Shafer needs an ACC signature win this year.

[Crusty]

Last year's third place division finish behind FSU and Clemson wan't too shabby to say the least. We pretty much built our record on teams with losing records and then a nice bowl win against an 8 win Big Ten team. Nice but not terrific.. I think it earned us a little bit of begrudging respect - not much mind you, but a little.

In order to take the next step Shafer needs a signature win to turn some heads and to start a little buzz.

While we have a monster stretch in our 2014 schedule - its just life in the big time. There are three big time games - FSU, Duke and Clemson that would certainly fill the bill and be a signature win. I don't delude myself into thinking that FSU will be the one but there is every reason to believe that we can hang with Clemson and even more reason to think we can beat Duke. Clemson will be reloading not rebuilding but they will not have the all star lineup they enjoyed last year. I really think Duke played above themselves last year. They played up or down to the competition which is dangerous. They managed an 8 game win streak that could have easily seen three losses. Kudos to the Blue Devils but I don't think they can do it again.

Despite the schedule, we have a very good chance to win 8 games. It will take a few things to fall in place but it is not mission impossibly by any means. 7-5 with a bowl and a signature win would be a great season as well. I can't wait to see who steps up in spring practice. Its a good time to be Orange!

Edit: Forgot to mention ND which is certainly a winnable game.

 

[Libero2]

^ can you imagine how much Duke will hate us if the football team comes up here next year and gets spanked by us? The two fan bases will be well of their way to permanent hatred of one another (especially if hoops manages a win at Cameron by some miracle)

 

[victor]

Don't see Duke as a signature win. Up until last year Duke was usually in the basement of the ACC. Notre Dame would certainly be a signature win.

 

[Crusty]

Don't see Duke as a signature win. Up until last year Duke was usually in the basement of the ACC. Notre Dame would certainly be a signature win.

How did I miss ND?! Of course they would qualify and I think they are very beatable.

 

[Opus]

I just wish we were playing GTech in the Dome next year. That was the biggest *What* game in a long time. I want revenge! :bang:

 

[Rocco]

I just wish we were playing GTech in the Dome next year. That was the biggest *What* game in a long time. I want revenge! :bang:

I don't ever want to have to play against that triple-option BS. Was like a Pop Warner game.

 

[Pat Kelly]

Last year's third place division finish behind FSU and Clemson wan't too shabby to say the least. We pretty much built our record on teams with losing records and then a nice bowl win against an 8 win Big Ten team. Nice but not terrific.. I think it earned us a little bit of begrudging respect - not much mind you, but a little.

In order to take the next step Shafer needs a signature win to turn some heads and to start a little buzz.

While we have a monster stretch in our 2014 schedule - its just life in the big time. There are three big time games - FSU, Duke and Clemson that would certainly fill the bill and be a signature win. I don't delude myself into thinking that FSU will be the one but there is every reason to believe that we can hang with Clemson and even more reason to think we can beat Duke. Clemson will be reloading not rebuilding but they will not have the all star lineup they enjoyed last year. I really think Duke played above themselves last year. They played up or down to the competition which is dangerous. They managed an 8 game win streak that could have easily seen three losses. Kudos to the Blue Devils but I don't think they can do it again.

Despite the schedule, we have a very good chance to win 8 games. It will take a few things to fall in place but it is not mission impossibly by any means. 7-5 with a bowl and a signature win would be a great season as well. I can't wait to see who steps up in spring practice. Its a good time to be Orange!

I'm sorry, but unless they are top ten, Duke is not a signature football win.

 

[Opus]

I don't ever want to have to play against that triple-option BS. Was like a Pop Warner game.

Well then you better hope Paul Johnson doesn't last until 2016.

 

[HtownOrange]

FSU is a loss. We can win only if we have a lot of breaks, not happening, unless we can hire the UNC hoops officials to call the game.

Clemson will be with a new QB and a new key WR. They are more prone to an extra loss this season, but they are fairly well stocked. They probably have one or two losses that are not explainable and a loss to FSU.

I do think that based on last year's performance, we can win 5 or 6 conference games. We should have beat Pitt, which would have made us 5-3 in conference play. Five or six conference wins is not out of the question.

ND would be a signature win and they are beatable.

 

[Rocco]

Well then you better hope Paul Johnson doesn't last until 2016.

That game is void now that we're in the ACC. We don't play Ga Tech for another 7 years or something I think.

Plus, he wants out of Ga Tech per reports.

 

[Opus]

That game is void now that we're in the ACC. We don't play Ga Tech for another 7 years or something I think.

Plus, he wants out of Ga Tech per reports.

Oh heck you are correct. My bad. I think it is 2020 now that you mention it.

 

[CuseLegacy]

That game is void now that we're in the ACC. We don't play Ga Tech for another 7 years or something I think.

Plus, he wants out of Ga Tech per reports.

I'm not so sure it's that Johnson wants out as the GT AD hired last year is not that "enamored" with Johnson.

Georgia Tech posted video of an interview with Bobinski on its website, and a postseason “state of the program” discussion between the athletic director and his football coach was the main topic.

"Bobinski, who took over as the Yellow Jackets’ athletic director last April, said he took “10 pages of notes” into the meeting with Johnson. He called the discussion “healthy” and said he and Johnson had no philosophical disagreements regarding the direction of the program.
Bobinski, however, made it clear he would not settle for mediocrity in the football program.
“I didn’t come here to have average or mediocre performances,” Bobinski said. “That’s not in my DNA. That’s not in Georgia Tech’s DNA.”

 

[GoSU96]

They need to survive next year and win winnable games.

ND, Lville, FSU, @Wake, Clemson. Four top 20 teams in five weeks. Brutal

 

[SmilinBob]

That 14th win should just about do it, sometime around the first week of January.

 

[HtownOrange]

They need to survive next year and win winnable games.

ND, Lville, FSU, @Wake, Clemson. Four top 20 teams in five weeks. Brutal

Brutal, yes, but realistically we can go 2-2 with shot at 3-1. If we want to run with the big dogs, we have to play them.

P.S., I am not convinced that Louisville is a big dog, no pushover, but not 3rd in the Atlantic division. That is our place to lose!

 

[GoSU96]

Brutal, yes, but realistically we can go 2-2 with shot at 3-1. If we want to run with the big dogs, we have to play them.

P.S., I am not convinced that Louisville is a big dog, no pushover, but not 3rd in the Atlantic division. That is our place to lose!

They've lost 3 games in two years. They aren't going to fall off the table.

SU has a less than 5% chance of beating FSU or Clemson. Not much of a shot.

 

[HtownOrange]

They've lost 3 games in two years. They aren't going to fall off the table.

SU has a less than 5% chance of beating FSU or Clemson. Not much of a shot.

45-26, 2012. Syracuse won. Forgive me for not being as negative as you are. Of their three losses, one is to Syracuse. Also, they lose Strong (continuity) and Bridgewater. Petrino will do a good job, but he has to build the team in his image and has no superstar QB at this point. I also point out that their schedule was less impressive than ours and they will be stepping into a much tougher league, the jump will actually be greater than the jump we made from the Big East, whcih was much close to the ACC level than the AAC.

I agree we have less that 5% chance with FSU.

Clemson loses their star QB and other weapons. They are rebuilding, though they have a stocked shelf. We are improving and our coaching staff is gelling. We probably have a 25-30% chance against Clemson.

Regardless, ND and Louisville are very beatable. 2-2 is quite doable and 3-1 is possible.

 

[TheCusian]

I have a hard time with "never" beat Clemson or "no chance" with FSU. Injuries, breakout players, coaching mistakes, etc. all play into it. The chances are not great - but that's why they play. It's happened to us before and it will happen again.

I think posters get punked for having too much hope. We're fans - no harm in mixing some hope with the usual CNY attitude.

And I'm not scared of Louisville at all. They are a peer school.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Last year's third place division finish behind FSU and Clemson wan't too shabby to say the least. We pretty much built our record on teams with losing records and then a nice bowl win against an 8 win Big Ten team. Nice but not terrific.. I think it earned us a little bit of begrudging respect - not much mind you, but a little.

In order to take the next step Shafer needs a signature win to turn some heads and to start a little buzz.

While we have a monster stretch in our 2014 schedule - its just life in the big time. There are three big time games - FSU, Duke and Clemson that would certainly fill the bill and be a signature win.

Despite the schedule, we have a very good chance to win 8 games.

Edit: Forgot to mention ND which is certainly a winnable game.

I largely agree with your post, but don't think of Duke as a signature win. Their season last year was kind of a fluke, historically speaking. I look at the 3 game stretch from game 4 to game 6 as the place we need at least one win - Notre Dame, Louisville and Florida State. Any of those would be important wins for Shafer and for the program.

I agree with you and also think we can reach the 8 win level this year, although I haven't looked closely yet at which are home games and which are on the road, to really nail it down.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I don't ever want to have to play against that triple-option BS. Was like a Pop Warner game.

That Pop Warner was a hell of coach.

 

[IthacaMatt]

They need to survive next year and win winnable games.

ND, Lville, FSU, @Wake, Clemson. Four top 20 teams in five weeks. Brutal

Three of those are winnable. Wake doesn't scare me. We've beaten ND the last 2 times we played them, and we've also done fairly well against Louisville.

 

[AAM62]

How awesome would beating Clemson in death valley be?

 

[Timonen]

Bobinski, however, made it clear he would not settle for mediocrity in the football program.
“I didn’t come here to have average or mediocre performances,” Bobinski said. “That’s not in my DNA. That’s not in Georgia Tech’s DNA.”

they've averaged 7 wins per year over the past 20 years...and that's what they've gotten the last two years. I'd say that means mediocrity is EXACTLY what's in GT's DNA.

 

[SoBristol]

Every up and coming HC, at every school, wants, hopes for, and needs a signature win.

Like Mac beating Nebraska; PP beating Florida; Marrone beating Missouri (or West Virginia). All big upsets against ranked teams.

The questions are what makes it possible, and does Shafer have the ingredients in place?
*solid QB play -- few or no turnovers
*a long strike for a TD (or two) (or maybe special team magic)
*strong DE, LB & CBs
*quality OTs.

We might get there.

 

[GoSU96]

Three of those are winnable. Wake doesn't scare me. We've beaten ND the last 2 times we played them, and we've also done fairly well against Louisville.

The only reason I included Wake is because it's a classic trap game. Hopefully we are a decent health by that point.

As for ND, Brian Kelly is a MUCH better coach CW(7-6) and TW (5-7), and ND is in a much better place as a program. And we lost to them in 2005.