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Check out these great pictures from the Orange Bowl of the Georgia Tech players practicing and having fun.
Looks like the Georgia Tech players are enjoying the Orange Bowl experience. After last year’s game against LSU, I’m really expecting the Jackets to play well Tuesday night. I’m not predicting a win, but I believe Georgia Tech will be much sharper than in last year’s bowl game.
Georgia Tech thought this season would be different. With the arrival of consensus top 5 HS player Derrick Favors, and several other top 100 HS players including Mfon Udofia, Brian Oliver, and Glen Rice Jr. The Jackets sit 9-2, without a decent win except possibly the victory over the USC Trojans. The two quality teams Georgia Tech has played, Dayton in Puerto Rico and Florida State at home, they lost to. It looks like more of the same sloppy basketball that’s become indicative of recent Yellow Jacket basketball if you ask me. I was optimistic until I saw the Florida State performance. Now, I don’t know. Is Head Coach Paul Hewitt on the hot seat? Should he even be on the hot seat? Let’s forget for the moment that he has a massive buyout. If Georgia Tech wants Hewitt gone at the end of the season they’ll find a way. You can make several arguments why Hewitt should or shouldn’t be on the hot seat. Here goes…
Why Paul Hewitt should be on the Hot Seat.
1) Since the NCAA tournament appearance in 2004-2005, Hewitt has exactly 0 NCAA tournament wins.
2) There has been 1 post-season tournament appearance since the 2004-2005 season, and that includes 0 NITs.
3) Including last Sunday’s loss to FSU, Paul Hewitt is 21-44 in regular season ACC games since the 2004-2005 season.
4) He has had a losing overall record at the end of the season three of the last four years.
Why Paul Hewitt shouldn’t be on the Hot Seat.
1) Despite the loss to FSU, it’s far too early to write this season off. This team can still be very good.
2) Paul Hewitt is a great representative of Georgia Tech, plays by the rules, and either graduates or gets players to the NBA.
3) He took Georgia Tech to the final 4 in the 2003-2004 season, and that should always count for something.
4) His recent struggles have more to do with unexpected early departures and injuries than his coaching ability.
For me, as the poll to right asks, if Hewitt doesn’t make the NCAAs a change needs to made. This year’s team is a mixture of talented underclassmen and experienced upperclassmen. He needs to find a way to mesh this squad into a cohesive unit. Unfortunately for Hewitt it is a “what have you done for me lately world?” If you agree or disagree please comment away.
For more articles on Georgia Tech, the ACC, and other sports topics please visit my blog All About Sports
Well Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt pulled in a top 10 recruiting class for this season. A team that features 3 McDonald All-Americans and a slew of top 100 HS players promised a season that would be different than the disasters of recent years. Early results over weak opponents gave the indication the Jackets might be improved. In their first ACC home effort against a good Florida State squad, the Jackets in a 66-59 loss proved that even though the year is different, the result is the same.
Every problem that was evident in recent years was on display tonight– a lack of offensive movement, poor rebounding technique, and untimely turnovers. The Seminoles went zone against the Jackets, and other than Zach Peacock, no Tech player could come up with a big shot. Mfon Udofia has potential, but against ACC competition, he at times looked overwhelmed by the Noles defense. The Jackets lack a player that can get to the basket off the dribble. They haven’t had a player who can do this with any consistency since Javaris Crittenton was in Atlanta. Is it too early to write off the Jackets’ season as another underachieving one, but this was about as devastating an early season loss as the Jackets could have.
In last year’s 9-4 season there was one sour note at the end of year. It was a 38-3 loss to LSU in the Chick Fil a Bowl. I know because I was there. I was all pumped only to have the game over by halftime. I’m sure Paul Johnson and his team didn’t enjoy spending the entire off-season thinking about that game.
This year the Jackets are headed to the Orange Bowl to play a strong Iowa Hawkeye squad and Paul Johnson and Georgia Tech are looking for a different end to the season. Jeff Schultz talks about this in his latest article for the Atlanta Journal Constitution here. Without getting into the particulars of the game yet, Schultz wonders if the result will be different this year.
The game is very important for many reasons. Paul Johnson has answered every question thus far about his offense. Can it win in major college football? Yes… Can he win after other teams see it more than once? Yes… Can he win when quality defenses have more than a week to prepare? Um well I’m not sure about that one.
My belief is last year had more to do with Georgia Tech coming into the Chick Fil a bowl little over confident after their 45-42 win over Georgia. I also think that was such a huge goal for the Yellow Jackets that they came into the LSU game satisfied with the season. This isn’t to take anything from LSU. The Tigers dominated the Yellow Jackets at the line of scrimmage and played a tremendous game. The Jackets needed a much higher level of focus before playing the Tigers than what they came in with.
For Iowa I think you will find a much more focused Georgia Tech team. They may still lose, but it won’t be because they weren’t ready for the game. Paul Johnson will see to that.
For more articles about Georgia Tech, the ACC and other sport topics, please visit my blog All About Sports.
Georgia Tech is going to the Orange Bowl! What an epic game with the Clemson Tigers they played. That is what you call an instant classic. The Jackets won the game 39-34 when Derrick Morgan sacked Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker on 4th down, and Georgia Tech ran out the clock.
Clemson’s C.J. Spiller made a case for the Heisman trophy. I certainly hope he gets legitimate consideration; because college football doesn’t have a more exciting player. Let’s give Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt credit too. Nesbitt is the epitome of a leader. When Clemson took a 34-33 lead with 6 minutes left, Nesbitt led Georgia Tech on an 86 yard 4th quarter drive that would have made John Elway proud.
Paul Johnson came to Georgia Tech for exactly one reason, and that was to win championships. In just his 2nd year he’s done that with an ACC Title. This is Georgia Tech’s first major bowl appearance since 1966. The guy with the high school offense is going to the Orange Bowl. Is that the only reason it was a good day Georgia Tech?
The Jackets also had a basketball game Saturday. They defeated the USC Trojans 79-53 to move to 6-1 on the season. USC is not a great team, but what I saw Saturday convinced me the Yellow Jackets can get to the NCAA tournament. The Jackets had only 7 turnovers in the game. For a Paul Hewitt coached team that is unheard of. Hewitt teams have never been known for taking care of the ball, and that is a very good sign this year.
Mfon Udofia played an efficient controlled game at the point. That is something the Jacket’s haven’t at the point guard position in several years. Brian Oliver showed range on his 3 point shot and scored 18 points. Inside is the Jacket’s strength and Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors combined for 23 points and 17 rebounds.
I like the makeup of this team, and they should be 8-1 before Florida State comes to Atlanta on the 20th of December. With the bottom half of the ACC not very good and the top teams Duke, and North Carolina not unbeatable, Georgia Tech has a great chance to make some noise in the ACC this year.
Visit my blog All About Sports for more coverage on Georgia Tech, the ACC, and other sports topics.
It didn’t take long to put a damper on a dream season for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. In one cool night in Atlanta, the Georgia Bulldogs ran wild in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. The final score was 30-24, and it was remarkable the Jackets had the ball inside of 2 minutes with a chance to win. The Bulldogs ran for a whopping 339 yards, often gaining 6,7 and 8 yards a run. Georgia simply manhandled Georgia Tech upfront. I believe it’s time for head coach Paul Johnson to consider other options at the defensive coordinator position.
I agree that Tech is undersized on the defensive line, but it hasn’t only been Georgia that has been able to move the ball on the Jackets. Teams like Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi St also had big offensive days against the Jackets. It’s a systematic problem, and Wommack is not the answer. He’s had a superior offense bail him out for 2 years now. That’s enough for me.
Josh Nesbitt is the definition of a warrior. It looked like he suffered an ankle sprain last night, and he came back to nearly lead the Jackets to a victory. I wouldn’t bet against him or Paul Johnson to lose 2 games in a row. The next game is the ACCCG against the Clemson Tigers.
The Tigers are coming off their own disappointing loss. They got beat up by their in state rival South Carolina 34-17. Both teams have to put this weekend’s loss behind them and quick. Where I would favor Georgia Tech is Paul Johnson has never lost 2 games in a row while in Atlanta. He makes tremendous week-to-week adjustments. Clemson can’t approach the offensive line that Georgia has or the power running game the Dawgs have. At the same time though, the Jackets can’t match a South Carolina defense that stuffed the Tigers.
It will still be a close game like we expected, but with a little less excitement because of the recent losses for both teams. An ACC Championship will go a long way to helping the Jackets forget about the loss to arch rival Georgia.
It’s Clean Old-Fashioned Hate time when the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Georgia Bulldogs meet Saturday November 28 at 8 PM. The Yellow Jackets come in 10-1 ranked number 7 in every major poll. The Bulldogs are 6-5 and just lost at home 34-27 to a mediocre Kentucky team, they led 20-6 at the half. No matter what happens the rest of the year Dawg Head Coach Marc Richt is going to have his worst season in his tenure at Georgia. He’s never lost more than 4 games in a year. The Bulldogs would like to win this game and a win a bowl to salvage something out of a lost season. For Paul Johnson and Jackets the game is bigger.
This is the highest ranked Georgia Tech team to play in this game since 1990, when the Jackets won the national title. Paul Johnson immediately endeared himself to Georgia Tech fans last year, when Georgia Tech beat Georgia 45-42 in Athens ending a 7 game losing streak to the Bulldogs. Georgia would love nothing more than to spoil the Jacket’s dream season. Regardless of the outcome the Jackets are headed to the ACC championship to play the Clemson Tigers for the right to play in the Orange Bowl. Sure it’s a rivalry game, but why is the game so vitally important for Georgia Tech?
Recruiting:
Paul Johnson has made it a priority to recruit the talent rich state of Georgia. All 12 of his verbal commitments for the 2010 class are from Georgia. This state is the backbone of Bulldog recruiting. A win would prove a power shift within the states two biggest programs, and recruits will certainly take notice.
BCS Bowl and ranking implications:
The Bulldogs are playing to stay out of Shreveport, the Yellow Jackets are playing for a top 5 ranking and momentum heading into the ACCCG. There’s even discussion that if the Jackets beat Georgia and lose a close game to Clemson, that they could still be an at large team in the BCS. There’s even the slimmest of chances that Georgia Tech could get to the national championship game.
Bragging Rights:
This one is obvious. TO fans and players of the winning team, you get another 365 days of bragging rights:
National Perception:
To me this is what makes this game so important to the Yellow Jackets this season. Georgia is not a good team no matter how you look at their squad. Joe Cox is an average at best quarterback. The defense is undisciplined and prone to giving up big plays. This team is 119th out of 120 teams in turnover margin and has lost 5 times this year.
If Georgia Tech were to lose, it would be a serious blow to a team that is continuing to try and build credibility as a program that can be nationally relevant. A middle of the road SEC team beating a top 10 ACC team would also further damage the ACC’s football reputation. It’s simply not a game the Yellow Jackets can afford to lose.
This article is also featured at my blog All About Sports where you’ll find this article and others discussing Georgia Tech, the ACC, and a variety of sports topics.
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This is truly becoming a special season on the flats. Saturday the Yellow Jackets dismantled a decent Duke Blue Devil squad 49-10. The win enabled Georgia Tech to clinch the ACC’s Coastal Division Title and secure a spot in the ACC Championship game. The Jackets improve to 10-1, and might be the country’s best one loss team.
Quick, name me 4 other offenses in college football as good or better than Georgia Tech’s offensive attack. I didn’t think you could either. This offense rolled up 519 yards of offense against Duke. When you think all the Jackets can do is run, Georgia Tech goes and throws for over 200. QB Josh Nesbitt threw two touchdowns passes of over 30 yards, and RB Jonathan Dwyer had another 100+ yard rushing game. Paul Johnson has his offense scoring points and running up yards like it’s a pinball machine. The concern for Tech has always been its defense. Saturday they showed up.
Against Duke’s potent passing attack, the Jacket’s held the Blue Devils to 10 points and 281 total yards. That’s only 20 points given up by the Jacket’s defense the last 6 quarters. Not to shabby for the much maligned group.
Now the Yellow Jackets get a BYE week to finally rest after playing non-stop games since September. I am sure the players will enjoy the break. They’ll need the rest time, because after the BYE week comes the two games that will truly define the Jacket’s season. The Jackets will play archrival Georgia in 2 weeks, then likely the Clemson Tigers in the ACC Championship for the right to represent the ACC in the Orange Bowl.
In two years Paul Johnson has taken a program mired in mediocrity and turned them into the ACC’s best team. Yellow Jacket fans thank their lucky stars everyday that Johnson came to coach at Georgia Tech.
For more articles on Georgia Tech, the ACC, and other sports topics please visit my blog: All About Sports.
It has not been a good last few seasons for Coach Paul Hewitt and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket basketball program. Since the 2004-2005 season, the numbers look just plain awful.
2005-2006: 11-17 (4-12)
2006-2007: 20-12 (8-8) NCAA Tournament 1st Round
2007-2008: 15-17 (7-9)
2008-2009: 12-19 (2-14)
Overall: 58-65 (21-43)
This is a critical year for Paul Hewitt. In the last four years the Jackets have zero NCAA tournament wins, and 43 regular season ACC losses. Athlon Sports lists Hewitt as one of the twelve coaches that enter the 2009-2010 season on the hotseat, but help is on the way. In the offseason everything that could go right did go right for Georgia Tech basketball. Derrick Favors a consensus top 5 High School player signed with Georgia Tech. Defensive specialist and upperclassman De’Andre Bell was medically cleared to play after last year’s spinal injury. Finally All-ACC forward Gani Lawal decided to return for his junior season. Let’s take a closer at Georgia Tech.
Biggest Strength:
This might be the best frontcourt in the ACC. Derrick Favors is 6-10 freshman that is already considered one of the better frontcourt players in America. F Gani Lawal was dominant at times last year, but wore down late in the year should benefit from the arrival of Favors. Teams won’t be able to double team Lawal as they did much of the time last year. 6-8 Forward Zachery Peacock is a solid player that I think is better when he stays in the paint, but he is capable of hitting the mid-range jumper and the occasional 3. Brad Sheehan is a 7-0 C, who can provide quality minutes in the paint.
Biggest Weakness:
My first inclination is to say where is the perimeter shooting going to come from? G Iman Shumpert is a scorer and is talented, but I wouldn’t consider him a sharp shooter. He did hit 3 3 ptrs in Georgia Tech’s first exhibition game though. Lance Storrs has some 3-point ability, but he’s not consistent. Tech’s best hope for a 3-pointer shooter might be highly touted freshman Mfon Udofia. Udofia had a reputation as a good shooter in High School. Maurice Miller has shown glimpses of being a capable shooter as well. There’s potential outside, but it’s all unproven or inconsistent at this point.
Final Analysis:
Overall this is a team that features several former McDonald Americans and a slew of top 100 High School recruits. De’Andre Bell’s return gives Georgia Tech’s it’s best perimeter defender since Mario West was there. Hewitt has underachieved as a head coach the last several years. It can be argued he hasn’t coached up a team since the 2003-2004 final 4 team. He’s never made the NCAA’s without a dominant PG, and will have to figure out how to this year without one. Shumpert is a more natural shooting guard. Maurice Miller is coming off injury, and Udofia as we said is only a freshman. In an ACC devoid of major talent in the bottom half of the conference the Jackets should be able to navigate their way to a .500 conference record and 18-22 regular season wins. If the outside shooting can come together, this team has enough frontcourt talent to win 25 games and make a sweet 16.
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