After our bowl loss, let's reflect on 2011
by BirdGT on Jan 2, 2012 12:01 PM EST
in Georgia Tech Football
Email
PrintHewitt's termination was an inevitable event in most Tech fans' opinion prior to the start of the 2010-2011 season. His average to poor regular performances in the regular season coupled with low to non-existent NCAA tournament seedings meant his post-season success was completely relegated to one amazing season. If you were to really rewrite his Georgia Tech bio, it would say, "2004 March Madness and a bunch of NBA talent." I was Hewitt's biggest fan for as long as possible but as the pressure mounted, Hewitt flat-lined on the court. His most creative offense of his Tech tenure featured Iman Shumpert, Brian Oliver, and Glen Rice, Jr. spreading the court and allowing Tech's bigmen to play some one on one. Unfortunately, this offense was inconsistent, unmotivated at times, and paired with a poor defense (see Northwestern game film).
It was only natural that Hewitt's departure meant several players would leave. Brian Oliver was a national recruit Hewitt pulled in so Oliver leaving made some sense. Iman Shumpert's departure puzzled Tech fans initially but his success in the NBA early goings is proving most critics wrong.
Player departures and acquisitions were not limited to Georgia Tech's basketball team. From the Rumble Seat successfully added approximately 6 new contributors to the fold to lighten the load for Winfield and Bird.
In conjunction with adding new contributors, From the Rumble Seat engaged a steady stream of SBN and non-SBN affiliated blogs including: Boston College Interruption, Tar Heel Fan Blog, From Old Virginia, Block-U, Siena Sports Blog, Duke Hoops Blog, The Key Play, Riddick and Reynolds, Blogger So Dear, Testudo Times, Rock Chalk Jayhawk, GoMiddle.Com, and Sippin' on Purple. Working with opposing bloggers really brings a good, in-depth perspective to our blog and we really appreciate all of the insight from our opponents.
The football season was a yarn or widely varying quality capable of spinning championship cloaks but also capable of making $5 old navy sock-hats. We ascended the first foothills of the season only to hit the Rocky Mountains in the latter part of the season. The high points included a historic whoopin' of the Kansas Jayhawks, knocking off a top 5 Clemson Tigers squad, and securing a fairly reputable bowl game. To me, there were three major low-lights: getting stomped by Miami, punching Logan Thomas in the head, and putting up almost no fight defensively against Georgie.
2011 was an eventful year in the Georgia Tech sporting world. Tech hosted a regional in baseball, hired a new head basketball coach, and made it to the Sun Bowl. From the Rumble Seat even hosted a blog-log for the Ramblin' Reck's trek from Atlanta to El Paso (1,400+ miles!). And somehow amongst all the sports, blogging, and commenting I found time to get hitched. I hope everyone had as good a 2011 as I did. Let's hope 2012 can live up to our expectations on the court, on the Flats, and on the recruiting trail. Go Jackets! Happy New Year!
18 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Honorable Mention
NEW FACILITIES! Not just the academic ones (go to the Clough Commons before you die…it will make you smack a freshman in the mouth and make her [she is more likely to be female than ever] listen to tales of the dungeons you had your frosh labs in), but Tech also added a grand indoor practice facility to recruit with, the gutting of the Thrillerdome to modernize the entire site, and plans for a new tennis complex. Alumni donations abound in the push to get Tech all shiny to compete in recruiting. The TV commentators for the sun bowl said on air that Tech has a “beautiful campus there in Atlanta, Georgia. Great views of the city, and it just makes ya want to go get that fantastic Tech education.” People that don’t wear red are beginning to notice we’re on the up and up campus-wise and in the facilities department!
I agree!
I was on campus last week, and was impressed with how much it has improved. I did not remember Atlanta or Tech Campus being such a nice place to be…. The only bummer was that the football field was not gussied up since the season is over.
by JacketInHooville on Jan 2, 2012 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
Recently named both
Best Student Athletic Facilities in the Nation, and Best Value for Investment (education $ vis-a-vis Starting Salary. So we got that going for us.
Football, about what I expected W’s and L’s, but Cluck Flemson I didn’t see that one coming.
FTRS is now a daily fix, even in July, so Shout out to the Blogmeisters!
New attitude and competitiveness on the Basketball bench, and with the new digs I predict we may be walking into a new Golden Age in the Thrillerdome 3.01.
Looking forward to the preseason analysis of Baseball.
Make your plans now for GT vs FSU and uGA Hockey in Savannah 1/13-14. Real Student Athletes.
Happy New Year, prosperity to all, and safe travels!
You'd do it for Randolph Scott!
RANDOLPH SCOTT!
by DressHerInWhiteAndGold on Jan 2, 2012 1:16 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Oh yeah,
“Justified” is back 1/17!
You'd do it for Randolph Scott!
RANDOLPH SCOTT!
by DressHerInWhiteAndGold on Jan 2, 2012 1:23 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Some of the best in-depth sports writing in the nation occurs right here
Thanks to Bird and Winfield for setting the bar so high in 2011.
by Atlanta's original team on Jan 2, 2012 1:38 PM EST reply actions
Yeah, I said it
I’m expecting 10-2 next year, with losses to georgie and either VPI or Clemson. We have an easy (georgie-esque) sked next year, and have the two worst ACCA teams in our cross-divisional rotation (BC and Maryland).
Still don’t know how we stop georgie. Just shows to go what the difference in academic programs makes. Maybe bigger, better, deeper lines will help. If for some reason (not unreasonable) we are 11-0 going into COFH, maybe we will be amped up enough to do it and not pull a 1966.
We stopped Clemson this year, and we can stop them next year in 75 Degrees And Sunny Valley. We almost stopped VPI. Play smart, hard, and clean and both teams are beatable.
uva is payback time, and Miami will be in a world of hurt on The Flats, in more ways than one.
Lastly, kudos and THANK YOU to all the writers on this blog.
I'm hopeful for 2012...
To all the CPJ detractors…stop it. Just stop it.
To take such a young team to an 8-4 record, and alive in the ACC title race until very late into the season, and a bowl game was a satisfactory result based on the pre-season expectations. By my count, CPJ is 34-19 at GT with 2 division titles and 1 ACC title (NCAA be damned).
For everyone pointing to 1-3 vs uGA, 1-3 vs VPI, 1-3 vs Miami, and 0-4 in Bowls…you have to consider in that time he’s also 4-1 vs Clemson, 2-0 vs FSU, 3-1 vs UNC, and 3-0 vs other SEC teams (Miss St, Vandy). I’m tired of having to defend the guy because he “doesn’t win them all” or “the triple option isn’t effective against superior athletes”.
2012 looks to be very bright, and here’s why…
- Vad Lee will be on the field next year. If he’s not won the competition for starting QB, he’ll at least have a package or be used at a WR spot on occasion.
- We bring back Uzzi, Jackson, and Finch to an OL rotation that looks to be competitive, bulked up, and deep with Mason, Joe, and Braun. Then add a healthy JC Lanier into that mix as well.
- While we may have some question marks at DL next year (looking forward to that Shawn Green/TJ Barnes competition at NT), we bring back a solid group at LB and secondary. We lose Rashaad Reid, but we get back Fred Holton.
- Orwin Smith coming back. A hellacious set of fast athletes competing for the other A-back spots like BJ Bostic, Tony Zenon, Broderick Snoddy, etc.
- Hopefully Stephen Hill coming back, and big physical options to play the other WR spots like Jeff Greene or Darren Waller.
The future is bright y’all…
"Reach down in there...TURN THAT DAMN THING UP!" - Coach Paul Johnson
by TBuzz on Jan 2, 2012 3:59 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Good points.
Our team is very young so they should be improved next year.
I have two question marks:
- B-backs. We lose Preston and no one else has really proven themselves. Maybe David Sims can break out next year? (Fingers crossed).
- And a good question: Quarterback, how good can we be? Tevin will only get 1 year better and if Vad Lee steals the starting spot, that can only lead to good things.
And I agree with your thoughts on CPJ detractors for the most part with the caveat that there needs to be improvement. And to touch on what will definitely be discussed here; CPJ’s tentative play calling. I think this is kind of simple, CPJ trusted Joshua Nesbitt & Co. to win, but I don’t think that trust is fully there with Tevin and the gang.
And the one thing that I will complain about until the end of time. . . GT special teams:
Go Jackets, go America.
THWG.
by JohnHeisman on Jan 2, 2012 5:32 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
B-Backs…Sims and Perkins are OK going into Spring, but let’s see if Zach Laskey, Marcus Allen (recruit), or another recruit can challenge.
Justin Moore has been a flat-out disappointment. What does it say that you are the scholarship kicker, but with the game on the line your coaches can’t trust you to kick a 48-yarder (and at high altitude).
I can only hope that better athletes will translate into better special teams. We had good special teams in ‘08 and ’09 when Jeff Monken was in charge (but then again Scott Blair and Jerrard Tarrant will make it better)…whether he had the title or not. I don’t agree with the notion that you need a designated ST coach. It just gives you someone else to blame when it doesn’t work.
"Reach down in there...TURN THAT DAMN THING UP!" - Coach Paul Johnson
by TBuzz on Jan 2, 2012 6:51 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Is Laskey a B-Back kind of guy?
Had it in my mind he was more of an A-Back, but I don’t know much about him I suppose.
Still waiting on Perkins. I’ve seen what the kid can do, and it’s impressive, but we’re yet to see it out of him. Had a big game the day that he did play (Duke I think?), and I think late in the season a lot of the struggles just tended to be some odd correlation with plays he was in and the O-line just getting blown off the ball (had one carry in the Bowl, barely had the ball when a guard was backing into him….same thing happened on a fumble at Duke).
Long story short, if his potential is realized, he’s a much better B-Back than anything we’ve really seen from Sims so far. But I also don’t know who we have that could compete and beat him out, so time will tell what happens with that situation.
The Church of Paul Johnson - There's not much to it outside of whooping ass and giving haters the finger. To HELL With georgie!
I dunno
That kid could give a couple of our kickers/punters a run for their money in earning a scholarship, if you ask me.
The Church of Paul Johnson - There's not much to it outside of whooping ass and giving haters the finger. To HELL With georgie!
Good points
We would have given our left nut to have beaten FSU back in the Joe Hamilton days.
Sked is going to be easy-peasy next year, so I expect improvement in W-L:
Boston College
Virginia
Duke
Miami
at Maryland
at Clemson
at North Carolina
at Virginia Tech
S.E. Louisiana
Middle Tennessee State
Brigham Young
at Georgia
UVA could be tough but we have them at home and we ought to be able to handle them. Miami and UNC will be reeling from the NCAA and depleted from graduations, anyway. That leaves georgie, VPI, and Clemson as our only really tough games.
And our only purpose in life is to ruin Clemson dream seasons, so that leaves VPI and georgie.
I keep thinking Clemson is due...
but then we beat them yet another time. This might be the best Clemson team we’ve ever faced in 2012 and it’s in Death Valley…we’ll see.
Someone said earlier it’s quite conceivable that we have a better team in 2012 with possibly a worse record. Like every year, it’s probably going to come down to the VPI game for our division…
"Reach down in there...TURN THAT DAMN THING UP!" - Coach Paul Johnson
by TBuzz on Jan 2, 2012 11:16 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Guaranteed wins I see there
SE Louisiana
MTSU
BC
Dook
Maryland
Also, as mentioned, outlook should be good for Miami and UNC, and playing UVA at home won’t hurt. We’ll get beat at Clemson and georgie, and Va Tech will be a thrilling Thursday night game as always.
At first glance, with minimal knowledge of who will be starting where and who will be injured and whatnot, I think I’d agree. Better team, and I think I’d expect either a 7-5 or 8-4 finish.
Seems that gone are the days of my freshman year when we could expect to win most of the games. Not that it helps that my freshman year was 2009 or anything, but still.
The Church of Paul Johnson - There's not much to it outside of whooping ass and giving haters the finger. To HELL With georgie!
Is a 34-19 record in 4 years not winning most of the games?
I went to Tech from 1995-2000, which might have been as winning as any period in GT recent football history. But even then, you still have to recognize that college football is so fickle and unpredictable…the teams that go undefeated are so rare.
"Reach down in there...TURN THAT DAMN THING UP!" - Coach Paul Johnson
by TBuzz on Jan 3, 2012 8:14 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
have a better team in 2012 with possibly a worse record
Ouch. The last time I heard that – from CPJ no less – GT went 6-7.
by Dive Keep and Pitch on Jan 3, 2012 10:35 AM EST up reply actions
Good to see the positive attitude about this very young team.
John Heisman raised the point about CPJ’s seeming lack of confidence in this offensive group as compared to the confidence he had with Nesbitt. I observed something similar. I think the answer is simple. CPJ spent most of this year trying to build the confidence of this team, again due to their callowness. At times he seemed desperate to try to keep them from getting in positions where they might screw the game up and become mental basket cases. As a result he took the pressure on himself with his play calling which looked questionable except for the fact that he was nursing a young team.
Down the road he will have a quarterback that he will actually trust to make last minute reads and occasionally even change the play.
by Atlanta's original team on Jan 3, 2012 7:40 AM EST reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on From The Rumble Seat
Related FanShots on From The Rumble Seat
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
SHOP THE FROM THE RUMBLE SEAT STORE
