Paul Johnson dislikes Chik-Fil-A Kickoff Game

[drinkclearwiskey]

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/gatech/stories/2009/06/09/georgia_tech_kickoff_classic.html

MACON — Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson expressed some displeasure with the choice of teams for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic, the game that will be played at the Georgia Dome on Sept. 5.
Last year’s game matched an SEC team, Alabama, against an ACC team, Clemson. This year’s game pits the Tide against Virginia Tech, the Jackets’ rival in the ACC’s Coastal Division.


“Helps the teams that are playing in it, no question,” Johnson said. “Doesn’t do anything for us or Georgia. When you bring in teams in your own conference to showcase them every year in a kickoff game, it’s got to help them recruit the area.”
The Atlanta Sports Council, the game’s organizers, reportedly tried to line up Georgia Tech to play UCLA in next year’s game, but the Bruins declined the offer.
“They’ve got a job to do, and I’ve got a job to do,” Johnson said of the sports council, “but if you are asking if it helps us, it doesn’t help us.”


I agree, I don't like this one bit. I didn't really think about the recruiting part, but now that PJ mentions it I really don't like it.



It's stupid to have that thing in GA anyways when GT is right here. GT should be the team in it every year, not Bama....


Thoughts?

 

[gth816f]

My thoughts are that it's a money thing, and they don't really care what PJ thinks. But of course I agree with him that it's not good for us.

 

[drinkclearwiskey]

Of Course it is. The Atlanta Sports Council's job is to get money and events to the city, but they have got the wrong teams! Oh well.

 

[TechFan4Life]

It is pretty crappy that it works out that way. Yeah, I'm sure the city makes $$$ off the game - not sure if that trickles down to GT in any way, shape or form. But the recruiting aspect is what really kills it. Is the Dome the best venue in the southeast? I don't think so. But at the very (VERY) least, Chick My Fil-A is trying to find an opponent to play us...maybe even as soon as next year. The only problem - No one wants to start the season off with a potentially HUGE loss to the Jackets HAHAH!

 

[GaTechBuckeye]

Am I the only one that sees this game going horribly bad yet again for the ACC? Virginia Tech is overmatched at literally every position... It's one thing to play a big game in another state, but this is going to hurt even worse the reputation of the ACC in the south. Just my opinion I guess, but VT isn't that good.

 

[GTLiebs]

You see I find it kind of annoying that we will probably be the hardest to put in there because it's the Dome. Now players from Alabama openly say that the big win in the dome was their momentum to go undefeated in the regular season.

 

[Enuratique]

Perhaps my tinfoil hat is extra thick today but I somehow get the sense that the Atlanta Sports Council is only paying GT lip service knowing full-well no one would take us up on day one (except for maybe UF or USCw). As stated above, their job is to bring in money to the city - if GT played, no one would book hotels and all that jazz... We had this discussion prior to when they announced GT as a participant in the Peach Bowl.

 

[drinkclearwiskey]

Am I the only one that sees this game going horribly bad yet again for the ACC? Virginia Tech is overmatched at literally every position... It's one thing to play a big game in another state, but this is going to hurt even worse the reputation of the ACC in the south. Just my opinion I guess, but VT isn't that good.

+1. VT=2008 Clemson. Bama's defense is going to destroy Tyrod Taylor. VT will not be able run against that D especially with Cody in there, so Tyrod will have to throw and he threw a whopping 2 TD's last year against Duke and BC. I feel sorry for VT and the ACC, but we are going to hear how the SEC is sooo much better because of this game....

 

[GTLiebs]

Am I the only one that sees this game going horribly bad yet again for the ACC? Virginia Tech is overmatched at literally every position... It's one thing to play a big game in another state, but this is going to hurt even worse the reputation of the ACC in the south. Just my opinion I guess, but VT isn't that good.

Alabama is getting a lot more love than deserved as well. People are looking at them to continue from last year cause last year was so good. They're rebuilding the OL while putting in a new QB. They lost the star of their backfield and, if memory serves, both their starting safeties. Can the be good? Yes.
Will they be the 12-2 team from last year in the first game of the year? Not likely.

VT is the underdog but not as badly as you think.
(P.S. Notice I didn't say you were wrong because VT was better than you thought)

 

[GTLiebs]

+1. VT=2008 Clemson. Bama's defense is going to destroy Tyrod Taylor. VT will not be able run against that D especially with Cody in there, so Tyrod will have to throw and he threw a whopping 2 TD's last year against Duke and BC. I feel sorry for VT and the ACC, but we are going to hear how the SEC is sooo much better because of this game....

It won't be as bad as Clemson. VT's defense will be good enough to hold Bama to a respectable victory (especially with their new OL and QB). Also, no one thinks Bama is the underdog in this game like it was last year.

 

[yellowandnaked]

I like VT's chances in this game. Ali Bamer lost a lot and I'm curious to see how the QB position plays out for them.

This is all about money. I wish UCLA would grow some balls and come play us next year. I always enjoy it when we play non-conference games with west coast opponents. Its great exposure!

 

[Geori]

As much as I believe that Alabama is rebuilding and won't be that good, they still have better athletes than VT. VT will get pummeled. The game could turn out like the 48-7 beatdown that LSU gave them in 2007.

 

[gth816f]

Perhaps my tinfoil hat is extra thick today but I somehow get the sense that the Atlanta Sports Council is only paying GT lip service knowing full-well no one would take us up on day one (except for maybe UF or USCw). As stated above, their job is to bring in money to the city - if GT played, no one would book hotels and all that jazz... We had this discussion prior to when they announced GT as a participant in the Peach Bowl.

I don't think you are being paranoid, I kind of take this as a given. It wouldn't make business sense to have GT in that game. Honestly I am surprised that they invited us to the Peach Bowl.

 

[GTLiebs]

As much as I believe that Alabama is rebuilding and won't be that good, they still have better athletes than VT. VT will get pummeled. The game could turn out like the 48-7 beatdown that LSU gave them in 2007.

If it really is that bad, hell I can see that breaking their back for the season, so to speak. With everyone saying how they'll be challenging for a national title and all, to be completely clobbered by a team that lost what it did...

Would be very bad for the ACC for outward appearances but every team in the ACC will celebrate the motivation destruction of VPISU

 

[BarrelORum]

The easiest way we can shut this thing down is offer to play in it every year. No team in the country would want to play PJ's triple option to open up the season. This game would die by the wayside so quickly if that happened because the only teams you could get to play in it would be teams like Miss St., Southern Miss, kentucky, who have nothing to lose.

 

[yellowandnaked]

As much as I believe that Alabama is rebuilding and won't be that good, they still have better athletes than VT. VT will get pummeled. The game could turn out like the 48-7 beatdown that LSU gave them in 2007.

wrong

 

[GTLiebs]

The easiest way we can shut this thing down is offer to play in it every year. No team in the country would want to play PJ's triple option to open up the season. This game would die by the wayside so quickly if that happened because the only teams you could get to play in it would be teams like Miss St., Southern Miss, kentucky, who have nothing to lose.

That won't kill it, because then people like Butch Davis and Randy Shannon (who's main proven skills are recruiting), will sign up to go to Atlanta and get creamed by Florida, ect.

I can see it now, teams head coach handin out T-shirts to Georgia high school juniors while their teams go up in flames in the background.

 

[GaTechBuckeye]

It's how they match up that I'm looking at. Alabama had the 2nd ranked rushing defense last year. Their 3-4 scheme is anchored by All American Terrance Cody and supported with arguably the best linebacking corps in the country returning. Combine this with hungry, fast, and an EXTREMELY talented secondary and you have a very tough defense. You can site the loss of Rashad Johnson all you want, but their simply deeper than Virginia Tech.

Now Ill look at Virginia Tech Offense...
They return the nation's 103rd ranked offense. A quarterback that in my opinion won't match up well against Alabama. Id also be shocked if they were able to run successfully against Alabama.

It's been mentioned that Alabama lost their best running back, but they still return one of the deepest backfields in the SEC. I personally would love to have a player like Ingram on my team. They have a pair of extremely talented receivers.

It is just my opinion - but I don't think highly of Virginia Tech. And yes... I think Alabama will easily roll to another 12 wins.

 

[GTjojo]

I believe I read that one of the reasons that the bruins didn't want to play against us in this game next year is because it is practically a home game for us. When the supposedly neutral site for a national venue game is a 20 minute walk from one team's campus... I can see how the other team might not like that.

To be fair, that's how the peach bowl was... and LSU might as well have thought they were in Death Valley.

 

[MacDaddy2]

We need to come to the realization that we are not considered "sexy" in the eyes of the nation. Our system is a pain in the arse to prepare for and most coaches do not want to spend their offseason with this on their plate.

You want to be on this stage, in this game, get the exposure, and keep the other schools out of Atlanta? Turn the game into the Chick-Fil-A clean old fashioned hate game. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE WILL EVER BE A REGULAR PARTICIPANT IN THIS EVENT!

The only thing I would not like that UGA gets all summer to prepare. However, they have been known to have a kid or two get in to offseason trouble .....