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Original article can be found here: http://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/2012/12/30/3816720/roadmap-to-a-georgia-tech-victory
1. Georgia Tech MUST take care of the ball early and often. So far, they've succeeded at this, to a certain degree. They're currently at a -1 in the turnover game, but would have been even if a USC fumble hadn't been overturned. Vad Lee threw a pick in somewhat of a freshman mistake, and then fumbled on a play that reeked of miscommunication (the O-Line went one way, everyone else went another, and it makes no sense how that was the intended play). 2 turnovers isn't good, but I don't see us making either of those mistakes again after halftime adjustments are made.
2. Georgia Tech MUST make USC's offense one-dimensional. So far, the defense has been largely successful at bottling up USC's run game and has forced Max Wittek to make decisions faster than he's wanted to. The touchdown they allowed before halftime was the first points the defense has yielded in over 60 minutes of game time, since the first half against Florida State. A performance like that in the second half, and I'm confident we'll be happy with where we are at the game's end.
3. Georgia Tech MUST take advantage of the situation if USC comes out unfocused and flat. I don't think USC has been completely flat and unfocused, but it's hard to imagine they're playing anything near their best game. Meanwhile, Tech has been excited and energized the entire game, which has played to their advantage in a big way. We need to keep up the energy disparity in the second half, especially on defense.
4. Georgia Tech MUST block and pass effectively. Simply put, when we've had successful drives, this has been the case. Lee hasn't been rushed when passing, there are plenty of running lanes for ballcarriers, and we're helping ourselves a lot when we do pass. Honestly, one pass to B.J. Bostic was about a foot away from being a touchdown. Make a couple of adjustments in the second half, and USC's tough task will get even tougher.
The long and short of it here is that I like what I've seen so far. I've been impressed with everything a lot more than I thought I would be. We need a big second half, and we might just pull off a huge upset here guys.
Am I crazy? Too optimistic here? Setting myself up for disappointment? Or are we definitely where we want to be right now?