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Ranking Georgia Tech’s football schedule from top to bottom. Part 2 – Jeff Fann of All About Sports

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Wow just a few days until the start of the college football season. I can’t wait! In Part 1 we looked at the Jacket’s 6 easiest games. In part 2 we get to the meatier games on the schedule. These are the matchups that could make a good season a great one, or turn a great season into a mediocre one.

1. at Virginia Tech 11/4

This may be the game of the year in the ACC. The Thursday night game stuff in Blacksburg is overrated. UNC went in there last year on a Thursday night and won. The real reason I favor the Hokies is the running ability of RBs Ryan Williams, Darren Evans, and QB Tryod Taylor. Like with Georgia, the Yellow Jacket defensive line is still suspect until I see different. The Jackets nearly won at Virginia Tech 2 years ago. It’s possible, but I’m not counting on it.

Georgia Tech Chances of winning: 25%

2. at Georgia 11/27

Physically this is probably the worst matchup on Georgia Tech’s schedule. The Bulldog’s offensive line simply owned the line of scrimmage last year, and Georgia’s O-Line might be better this year. Too early to say if Al Groh’s 3-4 defense will make a difference in this one, but my gut tells me if the Jackets are to win they’ll have to outscore Georgia. That’s always a risky proposition.

Georgia Tech Chances of winning: 35%

3. at Clemson 10/23

This game is always competitive. The Clemson\Georgia Tech rivalry is one of the most underrated in the country. The Tigers have circled this game on their schedule. They haven’t beat Georgia Tech since 2006, and believe me, Clemson fans are a little irked by the recent Jacket dominance. I give the edge slightly to Clemson because the game is in Death Valley.

Georgia Tech Chances of winning : 49.9%

4. at North Carolina 9/18

A nightmare is unfolding in Chapel Hill. A dark horse ACC Title contender before the season, there were allegations of agents involved with players and now during that NCAA investigation there were reports of academic misconduct. Early in the season either the Heels rally around each other and play great in this one or continue a season headed towards disaster. The Jackets will be fine. This one depends on UNC’s mindset coming in. You see what I think.

Georgia Tech Chances of winning 60%

5. Miami 11/13

Paul Johnson doesn’t like to be embarrassed, and Miami dominated the Jackets in their 2009 game. I know because I went to the game, and the game wasn’t as close as the 16 point 33-17 loss would indicate. It certainly was the Jackets poorest game of the year. It won’t happen again. They’ll play much better and I believe they’ll win.

Georgia Tech Chances of winning 65%

6. at Wake Forest 10/2

Wake Forest nearly derailed Georgia Tech’s ACC Title dreams last season in a 30-27 OT loss in Atlanta. This is probably one of the biggest trap games of the season for Georgia Tech. You know Jim Grobe will have the Deacs sound fundamentally, but longtime QB Riley Skinner is gone. The Jackets can’t overlook this one.

Georgia Tech Chances of winning 75%

If the season goes as I’m predicting, then the Jackets will go 9-3 (6-2) in the regular season. One of the knocks on Paul Johnson is that the Jackets are 0-2 in Bowl games. I’d like to see the opponent first, but I have a feeling Johnson finds a way to debunk another myth of the triple option, that teams with a month to prepare have a better chance of beating Georgia Tech. 30 wins in 3 seasons, yup I think Jackets fans will take it.

For more articles about Georgia Tech, the ACC, and other sports topics visit my blog at

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Ranking Georgia Tech’s football schedule from top to bottom. Part 1 – Jeff Fann of All About Sports

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Georgia Tech enters the 2010 season set to defend their ACC Title. The Jackets will still be a very good team. Quickly, here’s why. QB Joshua Nesbitt returns. He’s the catalyst to the Tech’s triple option offense. Anthony Allen will fill in nicely for Jonathan Dwyer and of course Paul Johnson is still coaching.

On defense Al Groh and his 3-4 defense will be an upgrade at defensive coordinator over previous assistant coach Dave Wommack. Despite some personal losses like DE Derrick Morgan and S Morgan Burnett this unit will be better. The schedule is a tough one. Let’s take a look at it in Part 1 with teams 6-12.

7. at Kansas 9/11

The Jayhawks are coming off a 5-7 season where they won only 1 Big 12 conference game. Turner Gill takes over from Mark Mangino at head coach. If you haven’t followed the Jayhawks they’ve suffered season ending injuries and player dismissals to at least 4 players on the defensive side of the ball. Georgia Tech is better than Kansas, but going on the road is always tricky.

Georgia Tech Chances of winning: 80%

8. NC State 9/25

Frankly Tom O’Brien has been very disappointing as head coach of the Wolfpack. This season may be his last if he doesn’t turn NC State around. NC State quarterback Russell Wilson may be able to challenge a Georgia Tech defense that will still be adjusting to Groh’s 3-4 defense. With the game in Atlanta, the Jackets should win.

Georgia Tech Chances of winning: 85%

9.  Virginia 10/9

The Cavaliers have a new coach in Mike London, but Virginia is short on talent. Two years ago I was at the Georgia Tech \Virginia game when Marc Verica looked like a future All-ACC quarterback and beat a favored Jacket team. He’s back at starter and the Cavs usually give the Jackets trouble, but not this year.

Georgia Tech Chances of winning: 90%

10. Middle Tennessee 10/16

This is a tougher game than it looks on paper. The Blue Raiders won 10 games last year. I saw Middle Tennessee play Clemson last year. The Blue Raiders couldn’t handle the Tigers at all upfront, but they feature a very exciting player. Dwight Dasher is one the best dual threat quarterbacks in the country. If he gets loose this game could be closer than expected.

Georgia Tech Chances of winning: 90%

11. Duke 11/20

Nobody respects what David Cutcliffe has done at Duke more than me. Sean Renfree is going flourish at QB under his system, but this is a game Georgia Tech should be able to win. They simply have more athletes and better depth.

Georgia Tech Chances of winning: 95%

12. South Carolina State 9/4

South Carolina is a dangerous FCS school. They are top 20 team at that level. To hear one of my SC State co-workers tell it, Georgia Tech better be ready. I’ll be honest. I don’t know a tremendous amount about the SC St. Bulldogs, but if Georgia Tech loses to them, they may need to consider passing on the rest of the season.

Georgia Tech Chances of winning: 99%

For more articles about Georgia Tech, the ACC, and other sports topics visit my blog at

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What needs to happen for Georgia Tech to repeat as ACC Coastal Division Champions? – Jeff Fann of All About Sports

Saturday, July 31st, 2010

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are your defending ACC Champions, but the consensus is that they won’t repeat. Most critics feels the losses of RB Jonathan Dwyer, WR Demaryius Thomas, DE Derrick Morgan, and S Morgan Burnett are too much for the Jackets to overcome. I’ve read some predictions that have the Jackets finishing as low as 4th in the Coastal Division. Don’t write this team off so fast. Remember the guy coaching the Jackets, Paul Johnson, is one of the most successful coaches in the business.

Johnson has been a winner everywhere he’s been and that’s not going to stop. In addition QB Joshua Nesbitt is back. It will be his 3rd full year running the triple option. Nesbitt is as clutch a quarterback as there is in the ACC, as evidenced by some of his late game heroics last season.

Some things need to happen for Georgia Tech to repeat as ACC Champs though. Virginia Tech, Miami, and North Carolina are going to be very stiff competition so the path to the title will not be an easy one. Ok…What needs to be done?

1) Win at Virginia Tech.

The road to the ACC Coastal Division Title always goes through Blacksburg. The two times the Jackets have won the Coastal Division they’ve beat Virginia Tech. The Hokies won’t lose more than 2 ACC games and a loss there is a two game swing. You can win in Blacksburg.  Just ask North Carolina, they did it last year.

2) Learn Al Groh’s 3-4 defense quickly

Georgia Tech’s offense will be good, but it may not be as explosive as it was last year. They can’t be expected to outscore opponents like their 49-44 victory over Florida State. The defense was mediocre last season, and this year it has to be better.

3) Joshua Nesbitt must stay healthy

With all do respect to the likely backup Tevin Washington, this team can only go as far as Joshua Nesbitt can take them. He’s the engine on the offense that makes it go. If Nesbitt is out, Washington simply doesn’t have the experience to lead the Jackets to a Division Title. Washington has good athletic ability and will be a fine QB one day, but Nesbitt has to stay on the field this year.

4) Hold Serve at Home

The Jackets have a fairly soft home schedule this season with NC State, Virginia, Duke and Miami coming to Atlanta. Outside of Miami, the Jackets should be heavy favorites in each. They can’t afford to lose any of their home games, including Miami, or they have no chance to win the division.

If each of these things happen, the Jackets may find themselves in Charlotte playing for an ACC Title.

For more articles about Georgia Tech, the ACC, and other sports topics visit my blog at
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Paul Hewitt and Georgia Tech Land Much Needed Big Man

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

This was looking like a lost year for Georgia Tech and their front line. Gani Lawal turned pro. Derrick Favors turned pro. Zachary Peacock used up his eligibility. There were indications that senior 7-0 player Brad Sheehan was planning on leaving too. Well the Jackets got some recent good news. Former Tulane commit 6-10 Nate Hicks was released from his LOI and will now be going to Georgia Tech. Hicks is from Panama City, Florida, where he averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds a game.

Hicks isn’t the second coming of Derrick Favors. He looks like a project, but the Jackets needed size badly. This is a nice pickup this late in the recruiting season. Hicks is also a likely 3 or 4 year guy. In addition, Brad Sheehan appears to be sticking around. He provided quality minutes last year.

Hicks signing and Sheehan returning doesn’t mean the Jackets are NCAA bound. The frontline has virtually no playing experience. Daniel Miller, Hicks, and Kammeon Holsey have never played a college game. Sheehan has never played more than spot minutes, but you can’t teach size. Let’s face it- if the Jackets are going to have a decent year next season, it will depend on their guards.

The guard play will have to carry the team, but at least now, Hewitt has a little frontline depth to play with.

For more articles about Georgia Tech, the ACC, and other sports topics visit my blog at
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Georgia Tech Basketball Recruiting Ends with a Thud

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

We already knew that Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt missed out on Georgia High School player Marcus Thornton. The big man selected the University of Georgia. The Jackets had one final chance to grab a quality low post player they so desperately needed. Alabama transfer Justin Knox had his final two of Georgia Tech and North Carolina. Knox ended up choosing the Tar Heels.

The Jackets next year will have a front line short on depth and experience. I felt at the end of the 2010 season that there was a possibility, even with the losses of Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors, that Tech could be better next year. That was especially with a backcourt that will have another year under their belt. Now it’s hard to see the Jackets being more than an NCAA bubble team.

With the apparent departure of Brad Sheehan, the Jackets will have only 2 players taller than 6-6. I expected Hewitt to finish stronger during the recruiting season, but he couldn’t pull any frontline players in. The Jackets signed 1 player explosive 6-4 guard Jason Morris.  

There is some good news for Yellow Jacket sports. The baseball team was selected to host an NCAA regional. This is the first step to getting to Omaha and playing in the College World Series. Alabama, Mercer, and Elon are also in the bracket, but the Jackets are heavy favorites to move on.

For more articles about Georgia Tech, the ACC, and other sports topics visit my blog at All About Sports.

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Georgia Tech doesn’t land Marcus Thornton. Brad Sheehan gone too?

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Not a good week on the flats. Wednesday big frontline target Marcus Thornton committed to University of Georgia. This was an important recruit for Paul Hewitt. At 6-7 Thornton was the type inside player the Jackets sorely needed after the departures of Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal.

Thornton would never admit it, but I think the ACC’s intra-conference transfer rule that would have probably forced Thornton to sit a year played a role. It’s an out-dated rule and one that penalizes players under special circumstances. In Thornton’s case he committed to Clemson, and after former coach Oliver Purnell bolted for DePaul, Thornton was released from his letter of intent. That sounds like what should be an exception to the rule, but it isn’t and I believe Georgia Tech paid for it.

There’s more bad frontline news for the Jackets. It looks like 7-0 center Brad Sheehan is leaning towards leaving Georgia Tech. That will leave Jackets painfully thin inside. I sure hope Hewitt has a 7 footer that he’s hiding somewhere.

For more articles about Georgia Tech, the ACC, and other sports topics visit my blog at

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Meet WR Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech’s next offensive star. – Jeff Fann of All About Sports

Monday, May 10th, 2010

I’ve written here before on the Georgia Tech Raycom Sports Blog, that I believe WR Stephen Hill would be Georgia Tech’s breakout offensive star in 2010. It will be no small task for Hill to replace 1st round pick Demaryius Thomas. Thomas playing in Paul Johnson’s triple option offense was the primary and in many cases the only deep pass catching option.  He caught 46 passes with 1,154 yards receiving and 8 TDs. Thomas at 6-3 229 lbs proved to be a big target for quarterback Joshua Nesbitt. Thomas also had the speed to outrun most secondaries. Throw in that a couple of years before that Biletnikoff award winner WR Calvin Johnson was roaming the Tech sidelines and Hill has some huge shoes to fill as a Georgia Tech wide receiver.

Hill is from Miller Grove HS in Lithonia Ga.  Coming out of HS he was rated one of the 25 best receivers in the country by Scout.com. He was a 4 star player whose final decision came down to Georgia and Georgia Tech. Consider if he had gone to Georgia how good a pair of WR’s they would have had with Hill and A.J. Green. I bet Georgia coach Marc Richt would have loved to have that pair of wideouts.

By choosing the Jackets though, Hill has already disproved one the great myths of Paul Johnson’s offense. That he wouldn’t be able to recruit HS All-Star receivers. With Thomas getting drafted in the 1st round Hill can even feel better about his decision. He knows that he can become the next go to receiver in the offense, and that can result in a high draft choice.

Last year in limited opportunities Hill caught 6 passes for 137 yards and touchdown. The TD catch was a catch in stride. A 32 yard pass from Nesbitt where Hill displayed his speed and pass catching abilities. In the spring game he caught a 70 yard TD looking every bit the 4 star HS receiver.

I hope this has given everyone a little background on Stephen Hill, because you can expect to hear his name plenty come the fall.

For more articles about Georgia Tech, the ACC, and other sports topics visit my blog at

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Georgia Tech’s Spring Game notes and other Jacket tidbits. – Jeff Fann of All About Sports

Friday, April 30th, 2010

The Yellow Jackets had their spring game on April 24th. Two things were evident from the game that was stopped at halftime due to the weather.

1) Tevin Washington has firmly established himself as the backup to Joshua Nesbitt. He was 6 of 7 passing for 122 yards. That’s darn near Peyton Manningesqe for the Georgia Tech Triple Option offense. He also ran for the 3 TD’s and threw for another.

2) Jonathan Dwyer’s and Demaryius Thomas’s positions RB and WR looked to be filled by ready replacements. RB Anthony Allen had 15 rushes for 91 yards.  Last year he ran for 618 yards at nearly 10 yards a run. I really think the drop off from Dwyer to Allen will be insignificant. 6-4 WR Stephen Hill caught a 70 yard TD in the spring game. I’m telling you Hill is going to be a big part of the Georgia Tech offense in the fall. He will be the man at WR, and nothing from the spring game has changed my opinion from previous posts. He is a star in the making.

How about the new 3-4 defense installed by former Virginia Coach Al Groh? It’s far too early to say, but according the AJC, the players are raving about how much fun the defense is having.  The white team led by Washington won the game 27-7 over the blue team.

In other Georgia Tech news, hot basketball recruit Marcus Thornton still hasn’t decided where he will play. He and his family are giving no indication who he is favoring either. They’ve been very complimentary of every team they’ve visited.

Yellow Jacket fans can feel good about the baseball team. Georgia Tech swept hated the Georgia Bulldogs in 3 games, 6-5, 25-6, and 6-4. They outscored the Dawgs 37-15. Wow I’m sure Paul Johnson will take that score in November! Keep an eye on the baseball team. Coach Danny Hall has had top 20 teams before, only to fall flat in the post-season. Could this year be different? The Jackets sit 34-7 on the season.

For more articles about Georgia Tech, the ACC, and other sports topics visit my blog at

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Georgia Tech and Paul Hewitt await Marcus Thornton decision. – Jeff Fann of All About Sports

Monday, April 19th, 2010

In my last article for Georgia Tech’s Raycom Sports Blog, I discussed who could play on the frontline for Georgia Tech with the departures of Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors. We offered 6-8 Kammeon Holsey and 6-11 Daniel Miller as possibilities. 7-0 senior Brad Sheehan could also see minutes inside. When Oliver Purnell left Clemson and bolted for DePaul, previous Clemson commit 6-7 Marcus Thornton became available.

Thornton was the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Mr. Georgia Basketball. Purnell and Clemson got a commitment from Thornton way back in November of 2008. They were on him early and did good of realizing the player Thornton would become. This season he averaged 26.5 PPG, 7 RPG, 4 blocks and shot 64 percent from the field. From Westlake Highschool in Atlanta, Paul Hewitt and his staff appeared to be caught a little off guard, losing on a player from their own backyard.

Here’s their chance to get back in it. Already Hewitt has apologized to the  family for failing to recruit Thornton harder when Clemson signed him. Recruiting is Hewitt’s strength though and when he wants someone he’s pretty successful at getting them. I think this would be a tremendous get if Hewitt can land Thornton. There’s isn’t any doubt due to Tech’s frontline losses that Thornton would have a great opportunity for early playing time. The Jackets also have a good reputation for landing players in the NBA as well. Favors and Lawal will be NBA picks this year. With the returning guard play, if the Jackets get the 230 lb Thornton I would give them a pretty good chance of getting into NCAAs next year. That gives them a young but solid frontline. Thornton is also considering Georgia, Clemson, and Alabama in addition to Georgia Tech.

For more articles about Georgia Tech, the ACC, and other sports topics visit my blog at

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Despite losses Georgia Tech basketball might be better next year. – Jeff Fann of All About Sports

Friday, April 9th, 2010

If you haven’t followed Georgia Tech basketball since the NCAA tournament ended, the Jackets have been going through some big changes. Frontline star players Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors have declared  for the NBA draft. Seniors De’Andre Bell and Zachary Peacock are gone. De’Andre Bell was one of Tech’s best defenders and Peacock provided off the bench scoring. Despite 23 wins Paul Hewitt still isn’t winning any popularity contests in Atlanta, things look a little bleak in Atlanta or do they?

Georgia Tech’s own history provides hope. At the end of  the 2002-2003 season the Jacket’s lost future NBA all-star Chris Bosh and one of their top players Ed Nelson. In 2003-2004 the Jackets went to the final 4. Even this past year many felt after Gerald Henderson left Duke, the Blue Devils wouldn’t be athletic enough to compete for a National Title. Not only did they compete for  the national title they won it. I’m not saying the Jackets will get to the final 4, I do think an NCAA tournament bid is an attainable goal and here’s why.

In college basketball it’s all about guard play. The Jackets will have more quality experience in their backcourt than they have had in years. Iman Shumpert will be a junior and freshmen Glen Rice Jr, Brian Oliver, and Mfon Udofia are all back. Maurice Miller will be a senior. Those 5 players will give Tech its best ball handling team since 2005. This year the backcourt was inconsistent but next year they should be much better. Explosive 4 star HS SG Jason Morris will be joining the Tech team. I like how the backcourt is shaping up and it should allow coach Paul Hewitt to play the switching defense he prefers. Inside Tech will be inexperienced and smaller, but Butler proved you don’t have to be huge to be good.

I expect 6-8 Kammeon Holsey, who sat out his Freshman year due to injury to be a starter, to be key in what looks like a 3-4 guard offense. At center the other possibility is 6-11 Daniel Miller or 7-0 Brad Sheehan. If Georgia Tech can get positive contributions from their inside guys, a decent season is not out of the question.

For more articles about Georgia Tech, the ACC, and other sports topics visit my blog at

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