How much longer is Georgia Tech going to keep up this charade? It almost seems as if every time Paul Johnson's time at GT is done, he pulls some 11-3 season out of his rear end and saves his job (last season).
They are losers of 4 straight, though, and the team looks generally incompetent at times. Regardless of what ESPN tells you, it is very tough to recruit elite athletes for this offense.
I wouldn't mind seeing him stay longer, because I think Bud Foster has that offense figured it out; it just comes down to the turnover battle really. But when do you think Georgia Tech will severe ties with him?
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I was having the exact same thoughts during the game today.
I think last season bought his at least another 2 years. They have really gone down the tubes this year though, hoping they can be ACC spoiler and take down some of the Coastal contenders though.
I think they've already lost to the Coastal contenders...
The problem is they have already lost to the Coastal contenders. Duke and UNC have already notched their Ws.
The only team left to ruin is us.
They still play Pitt. Right now, that 's who we need to lose. Twice.
Not necessarily twice. 3+ way tiebreak scenarios with a one loss Pitt and one loss VT could still go our way. But outright Coastal champs, yes, two Pitt losses would be nice.
Comment edited - Didn't read that you posted three way tiebreaker. My bad.
Careful what you wish for...
We aren't a legitimate contender
We still haven't played a full game with Brewer as the QB and our secondary gains experience each week.
I'm not saying go ahead and book your flight to Charlotte but if you're already writing off this season, then I would love to see your comments after the JMU game in 2010.
There's still a half of season left to be played...
It's that time of year, "fill in the blank coach just lost there job" so far I've seen, Richt, Edsall, Johnson, London, O'Leary among just a few names thrown around recently.
Edsall has officially been released as of last night, with the OC being named the interum. O'Leary is 0-6 I think, so he should probably be let go.
EDIT:
Did not realize that O'Leary is both AD and coach. Seems he is resigning as AD, but staying as coach for now:
Well, obviously he can't fire himself. He has to let them appoint somebody else to fire him.
The problem for gt is when they decide to fire Pj, the program becomes a legitimate rebuild project. The roster will be a mess for any new offensive staff. The qb's on roster can't throw, the oline can't pass block, the wr's can't run anything but go routes. Because of this, gt will probably keep him unless he has back to back bad years; fire Pj and condemn the program to a serious three year rebuild.
Justin Thomas actually has a great arm, and that's pretty much the only reason they were able to score today. But as for the rest of it, right on. Their O-line would be a multi-year rebuild process easily. They could probably get some skill players, but that line is going to be completely discarded if/when the triple option leaves GT.
They'll be ok though. The entire line have lucrative careers waiting for them in collection departments all over Vegas.
Or as Tonya Harding's bodyguard.
You are showing your age now, man.
I'll reference the assassination of Archduke Ferdinan if I think it'll get a laugh.
Just when you thought you had a grasp of how big a douchebag Paul Johnson was, you learn something new.
They should hire Curt Newsome. Hear he's great at developing and recruiting OL.
Maybe it's not too late for VT to get him back...
/s
Actually, VT's OL seemed to have worked some things out on Friday...
I don't know what you're watching. He is a well below average FBS passer. There are about 400 FBS QBs that could have made those long passes.
Maybe I shouldn't have said "great," but I'm certainly not arguing that he's a top FBS QB or anything. Compared to previous GT QBs who could do precisely squat when it came to downfield passing, Thomas has a decent arm. If not for those long passes (yes, several were wide open due to busts), GT has no offense. He made a few nice throws, enough to hold a place in the hypothetical rebuild. Because GT isn't going to quickly attract a truly good QB, at least not until they shed the stigma of a "run-only" team.
Watched some of the Clemson game and the announcers mentioned that GT had a ton of injuries this year including like 6 or 7 RB injuries. So with their success last year and being able to chalk up the collapse this year to "injury", I'd be shocked if he's fired this year.
Here's the bizarre thing about GT and Paul Johnson's contract: (which exemplifies the entire sports 'contract' strangeness, IMO).
PJ had a contract ending in 2016 last year. After GT's great year, they went back to the drawing board and awarded PJ an extension until...wait for it......2020?!.
The stipulation was that if PJ was fired early, GT would 'only' have to pay him full value (3 million+) until 2017, and then 1 million for the last 3 years.(?!)
PJ's agent must be a genius.
If I were GT's AD last year, I would have told PJ 'great year, we got ya for one more year and then we'll see....'
I mean, its not like PJ is gonna be picked up by an NFL team, and I really don't see him going to a higher profile college team.
What was PJ's leverage? 'Give me a raise and an extension or else I will......(cricket, cricket)
I'd be pissed if I was a GT fan.
(Oh yeah, I guess VT is still paying for past sins.)
The problem with telling a guy to see out the last year of his contract before redoing his deal is you're making him a lame duck and really hurting recruiting.
See: Mike London.
He does have a hell of an agent, his last contract was fully guaranteed. Regardless of how bad they are I am not sure that Georgia tech is ever going to have the money to buy him out.
College coaches never coach to the end of their contract.
James Johnson. Woof.
Anyone else think PJ's system would be a terrifying partner to Bud's D?
I would cry for a week if we ran an option offense.
"Tyrod Taylor was an option quarterback in college" /s
In terms of wins and losses, yeah. Stifle opposing offenses and then play keep-away. However, it'd be painfully boring to watch and near impossible to recruit to.
While I'm not sure I'd want PJ in Blacksburg, I do agree that PJ's offense + Bud's defense would be an effective combo. Only way I'd allow it is if Bud was HC and chose to hire PJ as his OC.
I wouldn't want that.
It might be effective, but it would not be entertaining to watch.
I despise PJ and his offense at GT, but as long as he keeps winning the Coastal division on a regular basis, I don't see the Yellow Jackets getting rid of him.
Neither do I. Even though I don't like the guy, winning the division is a great goal for GT and they have been in the mix consistently since he's been there. I thought GT was going to run away with it this year, but I was way, way, way wrong about that, apparently.
I don't see GT as a school who is going to go out and try to make a home-run hire. They aren't the type to be disappointed with competing for the Coastal year-in and year-out.
It'd be a really bad decision to fire him right now. He has one of the youngest teams in the country and he has had some terrible terrible luck with injuries. They had almost all of their offense graduate last year and on top of that, he had 7 injuries to the A-back position.
His offense just looks worse than usual when it's not being executed well. This team will be better in the long run because of all the experience those young players are getting now.
This sounds familiar, almost like I've heard this before... Have I heard this before?
Paul Johnson also has a proven track record of producing spectacular offensive numbers with average offensive talent. He is considered by EVERYONE in football circles to be a tactical genius. The success he has had at every single coaching stop in his career is the collateral he can use to buy himself more time.
Very few coaches have the same collateral.
psst Mason, I think he was making a joke
Agreed, and once you are in it with PJ.....you are in it. Gotta ride out any down seasons because restructuring will be so painful. I expect he will be at GT another decade.
PJ coaches players with high grades not high stars. Navy/GT. GT recruiting averages 50th.
To the OP: yesterday wouldn't have been soon enough IMO. Just to get rid of that gosh damn offense off our schedule. ECU, BC, and GT give me the heebe jeebes every year...
This is honestly the first time in my entire life I have ever witnessed the use of the phrase "gosh damn." I felt that warranted mentioning.
I say it when I'm trying to get my point across forcefully, but stay right with the Lord. Lol
There is zero chance GT gets rid of him anytime soon.
He wins the Coastal "enough" to keep the fans happy. His players don't get in trouble, his track record of graduating players has been good. Georgia Tech is not a knee jerk establishment
Plus the fact that no matter how much they might look like they have never heard of the game of football this season, you can rest assured they will make an ACCCG within two years. We've seen this movie before. CPJ's down years just seem way further down than most.
How much one week will do...Instead of a thread about Beamer being forced out, we have a thread about PJ being fired.
FTFY
Seriously though, I think they keep him through his contract fro reasons everyone has said above. This year they are in the tank. Plus, Thomas is getting banged up a ton since he's the best ball carrier they have at the moment. There were a couple times yesterday they were questioning about an injury to him. They also lost their backup to injury already so if Thomas goes down this year they are in free-fall. As long as GT beats Pitt I'll be happy but I hope they lose every other game. However, for some reason they will look like they are undefeated when the play us as usual. I'd really love to see us blow them out this year, the offense is capable but will they do it is the question. But that's for GT game week I guess. Anyhow, 3 of GT's losses are in conference and they still have FSU, Miami and us to play. If we can get rolling by they time we play them they may lose all of those games. I'm sure within two years though PJ will be contending for the coastal again, much to our frustration.
When did ESPN tell us it was easy to recruit elite athletes to the triple option?
Yeah, espn has pushed a lot of agendas over the years......but I don't remember that one.
I actually heard that comment during game.
Just because some guy says it to fill time does not mean it is true.
How much longer is Georgia Tech/Virginia Tech going to keep up this charade? It almost seems as if every time Paul Johnson's/Frank Beamer's time at GT/VT is done, he pulls some 11-3 season out of his rear end and saves his job
FTFY
Since 2008 Both Coaches have
Won a BCS/Jan 1 Bowl Game
Coached in 2 BCS/Jan 1 Bowl games
Won the ACC
Won their division multiple times
Been ranked in the Top 10 at the end of the year
But only one of these coaches has
Won the Coastal one more time than the other (P J)
Won the Chik fil A Bowl (Beamer)
Has an overall record of 60 - 39 (Pj)
Has an overall record of 64 - 34 (Beamer)
Only one of those teams went to the ACC Championship and lost to a playoff team, and then went on to defeat a top 10 team in the Orange Bowl LAST YEAR.
So one of those coaches might have a little more breathing room due to recent success.
Didn't the 2012 GT team go to the ACCCG by default though? If it weren't for sanctions, UNC would have gone to Charlotte for the first time.
Take that one stat about winning the Coastal once more than the other with a grain of salt, I guess.
They went by reason of qualifying under ACC rules. It doesn't get an asterisk because UNC was under sanction.
#rules
I'm not giving an asterisk for UNC (and Miami) being ineligible.
I'm also not giving him more props for a 6-6 regular season than he deserves, that's all.
GT was a division co-champion, and the other co-champions weren't eligible.
You're right, it's pretty sad when you have a three-way tie for the Divisional Champion with 5-3 records, and two of the teams aren't eligible. It's even sadder that VT had an even worse record.
Yeah, that was my first "oh crap, what happened" season as a fan. Even 2003 wasn't that disappointing.
Do not EVER give UNC any credit for that season (or any victory during their cheating tenure). As far as I'm concerned, they were the basement dweller throughout that time period and they should be spoken of as such.
So, repeat after me... "UNC does not have a single victory against VT in ACC play"
To the OP: yesterday wouldn't have been soon enough IMO. Just to get rid of that gosh damn offense off our schedule. ECU, BC, and GT give me the heebe jeebes every year...
Double post, drink! Those gosh damn heebe jeebes will get after ya!
I'd add Pitt to that list!
I find the GT/P.J. scenario quite fascinating. GT is in a MAJOR southern city, and should be easy to recruit. True, UGA owns the state, but there is no reason a coach like Dabo Swinney, Art Briles or similar could turn GT into that major "alternative" football school like Clemson or Baylor. In all reality, I believe the GT AD accepted defeat to UGA in recruiting, thus the only way GT football could survive was to become a "niche" football school with an offense that doesn't have to out-recruit UGA. Unfortunately, the "niche" offense seems to be hurting their program more than helping it.
Recruits do not like the offense and fans do not like the offense. Why would an AD pay for that? I don't get it.
Just to play a little devil's advocate:
Atlanta isn't really a college town. Yes, it could be very cool for a lot of players, but I think they'd need to become the big name in town to get the recruits they want.
And Georgia is definitely the state's team. It'll be very tough for GT to become as popular in the state as UGA.
It has to do with academics, GT puts school first. In Fall 2013 they did lower class requirements (elective classes non tech) to make GT a more appealing school to football players. But as a Tech school I believe all freshman must take classes in line with a Tech degree.
Settle never would have been accepted at GT even if it was his first school
I would say the ties are already fairly severe considering they just renegotiated his contract and would have a very hard time getting out of it this early.
As far as whether they will sever ties though, I think that remains to be seen.
A couple thoughts on GT and Paul Johnson. When he has bad years, they have a losing season. He has an incredible agent. GT seems to be happy with middling in the ACC as long as they aren't basement dwellers. Also don't forget they normally schedule two horrible teams annually to pad their stats.
Did anybody else see Paul Johnson when they got called for a chop block? It was priceless.
They beat UGA last year - that is good for a 3 year extension alone. And an overrated SEC team in a bowl game.
And yes - I saw that priceless expression, and hope to see it many times in the future.
I don't know when they will fire CPJ, but I am willing to bet that one or more TKP staff members are just itching to post something titled, "Coach Paul Johnson gets chop-blocked by GT" when the time comes.
"Georgia Tech Takes the Option to Fire Paul Johnson, Because YOU CAN DO THAT"
(Joe, I expect royalties when the time comes)