UGA week off before Tech game

[GiveEmHellJackets]

Football season would suck if we played UGA in August. Then what would there be to look forward to all year? The ****ing Salty Nuts Bowl? We just need to beat them. No excuses, no whining about when the game is.

 

[beej67]

I'd be fine with playing them in August, because it'd make the Summer that much more interesting to me as a football fan. I also think that playing them late hurts both us and them, because the game is guaranteed to have a major negative impact on someone's season.


With Paul Johnson as our coach, however, I'd much prefer to get them at Thanksgiving, because that way they only get one or two weeks to prep for our offense, instead of the whole summer.

I bet if we win two in a row over them, their fans are begging to move the game to August.

 

[00Burdell]

The most important game of the year should be played last.

 

[stinger78]

Re: Look @ Uga/UF series...

Look i respect your opinion and figured that you would fall back on the differences between Gt and the schools I mentioned.

Would you disagree that this is the case? This is the key point in all this. If you disagree, then the conversation shifts to how we remedy the chronic problem that exists. If you agree, then we either accept the task of playing them at a time in the season that maximizes their advantage, and do what we can to change this, or we simply reschedule to a more equitable time.

However if you accept that the gap between those schools and us are such obstacles that we have to "fix" the problem by scheduling can we really hope to get past a tier two program? Let's say we had already played Ga. and now had 2 games left in the conference....Miami and UNC. Miami has historically been an elite program, even above Ga in the pecking order of CFB, and UNC has been a top 10 type program in the past and are getting better under the new coach. So aren't we back in the same boat...playing big schools and/or premier football schools to end the year?.

Sure you always have these games, but there is also an inherent difference between UGAG and any other school on our schedule.

1. UGAG is our in-state rival. Our last coach was fired becasue he couldn't beat them, and their previous coach was fired because he didn't beat us 3 IAR.

2. We also vie for fans against them. Fans equal dollars, and our GTAA sits right on the financial edge. Fans support winners, and in-state fans will support the winner. We are losing in a major way, and it is threatening our whole atheltic program.

3. We recruit most directly against UGAG. We like to pretend we don't, but we do - especially the top in-state talent. There's scarcely such a player that doens't UGAG on his list.

So that game rises above all others as one we MUST be more competitive in the W/L column. Coaching security, finances and recruiting all hang in the balance.

Further, let's say we win the ACC which may happen in our lifetime but rescheduled the Ga game because we felt like we couldn't compete with them...what message would that send about the quality of FB in our league?....To me that would scream that our program may be the best in a level 2 conference but we don't feel like we can compete with one of the better programs in a league like the SEC.

It wouldn't send half the message that losing to them 7 out of 10 - or worse - does. Two years ago, we were in the ACCCG, and we STILL lost to a down UGAG team. That is the stuff that leads to this "ACC is a creampuff conference" stuff. Put another way, take out the GT-UGAG game, and the ACC is over .500 against the SEC.

If depth is a problem for us beating Ga., won't it keep us from winning the ACC? or is winning the ACC a lesser task? I say fix the problem and keep tradition. As u say, this is also just a personal opinion and I respect your right to disagree but would like your thoughts on the above.

If the problem could be fixed, I'd say fix it, too. This is a problem that has been around forever for GA Tech, and it's far worse in the modern era. Bobby Dodd lamented this problem, and almost left 2x because of it. Frank Broyles understood it. Dodd told Curry to go on to Alabama because of it. Ross felt it, as did O'Leary. If we can fix it, fine. I just don't have that much hope in Ma Tech's affection for football.

UGAG has risen to one of the elite programs in college football. Almost to the level of FSU in the 90's. We don't like to admit that, but it's true. They are tougher than any team in the ACC right now, and for the last few years. Florida, Auburn, LSU, UT and Bama have all moved up and down in the last decade, but UGAG has held steady for the most part.

The ACC is full of a bunch of schools like us. The insititutional advantages are far fewer there. The big schools that could wield this advantage (UMD, UVA, UNC and NCSU) are mostly sold out to basketball. Yes, it is harder to beat UGAG regularly right now, than it is to win the ACC.

Furthermore, if we win the ACC 1 out of 5 years, that's pretty good. If we beat UGAG 1 out of 5 years, the coach gets fired. Winning the ACC and beating UGAG are really not apples/apples.

OK, I'm done. Have a nice day.

 

[FAN OF BOBBY DODD]

Re: Look @ Uga/UF series...

Ga. used to own UF. Now the Gators have won 80% (16 times) out of the last 20...in neither situation do I recall one team asking for the game to be rescheduled.

I think I am right here. It seems to me UGAG, not long ago, tried to get them to go home and home but many of thier own esp. in south Ga. did not want to.
Mabe someone can come up with the info.

 

[MacDaddy2]

The best way to do that is to play the game on labor day. We beat them 5 out of 10 times on Labor Day.

Maybe 5 of 10, but certainly a heck of a lot better than we do at the end of the season. Why? Two words. Depth (or lack thereof) and Suspensions (For their off the field crap).

We are supposed to be a smart bunch. If you really think about it, which gives us the best opportunity for success !

 

[GiveEmHellJackets]

Re: Look @ Uga/UF series...

2. We also vie for fans against them. Fans equal dollars, and our GTAA sits right on the financial edge. Fans support winners, and in-state fans will support the winner. We are losing in a major way, and it is threatening our whole atheltic program.

I had skimmed over this post a lot but finally decided to pop some popcorn and read the whole thing and I was sort of puzzled by the bit quoted in bold, from Chapter 2, Clause 2. Threatening our whole athletic program? Would you care to elaborate on this?

 

[The Jacket]

I am, always have been and always will be against moving the UGAg game.

 

[gtrat1967]

Re: Look @ Uga/UF series...

If the problem could be fixed, I'd say fix it, too. This is a problem that has been around forever for GA Tech



Case in point: years ago my dad was friends with a member of the GT athletic board. This guy told dad one year that the previous year's high school senior crop had produced 10 division 1 quality OT's state-wide. Of them, GT could even approach only 3 and signed 2. The others all signed with our opposition: UGAG, 'Bama, AU, UT.

Stinger is correct,the problem isn't going to go away, and it is worse now than ever. The plain truth is that GT will NEVER be able to recruit the same quantity of top-shelf talent as the large state universities surrounding us. Not to re-open an old can of worms, but we do not have the "athletic majors" in which to hide dozens of marginal student/super athlete types.

Does anybody seriously think that if we had had to run an annual gauntlet of AU, UT, UGAG, UF, LSU, we would have been all that successful?

 

[JacketDan]

The most important game of the year should be played last.

The truth is that before too much longer it's has the potential to not be the most important game for either program. If we get to where we are an annual competitor for the ACCCG and Richt keeps them rolling as an annual competitor for the SECCG, then the our most important games every year will be Clemson and VT while theirs remain UF and Auburn.

This game lost some of its full view strategic luster when we left the SEC and could keep each other out of winning a conference championship. Now it's purely about recruiting and with the scholarship limits there's really more than enough of those to go around as well.

 

[Techbert]

Here's an alternate plan.

Let's play them the first AND last game of the year. And the bowl, if both teams qualify.

Because beating UGa just will never get old.

 

[stinger78]

Re: Look @ Uga/UF series...

I had skimmed over this post a lot but finally decided to pop some popcorn and read the whole thing and I was sort of puzzled by the bit quoted in bold, from Chapter 2, Clause 2. Threatening our whole athletic program? Would you care to elaborate on this?

It's right there in the quote.

Athletic Associations are all about money - money to pay coaches outrageous salaries, money to build and maintain top-notch weight rooms, locker rooms, and training facilities, money to fund recruiting, money to advertise and secure the best radio stations, money to expand stadiums so top athletes will come play for you, and so more and more fans can get in to see the game. On and on it goes... BIG bucks.

Bucks come from fans and alumni.

One of those institutional disadvantages we have is our small alumni base, especially in the state of GA. In addition, a higher percentage of ours could not care less about football. Another disadvantage is that, not being a flagship university with the mandate to educate the masses of GA kids, we don't resonate as well with the masses as UGAG does. In truth, we probably don't resonate as well as GA Southern does.

We have a small, somewhat disinterested alumni base and we don't atract fans well.

How does this relate to the UGAG game?

As I opined above, that game has a huge impact on recruiting in state, thus directly affecting quality on the field. That game also has a huge impact on the self-image of alumni who DO give and support the program, thus directly affecting funding and indirectly the quality on the field.

But most of all, that game often determines who the many undecided non-alumni college football fans and transplants will adopt as their team. It affects how many of them buy our licensed gear, and it affects how many of them buy tickets and become season seat holders, and larger contributors.

That game directly impacts in several critical ways the dollars we bring into our GTAA. Thus, it directly influences the profitability of the GTAA, as it affects our ability to market to vital new consumers of our product.

Verstehen?

 

[GiveEmHellJackets]

Stinger: All those are fine points, and I certainly understand that UGA is a bigger, richer place with more fans and several advantages over Tech. But "threatening our whole athletic program?" I should have been more specific in my request that you elaborate. What I really wanted was for you to elaborate on what you mean by the phrase "threatening our whole athletic progam." Are you opining that we will drop sports altogether if we don't beat UGA by a certain year? Is it your opinion that we will either drop football or drop down to a lower division? What exactly do you mean by that? The words themselves, taken literally, seem to mean that the existence of all Tech sports programs hang in the balance of the UGA series. I suspect that you don't exactly mean this, but I can tell you're thoughtful, so I wondered what you really meant. What is the worst resonable scenario in your mind regarding this threat to Tech athletics if we lose to UGA, say, another five years in a row? I for one would still attend as many games and buy as much crap and cheer like hell six years from now.

****DISCLAIMER**** Poster is not saying that poster believes that UGA will beat Tech five more years in a row.

 

[B]

Good stuff stinger78

So that game rises above all others as one we MUST be more competitive in the W/L column. Coaching security, finances and recruiting all hang in the balance.



It wouldn't send half the message that losing to them 7 out of 10 - or worse - does. Two years ago, we were in the ACCCG, and we STILL lost to a down UGAG team. That is the stuff that leads to this "ACC is a creampuff conference" stuff.

Interstingly(Sp?) enough, that is why the game must remain at the end of the year...we WERE in the ACCCG AND lost to Uga. So the point is, and i think you make it as well, is that it is harder for us to beat Ga. than it is to win the ACC (not that we do much of either). So do you really want the biggest game of year first? Will we be fired up to win the ACC if Ga ends up in third in the SEC Eastern Division? I like the season long "build-up" to the grand finale. Like saving the best for last. This year's season can still be successful even if we don't win our ACC division if we win our last regular season game.

 

[stinger78]

Stinger: All those are fine points, and I certainly understand that UGA is a bigger, richer place with more fans and several advantages over Tech. But "threatening our whole athletic program?" I should have been more specific in my request that you elaborate. What I really wanted was for you to elaborate on what you mean by the phrase "threatening our whole athletic progam." Are you opining that we will drop sports altogether if we don't beat UGA by a certain year? Is it your opinion that we will either drop football or drop down to a lower division? What exactly do you mean by that? The words themselves, taken literally, seem to mean that the existence of all Tech sports programs hang in the balance of the UGA series. I suspect that you don't exactly mean this, but I can tell you're thoughtful, so I wondered what you really meant. What is the worst resonable scenario in your mind regarding this threat to Tech athletics if we lose to UGA, say, another five years in a row? I for one would still attend as many games and buy as much crap and cheer like hell six years from now.

****DISCLAIMER**** Poster is not saying that poster believes that UGA will beat Tech five more years in a row.

Yes, "threatening our whole athletic program" was an overstatement.

We are at a point where we MUST cultivate new football fans or our program will be compromised in its ability to provide the support it needs to. That will in turn have a secondary effect on the rest of the GTAA - how much I don't know - and that is the overstatement. So sorry about that.

 

[stinger78]

B, I don't see the significance of beating UGAG at the end more than at the beginning. We just need to win the games.

 

[B]

I couldn't agree more....

B, I don't see the significance of beating UGAG at the end more than at the beginning. We just need to win the games.

that we need to win some more games in this rivalry.To summarize my position...by keeping the game last, it's better for the program. Why? Because it is not uncommon for us to be out of the ACC race by late October/early Nov. The majority of Tech fans aren't as passionate/loyal/faithful as the traditional football schools so I can envision half empty stadiums in November if we have the Ga game behind us and we are eliminated from the ACC race.

 

[cajunjacket]

Re: I couldn't agree more....

If we are ACC champs then beating UGA is just the cherry on top. I don't know about you, but I will take my sundae with or without a cherry on top (so long as there is hot fudge and caramel on there .... obviously I am kinda hungry right now).