Ok gang. Sorry for the delay on this post. I know you've all been anxiously awaiting my analysis.
The truth is, I don't have a whole lot to analyze. I really have very little idea what the new schemes are going to look like, or even who the new players will be. We lost our best offensive lineman. Kirvonte Benson transferred. Parker Braun transferred. Most of the names people would have heard of are gone. We have several QBs back, but with the new scheme, who knows who is going to be playing?
Defensively, it is really the same story. I can tell you this - the base scheme on defense will be a 4-2-5. That's pretty normal these days given how much spread is being run. You need that extra DB and more speed. Actually, Ted Roof made the same change a couple years ago, so this isn't really a big deal. Offensively, we are going to taylor our scheme to our players every year. The new OC - Patenaude - does not have a set scheme. I like that and I don't. Its interesting and sounds good, but also I suspect that means Patenaude won't be an expert in what we are running. We'll see if it works out or not.
One thing is for sure, in a couple years, we'll have access to a talent level that GT hasn't seen since probably 2009. Collins is recruiting great and shows no signs of slowing down. Our current class is ranked #25 (which would be our 2nd best recruiting class since I started at GT in 2003). Our commits have great offer sheets. We are going up against, and apparently beating, national powers in recruiting. I didn't really think that was realistically possible at GT in the modern landscape. Let's hope he can keep it going and maybe even get better.
But that's for the future. Right now, we have our current players. And the preseason magazines and other pundits are sure we have very little talent. We are supposed to go 3-9 and finish 7th in the Coastal. The last time we were picked 3-9 in preseason, UGA was a national title contender (sound familiar?) and we beat them in Athens, to get to 9-3. That was 2008. I wish I could see that happening this year, but I can't. For one, we play UGA in Atlanta. (ha ha ha). But seriously, I don't think we have any Dwyers or Demaryius Thomas' in hiding on the bench. I do however think our players are better than many others do. I think our talent is "fine". Not great. Not even good. But fine.
I predict we will fare better than 7th in the Coastal, and win more than 3 games. I think we go 5-7 actually. We need one extra upset for a bowl game. Here is to hoping we get it.
If you want specifics, I think we beat the Citadel, lose to UGA and Clemson, and the other games are some degree of tossup. I don't think any of them are games we can't win, or can't lose. I think Temple, S. Fla., UNC, Pitt and Duke are our best chances to win, but we could win any of them. We will lose several as well. I think we go 4-5 in these 9 games, and finish up 5-7.
That is not good in my opinion, but given the transition, is acceptable for Coach Collins year 1. However, I hope I'm underselling this team. Either way, I doubt we know very much this time tomorrow, because Clemson can make really good teams look not very good. I expect a blowout, but I hope to see signs of life.
As always, Let's go Jackets!
