GEORGIA TECH SEASON OPENER: ENTER A NEW ERA

The emotions at the beginning of the Paul Johnson era at Georgia Tech have not measured up to feelings of the end of Chan Gailey’s tenure. Partly because the chance to defeat Jacksonville State doesn’t stir fans’ passions like the possibility of losing to Georgia.

Still, there is much to ponder as Johnson begins his turn as the 12th coach of the Yellow Jackets tonight in Bobby Dodd Stadium. Questions such as:

> What is expected of the new coach? More than seven wins a season? Better bowl games?

> How long, in this microwave age, will fans and administrators wait for success?

> Will Johnson be held to a different standard because he is running his unique offense in a BCS conference for the first time?

> Might critical fingers point at Johnson’s offense if Tech struggles, even if the offense isn’t to blame?

Johnson’s answer: “Pfffft!”

“If you’re losing 35-30, I doubt they’ll point at the offense,” the coach said. “If you’re losing 6-3, they probably will, and rightfully so. I can’t ever remember coaching a football team [where] everybody was so concerned about the offense going into a season.

“Criticism? I don’t want to say that word. I was going to say ignorance. You haven’t heard coaches say, ‘There’s no way this is going to work.’ “

Athletics director Dan Radakovich won’t predict a number of wins, or years. “As we get further into the Paul Johnson administration, our levels of expectation and his will continue to rise,” he said. “They’re high now.”

How high? More later on that.

We turn now to another trailblazer for his insight on the patience of administrators and fans.

Former Brigham Young coach LaVell Edwards (1972-2000), one of the forefathers of the spread passing attack, broke out his offense when college football was all about running the ball.

Yet BYU won or shared 18 conference titles and won the national title in 1984 by flinging it around.

Johnson will likely run more than pass, but, like Edwards, what he will do defies the trends of the day.

And, like in Edwards’ day, folks hate to wait. But, unlike in Edwards’ day, they now have dozens of ways of venting.

“I don’t think there’s any question about that,” the former BYU coach said. “They’re paying huge salaries now so everybody wants instant gratification.”

More to the bottom line, Radakovich said, “College athletics has ramped up the last 10, 15 years to where if somebody comes in with a five-year plan, well, those plans have become shorter because of investments people have made. But that doesn’t make it right. It’s going to take time to build that foundation.”

Reading between the lines, and remembering that Johnson’s first Navy team went 2-10 and the next five 43-19, Radakovich said Johnson is not in a win-now-or-else crucible.

So what are his expectations?

“This goes beyond Paul and his program, but to all [teams at Tech] … are student-athletes having a good experience? Are we turning out young men whom we want to represent Georgia Tech? Is the staff working well together, and interacting with the administrative staff well?” Radakovich said.

“Those are all non-quantifiable, more judgmental things. As you get more quantifiable, are we making progress to being the best football team we can be?”

Edwards wonders if a lengthy timeline will be necessary.

“Look at Urban Meyer at Florida. A lot of people said if you can’t pound the ball, you’re not going to win [in the SEC]. But they did [winning a national title in 2006, Meyer’s second season].

“In Paul’s offense there is a little bit more pounding. If he gets the right talent, he’s going to be good.”

Former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer agrees: “If you got good players, the system works.”

Sign Johnson up for that.

“If we don’t block, execute and take care of the ball, it’s not going to work,” Johnson said. “We could be the vogue-est offense in the country, doing what everybody is doing, going out of the gun, no huddle, and if it didn’t work, it would be, ‘Well, this offense sucks, and the play-calling is terrible.’ That’s just the nature of the game.”

Finally, back to expectations because surely long-range plans call for more than producing solid citizens.

When does time run out? How good does Radakovich think Tech can one day be?

“I think the sky’s the limit,” he said. “We want to be competitive in the Coastal Division, and then in the ACC. If you are, then you’re going to be competitive nationally.”

VS. JACKSONVILLE STATE * 7:30 P.M. TODAY * NO TV * 790 AM

On ajc.com/sports: Tech’s opener isn’t on TV, but you can follow it online and check out a photo gallery.