Unfortunately, I think this is 100 percent on the money. The scheduling model is extremely likely to be self induced in the name of building up a better yearly record. And maybe that’s what’s needed for the program at this point in time, but no doubt it sucks for the fan base. College football is built on rivalries, the ACC has been sabotaging itself for the last 22 years.
If we didn’t schedule Clemson this year we would’ve beaten Louisville, BGSU, and BC. Try to keep up
The ESPN article that someone quoted said ACC asked Louisville and GT and we said we’re ok with no permanent rivals. I don’t have a link. So I don’t know.
Seems likely we said the Clemson game wasn't a requirement for us. I cant imagine the 3 other games over 7 years we would have played them if permanent was breaking their scheduling model.
Given the Tar Heels hard luck against Tech during recent years, is it possible they're dodging the Jackets? I'm not even kidding.
Over this stretch (24-30) we play:
Louisville and Wake 5 times
BC, Clem, Duke, SMU, Syr, and VT 4 times
Cal, FSU, duh-U, Pitt, Stanford, and UVA 3 times
UNC, NCST 2 times.
While I don't think any of this is very appealing, I would point out a couple of important things:
1) It's very hard to know who the best teams and matchups will be in any given year. Louisville and Duke are very good this year. Clemson isn't. Impossible to know who the "powerhouse" programs are going to be in 5 years. Hopefully Tech will be one of them. So I don't see much point in getting too excited or bummed out either way right now.
2) The closer we get to 2036 the less important any of this is going to be because this is a marriage with an inevitable divorce everyone can see coming. Sooner or later the conference members are going to change again and all of this will have to be reworked with or without Georgia Tech.
"Just win baby" and everything else takes care of itself.
I get Louisville not really having any rivals considering they are a relatively new add to the conference, but Tech, J Batt specifically, deciding that Tech has no in-conference rivals chaps my ass some. Clemson is the no-brainer but I can at least understand not wanting it as a permanent game. But why not UNC, FSU or VT? Any of those would have made sense. Instead we get some sort of hybrid rival of Louisville/Wake that almost no one cares about.
Best I can figure (outside of some secret handshake accommodation Batt procured for this) is that it was a CYA move. No one can complain to J about a permanent rival he requested if he just doesn't request a permanent rival.
Sure, it's possible. It's hard to know what the motivations are behind any of it.
