Technical Tidbits 5/7

Bill Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots, has nothing but praise to offer for former Georgia Tech lineman Shaq Mason, who was selected by the team in the fourth round of the draft by the Pats. Belichick lauded Mason for his run blocking, claiming that he was ahead of every other player in the draft in that regard, and in doing so reiterated once more the high expectations that the Patriots have for the All-American guard. It is hard to argue with the longtime coach's assessment of Mason's run-blocking -- his technique is as good as any -- but there are still some questions surrounding his ability to succeed in the NFL. If Mason can prove that he is able to hold up in pass blocking scenarios as well, his professional future is bright.

It may be over seven months away from college football's bowl season, but that surely won't stop ESPN's analysts from making their way too early bowl projections for the 2015 season. This round of projections features two different opinions on where Tech will play in the postseason -- Mark Schlablach has the Jackets facing Oklahoma State in the Russell Athletic Bowl while Brett McMurphy has us playing a matchup with Tennessee in the Belk Bowl. To say that bowl projections mean nothing at this stage would be an understatement, but it is interesting to see how national media is perceiving Georgia Tech so far. While Clemson seems to be favored to win the ACC by both experts, Tech doesn't seem far behind.

The AJC's Ken Sugiura recently sat down for an interview with Georgia Tech defensive tackle Adam Gotsis, who graduated from the Institute after just 3 1/2 years. Gotsis, Georgia Tech's resident Aussie and quarterback mauler, has been a fixture on the Tech defense since his arrival on the Flats, but really broke out as a star player during the 2012 season. He is going to be an invaluable part of what looks to be Tech's best defense of the Paul Johnson era during the 2015 season -- his presence in the middle will be something to watch for.

This is not a sports-related article, but it is relevant and interesting nonetheless: researchers at Georgia Tech have set out to decipher chicken noises. You may be wondering why I called this news relevant (outside of the Georgia Tech connection) and to that I respond as follows -- haven't you ever wondered what in the world David Cutcliffe is saying all the time? This technology could very well give us a rare glimpse into the world of the extremely confused football coach himself. Who would turn that down?

What are your extremely early bowl projections for Tech?

Have a great Thursday!