Mailbag 8/11

Which recruiting service do you like the most? - Notwima13

Ben: I think it depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for insider information on Georgia Tech, I’d say Rivals is your best bet, but if you’re looking for a better recruiting system, 247 all day.

Jeff: I use both depending on what I want to look at. Rivals layout is a bit better to me but I think 247 has a better ranking system.

Robert: My dad joined The Hive (was the GT affiliate of Scout, now 247) when I was about 10, so I’ve always defaulted there. The national guys in the 247 network are well plugged in, and the 247 roster talent index is a great feature that combines the ratings of both recruits and transfers. If you’re looking to pay, there’s probably more GT ‘scoop’ on Rivals. Those are really the only two services that matter at this point.

Logan: I like Rivals name and not much else. 247 is better in my opinion.

Dottavio: I always go to 247. I trust their system more purely on a whim.

What’s a video game you wish they would remake? - Notwima13

Ben: I know I’m not necessarily in the majority on this, but I’m super excited for the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes.

Robert: The last video game I really cared about was NCAA Football when I was in high school; they’re promised they’re remaking it. I probably will never play it, but good for nostalgia I guess?

Jeff: Almost every major classic title I can think of has had a remake or enhanced version. I feel like the first Dragon Age game could be redone nicely in the next gen or revamp Elder Scrolls: Morrowind.

Jake: There’s nothing that gives the true feel of playing a slightly dinged up version of New Rally X on an arcade machine for a computer or tv. No emulator, website, or joystick you plug into a tv. I think the game (or many arcade-type games, really) are relatively fine level and gameplay-wise, but how can you get that same feeling? I think that’s a hardware barrier.

Logan: I’d appreciate a starfox remake. specifically starfox 64. Or maybe the original Rogue Squadron. there aren’t enough good starfighter style games out there.

Dottavio: Of course NCAA FB but a really well made NCAA Basketball game would be fun, too.

Will we start 2-0? If so, will it be a confident, had it the whole way 2-0 or a staggering, half-dazed, stumbling across the finish line, dang lucky to be 2-0? - Yeller Bug

Ben: If it’s a half-dazed, stumbling across the finish line, dang lucky to be 2-0, it’s gonna be a long season.

Dottavio: I 2nd Ben.

Jeff: We should start 2-0 and anything less will sound some alarms. NIU isn't what they were a few years back. KSU is pretty good for the FCS level but the reason it's hard for FCS to beat FBS is recruiting the lines. Collins wanted us to be bigger and stronger there. If KSU pushes us around then we have problems.

Robert: ~17 point win over UNI and ~28 point win over KSU. We’ll be feeling good before we hit the Clemson buzzsaw again.

Jake: If we’re not, then there’s a problem. Possibly a large one. I think, like most things, the true result will be somewhere in the middle.

Logan: I think the most likely scenario is that we do go 2-0 with some scary segments of the Kennesaw State game causing us to exhale in relief when the clock runs out. So my answer is, “that shouldn’t have been as close as it was, but hey at least we’re 2-0”.

Do you have a favorite architectural style? Perhaps one in which your world dominating organization would makes its headquarters? Or your home? - DressHerInWhiteAndGold

Jeff: I joke with my wife that instead of having a man cave in our next house I'm building a hobbit hole in the backyard. Is that a style?

Jake: This is my kind of question! There’s not many examples of this, but I love an institutional-scale prairie style. Kind of like Frank Lloyd Wright, but less fancy and small. The open spaces and circulation is still there, along with big windows/natural light and ornamentation. The big picture (the high school) in this link is exactly what I had in mind, as it is like a more elegant version of the older parts of my own high school, though Unity Temple or the building below in my hometown is also a smaller-scale example. There’s not a ton of the Prairie School in this world, and there’s even less outside of single family homes, but it sure does remind me a lot of my own hometown. Honestly, it ties in pretty closely to the Chicago School form of skyscraper and steel balloon framing, so that’s probably a more famous cousin/option, too.

Google Images

Logan: So my favorite building is the Sydney Opera House, designed by Jørn Oberg Utzon, According to Wikipedia Utzon used an architectural style called “Additive Architecture”. I am by no means an expert in architecture, but this style seems to enforce the idea of synthesizing form, function, and nature/social values. In the case of the opera house the design benefits acoustics, interior space, shade, nature and culture in the shape of sails/clouds/shells. I’m just scratching the surface, but I find this idea to be fascinating for design of buildings.

Photo by Bai Xuefei/Xinhua via Getty Images

Which players are you most excited to see this season or need to perform especially well to go bowling? - goldfella

Ben: I need to see the secondary bounce back. It was supposed to be a strength last year, and it was more of a hindrance than anything. Having a decent pass rush will help, but those DBs are among the most experienced players on the team, so they need to play like it.

Robert: Jordan Domineck has been my guy for several years now. Last year, his pressure rate on pass plays led the ACC. Pressure rates are highly predictive of future sacks, so I’m expecting him to finally get the recognition he deserves by putting up the requisite sack numbers. In my imagination, Devin Cochran has been the left tackle we’ve been missing forever, and he should finally make his GT debut next month. He could anchor an offensive line stability that would help this team make a full standard deviation improvement.

Jeff: I'm excited to see if our transfer from Tennessee, Brent Cimaglia, can be good enough to where Tech attempts FGs from beyond 25 yards.

Jake: I think the offensive line taking a step forward would be very good for the whole team, and honestly, I’m looking at that more on a unit-scale than a player-scale to see how they all mesh together.

Logan: “Ace” Ayinde Eley has come in at linebacker. He is a fun guy with a great backstory. He could be considered an anime protagonist. I wrote an article about him if you want the full details, but short answer is I want to see him lay the smackdown.

Dottavio: The O-Line and the ILB that replaces Curry. Let’s hope they are faster than Curry.

What’s the most RECs you’ve seen on a comment - notwima13

Ben: I thought there was a way to actually check this out, but if I had to guess, I’d probably say something in this Post-Game Thread:

Jeff: I don't really pay attention but some have had 12-15 before.

Jake: On my own article? There was once something I said that got quoted/responded to that had probably like 16-20 on it. But I’ve read some from back when this place was, uh, “blog-ier,” and the numbers of comments and recs were kind of eye-popping. I would gladly return to those days (and hopefully be able to interact with the comments more) if I could.

Logan: I got 8 once. I felt pretty good about that article.

Hello,

Question for the week. What non-Georgia Tech Game are you most looking forward to in the 2021 season?

That’s it, that’s all.

Kirk Herbstreit (submitted via email)

Ben: Hi Kirk, I hope you’re well. I really want to see Miami get stomped by Alabama this year.

Dottavio: Clemson-UGA, OSU-Oregon, Bama-Florida, UNC-Miami, Texas-Louisiana

Robert: At this point, it’s certainly Clemson-Georgia. Any game UGA could realistically lose ranks high on my list every year, and this one just happens to fall week 1. Moreover, I loved watching DJ Uiagalelei in limited action last year and can’t wait to see him drop dimes on the rebuilding UGA secondary.

Jeff: I second Robert but I always enjoy the Red River Rivalry. Even though Texas hasn't been to Oklahoma's level in a while they still put on a good show and even steal a few wins. Texas would also be the team I would adopt if Tech ever pushed me past sanity. Which they try on occasion.

Jake: I’m always a fan of Notre Dame-Navy. Always seemed like David and Goliath to me, and I grew up exposed to the Irish being from where I’m from. On a related note, the first college football game that I remember going to and really being entertained by/appreciating was Notre Dame-USC, so it will be good to see that back.

Logan: Liberty @ Ole Miss. I’m expecting both teams to score at least 70 points in that matchup. Cincinnati @ Notre Dame could also be fun depending on how Cincinnati is playing up to that point.