Ga Tech Offense Not Built for Postseason

[BeastMan]

I wrote this last year for 3rd & 57 previewing their match-up with Ole Miss. All the info is till relevant. The update would be that they averaged 35 ppg last year and Ole Miss held them to 17. They averaged 299 rushing yards per game and the Rebels held them to 151. Their offense NEVER lives up to the hype in bowl games.

Article link> http://3rdand57.com/quick-look-at-the-music-city-bowl/


The Ole Miss Rebels are set to make the trip to Nashville to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and their vaunted triple option attack. This is a pretty big game for the Rebs as they want to get some positive momentum heading into the recruiting cycle and off-season. Everyone will go on and on until the game about Tech's triple option attack but is that an an honest concern?

Starting off with the basic of the triple option, in 2013 it is a gimmick offense. Nobody runs it so they are completely unique as an opponent. They make you prepare a game-plan that is 100% assignment football. That causes major stress during the season when a team only has a 1 day of film study, a couple days of game-planning, and 1-2 days of install. It can be challenging to prepare for a completely different attack mid-season but what about when you have a month to prepare?

2008

Heading into the bowl game they averaged 273 yards per game on the ground. They played LSU in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. The Tigers held them to 164 rushing yards and beat them 38-3.

2009

Heading into the bowl game they averaged 295 yards per game on the ground. They played Iowa in the Orange Bowl. The Hawkeyes held them to 143 rushing yards and beat them 24-14.

2010

Heading into the bowl game they averaged 323 yards per game on the ground. They played Air Force in the Independence Bowl. The Falcons held them to 279 rushing yards and beat them 14-7.

2011

Heading into the bowl game they averaged 316 yards per game on the ground. They played Utah in the Sun Bowl. The Utes held them to 311 rushing yards and beat them 30-27.

2012

Heading into the bowl game they averaged 311 yards per game on the ground. They played Southern California in the Sun Bowl. The Trojans held them to 294 rushing yards but lost the game to Georgia Tech 21-7.


Let's take a minute to see what all this means. Under Paul Johnson's triple option attack, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are 1-4 in bowl games and have NEVER matched their season?s average of rushing offense. That clearly tells me that the month of preparation allows teams to effectively stop the option. Also look at the 1 win. It took Lane Kifin level of disarray for Tech to win a bowl game and the Trojans still held them under their season rushing average. Simply unbelievable.

I'm not saying the Rebels don't face a challenge in preparing for a totally different style of offense than they have seen. What I am saying is that when someone starts hyping up the triple option and how hard it is for Ole Miss to stop, show them the numbers. Show them the bowl game data and debunk that myth before they get it rolling.

[messageboardsuperhero]

Yep, I fully expect to party in Miami on new years after a bulldog win.

[blacklistedbully]

I don't disagree that it's harder to prepare for the TO when you have only a week. But I do take just a little issue with your contention that every bowl team held them under their season average rushing. While technically true, in 3 of those 6 games they came reasonably close to their average.

When one considers that a bowl game opponent is in that bowl because, they too, won enough to get in, it's reasonable to surmise GT's reduced production may have had something to do with the quality of their bowl opponent relative to the average quality of opponent.

I think it's probably a little of both.

[messageboardsuperhero]

I don't disagree that it's harder to prepare for the TO when you have only a week. But I do take just a little issue with your contention that every bowl team held them under their season average rushing. While technically true, in 3 of those 6 games they came reasonably close to their average.

When one considers that a bowl game opponent is in that bowl because, they too, won enough to get in, it's reasonable to surmise GT's reduced production may have had something to do with the quality of their bowl opponent relative to the average quality of opponent.

I think it's probably a little of both.

Fair enough- I hadn't thought of it like that.

I still think this is a good matchup for us though, and we should win.

[BeastMan]

I don't disagree that it's harder to prepare for the TO when you have only a week. But I do take just a little issue with your contention that every bowl team held them under their season average rushing. While technically true, in 3 of those 6 games they came reasonably close to their average.

When one considers that a bowl game opponent is in that bowl because, they too, won enough to get in, it's reasonable to surmise GT's reduced production may have had something to do with the quality of their bowl opponent relative to the average quality of opponent.

Perhaps points per game would better illustrate their offensive struggles in bowls.

2008- 24 ppg, 3 in bowl
2009- 34 ppg, 14 in bowl
2010- 26 ppg, 7 in bowl
2011- 34 ppg, 27 in bowl
2012- 34 ppg, 21 in bowl
2013- 35 ppg, 17 in bowl

Whatever metric you want to use, the GT offense takes a huge step back in production in bowl games. Is the opponent of better quality? Absolutely. There is a clear trend here. The trend is when a quality opponent gets a month to prepare for a one-dimensional offense, GT struggles mightily. I don't think there is any debate here.

We're talking over 16 points less per game here. That's huge. 2 of the games where they got "relatively close" to their rushing total, they only scored 7 points.

[blacklistedbully]

Perhaps points per game would better illustrate their offensive struggles in bowls.

2008- 24 ppg, 3 in bowl
2009- 34 ppg, 14 in bowl
2010- 26 ppg, 7 in bowl
2011- 34 ppg, 27 in bowl
2012- 34 ppg, 21 in bowl
2013- 35 ppg, 17 in bowl

Whatever metric you want to use, the GT offense takes a huge step back in production in bowl games. Is the opponent of better quality? Absolutely. There is a clear trend here. The trend is when a quality opponent gets a month to prepare for a one-dimensional offense, GT struggles mightily. I don't think there is any debate here.

We're talking over 16 points less per game here. That's huge. 2 of the games where they got "relatively close" to their rushing total, they only scored 7 points.

Does the TO tend to get a little less effective in the red zone, as the defense is more easily able to "bunch up", particularly against teams with good athletes on defense? Serious question. I really don't know.

BTW, I did agree that it's much harder to prepare for the TO in general if you have only a week and aren't accustomed to facing it. Still, I'm still stinging from that '91 ass-whipping an Air Force team full of Munchkins put on our defense. That '91 D only gave up 156 points all year prior to the bowl, then gave up 38 to Air Force, even though we had weeks to prep for their TO.

Again, I think we'll adjust and actually man-handle them, but we'd better bring our lunch-pail to practice, then the game this time.

[Boya]

One thing about the TO, teams tend to put the ball on the ground a lot ....however this team does not. In fact it appears they are one of the best, if not the best team Paul J has had at ga tech...

With that said, if we bring our "up 34-10 going into the 4th in Baton Rouge" game, we will roll them 40+ to less then 17

[Westdawg]

I want to make one major point of emphasis about THIS GT team versus those of the past post seasons - this one can and is very good at passing the football. I have watched this team their last three ball games. They are a really good team. This is not the typical GT team of recent past.

[Todd4State]

I want to make one major point of emphasis about THIS GT team versus those of the past post seasons - this one can and is very good at passing the football. I have watched this team their last three ball games. They are a really good team. This is not the typical GT team of recent past.

In fact, if I recall correctly the time we lost to them they actually beat us because they completed some really big passes at clutch times.

[BeastMan]

In fact, if I recall correctly the time we lost to them they actually beat us because they completed some really big passes at clutch times.


Yep. Nesbit threw for 266 in that game. Thomas (current QB) runs their offense the best since Nesbitt. Their best 2 QBs in the Paul Johnson era no doubt