AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2009 > February > 17 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTaking a look at the football sked
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s take a look at the recently published 2009 GT football schedule and be thankful for the needed distraction from current basketball futility.
Sept. 5, Jacksonville State
Opening at home against the Ryan Perriloux-led Gamecocks should allow the Jackets to play lots of depth on the defensive line and at just about every other position on both sides of the ball.
Sept. 10, Clemson
The season starts in earnest when the Tigers come to town. It will be a Thursday night and a likely candidate for another White Out effort. Since the weather will be warmer, we shouldn’t hear many lame complaints from people who are worried about their toes and fingers getting a little chilly.
Clemson will be coming off their season opener, hosting Middle Tennessee. Both teams will have five days to rest up from their initial scrimmages and it should be a fun game to watch between evenly matched opponents. Tech will be fortunate to have a coach named Paul rather than Dabo.
Sept. 17, at Miami
The Hurricanes will have 10 days to prepare for the Tech triple option attack after opening on the road against Florida State the previous week. It’s still going to be Paul Johnson vs. Randy Shannon, regardless of where or when the game is played. I like Tech’s odds in that situation.
You can bet that the Miami defense won’t try to tackle high or strip the ball loose in this game. They don’t need more safeties getting trucked by Jonathan Dwyer. They probably still have nightmares from the last game.
Sept. 26, North Carolina
Payback time. The Heels will have warmed up against The Citadel, Connecticut and East Carolina. Tech will have Clemson and Miami under their belts and a serious desire to repay the favor from this past season’s loss at Carolina. A few extra days rest won’t hurt GT here either.
Oct. 3, at Mississippi State
Starkville… I can picture Tech fans snapping up tickets left and right for this one. Well, maybe not.
Sylvester Croom will be long gone and the Bulldogs will have played serious games against Auburn, Vandy, and LSU before hosting the Jackets. With a new coach, this team is a complete enigma but it should still be the first of three SEC victories from the ‘09 Jackets.
Oct. 10, at Florida State
Tech fans will travel to Tallahassee in HUGE numbers for this game. This was a budding rivalry before conference expansion messed things up and the Jacket faithful will make the most of this opportunity to walk into Doak Campbell with bragging rights. Florida State will have just finished a tough series of BYU, South Florida, and Boston College before facing Tech at home.
This will be my big road game for the season. The wife and I will buy tickets in different parts of the stadium and try to play nice, but it’s going to be a war that weekend and I can’t wait!
Oct. 17, Virginia Tech
Hopefully, the 2009 game against the Hokies won’t be decided by a bogus helmet-to-helmet call on a quarterback scrambling downfield and outside of the pocket. The Jackets owe VT a load of payback since the road loss in Blacksburg last season cost Tech a birth in the ACC title game.
The Hokies will be coming off a game against Boston College and will have already faced Bama, Nebraska and Miami earlier in the year.
Oct. 24 at Virginia
The Hoos will be coming off a road game against Maryland when the Jackets make their trip to Charlottesville. Everyone seems to be waiting for Al Groh to finally lose that program. Every year it looks to be more and more fractured and vulnerable. Groh just keeps on playing checkers, winning just enough games to keep his job.
Gotta do a better job pressuring the quarterback in this game that we did the last — can’t be much worse!
Oct. 31, at Vanderbilt
The Commodores will be coming off of games against Georgia and South Carolina when the Jackets visit Nashville. And they’ll likely be looking ahead to playing the Gators on 11/7, which will be a mistake when Johnson runs the ball down their throat. Right now, Vandy represents a bowl team on the GT schedule. That won’t be the case in 2009.
Nov. 7, Wake Forest
The Deacons will be coming off games against Clemson, Navy and Miami when they arrive in Atlanta to face the triple option for the second time in 2009. This will be a tough test. Wake is well coached and has seen Paul Johnson’s offense as much as anyone by virtue of their games against Navy. Jim Grobe vs Paul Johnson may be one of the best coaching competitions in the ACC.
Nov. 14, at Duke
Cutcliffe will still be working hard to turn Duke around. It’s going to take longer than he’s had so far. The triple option will be humming and Tech should be able to rest some starters going into a bye week before the UGA game at the end of the season.
Duke will be in the midst of a five-game losing streak since they’ll have faced the Hokies, Wolfpack, Terps, Hoos and Heels prior to the Jackets. They’ll be going through the motions with Miami and Wake still on their horizon.
Nov. 28, Georgia
An off-week before facing UGA will be well timed and the Jackets will attempt to heal up. UGA will be coming off home games against Auburn and Kentucky.
Without Stafford and Moreno, the UGA team is a complete unknown right now. They have a brutal schedule next year though, with OOC games against Oklahoma State, Arizona State,and Georgia Tech. They could be riding high in the standings or crawling under the porch going into this game. Regardless…its going to be Johnson vs. Richt again and I like Tech’s odds in that situation.
Go Jackets!
THWG!
Services »
Comments
By ga_tech_92
February 17, 2009 7:22 PM | Link to this
Go Jackets! Fear no one! Respect everyone! Go Jackets!
By walker
February 17, 2009 7:38 PM | Link to this
Paul Johnson looked awesome against Les Miles!!!!! Ya NERDS!!!!!!!
By Body Massage Machine
February 17, 2009 7:44 PM | Link to this
Mark Richt looked awesome against Urban Meyer!!!!! Ya HICKS!!!!!!!!
By ga_tech_92
February 17, 2009 7:46 PM | Link to this
walker, your team looked awesome against Paul Johnson also.
By SlimG
February 17, 2009 10:01 PM | Link to this
Wow. National Champs already. When did paul start playing? This guy is an idiot. FSU was on the like 3 yard line, running the clock for the winning score and fumbled. Ramble makes it sound like we dominated the ‘noles. First of 3 wins against the SEC. Laughable. I bet we lose to Vandy. Here’s the real story and predictions.
Game 1-should not even count-W 2-Clemson-have we beat them 2 years in a row ever-L 3-Miami-canes are awful-W 4-UNC-stops the high school offense again-L 5-MSU-one SEC team we beat all year-W 6-FSU-back to back below the nat line-L 7-Va Tech-they have our number-L 8-Virginia-didn’t they beat us for homecoming-L 9-Wake-they’ll be down this year-W 10-Duke-W 11-Dawgs-Clock is right twice a day-L
That’s only five wins maybe six. No GardnerWebb, Uconn to paid the schedule this year. How will everyone feel with 5-6 wins? Oh yeah, as long as we beat georgia right.
By Ted
February 17, 2009 11:19 PM | Link to this
VT will be the best team we play all year but we have them at home so I like our chances. FSU won’t be a pushover especially in Tally. We had the youngest team in the ACC last year & will only get better. Can’t wait to see the rest of CPJ’s playbook implemented. If we stay healthy this should be a fun year.
HA! love the Groh “checkers” comment!
By GT student
February 18, 2009 12:18 AM | Link to this
Slim G yes we have beat clemson 2 in a row….the last two years. Quit being a fan if you cant get behind johnson…you are worthless to GT.
By GT student
February 18, 2009 12:21 AM | Link to this
and its not paid its pad….I digress
By Robards
February 18, 2009 12:24 AM | Link to this
I really don’t think Vandy is going to be looking ahead to Florida.
By Sautee Dawg
February 18, 2009 1:12 AM | Link to this
Boggs
The helmet to helmet is not what cost you a chance to be in the ACC CG. Not producing against UNC is what cost you!!!
By jabster
February 18, 2009 9:45 AM | Link to this
Sautee Dawg—you have a big point there. We needed to TCB against UNC last year and didn’t.
I still think that the toughest game this season will be FSU in Tally. We almost beat VT in Blacksburg last year, we should be able to finish the job on the Flats this year. CPJ kills the Charlottesville Curse. And if we can beat UGA with Stafford, Massaquoi, and Moreno between the hedges, we can beat them on the Flats without them.
By kentuckyjacket
February 18, 2009 9:47 AM | Link to this
I rarely respond to these blogs but I have to comment SlimG is no Tech fan, he is a dog who can’t spell. 09 has a chance to be a special season, if we stay healthy. That’s my concern, no off weeks until the dog smashing.
By Expert
February 18, 2009 10:51 AM | Link to this
Super early prediction: 8-4
Not bad considering the schedule. That’s a tough one.
By Wrecker1
February 18, 2009 12:42 PM | Link to this
This is no walk through schedule. The games we should without a doubt win are JSU and Duke. The games we must win are MSU, Vandy, Virginia, and WF. Of the remaining 6, yeah we were young last year but so was FSU, Miami, and VaTech. FSU will be tough but personally I think VaTech will be tougher. That leaves Clemson (really good athletes), UNC (very mature team but may struggle at offensive skill positions) and Ugag (biggest rival and regardless of what the puppies believe these games can usually go either way). The way I see it, we win the first 6 I listed but WF will be a bear and may be the best coached team we play all year. We handle FSU and Miami by 8-10 and VaTech will be a knock-down drag-out that we win by 3-4. Clemson/TECH is usually a war but we win by 11 this year and we thump UNC. That leaves just the Ugag game. I want to say we win this one close but I just can’t…. TECH 37 Ugag 20.
By reebok
February 18, 2009 12:48 PM | Link to this
Good schedule, several really good teams, and several more that are potentially on the way up. Toughest games will be against UGA, FSU and VT, but Wake, Clemson and Miami could also have really good years. 9-3 or 8-4 looks likely to me. GO JACKETS!
By Georgia Tech's 2009 Season
February 18, 2009 2:00 PM | Link to this
JSU - W Clemson - W Miami - L UNC - W Miss. St. - W FSU - L VT - L UVA - W Vandy - W Wake - W Duke - W UGA - L
Music City Bowl - L
Final Result: 8-5
By SlimG
February 18, 2009 4:17 PM | Link to this
GTradeschool student. Thanks for being my grammar check, that will pay really well. Attach your resume and maybe I’ll give you a job.
Just because I’m not drunk from last years success, you hate? Reality is a biootch. This schedule is not that tough. Try the dawgs schedule if you want tough. The ACC has been down for years and I don’t see that changing. FSU and Miami are way down from the 90’s and I don’t see a top 10 team in the whole conference.
By Hey Slim
February 18, 2009 4:50 PM | Link to this
Didn’t SC fumble the ball into the endzone to gift uga their win this past year? Keep throwing those stones though.
By Huh?
February 18, 2009 5:05 PM | Link to this
“Didn’t SC fumble the ball into the endzone to gift uga their win this past year?”
Yes they did, which might also explain why we aren’t exactly thrilled with our 10-3 season. If we went 9-4 and got blasted in the Chicken Bowl there would be calls to fire Richt. We certainly would give out any rings or give Richt a big fat raise. Sorry, no glass house here bud.
By Sven Ottke
February 18, 2009 9:04 PM | Link to this
You’re right. No glass house, but one dumb, fat arseclown.
By bill jackson
February 18, 2009 10:39 PM | Link to this
Frank Wren needs to stop doing his deals in public and start actual doing real deals in private! How many times are we going to be used as leverage for further deals for other clubs. Frank has got to go. His no credibility, and is a joke.
By bill jackson
February 18, 2009 10:41 PM | Link to this
sorr wrong post on the wrong board.
By Hey Slim
February 19, 2009 8:03 AM | Link to this
If you pathetic morons could read, you would see that SlimG mentioned the FSU fumble. I was simply pointing out that SC did the same thing against the mutts this year, but all you morons want to talk about is the FSU fumble.
I would be pretty dissappointed if my team went from preseason #1, to #2 in my own state, even with my 2 first round draft picks, and getting my doors blown off by UF…But your cheerleaders started most of the games this past year due to injury, right?
By Huh?
February 19, 2009 9:39 AM | Link to this
Hey Slim, WE ARE dissapointed. I think I said that didn’t I? I love you how Techies use UGA’s higher standards against us. Its honestly quite pathetic. We could have went 12-1 but if we didn’t win the national title cowardly Techies would still be taking shots at us for not “reaching our goals.” That’s how low Tech fans will sink. Yeah, if my team won 7 games a year, went to blue turf bowls, and never won a single solitary thing I would be pretty thrilled with 9 wins too. But that’s not the case is it? I thank God everyday I am not associated with such halfa** mediocrity.
By Hey Slim
February 19, 2009 9:53 AM | Link to this
High Standards, LMAO. More like delusional expectations. You girls had all the talent in the world last year, and couldn’t beat a GT team with an entirely new offense LMAO! I thank God everyday that im not associated with the white trash sidewalk fans of uga.
By Huh?
February 19, 2009 10:07 AM | Link to this
That’s right, I said high standards. Standards like winning the SEC and playing in a BCS bowl. Those are UGA’s goals EVERY YEAR. So its real easy for Tech fans to sit on the sidelines like cowards and take shots at UGA for not reaching those goals when your goals are to go through a season without completely embarassing yourselves. Its like a fat guy who couldn’t even finish the Boston marathon taking shots at the 2nd place finisher because he didn’t win. Tech fans are that fat guy.
Delusional expectations? We didn’t vote ourselves #1 in the preseason you clueless goob. I am not aware of any Georgia fans that are AP voters, are you? No, the same people that will likely vote Georgia Tech in the preseason top 15 this year voted us preseason #1 last year. But since Tech fans are nothing but pathetic hypocrites I’m sure that won’t mean a thing to you. You’ll be rubbing that preseason top 15 ranking in all of our faces for sure. Geez, its been so long since Tech was even ranked in any preseason poll that you idiots will probably throw a damn parade.
By Hey Slim
February 19, 2009 10:20 AM | Link to this
No no, it would be like that fat guy, beating the second place runner, running a marathon on the guys property. But in reality, the second place runner is nowhere near that good. And he has a butt-cut.
So all of the talk from the mutts last year about being National Champs, and possibly the best team ever…what was that? I would say THAT is a delusional fan base. Go back and look at any of the preseason blogs, they are HILARIOUS! Im pretty sure that every team has high GOALS, moron. The mutt standard is not living up to the hype. THAT is the uga standard.
By Huh?
February 19, 2009 11:00 AM | Link to this
Uh, was that english? I did not understand a single word of that gibberish in the first paragraph. All I got out of it was a cute reference to Mark Richt’s “butt-cut.” Talk about throwing stones in glass houses. Nobody with Paul freaking Johnson as their coach should be saying a single word about the physical appearance of another head coach. They should put a bag over that guy’s head before they let him on the field to coach. I think he scares small children.
No, every team does not have high goals. Teams that give out rings for a 9-4 championship-less season do not have high goals. You are sorely mistaken my friend.
By Hey Slim
February 19, 2009 11:12 AM | Link to this
Yes, PJ is a cave man, and he scares grown men, as well as small children. I was referring to your analogy about the fat guy bad mouthing the marathon runner. B/c if GT is the fat guy, then the fat guy beat the marathon runner… in his backyard. And GT obtained only 1 of their preseason goals, beat the mutts. Their other was to win the ACC, and while we tied for first in the Coastal, we didn’t get it done. Winning the ACC=BCS game, so a BCS game is also a GT goal. I know that winning the ACC < SEC, but it would be silly for us to set the goal of winning the SEC.
By Huh?
February 19, 2009 11:29 AM | Link to this
Incorrect. The marathon runner tripped and fell down and the fat guy was ahead of him for about 100 yards before the marathon runner caught up with him. That’s what we call a FLUKE.
“And GT obtained only 1 of their preseason goals, beat the mutts.”
So the rings ARE all about beating Georgia? Duly noted. So if Georgia Tech’s goals are to always win the ACC and Georgia Tech almost never wins the ACC what does that say about Georgia Tech?
By Hey Slim
February 19, 2009 11:40 AM | Link to this
No, no. The marathon runner still lost, regardless of how you try to spin it. The rings were for the entire season, not just the win over the mutts (as in we beat FSU this year, and had the best record in the Coastal, yet lost the tie breaker). PJ did this with his Navy teams as well, but im sure you will ignore that. And as far as not accomplishing our goals, thats just it. Thus far, we have not accomplished all of our goals. You girls didn’t do such a great job this past year either. Beating the mutts in their backyard (again, with an entirely new offense) with their most talented team in years is a good start though.
CHOKE- the official drink of the mutts.
Im always amazed at how much time the mutts spend on the GT blogs, as a side note. You are realityyech, aren’t you? Pitiful
By Huh?
February 19, 2009 12:34 PM | Link to this
LOL. On what planet did you have the best record in the Coastal last year? You didn’t on planet Earth. And you have the nerve to call Georgia fans delusional? You are just making up your “facts” as you go along. You had the same exact record as VT and they BEAT YOU. They don’t have to share crap with you. They are the OUTRIGHT ACC Champion. I don’t see any asteriks anywhere do you? Good grief you are as delusional as they come.
So what are those rings for again? Oh, I forgot about the big win over 9-4 FSU. Geez, lets go ahead and nominate Paul Johnson for the hall of fame.
Unbelievable.
By Hey Slim
February 19, 2009 1:03 PM | Link to this
Where did I say we “shared” anything? Yes they beat us, but we had the same ACC record, thus we both had the best Coastal ACC record, and they won heads up, so they went to the ACCCG. Do you ever leave the GT blog little girl? Are you lost? 45-42 hurts that much doesn’t it? Now go ahead and hide behind LSU or talk about the overall series, or our end ranking. You lost, get over it. Typical hypocritical mutts, talk about GT fans talking trash when we were losing, now that we won, they can’t STOP talking trash. Pathetic.
By SlimG
February 19, 2009 2:31 PM | Link to this
I’m flattered Hey. I love originality. Best team in years, funny.
Where can I get an ACC Coastal runners up ring. Wait, just googled it, the pawn shot up the street has 3 for 75%off retail. They will pay me to take it off their hands. Oh yeah, they also have that UPI shared NC ring as well. Guess how much they want for it. LOL. What a joke.
Back to the schedule. Will you be happy with another season with the same or worse record. I hear they already ordered the participation rings for 09. Laughing stock of the south. Oh yeah, you probably want to fire Paul Hewitt, right? Dumba$$.
Have you ever won anything in your life other than the last GT-UGA game? Go ahead tell me how bad Johnson outcoached Richt.
By Hey Slim
February 19, 2009 2:44 PM | Link to this
I didn’t realize I won the GT-uga game….I must be Roddy Jones then ;)
By slimg=huh?
February 19, 2009 7:40 PM | Link to this
45 greater than 42 boys….all year long!
ps…you dogs need Charlotte dog to join you (on this Tech blog).
Gotta love those third quarters!
By UGASUX
February 20, 2009 7:56 AM | Link to this
Hey Huh?….still hurting from that butt-whipping we put on you in Athens????
By Fire Richt! Fire Richt!
February 20, 2009 2:32 PM | Link to this
Don’t worry “Huh?”….. Not b/c GA isn’t winning the NC, but because of teams on their regular season schedule - i.e. UT, SC, UF, and TECH, will the calls for Richt to be fired start comming in the near future.
By ChopChamps95
February 21, 2009 12:55 AM | Link to this
UGA fans will say anything about Tech’s schedule to distract them from the awful season they (UGA) will have as a result of their nightmarish schedule. Granted they have alot of home games, but when you have nobody who can pass or run the ball, its kinda hard to win. A trip to Oklahoma State to get their faces kicked in by that non-stop, high octane offense (that by the way returns all but 1 skill player from last year) and that may be all thats needed to get the ball rollin. And I doubt the trips to UF and GT will be any better than the one to OSU.
By ChopChamps95
February 21, 2009 1:02 AM | Link to this
I have also had numerous friends who are UGA fans refute that previous comment. While in most years UGA is better than just about every team on their schedule, they aren’t going to be this year. While teams such LSU, Kentucky, and GT are much improved coming into this year, UGA has taken major steps backwards and will have to do this year what other teams have done in previous years and that is rebuild without a whole lot of success.
By brian
February 22, 2009 11:18 AM | Link to this
poor ‘huh?”, all he lives for is being a loser and posting on tech’s blog. I am always amazed at the people that supposedly don’t give a darn about tech, but spend so much time on our blogs… And for a moron like Slim to act like he’s a tech fan - that’s stooping low for even a georgia fan (i would say grad, but I doubt many uga grads actually are pathetic enough to troll opposing team blogs - just the trashy UGA hangers on).
I think the schedule lines up to be a great season. Some very good games and another year of Johnson installing his offense. And I’d take 2-1 vs the vaunted, superior, wonderful, unmatched SEC any year….
By chad
February 22, 2009 11:23 PM | Link to this
I will tell everyone what sucks. That is the reality the the bit$h nation is looking at. Tech is on the verge of whipping that arse on a regular basis. For 8 years ugay had one huge advantage over Tech. Chan Gailey. He’s gone and the tide has turned and the bit$h’s know it.
By chad
February 22, 2009 11:29 PM | Link to this
SlimG take the negativity and shove it up your arse. As for Huh?, you sound like the typical ugay white trash, trailor park king. Go buy some more menthols and shut up, ok? please, you are embarassing yourself.
By BANK ON IT!!
February 23, 2009 10:30 AM | Link to this
Results for 2009
Tech = 7-6
UGA = 9-4
By Art
February 23, 2009 11:21 AM | Link to this
chad obviously rides the short bus.
By dagrapevine
February 23, 2009 12:14 PM | Link to this
didnt the dawgs pound lsu,but lsu stomped da jackets. maybe the real story is what happens when a gun team really clicking plays a triple option team with no passing game.
By chad
February 23, 2009 12:50 PM | Link to this
Yeah, I’m driving you and your sister to playworld. That is unless, if you can’t sit down and quit playing doctor with your sister I’m going to have to take you home.
By RT
February 23, 2009 2:52 PM | Link to this
Come on guys, one thing you cam believe from Slim and others like him is that the ACC Coastal schedule is a cake walk compared to the SEC. I don’t feel sarry for the mutts, I hope they lose every game, but Tech should accept nothing less than 10 wins and the ACC championship.
By Dan Halen
February 24, 2009 3:43 PM | Link to this
The whole SEC is a cakewalk compared to the ACC with the possible exception of UF. Maybe UA.
By Bobby
March 1, 2009 10:24 AM | Link to this
Guaranteed the Jackets get at least 9 wins this season and here is two reasons why, #1. Just look at Paul Johnson’s record. #2. 95% of the time Coach’s have more wins in their second season than their first.
I know there will be a lot of people that will criticize this logic but I dont care, wait to the end of the season and see for yourself.