Technical Tidbits 1/28

One of the biggest keys behind Georgia Tech's shocking inability to close out games this season has been the team's perpetual foul trouble experienced in the second halves of conference games. In fact, the Jackets have been in so much foul trouble during the final 20 minutes of each conference game this season that opponents are actually outscoring them 49-17 at the line in conference games that Tech has led at the half but lost (not including the NC State game). I'd love nothing more than to peg that all on poor officiating, but there's simply no way that a bad official or two could create that kind of rift. The problem, rather, seems to be bad coaching down the stretch. It's obviously impossible to measure something like that, but bad luck and worse officiating can't be blamed for everything.

A player making his career debut in the Super Bowl is hardly an everyday occurrence, but that's exactly what the case would be if former Georgia Tech corner Lou Young, currently with the Carolina Panthers, has to fill in for an injured teammate in the big game next week. Young, who spent the majority of the season on the Carolina practice squad until a season-ending injury to teammate Peanut Tillman, is now up and ready to go, just waiting for the proper opportunity to find some game-day action. If not him, then perhaps another former Jacket -- either Vance Walker or Demaryius Thomas, both of the Denver Broncos -- can do some good for their team. Thomas in particular has a great track record in the Super Bowl -- he still owns the NFL record for receptions in a single Super Bowl with 13 a couple of years back.

We may have found problems aplenty with Georgia Tech's 2016 football schedule, but the folks over at ESPN think that the Jackets actually play the second-easiest schedule in the entire conference (as far as ACC play is concerned). I don't really have an issue with that -- the main problem involves dates and times, not caliber of opposition -- but I'm not sure that any team with No. 2 Clemson on the schedule should be considered among the weakest in the conference. That coupled with matchups against a talented UNC team, a potentially deadly Miami team, and the rest of the Coastal should warrant a higher rank. Not that we particularly need a difficult schedule, of course. The only thing to prove this season is that the option is alive and well.

What are your thoughts on Tech's ACC schedule for 2016?