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Technical Tidbits 6/25

In which we look at a common misconception of the option-based flexbone offense.

Jeff Monken doesn't look happy because his high school offense isn't as good as the other high school offenses.
Jeff Monken doesn't look happy because his high school offense isn't as good as the other high school offenses.
Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

Cade is still out. He was going to try to be back tomorrow, but then he got two tickets to paradise, so he's packing his bags and leaving tonight.

Yesterday, Sports Illustrated took an extended look at the evolution of video and film study. This article really stood out to me because it revolves around Georgia Tech's director of video operations since 1998, Todd McCarthy. The article details just how much video and film study has changed in the nearly two decades since McCarthy started at Tech. Here's a quote I found particularly interesting from the story:

To a college football coach, time saved in the video room is time gained over an opponent. Coaches and players study film when the video team makes it available. McCarthy notes that when Georgia Tech and Florida State pioneered digital video technology in the ACC in 1998, they tied for the conference title that season. He doesn’t think that was a coincidence. Seventeen years later, film technology remains a rapidly changing component of the sport.

Earlier this week, ESPN took a look at future power rankings (behind paywall). Yesterday, ESPN reporter David Hale gave us some wonderful insight into where the ACC stood in regards to the future rankings. Spoilers, it's not looking terrific. The rankings only contained three ACC teams, but Georgia Tech was listed as one of the five rising teams that weren't quite in the rankings yet. I think that speaks to not only the success of the team this past season, but also on the recruiting front. With the rest of the article, Hale does a great job breaking down the state of the ACC.

Speaking of David Hale, he put out another article yesterday that talked about impact transfer players in the ACC this year. So, who's the first guy he mentions? New Georgia Tech B-back Patrick Skov. Hale writes that with the losses of Synjyn Days, Zach Laskey and CJ Leggett, "Skov has a chance to fill a major need." Indeed he does. Between him and Marcus Allen, I think Georgia Tech will have an excellent thunder and lightning combo coming from the B-back position. I'm also very intrigued by Skov wearing No. 7, since his old number (No. 24) was taken already, coincidentally by Marcus Allen.

Hey look, one of our writers got the opportunity to do something pretty awesome! Our very own Tyler Duke was given the wonderful opportunity to take part in a Q&A previewing Georgia Tech's upcoming season with Keith Arnold, who is a Notre Dame writer for NBC Sports. You should go check out that link to see all of the great insight Tyler was able to provide.

So Paul Johnson has been really good at third downs the last few years. *Checks BINGO card* Wait, I thought that with that silly high school offense, that they weren't supposed to be able to do well on third downs. Well they did well enough to be the second-best offense in the entire country in third down conversion percentage over the last three years, falling behind Marshall by just over a percentage point. Wait, other schools that run that high school offense are on there too? That's right. Navy and Air Force hold the seventh and eight best third down conversion percentages, respectively. Don't worry Jeff Monken, I'm sure you'll have the Army there in no time.

What do y'all think of the evolution of film study? Do y'all think that it will continue to become more and more like the NFL's system for video replay?