Mailbag 8/19

What would the football postseason look like without the B1G and the Pac-12?

Ben: You’re assuming we have a postseason at all! But really, I think you’ll just see a much more condensed postseason. Honestly, I’m not sure there will be much of a postseason outside of the CFP.

Jake: Um...probably a lot like the CFP years where Notre Dame and Alabama took “their” spots in the playoff...but don’t tell Ohio State that.

Jeff: As far as the playoffs go you wouldn’t even miss the Pac-12. I think not having the B1G just means the third and fourth place SEC teams will argue for a spot if we make it that far.

Jake P.: Not having Ohio State will be the only real effect. The real question is, what happens with the Rose Bowl? Nevermind, the Rose Bowl is going to be a college football playoff semi-final this year. Now the real question is, what happens to the Las Vegas Bowl?

Carter: The Rose Parade has already been 86ed, so it wouldn’t surprise me too much if the Bowl itself follows. Anyway, without the Pac-12 and B1G in the bowl picture, some other conference is going to have to eat all those bowl Ls.

Levi: I think we are looking at a pre-1997, AP Poll claim type championship. No bowls what-so-ever. The regular voters will decide. It’s not an original plan but we know it’ll work.

Does Tech even have a shot at making the Duke’s Mayonnaise Bowl? Or are the folks on Tobacco Road going to give that ACC berth to, well, Duke?

Ben: I think it would be like when the Belk Bowl asked which teams people wanted to see and a vast majority said Georgia Tech and Auburn, and then Georgia Tech ended up going to a bowl game in Detroit the day after Christmas. So yeah, the Belk Bowl can go [EFFORT] itself, no matter what name they want to try and put on.

Jake: Duke Mayo Bowl == Belk Bowl in my book still. In that case, I don’t even want a bid to them, after the whole Auburn/Tech tease fiasco. They can go kick rocks with $300 in returned clothing, Paul Hewitt’s never-ending contract, and half a dozen teams getting bye weeks right before they have to defend the triple option.

Jeff: If Georgia Tech is being considered by a bowl this year I think most of the fan base would call that a win. Blue Plate is better though!

Carter: It’ll be a cold bowl of mayo before Georgia Tech gets invited to that bowl game in Charlotte. Wait, did I really just say “cold bowl of mayo”?

Levi: My real fear is we don’t deserve a bowl that good. The Mayo bowl is still the Belk Bowl and we haven’t deserved something that good in quite some time. Like Nickelback, at the time, we loved it. We all love mayo, let’s not pretend that we don’t.

At this point in the CGC era, what’s one thing you’ve liked, one thing you don’t like, one thing that surprised you, and one thing that you hope to see?

Ben: One thing I like is how well Geoff has marketed the city of Atlanta. He has embraced it and sells it all really well. I don’t like the offensive transition. I understand there is a long way to go, but the offense seemed completely lost last year with no semblance of a plan. One thing that surprised me is just how well they recruited. Getting and keeping guys like Jeff Sims and Jahmyr Gibbs is huge for them and they just need to keep it up. And that’s what I hope to see: continued success in recruiting. This year has been weird, so it’s hard to really tell how this year is gonna be, but it’s something I’m hoping for in the future.

Jake: One thing I liked: branding (except the colors grey and black). One think I don’t like: the lack of offensive identity (including starting half the team at QB). One thing that surprised me: getting rid of Space Chords for the egotistical Geoff Bucks money thing. One thing that I hope to see: no more dumb losses to FCS teams.

Jeff: I like the fact that Collins gets Tech talked about in the local media with recruiting, I hate that social media is a big part of that recruiting, I was surprised by the amount of freshman that were playing meaningful snaps, and I hope to see the fanbase just get behind the team instead of bickering over different eras.

Jake P.: One thing I like, the intense focus on branding and recruiting players local to Atlanta that would normally go to a SEC school out of state. One thing I don’t like is his lack of straight answers with the media, “We’re going to give RELENTLESS EFFORT” only goes so far. One thing that I hope to see is sticking with a quarterback consistently, not playing ring-around-the QB carousel for four games.

Carter: One thing I like: That we have a football coach with a professional wrestling gimmick.

One thing I don’t: That could be a long list, but if I had to name one thing only, it’s Money Down. Toss it in the trash and let the band play chords again.

One thing that surprised me: That we lost to FCS team running the triple. Just kidding, that didn’t surprise me all that much.

One thing I hope to see: The fan base putting their money where their mouth is and actually showing up for games like they said they would when we finally stopped running the triple.

Levi: I am still convinced that recruiting classes are directly related to end of season rankings in 3 years time. I’m so happy at that progress. One thing I HATE is the QB carousel that results from the “anyone can start” culture. It surprised me that CGC is willing to light traditions on fire for no reason at all. Space Chords, the South side “Georgia Tech” sign, Blackwatch. I would like to see real progress in the depth chart. This is all a facade, right? If we have really talented guys, then anchors will appear at positions.

If Charlie Blackmon hits .400 for the 60 game season, will it be considered legitimate?

Ben: This season will always have an asterisk next to it, so it will almost certainly not be considered legitimate.

Jake: Sadly, nope. 162 is just too different from 60, as much as I wish it wasn’t so. In happier news, Tyler Strafaci’s US Amateur win is just as golden as Andy Ogletree’s was last year.

Carter: This is baseball discourse I’d rather have, over what currently has baseball world in a tizzy. (I am a long suffering Texas Rangers fan.) Unfortunately, counting stats this year would be like only counting stats before the all-star break in a normal year.

Levi: As long as the Astro’s carry no asterisk, neither will Charles Cobb Blackmon.

There’s talk of Public Universities tied in to Private Companies soon...given that the Si 14 gulchers get Stanford, Frisbee U, CalPoly, etc., what Unobtanium Level Blue Chipper deserves a mutual relationship with GT? What slag heap/Rube Goldberg going concern gets stuck with Athens?

Jake: I mean we already have pretty tight relationships with local companies like Chick fil A, Delta, NCR, Coca Cola, Home Depot, UPS, etc. - basically anywhere your typical Scheller kid has on their resume under “internships.” I could see any of the big defense companies come calling, too, if we’re keeping it on the sizable company list. As for the Athenians, I guess they could call a water treatment plant or something, I don’t know.

Levi: I worked for NCR, they are rife with wayward GT kids. I think that any Atlanta based company could claim us. You guys do realize that Waffle House isn’t just a CGC thing. Waffle House was founded by GT grads in Atlanta. as for Athens, idk, I’m not making this up, a search for u(sic)ga founded companies turns up several pages for GT-founded companies. Not like, one or two based on my search history. Pages and pages of us founding and then employing Athens Grads. Only one company comes to mind, Digital Insight. Acquired by Atlanta-based NCR years ago.

With UNC canceling in person classes one week into the semester, what is now the over/under for a cancelled fall sports season?

Ben: I’ll be incredibly surprised to see the season make it all the way through.

Jake: Much like Major League Baseball, I’ll believe we’re having a season when I see toe meet leather with my own eyes. It hurts less that way, in the case that it doesn’t. I’m at about 90% on it not happening.

Jeff: I was pretty down on a season before the PAC12 and B1G even cancelled but I’m starting to get more optimistic as the remaining three P5s want to see how far they can push it.

Jake P.: UNC is keeping student-athletes on campus, so I’m guessing the assumption is still that sports will be a go. I think that there will be a fall football season, or at least leagues will begin them.

Levi: Make other plans this fall, football is doomed.

Carter: Call a cancellation Ron Paul, because ~~~it’s happening~~~.