Technical Tidbits 12/22

The LSU Tigers, who fired former defensive coordinator John Chavis prior to the 2015 season, were reportedly considering Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Ted Roof for the position before settling on former Alabama assistant Kevin Steele. Roof, who just wrapped up his third season as Tech's defensive coordinator, was a rather surprising name to see on LSU's list of potential candidates. His defense was coming off a successful 2014 campaign but was still nowhere near as good as one might expect for a potential coach at a school like LSU, especially when you look at the continuous struggles of the defensive line. Roof's unit finished the 2015 season ranked 45th in the nation in terms of total defense and 56th in scoring out of 127 FBS teams.

Former Yellow Jacket linebacker Philip Wheeler, who joined the Atlanta Falcons midway through the 2015 season, is living out a long-time dream by playing for his hometown team. Wheeler's signing out of free agency was met with indifference from most Falcons fans, many of whom saw him as nothing more than a depth signing, but he has taken full advantage of his opportunity in Atlanta by becoming a rather productive player down the stretch. What makes it even better is how excited Wheeler seems to be with his current situation: his ability to visit Tech, spend time with family and friends, and play close to home are all things he hit on in the above article.

A number of Georgia Tech students got into the holiday spirit yesterday by raising a total of $1,600 to award to their favorite security guard on campus. The students, a reported 150+ of them, gave the security guard his gift at his post, located just outside of the Georgia Tech Barnes and Noble. His reaction to receiving the money -- and to seeing the support of the students -- is definitely worth watching. The full video can be seen by following the above link.

Georgia State may have lost the Cure Bowl in disappointing fashion to San Jose State, but the school's first ever bowl appearance is still something for Panther fans to be proud of. Head coach Trent Miles, who has been with the team from start to finish through all of the struggles preceding this year's 6-win campaign, has a clear vision and direction for the program which is more than attainable: a solid defense to pair with a stable run game. That coupled with hopefully increased excitement over the program from the school's decision to purchase Turner Field in Atlanta could make GSU (#StateNotSouthern) a force to be reckoned with in the Sun Belt.

Have a great Tuesday!