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With under a week remaining before the main slate of bowl games, ESPN published the above article detailing a storyline for each of the ACC’s eleven bowl-eligible teams as they prepare for the final games of the year. In the eyes of the four-letter network, Tech’s matchup against Kentucky in the TaxSlayer bowl will come down to which of the two quarterbacks — Justin Thomas and Stephen Johnson — can perform to the highest level. We’ve seen bowl games end one of two ways under Paul Johnson: with a well-prepared defense which comes equipped to handle the option, or a defense coached by Dan Mullen or Lane Kiffin. The Kentucky defense has talent, but so does every other defense Tech has faced this year. It’s going to be discipline, not talent, that decides the game.
The TaxSlayer Bowl released the full set of fan activities for our New Years Eve matchup in Jacksonville, featuring a nice itinerary of activities and events to keep Tech fans occupied before first kick at 11:00. Here’s a quick list of everything going on this Friday :
- 3:30: The Tech marching band and cheerleaders will get together for the pregame Pep Rally at Jacksonville Landing.
- 4:30: Fans and alumni are invited to the River City Brewing Company for a meetup. The event itself is free, but the buffet is (regrettably) not.
- 7:00: Boat parade and fireworks from the River City Brewery. No word yet on whether or not there will be any fireworks in the shape of Jaguars owner Shad Khan’s mustache.
Going down the list of NFL Pro-Bowlers and checking out their former high school recruiting rankings has become something of a tradition. It was CBS’s turn to complete the holy sacrament this time around, and the results indicate that quite a few of the league’s finest players were either lightly sought-after or completely unrated prior to college. It’s pretty clear that the best high school players often become the best professional players, but there’s a heap of talented players in the “unrated” category. Whoever saw Antonio Brown or Tom Brady in high school and turned the other cheek surely regrets it right about now.