it, Mr. Richt, if your team was getting its combined asses kicked all over the field by a better coached Bama team. Not better talent. Better coached!

By OldGold

October 6, 2008 6:02 PM | Link to this

“ugarulz44” How about this: Besides a 4-1 start with 3 conference games, Auburn played a disaster of a game against the same Miss State team only a week before with a 3-2 hockey score, and moved up in the rankings with the most awe full offense in major college football and Tech handled this same Miss State team like they were Furman on an off year. Then this same Miss State team put up points on LSU like it was a rivalry game with two powerhouses. Auburn is still ranked at 4-2 and they will do well to win 7 games this year, and Georgia Tech is held out of the top. But I don’t care, it’s just funny.

By lisa

October 6, 2008 6:24 PM | Link to this

ugarulz…

Who has UGA beaten that is in the top 25? You don’t deserve your ranking. If it weren’t for preseason polls you wouldn’t be crap.

By GT

October 6, 2008 6:41 PM | Link to this

I hope they never rank us and when we beat Georgia it will be that much sweeter. Great coaches build up teams they play for a reason, to leave Tech in the basement ain’t very smart but I love it and hope they just leave us along.

By BE#3

October 6, 2008 6:46 PM | Link to this

The Sagarin ratings are a joke. They still have SoCal at #1 when they lost to a horrible OSU team. And they have UF ahead of UGA who lost to Ole Miss @ home while UGA loses to a top 10 team at home.

Tech is playing good football, no doubt. They probably do deserve to be in top 25 and have a legit chance of being the ACC champ! But ya’ll still have to play the Dawgs in November!!!!!

By Bob

October 6, 2008 7:34 PM | Link to this

You are an idiot Mark Bradley, and so is Fox Sports!! Urban Meyer is not a crier or whiner or whatever you want to call it, at all!! In 2006 his team deserved to be in the National Championship so he talked about how they should. There is NOTHING wrong with that!! And also, about the Georgia celebration thing, it WAS VERY MUCH UNSPORTSMANLIKE conduct!!! There should have been some kind of action against Georgia for what they did. Neither Meyer or Spurrier should be on this list, it’s a stupid list made by Fox Sports who don’t know anything! Bradley is just upset because he knows Meyer is a lot better coach than Mark Richt.

By sparky

October 6, 2008 7:48 PM | Link to this

SEC Whineville. You want some cheese with that wine? THWG

By falcon21

October 6, 2008 8:01 PM | Link to this

If a coach does not take up for his team, he will not be a coach for long. If you call that whining then so be it.A coach has to have respect of his players.

By VolMan

October 6, 2008 8:26 PM | Link to this

Mark bradley—-uga suckup, hater of everything not dawg related. A totally worthless excuse for a “journalist.” Go to work for uga.

By michaelgee

October 6, 2008 9:00 PM | Link to this

No University has whined more than UGA and Mark Richt, period.

The UGA fanbase and Richt whined after they didn’t win the Nat Championship last year.

The UGA fanbase and Richt whined for the entire offseason about the BCS system.

The UGA fanbase and Richt whined all the way to the ‘bama game.

Then they whimpered away, but just wait, the whining will continue from Richt and the doggies, I can hear it already.

By RAMBLE ON!!!

October 6, 2008 9:19 PM | Link to this

There is no question that UGA fans are the biggest cry babies in the nation, but the topic is coaches.

Mark Richt crying like a little baby about knowshow hurdling a nobody defender is big, but his and the other coaches crying helps the SEC with the rankings.

That’s why they get the attention they don’t deserve and are over-rated each season. Cry babies always do.

Vanderbilt winning the SEC East will expose the over-rated SEC for what it is. Tooooooo funnnnnyyyyyyyyy.

By George

October 6, 2008 9:56 PM | Link to this

Woof, woof, woof,woof, woof, woof, woof!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It never really changes. Bark Madley!!!!!! Or is it really Mark Bradley?!?!?!? Don”t even think about it- get the he__ away from the Jackets!!!!!! After all these years we don”t want or need you. WOOF, WOOF, WOOF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By John tide

October 6, 2008 10:00 PM | Link to this

No one could beat Pat Dye or Vince Dooley as the whinest grown men alive.

By GT GRAD

October 6, 2008 10:44 PM | Link to this

BE#3:

Florida is ranked ahead of UGA in the Sagarin Poll because Florida crushed Hawaii, beat Miami (close until the 4th), embarrassed Tennessee, and way-laid Arkansas. The Mississippi loss was 31-30.

UGA struggled against Div II Georgia Southern, beat Central Michigan, won ugly against a not very good SC team, beat a pitiful Arizona State, and got crushed/embarrassed by Alabama.

I cannot believe I am going to defend a PAC-10 team, but USC crushed Virginia, crushed Ohio State, lost a close game to Oregon State and crushed Oregon.

Most people who bet on college football would tell you that the Sagarin Poll is a MUCH better indicator than the AP Poll or the Coaches Poll at predicting the outcome of games.

The fact that UGA is ranked higher than Florida in the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll is the real JOKE!!

By GT GRAD

October 6, 2008 10:58 PM | Link to this

Erik:

The fact that GT is usually the toughest out-of-conference team on the UGA schedule and you think GT is weak kinda makes my point.

If you would think it through a little, you might realize it would be better if you and your SEC friends built GT and the ACC up a little or at least give GT and the other ACC teams the credit they deserve………this way when you win 6 out of the 10 games you play against the ACC, the wins might seem like good wins. (Well………58% is almost 6 out of 10 anyway).

The truth is the SEC is not quite as good as you and your SEC friends would like to think and the ACC is better than you and your SEC friends would like to think.

Take care!

By T-Rex

October 6, 2008 11:10 PM | Link to this

The GT fans that complain about their tough academics requirements for student athletes are big whiners! Reggie Ball made it through 4 years, can’t be rocket science… Well, I guess it could be, but not for athletes anyway.

By William

October 6, 2008 11:31 PM | Link to this

Words, words, words. If measured by the number of words proffered by SEC enthusiasts, surely the collection of Dixie schools would dominate the polls. But alas, the reality of the rankings depend on the results of the on-field skirmishes. Those results pale in comparison with the words; thus the whining from the SEC family. As time passes, nothing in the SEC changes. Lots of words- no results. Shut up!

By ChattHill Jacket

October 6, 2008 11:37 PM | Link to this

I will wait until after the Clemson game to say we need to be RANKED or Not RANKED in the Top 25. I am not a UGA fan who thinks THEY ARE GOD’S GIFT TO FOOTBALL EVERY YEAR.NLY TO FALL SHORT. Make my seat in Bobby Dodd empty every SATURDAY; as I STAND, to Cheer TECH WINS. I want RESPECT from teams when DAD & I Travel to the games. No TEAM RESPECTS UGA, FSU, or UM because they don’t have a fan base with any CLASS just BIGGGG MOUTHS and ATTUTUDE and GIMMEICS.

By georgiagirl

October 6, 2008 11:50 PM | Link to this

Reading all these blogs are so funny, because to me the big whiners are the GT and Fla fans. You all are whining and crying like a little B Boy. Fla lost to a unranked team Ole Miss and you call Georgia fans a joke. At least Georgia lost to a good ranked team Bama. Please go get some cheese with that whine now.

GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By really?

October 6, 2008 11:57 PM | Link to this

whining but no results William? might want to check out recent national champions first.

By MidnightRambler

October 7, 2008 12:03 AM | Link to this

For those downgrading the ACC, I’ll repeat a post from elsewhere: The following graphic and comments were noted on Raycom TV during the GT-Miss. State game:

“MORE PLAYERS WERE DRAFTED FROM THE ACC, 115, OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS THAN FROM ANY OTHER CONFERENCE! THIS INCLUDES THE #1,2, AND 3 PICKS: MATT RYAN, BC; CALVIN JOHNSON, GT; AND MARIO WILLIAMS, NC STATE!”

By KJ

October 7, 2008 1:08 AM | Link to this

As time passes, nothing in the SEC changes. Lots of words- no results

Well, nothing except, you know, the last 2 (going on 3) national championships, in a landslide. But don’t let the facts get in your way!

And for those of you that keep bringing up Sagarin, I assumed you engineering dorks would know that Sagarin’s methods aren’t really valid until several weeks into the season. So, yeah, you can stop making that argument, at least for a few more weeks.

By Paddy

October 7, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this

Left to right…You are correct. The ASG is not worth waisting blog space. No Cash, no leadership and no Spirit from the local fans. Even good ownership could not put life back into the NBA. It is unwatchable.

By Erik

October 7, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this

GT GRAD,

I’ll show you how any fan of any team can spin numbers. Here’s what you stated:

“Florida is ranked ahead of UGA in the Sagarin Poll because Florida crushed Hawaii, beat Miami (close until the 4th), embarrassed Tennessee, and way-laid Arkansas. The Mississippi loss was 31-30.

UGA struggled against Div II Georgia Southern, beat Central Michigan, won ugly against a not very good SC team, beat a pitiful Arizona State, and got crushed/embarrassed by Alabama.”

Here are more facts for you:

UF did crush Hawaii, 56-10. UGA beat CMU 56-17. That’s a difference of 7 points, both vs. teams that went to bowls last year. Most people think CMU is the better team this year, better than Hawaii I mean.

UGA did not struggle against GSU. We won 45-21. Just because it wasn’t 70-0 doesn’t mean we struggled.

Yes, UF crushed UT and Arkansas… who have proven to be teams at the bottom of the SEC. They also beat a very average (and I’m being nice here) Miami team. That team might, might win six games.

Yes, the Ole Miss loss was by one point. But that same Ole Miss team just got handled by SC at HOME. An SC team YOU said wasn’t any good. So, tell me, how does that make UF look better? UF lost to 5-6 win Ole Miss team at home. UGA lost (badly, granted) to a team who may very well be the best in the country.

And while we’re dissecting wins and losses: GT has beaten Duke, Jax State, MSU and needed 9 points in the 4th to come from behind and beat an average BC team. Is that supposed to be impressive to a NON-BIASED voter?

By Gatorfan

October 7, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this

When I moved to Atlanta many of my friends said the AJC was the worst paper in the south. I was a non-believer and took a 1 year subscription to the paper figuring that at worst I could read the sports page. I find the paper to be ok..but bradley is THE BIGGEST HOMER in the world. His work is substandard and if it is not uga it must not be important.

By Scott Hornibrook

October 7, 2008 12:08 PM | Link to this

It always amazes me how Georgia fans THINK (if they are capable) that they are one of the elite programs in the nation. They have one national championship (1980) in their “trailer park” history ! They will never win the SEC again, because there is always a Florida, LSU, Ala or Auburn team that is better than them every year. Until you do something big doggies, you need to stay on the porch, your bark is meaningless. Georgia Tech’s history, for example, blows your history back to the outhouse. They have 4 national titles and 3 legendary coaches (to date) and they show more class then you can ever buy at Wal-mart.

By ROBBOB

October 7, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this

Why are all the UGA haters crying about UGA crying? You will still be crying when UGA beats your teams a$$,wont you? Tech turds and Gayturds cry more than anybody in CFB! Teblow cries more than anybody anywhere!

By Fat Dawg

October 7, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this

Ya’ll need to lay off our DAWGS. Coach Richt is the classyest coach around. I real nice guy. My neighbor met him at church and even listened to him about his ideas on some schemes.

The ACC stands for All Carolina conference. Wehn has TEch won last? Like 25 years ago.

We, UGA, are an elite school. We, UGA, are a nationwide known school. I wore my UGA shirt this weekend past when we went on vacation to Pigeon Forge and people were commenting on UGA football.

Go DAWGS! Beat Vandy!

By North Avenue

October 10, 2008 4:28 PM | Link to this

I’ll take Gardner Webb and 66 points.

By Ordell Robbie

October 12, 2008 8:57 AM | Link to this

So the Hawks 37 wins next year would be 6 less than their 37 wins last year? Nice math Bradley. Did you learn that at Kentucky?