Comments on: Misplaced focus http://www.dawgsonline.com/2008/07/31/misplaced-focus/ Serving the Bulldog Nation since 1995 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:29:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: peacedog http://www.dawgsonline.com/2008/07/31/misplaced-focus/comment-page-1/#comment-58245 peacedog Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:47:39 +0000 http://www.dawgsonline.com/?p=1386#comment-58245 Great post Groo, and I think you hit the nail on the head. The focus in the Ga-Ga Tech rivalry is on "the streak", but it's not really about the streak and that's true for most fans. The streak is for prodding your tech neighbor (just as the Ga-Fla streak has been about Florida fans prodding their UGA neighbors, mostly). I think a team can take these things for granted, but the team ain't the fan base and it's the coaches job to ensure that doesn't happen. Also note we've played lesser out of conference opponents who run spread like offenses, from La-Monroe (a patsie) to Troy (pretty good on offense, actually) to Central Michigan (ditto). Struggling against the spread is not something that translates to struggling against a triple option, I think. I'm not sure they do test defenses similarly, though I'll grant you that they're forcing the same kinds of reads (just at slightly different times in some cases, and to slightly different personnel) in many cases. I say this because a quality, proto-typical Mike is key against a triple option (he's got to clobber the FB or possibly hit the point of attack at the corner), but a prototypical Mike is not really what you want against the spread. Ellerbe isn't quite that 250lb hulking behemoth that patrols the middle like giants in the times of lore, but he's really well suited to being a Mike against spread offenses I think (also good enough to main the middle against a traditional option attack, IMO). Also, while I think Johnson is a good coach, I keep going back to the stat regarding his record against BCS opponents, which isn't very good. Yeah, he won at Navy, but he won beating other crappy teams, largely. Tech should represent a talent base upgrade (just being in this state they do), but I'm not sure how much success a traditional option offense will have at this point in a major conference, at least beyond the short term; it certainly won't enjoy Nebraska like success. Should be interesting to see how it goes. Great post Groo, and I think you hit the nail on the head. The focus in the Ga-Ga Tech rivalry is on “the streak”, but it’s not really about the streak and that’s true for most fans. The streak is for prodding your tech neighbor (just as the Ga-Fla streak has been about Florida fans prodding their UGA neighbors, mostly). I think a team can take these things for granted, but the team ain’t the fan base and it’s the coaches job to ensure that doesn’t happen.

Also note we’ve played lesser out of conference opponents who run spread like offenses, from La-Monroe (a patsie) to Troy (pretty good on offense, actually) to Central Michigan (ditto).

Struggling against the spread is not something that translates to struggling against a triple option, I think. I’m not sure they do test defenses similarly, though I’ll grant you that they’re forcing the same kinds of reads (just at slightly different times in some cases, and to slightly different personnel) in many cases. I say this because a quality, proto-typical Mike is key against a triple option (he’s got to clobber the FB or possibly hit the point of attack at the corner), but a prototypical Mike is not really what you want against the spread. Ellerbe isn’t quite that 250lb hulking behemoth that patrols the middle like giants in the times of lore, but he’s really well suited to being a Mike against spread offenses I think (also good enough to main the middle against a traditional option attack, IMO).

Also, while I think Johnson is a good coach, I keep going back to the stat regarding his record against BCS opponents, which isn’t very good. Yeah, he won at Navy, but he won beating other crappy teams, largely. Tech should represent a talent base upgrade (just being in this state they do), but I’m not sure how much success a traditional option offense will have at this point in a major conference, at least beyond the short term; it certainly won’t enjoy Nebraska like success. Should be interesting to see how it goes.

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