The Top 5 "Best Losses" of the 2000's
by Winfield Featherston on Jul 7, 2010 12:45 PM EDT
Email
Print
Yesterday, we discussed the Top 5 Worst Wins of the 2000s. Let ‘s make today a little difficult: Top 5 Best Losses of the 2000's. For today's post use the word good as a relative term. How easy is it to find the silver lining in a college football loss?
5. September 9th, 2000 Florida State 26 Georgia Tech 21
Why It Was Good For Us: For years, the Seminoles pushed the Jackets around like ragdolls. Heading into the 4th quarter, Tech actually had some type of momentum with a lead. Unfortunately, the lead was lost as we gave up 14 points in the last quarter. In the 2000's was a Georgia Tech squad's success defined by how close the loss was to Florida State?
4. September 13th, 2003 Florida State 14 Georgia Tech 13
Why It Was Good For Us: First of all, these type of games were why I was disappointed that FSU was moved to the Atlantic Division when the ACC expanded. Tech was coming so close to victory against the ‘Noles and it was a game I circled on the calendar every year. In 2003, Tech ran out to a 13-0 lead but once again could not hold on to the lead in the 4th quarter. The Seminoles scored 14 unanswered final minute points for the win. The Jackets had a mediocre Chan Gailey year and went 7-6. Florida State went 10-3 and won the ACC and we lost to them by only one point thanks to great efforts by PJ Daniels, Jonathan Smith, and Nate Curry.
3. January 1st, 2007 West Virginia 38 Georgia Tech 35
Why It Was Good For Us: All games hurt, and this one was a big disappointment. However, in reality there was no way we should have even been in this game. Right before the bowl season started, both Kenny Scott and Reggie Ball were declared academically ineligible. We had to scrap our entire offense for the Taylor Bennett Experience. Fortunately, we had Calvin Johnson who was a machine and did superhuman things to keep the game close. In the end, Pat White and Owen Schmidt were just too much to handle.
2. September 13th, 2008 VPI 20 Georgia Tech 17
Why It Was Good For Us: Under Chan Gailey, Georgia Tech was 1-3 against the Hokies. We had lost 34-20 (2004), 51-7(2005), and 27-3(2007). Our one win was a "hold on for dear life" game in Blacksburg in 2006. No one really thought that Georgia Tech would be able to come into Blacksburg and take the Hokies to the edge under new coach Paul Johnson with a new offense (especially after Jonathan Dwyer's early injury). Instead, VPI needed a late penalty call to put the game on their side and help them get the victory. Georgia Tech showed the college football world that it was going to be competitive in CPJ's first season.
1. January 5th, 2010. Iowa 24 Georgia Tech 14
Why It Was Good For Us: Because it was a reality check. We came in super confident and ready to roll over those Iowa farmboys. Instead, the Iowa defense mauled us at the line and we realized we aren't quite where we need to be just yet. But still, even with the momentum clearly in the Hawkeyes favor, the Jackets were within three points with less than five minutes left in the game.The road to glory is paved with tests, and when one fails, one must adjust. The time has come for a slight adjustment.
If you were able to make it through this article without throwing something, congratulations.
11 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Are these ranked?
…or just in chronological order? There’s no way that the Iowa loss was better than the VT loss of 2008. In fact, I don’t really get why that Iowa game is on here. Our football team was physically dominated and was only in the game because Iowa’s offense was not that great.
The best memory from that VT loss in 2008 was the bomb intended for a wide open BeBe Thomas that was just off the mark. That would have won the game right at the end, even with the referees pulling strings for the turkeys. We got our sweet revenge this year though.
you can't really rank losses
just take these FWIW
by Winfield Featherston on Jul 7, 2010 10:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree
plus finding anything positive in something as negative as a loss is tough. GT is not North Texas or Ohio where near upsets of big schools is a positive moment for the school. I don’t think we’ve played a team since 2004 that we couldn’t beat.
I write stuff From the Rumble Seat.
We were within one score, with the ball, against one of the five best teams in the nation -- DESPITE being physically dominated.
That’s a damn good loss.
Longest Atlanta Falcons winning-seasons streak: 2008 - current
SB Nation Atlanta · The Falcoholic · Blog · Twitter
There are no good losses
I’ll take the tie against Notre Dame thirty years ago, but not a loss. They are all bad.
No way.
Overtime is a communist plot. College football did just fine with ties for over a hundred years.
(Oddly enough I got into a discussion about ties a few weeks ago with a stranger while watching a World Cup game in a bar. He said something like, “with a tie one team can’t claim to be better!” My answer was, “if the teams are tied at the end of the game, then neither WAS better!” It’s just wrong, after playing a full hour, to reset and play ten minutes to decide who wins.)
I'd say the only good overtime
is extra innings in baseball. It’s really the only overtime in any sport that is just the regular rules within a normal-ish time period.
I write stuff From the Rumble Seat.
Best loss ever
was a 1970 loss at Notre Dame, 10-7. Notre Dame had a great team that year, Tech should not have even been on the same field and Tech held a 7 -3 lead deep into the fourth quarter. It was not a heartbreaking loss because Notre Dame’s defense dominated. This was the same defense, if I recall correctly, that held L.S.U. to a field goal. Tech played with guts and scrapped the whole game. Never been prouder of a team for giving all they had against a superior squad.
by Atlanta's original team on Jul 8, 2010 12:03 PM EDT reply actions
I strongly object
to the “hold on for dear life” comment about @VT 2006. That game was never in doubt. They did come back and put some lipstick on the score at the very end but the game was in hand 5 minutes into the 3rd quarter…I believe that was the Reck Club road trip that year? You’re better than that Mr. Tufts.
Are you a LION or a GAZELLE?
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
SHOP THE FROM THE RUMBLE SEAT STORE
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
