Some fans don’t want to see progress — Geoff Collins

[knoxjacket]

I think 3-9 was inevitable. In 2019. The offensive line was in the throes of a huge recruiting gap that even CPJ would have had to contend with. I've been the biggest advocate of not judging the OL until this year, maybe even next. (Given we picked up two supersensiors who're now starting via the portal, I hoped to see more by now, but I digress).

The defense, however, has regressed more than the offense has progressed. There has been more than enough time to improve beyond a 3-win season, but here we are getting berated for not being happy someone broke 20 mph at practice. It's 100% consistent and fair to give a pass in 2019 and expect more wins by now.

Agreed. 3 wins wasn’t surprising year one BUT there was no excuse for losing to the Citadel. 3 wins wasn’t surprising in year 2 either BUT there was no excuse losing to Syracuse. Less than 6 this year is surprising and extremely disappointing. We should already be at 6 now.

 

[ScionOfSouthland]

Insulting the Ga Tech fanbase is one helluva strategy
. "Hubris" .

@GT flunkout can we get this gif saved to the repo?

 

[stech81]

The cupboard is certainly more full.

I would agree. On offense our backfield is full of Filet mignon , Ribeye Prime Rib. on the offensive line I think it's better but with all the injuries it's hard to tell and most forget it takes my time to build an OL we have lots or young player who have not seen the field. Now on defense I plain just don't know, I thought our defensive backs would be better and to me that is our weak spot.

 

[georgia_tech_swagger]

I really felt that progress watching the coaching staff look hapless against a NIU team that hadn't won in nearly 2 years. Maybe that is the progress ... after 4 quarters and a top 10 all time worst program loss, he finally figured out how to defend a two tight end overload against a hapless and overwhelmed team.

 

[Allen Koholic]

 

[georgia_tech_swagger]

I fully support Collins and really think you "fans" need to look in the mirror. Like many intelligent Tech students, you enjoy the (challenge of the) conflict more than simply supporting your team. These traits are exactly why we struggle to get any local attention anymore.

The team is clearly better than the first two years, but things have not gone well for us yet. But look at issues such as DT recruiting this year. We have rarely been able to get big talented guys like that, we've often had to grow them up. I think OL depth is the concerning issue of the future and hopefully it can be addressed via the portal.

You need to let this pass and give them another year or two to demonstrate winning with their players. To tear down the program so soon in a complete rebuild ("very few of these players would play for a Div 1 team") is doing us no favors.

For me, we competed much better at Miami than Pitt, UVA, VPI. I'd like to see the W more often but I think it's coming.

I think it's safe to say most people, even those skeptical or hostile to Collins, don't expect a regime change this year. I think support has dropped low enough, and the product on the field has been questionable enough, that safety is no longer guaranteed for assistant coaches and coordinators. But next year? Next year Collins will be playing with matches around the powderkeg. Lose to Western Carolina and it's over. I don't think the GTAA has the stones to pull the plug mid-season like that, but it would merely be a formality at that point.

 

[JoeCakeEater]

I'd like to keep Collins for another season, but see changes to the defensive staff. I do agree that we've close and just don't think we pull the plug on this thing without another season to see if we can turn a corner.

I see progress on offense, although we're being negatively impacted by below average OL play. I don't think you can dump Key, so may as well stick with the entire Offensive staff.

The defense is horrid. We have capable players all over the defense, but are likely the worst defense in the ACC. QBs have career days against us over and over. We can't cover. We can't get pressure. I just don't see how this defensive staff will ever deliver an elite defensive unit. Thacker isn't ready for the big stage... plus the secondary coaches are doing a terrible job.

WTF ever happened to press man coverage on the outside? We play zone all game and play it very poorly. Also, I remember when Tre Swilling looked like he'd be a shutdown corner that would play on Sundays. He is terrible now and gets picked on by opposing QBs. The defensive coaching just isn't getting it done.

 

[GTRules]

Probably better to make deep staff changes and guarantee two years.

We certainly need to make some staff changes. Especially on the defensive side.

 

[GTRules]

I think it's safe to say most people, even those skeptical or hostile to Collins, don't expect a regime change this year. I think support has dropped low enough, and the product on the field has been questionable enough, that safety is no longer guaranteed for assistant coaches and coordinators. But next year? Next year Collins will be playing with matches around the powderkeg. Lose to Western Carolina and it's over. I don't think the GTAA has the stones to pull the plug mid-season like that, but it would merely be a formality at that point.

If he doesn’t make huge defensive staff changes at the end of the year, or, even better, now, then his seat should be really hot next year.

What’s the buyout after next season?

 

[WracerX]

I think it's safe to say most people, even those skeptical or hostile to Collins, don't expect a regime change this year. I think support has dropped low enough, and the product on the field has been questionable enough, that safety is no longer guaranteed for assistant coaches and coordinators. But next year? Next year Collins will be playing with matches around the powderkeg. Lose to Western Carolina and it's over. I don't think the GTAA has the stones to pull the plug mid-season like that, but it would merely be a formality at that point.

Western Carolina is bad. Really, really bad. If they are in the game at all, we are in for trouble.

This year has been rough. It is the first time since 2014 that we didn’t face the conference champ during the regular season. Our ACC schedule may be the weakest it has been in a decade. There is no reason to go 2-6 against that lineup with this team.

There has been progress. We have better talent (and talent that fits the scheme). This offense is basically what CDP rolled out at Temple, just a TD less per game. Maybe they get that extra TD with another year of experience. An extra TD would have swung several games. Maybe the drop is due to facing more P5 teams. That Temple offense had basically the same number of yards and points as a TM lead 3-O, just with more drives and plays. That’s not good because it gives the opposition more chances to score, but iiwii.

The defense has to improve. There is no way around that.

 

[JoeCakeEater]

THE FULL RESPONSE
"I think the team that you see out there competing every single week, uhhh... We've grown, we've developed. I think it's obvious the growth and development in this program. If you can't see how much we've grown, how much we've developed... you don't want to see it. Right? So, they're getting better, they're competing. We have to find a way to win these close games. We want to win every game. Ummm... and obvisously having Boston College, a really good ACC opponent coming into town, the focus is to go play the game the right way, win the game. That is the focus, but we understand that they are a really good team. They have those same motives as well. How do we make sure we can control what we can control, and play at a high level and execute against a good opponent."


He's not wrong in that we're much more competitive in more games than we've been in his first two seasons. Fans want their team to win. He's in a tough spot, in that the only reaslistic win left on the schedule is BC. So almost no chance he can finish the year with momentum heading into 2022 (unless we pull a miracle against Notre Dame... UGA just ain't happening). I'm very much torn on what I want to see as a fan. Part of me wants to run it back in 2022 in hopes that we really are on the cusp of winning these close games, whereas part of me is mad at coach and wants some heads to roll for the deficiencies that continue after 3 years of coaching from this regime.

 

[georgia_tech_swagger]

Western Carolina is bad. Really, really bad. If they are in the game at all, we are in for trouble.

Worse than a MAC team that hadn't won for nearly 2 years prior and can't pass further than 15 yards downfield even with a transfer from Michigan State?

 

[WracerX]

We certainly need to make some staff changes. Especially on the defensive side.

I just don’t want to make piecemeal changes. If we switch a coordinator, don’t just swap one guy. Let the new coordinator evaluate our staff and assemble his own team. But guarantee them two years. That takes CGC to year 5, three of which are with a non-option based roster. That seems like a fair evaluation period. I wouldn’t extend CGC contract until year 5, unless you keep the buyout that same as not renewing.

 

[GTRules]

I just don’t want to make piecemeal changes. If we switch a coordinator, don’t just swap one guy. Let the new coordinator evaluate our staff and assemble his own team. But guarantee them two years. That takes CGC to year 5, three of which are with a non-option based roster. That seems like a fair evaluation period. I wouldn’t extend CGC contract until year 5, unless you keep the buyout that same as not renewing.

I’ll go along with that. But if he doesn’t do that then he either has to win big next year or be fired.

 

[GT18YJjr.]

We certainly need to make some staff changes. Especially on the defensive side.

Thacker and Burton should probably be gone at a minimum. Possibly Popovich, though I think the corners have been serviceable. Thacker is in over his head and the safeties have seemingly regressed every season.
Coleman and Knight have done well in both recruiting and developing the dline and olb’s.

 

[vapspwi]

Agreed. 3 wins wasn’t surprising year one BUT there was no excuse for losing to the Citadel. 3 wins wasn’t surprising in year 2 either BUT there was no excuse losing to Syracuse. Less than 6 this year is surprising and extremely disappointing. We should already be at 6 now.

It’s like our low expectations are perpetually not low enough.

In 2019, we expected a historically bad football team and got a girl’s soccer team. It wasn’t just the losing, it was that we looked like we’d never played the game before.

In 2020, we expected a bad (but not historically bad) football team, and got a historically bad football team. It wasn’t just the losing, it was the magnitude and ineptitude of the losing.

In 2021, we expected a mediocre football team and got a bad football team. Now it sort of is the losing that’s wearing on us, because even as low as our expectations have been, the team has still been lagging those expectations by a couple of years and a couple of levels of badness.

Through it all there have been glimpses of competence - Miami 2019, FSU 2020, UNC 2021 - but we have utterly failed to consolidate those gains and build on them, so after a while you start to think that those games are always going to be the exception and not the norm.

JRjr

 

[WracerX]

Worse than a MAC team that hadn't won for nearly 2 years prior and can't pass further than 15 yards downfield even with a transfer from Michigan State?

Maybe. When we played them before, our defense couldn’t wrap up because how far the WCU were flying when hit. Complete physical mismatch. Probably a dangerous level of mismatch.

 

[georgia_tech_swagger]

Thacker and Burton should probably be gone at a minimum. Possibly Popovich, though I think the corners have been serviceable. Thacker is in over his head and the safeties have seemingly regressed every season.
Coleman and Knight have done well in both recruiting and developing the dline and olb’s.

Caralla, Choice, Coleman, and Knight are between OK and obviously very good.

Thacker, Burton, Popovich, Dixon ... I see more reasons for them to go than stay.

 

[PressManCoverage]

THE FULL RESPONSE
"I think the team that you see out there competing every single week, uhhh... We've grown, we've developed. I think it's obvious the growth and development in this program. If you can't see how much we've grown, how much we've developed... you don't want to see it. Right? So, they're getting better, they're competing. We have to find a way to win these close games. We want to win every game. Ummm... and obvisously having Boston College, a really good ACC opponent coming into town, the focus is to go play the game the right way, win the game. That is the focus, but we understand that they are a really good team. They have those same motives as well. How do we make sure we can control what we can control, and play at a high level and execute against a good opponent."


He's not wrong in that we're much more competitive in more games than we've been in his first two seasons. Fans want their team to win. He's in a tough spot, in that the only reaslistic win left on the schedule is BC. So almost no chance he can finish the year with momentum heading into 2022 (unless we pull a miracle against Notre Dame... UGA just ain't happening). I'm very much torn on what I want to see as a fan. Part of me wants to run it back in 2022 in hopes that we really are on the cusp of winning these close games, whereas part of me is mad at coach and wants some heads to roll for the deficiencies that continue after 3 years of coaching from this regime.

We beat ND and BC, due to pedestrian QBs those 2 Teams were always gonna be better matchups for us than Pitt, UVA, or even VaTech (I still think with more focused Def & better OLine play we beat those guys).

Get ready for a 2 Game win streak fellas, speak it into existence!

 

[PressManCoverage]

Caralla, Choice, Coleman, and Knight are between OK and obviously very good.

Thacker, Burton, Popovich, Dixon ... I see more reasons for them to go than stay.

Is Dixon the WR Coach, most of his Guys do well on Game Days, plus we're Recruiting better WRs, so why should Dixon go?

He is the WR Coach, right?