The Sporting News says what just about everyone else has been saying - that Vandy is a lot like Mississippi State this year.

The Commercial Appeal talks about the Bulldogs narrowing their focus and taking the season 1 game at a time, starting with the Commodores.

The Tennesseean talks about the toughness of the Mississippi State defense. They even talk to Watson Brown about his 42-7 loss while coaching at Vandy in 1989: “We had 11 guys come off the plane that couldn’t play the next week,” the current Tennessee Tech coach recalled this week. “We ran out of crutches down there. It was unbelievable the physical issues we left that game with. I think we lost three or four players for the season. It’s the worst I can ever remember in one game.”

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Part one of this Vanderbilt Guest Blogger series features Save The Shield.

1. Since Bobby Johnson’s arrival, the Commodores have consistently improved each year. What has he done to turn the program around in recent years?

I think first and foremost, the recruiting has picked up. Bobby and his staff have been able to find talent otherwise overlooked and coach them up. The fact that Vanderbilt’s had 2 players drafted in the first round over the past 3 years (and a handful of other players drafted in the later rounds) speaks volumes.

Beyond that, he coaches teams that, by in large, don’t beat themselves. They keep penalties to a minimum, take care of the ball, and are extremely opportunistic. What makes this season different than others is Vanderbilt is finally “finishing” games. It used to be that breaks would go against the Commodores, but this season, at least so far, that hasn’t been the case. I think Coach Johnson and the coaching staff have been a big part of Vanderbilt being a position to have the breaks go their way.

2. What does Chris Nickson bring to the table offensively and how much would it hurt for him not to play against Mississippi State?

I think it’s unlikely Chris Nickson will start Saturday. He’s been battling a shoulder injury the past two seasons, and actually took himself out of the game against Auburn last week. Fortunately for Vanderbilt, his back-up, Mackenzi Adams is able to do many of the same things Nickson is. Vanderbilt is a running team, and that includes the QB. Both Chris and Mac can break off for a big gains with their legs, but right now, most Commodore fans have more faith in Adams’ ability to throw the ball than Nickson’s.

3. What players should the Bulldogs be on the lookout for, both offensively and defensively?

D.J. Moore is the most explosive player for Vanderbilt and the number 1 player to watch. He’s a shut-down corner, lines up with the offense, and is a dynamic special teams player returning kicks and punts.

Whomever starts at QB is another player to watch. If Nickson plays, will he be able to throw? If Adams start, will he be as dynamic as he was against Auburn? Or will be try and do too much?

Finally, I think, given the insertion of Tyrone Lee at QB, Vanderbilt’s defensive line will be critical. The Bulldogs are sure to rely on the running game, particularly early, if the line can stop the run and get some pressure, it will force Mississippi State to throw the ball at the strength of Vanderbilt’s defense: their secondary.

4. After this weekend, the schedule gets pretty tough for Vandy with road trips to Georgia and Wake Forrest and Florida and Tennessee at home in Nashville. What do you see the final W-L record being this year?

This is going to sound crazy, but I really think anything less than 8-4 (after this start) would be disappointing. With that said, one thing at a time, all Commodore fans want is a bowl game. If Vanderbilt can get a win Saturday, they should be well on their way.

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You can read my responses to the questions they sent me as well.

1. Since Bobby Johnson’s arrival, the Commodores have consistently improved each year. What has he done to turn the program around in recent years?

I’m obviously not a college football coach, but if I had to list the reasons, they’d be (in order): continuity, recruiting, and redshirting.

The core of this coaching staff has been together for 7 years now. As much as VU fans (including this one) complain about some of the individual coaches or coordinators from time to time, I think the fact that we’ve employed the same system for that long goes rather unnoticed when chalking up the reasons for our increased success. It’s a family, and everyone in it knows exactly what’s expected of him—that helps.

Recruiting has obviously gotten better. This staff is, quite frankly, outstanding at player evaluations. Every year, the recruiting services rank Vanderbilt’s class last in the conference, but pretty much every year since Johnson & Co. have been in Nashville, the program has gained ground on the rest of the conference. Something about those two facts doesn’t jive, and I believe the explanation is that the coaches are great at finding (and developing!) 3- and 4-star-caliber football players from off the beaten recruiting path. Also, of course, with more success comes more national recognition, so you’re starting to see some of the highly ranked players that everyone knows about give more than a passing glance to the VU program, as the 2009 class attests to.

Finally, Johnson’s commitment to redshirting has done a lot. Early in his tenure, that commitment (thanks to some patience on the part of the administration, which stuck with him and his plan even after three consecutive 2-win seasons) paved the way for what we’re seeing now. As strong as the coaches are at recruiting, they realize that VU is never going to have the 5-stars lining up, and thus in most cases, the guys they recruit are going to need a couple years to develop before they’re capable of being impact players in this conference. I haven’t actually researched this, but I would be shocked if Vanderbilt didn’t have more redshirted players on its roster than any other school in the conference, and I’d be pretty surprised if the next-highest number were anywhere close.

2. What does Chris Nickson bring to the table offensively and how much would it hurt for him not to play against Mississippi State?

He’s a faster runner than Mack Adams, and he has a stronger throwing arm. It looks to my relatively untrained eye that he’s not as accurate with his throws as Adams is, especially on the short and intermediate routes, but I know there are VU fans who argue otherwise.

Chris is also a great leader and, from anecdotes I’ve read and heard, a calming influence in the huddle. He generally doesn’t try to make throws he can’t make, and as a result, he doesn’t turn the ball over a whole lot.

As for how much his absence will hurt, honestly, I’m not really sure. He’s a year older than Adams, he has a good bit more game experience—though Mack certainly has what should be *enough*—and the coaches obviously think he’s the best option for the offense or they wouldn’t have been starting him…but Adams looked pretty darn good against Auburn, better than Nickson has looked in any game this season. I am somewhat more concerned about turnovers with Adams in the game than I would be if Nickson were playing. Honestly, I don’t expect much of a drop-off, and I don’t think the coaches do either.

3. What players should the Bulldogs be on the lookout for, both offensively and defensively?

I think everyone knows about DJ Moore, and you might have to look out for him on both sides of the ball (and on special teams), although the coaches haven’t given him much offensive duty in the last couple of games because of (a) a hip injury suffered early against Ole Miss, and (b) the emergence of Jamie Graham. DJ is the game-breaker, though.

Offensively, I’d guess that tailback Jared Hawkins and tight end Brandon Barden are the two MSU should (and will) focus on stopping. Defensively, I’m assuming you’ll try to pound the ball and avoid our elite secondary, every member of which you should be looking out for. If that’s the case, Pat Benoist and Chris Marve, our two best linebackers, are the names to watch for there.

4. After this weekend, the schedule gets pretty tough for Vandy with road trips to Georgia and Wake Forrest and Florida and Tennessee at home in Nashville. What do you see the final W-L record being this year?

Well, as a matter of fact, we get Florida at home, although I don’t expect that to make much of a difference. I’ve gone on record elsewhere suggesting that Florida looks to be the only really unwinnable game on the schedule. I just don’t think we match up well with the Gators, and I don’t see us winning that one unless there’s a serious Tebow injury between now and then.

At this point, after what we’ve shown we’re capable of, as strange as this sounds, I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t be a little disappointed not to manage at least 8 wins this season. At the same time, I would feel like I’m getting carried away a little bit by predicting more than 3 wins against a group that includes y’all, UGA, Duke, Florida, UK, Tennessee, and Wake. With Cutcliffe in Durham now, none of those are easy. As if any VU victory is every easy…

Anyway, I guess what I’m saying is that 8-4 is my best guess, with 7-5 being more likely than 9-3. And I’d be delighted with that, to say the least.

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If you live outside of Tennessee and Mississippi, ESPN is adding the game to its weekly “Game Plan” viewing package. Southeastern Conference policy requires a black out in the participating states.

If you live in Mississippi, i guess you are just out of luck - or you can go to Starkville and watch the game in person.

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Also, with the injury to Robert Elliott, Croom says that Anthony Dixon will play just about every snap on the field and will be spelled by Ducre and Bonner when he gets tired.

What is odd is that it took Elliott getting hurt for Croom to decide that his pre-season All-SEC running back should be on the field more.

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1. LSU
They had the week off and should have no problem in the swamp this weekend, but stranger things have happened.

2. Alabama
They seemed like the Alabama of last year against Kentucky, racking up points in the first quarter and almost losing the game in the fourth. They will stay at #2 for now.

3. Georgia
A bye week to lick their wounds and prep for Tennessee between the hedges.

4. Florida
The gators took care of business in Fayetteville and stay put in the #4 slot. This is a big game coming up against LSU.

5. Vanderbilt
Vandy will stay at #5 for now just because I don’t think they are really any better than the top 4 teams. They are this year’s version of Mississippi State - play great defense and just enough offense to let your defense get some rest.

6. Kentucky
Everyone has been saying that Kentucky wasn’t really showing much since they had not played a quality opponent yet. Even though they lost, they showed that they could be a solid contender for the SEC east with solid defense and a pretty good offense.

7. Ole Miss
The Rebels got off to a great start against South Carolina then sort of fizzled out in the second half. A sign of things to come in Oxford? They have a bye week before heading to Tuscaloosa to take on the Tide.

8. Auburn
Auburn just can’t seem to get anything going. Their offense is terrible and their defense just got worn down against Vandy Saturday night and are quickly dropping out of the race for the SEC West. They still have a chance, but it is a long shot and they would probably fumble it away anyway.

9. Tennessee
The Vols got a win over Northern Illinois using a completely new QB. Fulmer is desperately trying to find ways to win in Knoxville before he gets himself Croomed.

10. South Carolina
The Ol’ Ball Coach showed a little spark with an upset win over Ole Miss in Oxford.

11. Mississippi State
Well, a bye week is one way to keep a team out of the losing column. Vandy is knocking on the door and will probably bust it down next Saturday. At least our loss to Vandy won’t be on national TV with us as the favorites.

12. Arkansas
Every Mississippi State fan thanks the Razorbacks for bringing up the rear. Once Petrino gets his system and players in place, it probably won’t be this way again.

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First off, Vanderbilt is now ranked #13 and #14 in the AP and Coaches poll today.

Vandy is a well coached, disciplined team. Even though they don’t have the marquee players that an LSU or Florida has, the other two ingredients make for a fine football team. Chris Low seems to agree. He has an article up talking about the Vandy coaching staff and how they are able to coach this team well.

On our side of the field, Brad Locke of the Daily Journal grades the Bulldogs based on their permformance through the first 5 games, and it isn’t pretty. The only areas to receive anything higer than a C were receivers, safeties, and the punter.

I am off to write up my SEC Power Poll ballot. Look for it tomorrow and more linkage and news throughout the week.

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The SEC Power Poll for Week 5

The votes are in and Alabama is at the top of the SEC Power Poll for the first time this week, followed by LSU. The SEC West is sitting atop the mountain after losses by Georgia and Florida this past weekend and Vandy edges out Ole Miss for the #5 spot. Here are the rankings, followed by some notes about Mississippi State.

1. Alabama, 238 points (18 first-place votes)
2. LSU,  221 (2)
3. Georgia, 194
4. Florida, 172
5. Vanderbilt, 151
6. Auburn, 147
7. Mississippi, 128
8. Kentucky, 103
9. South Carolina, 77
10. Tennessee, 66
11. Mississippi State, 40
12. Arkansas, 23

Mississippi State Comments

Saturday night was a real State of the Union Game for MSU: Their best offensive effort of the season wasn’t enough to beat a completely disinterested LSU team. Destined for 1-7 this SEC season.–The Dead Guy

I don’t think anyone really expected the Bulldogs to win against LSU, but I don’t think anyone expected them to put up 24 points either. Is there light at the end of the tunnel?–Mississippi State Sports Blog

MSU caught LSU asleep for part of the game. Their defense has given up 38 and 34 points in back-to-back games.–Tide Druid

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Ramsey was a 4-star offensive lineman out of Madison Central High School. He started as a true freshman for Auburn in 2007 but injured his back in the spring and has not played at all this season.

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I missed my ballot deadlline last week, and there have been some major shakeups in my rankings after this past weekend. Here we go.

1. LSU
   LSU is the most complete team in the SEC right now. Hey have found a solid QB in Jarrett Lee, Charles Scott is a force to be reckoned with, and their receiver corps is strong. Add a great defense and solid special teams and you have my #1 team in the league.
2. Alabama
   Saban has really got this team going strong. I am still not sold on John Parker Wilson at QB, but their defense and strong running game allow him to be average.
3. Georgia
   Even though they got beat by Alabama, Georgia is still probably the top team in the SEC east.
4. Florida
   They lost on a blocked field goal to a much improved Ole Miss team. They have tougher challenges coming up. The October 11 matchup against LSU looms large on the horizon.
5. Vanderbilt
   Vandy is 4-0 and has the College Game Day crew coming to town for their game against Auburn. They should enjoy this while it lasts, because it won’t.
6. Auburn
   The Tigers are 4-1 with their only loss to the #2/#3 team in the country. If it weren’t for defense, Auburn would be at the bottom of the heap. Tony Franklin’s offense seems to work better Sun Belt Conference.

7. Kentucky
   The Wildcats are 4-0, but I haven’t really seen much of them this year. They are still in the SEC right?
8. Ole Miss
   A nice win in the swamp. Nutt seems to have the Rebels on track.
9. Tennessee
   Fulmer has a real mess on his hands. He needs to find a QB and fast. Misissippi State might even have a chance to beat them.
10. South Carolina
    At least they are leading the bottom of the pack, but not by much.
11. Mississippi State
    I don’t think anyone really expected the Bulldogs to win against LSU, but I don’t think anyone expected them to put up 24 points either. The offense looked good and they have a week to rest up for Vandy at home.
12. Arkansas
    The got slaughtered by long-time rival Texas a week after getting killed by Alabama. Will it ever get better for Petrino & Co?

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The only SEC games being televised that day are Tennessee at Georgia (3:30 CBS Game),LSU at Florida (8:00 CBS Game), and South Carolina at Kentucky (12:30 Raycom). All those times are Eastern.

Does Raycom not do the split broadcasts anymore? I can’t see anyone outside of Kentucky and South Carolina caring much about that game.

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I wonder if he can apply for a medical redshirt and not lose this year of eligibility?

Mississippi State has not had much luck with injuries this year. Starting middle linebacker and team leader Jamar Chaney was knocked out for the season in the first game against LaTech with a broken leg. He can apply for medical redshirt at the end of the year, but still hasn’t decided what he will do.

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Reports are coming out now that it is still being called a “strain”, but a final diagnosis should come later today. At first glance, it looked like an ACL injury, which would probably put Elliott out for the rest of the season. More news as it comes out.

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in the second half, the offense really started to show some promise - completing passes, moving the ball, keeping the chains moving and the defense off the field. I can only imagine what would have happened if Ducre had caught that pass that slipped through his hands.

Tyson Lee looked good under center. He ran the offense well and didn’t make to many stupid plays. Robert Elliot’s injury looked troubling, especially the way he was dragging his leg as they helped him off the field. Ducre really stepped up in this game, and I think the friendly competition between him and Dixon really help them feed off each other. Dixon had a few runs where he should have bounced outside for more yardage instead of trying for the inside lane only to have it collapse.

We have a week off to get ready for Vandy at home. Vandy had this week off and will face Auburn in Nashville next weekend. Vandy is clearly no pushover so we will need to play at our best to pull out the win over the Commodores.

Since we have next week off, blogging may be lighter than usual this week unless there is some big news that needs to be shared.

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The Sporting News says that LSU is among the SEC leaders in offense and defense.

And The Valley Shook talks about State’s offensive woes and how they are hurting our defense by not giving them enough time off the field.

2theAdvocate.com talks about the progress State is making under Croom, even if it is hard to measure this year. Even Les Miles gives us props:

“We all understand that Mississippi State can be a very dangerous team and we know they’re getting better,” Miles said. “There is a respect for Mississippi State that has nothing to do with some of the teams that they’ve already played. We anticipate that we’ll get Mississippi State’s best shot.

They also have an article about the size mis-match between the MSU offensive line and the LSU defensive line, as well as an interview with a very optimistic Brandon McRae.

The Bleacher Report has a critique and assesment of where Mississippi State is 5 years into Crooms tenure.

Athlon Sports also has a preview of the Mississippi State - LSU game.

Brad Locke has a feature about the Mississippi State O-line in today’s Daily Journal, also talking with J.C. Brignone about his bad snap in the Georgia Tech Game.

“The bad snap was really just a mental thing, it was dumb of me,” Brignone said. “But I was so worried about getting this block. No. 95 is supposed to be a first-day guy (in the NFL draft), so I was trying to show him I’m going to be there all day.

According to an article by Kyle Veazey, Croom intends to use all 3 quarterbacks in this weekend’s game against LSU: Wesley Carroll, Tyson Lee, and Chris Relf. He also wouldn’t say who is going to get the starting nod.

There is also a great feature about running back Anthony Dixon and the start he has gotten off to this year (and how to make it better).

And finally, someone over at the Six Pack worked up their own version of The Mississippi State Board Game (or Croom-opoly) and it made the frontpage of EDSBS. Here it is in all its glory.

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Find Mississippi State at LSU tickets online

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Kick-off is set for 6:30pm. Get the details and a map to Indigo Joe’s at the Birmingham Bulldogs website.

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1. Until Auburn, LSU had not really faced a strong defense. How do you think the offense did?
I was pretty happy with how the offense performed. It was clear early on that Hatch wasn’t going to be able to accomplish much through the air, and once Auburn figured that out, they were able to stuff Charles Scott, mostly in the second quarter. But in the second half, once the threat of pass returned, I think the offense displayed some of it’s true power. Charles Scott was ripping off runs of 7-9 yards regularly, and the passing game was gouging them with Dickson and Lafell over the middle and Byrd running deep. When it’s clicking, this offense can eat up yard in huge chunks, and it can be fun to watch. When it’s not clicking - i.e, last 20 minutes of the first half against Auburn, it’s a Ferrari that won’t start.

2. Is there a quarterback controversy brewing in Baton Rouge, or has Lee won the starting job.
I am afraid that Lee will get the majority of the snaps unless Hatch lights it up this week–and I expect both to get significant playing time this week. I wrote in my immediate post Auburn game thoughts that the quarterback controversy at LSU should just be beginning, not ending with Lee’s second half, but some of the comments out of Baton Rouge since then have made me rethink. I think it was Les, or perhaps Crowton, who said that Hatch refused to make some downfield throws in the first half. That’s not a good sign, because judging by the second half, those routes would have been open. Hatch is well known has having the weaker arm between the two, and perhaps his fear was due to insecurity about his ability to make throws. That’s troubling, and now I fear that LSU’s coaching staff (the fans have already made the switch) will go full time with Lee. Honestly, I am not sure he’s ready to be the full time starter. Of course, all of this is complicated by the presence of highly-touted, highly athletic true freshman Jordan Jefferson, who at 6′5″ and 210 pounds is a big dual threat guy. Les keeps promising that Jefferson is going to get some time, but except for three insignificant snaps against North Texas, we are still waiting.

3. Are there any areas of the LSU team that seem weak compared to others?
I think the secondary is a question mark. They are breaking in 3 new starters, and no Craig Steltz/LaRon Landry/Jack Hunt-type guy back there to really quarterback the whole thing. They are tough, and they hit hard, but I think they could be vulnerable in coverage. It would not surprise me at all to see Mississippi State (yes, Mississippi State) hit some significant plays in the passing game. That is, of course, if they can get time to throw. But take heart, North Texas found some space on the secondary.

4. Is LSU looking to run the table in the SEC this year?
The key here is scheduling. After the Mississippi State game, LSU has an off date. Between that off date and November 15th, which was originally scheduled to be an off date but now has the postponed Troy game, there are five Saturdays. The five opponents, in order: at Florida, at South Carolina, Georgia, Tulane, and Alabama. Captain Obvious alert - that stretch will define the season. Personally, I think LSU fans are over optimistic to assume that the Tigers will emerge from that 5-0, if they go 4-1 (as long as the one isn’t Tulane, and please, please God please don’t let it be Bama) I will be extremely happy. If they do somehow run the table, there will be lot’s of “We’re gonna repeat as National Champions talk.” But I don’t think that will happen. Check the history, LSU doesn’t contend nearly as effectively in even-numbered years.

5. Give me your prediction for this game (be gentle).
Honestly, I don’t think this is going to be as big a blowout as some do. I think LSU will score in the thirties, but I also think MSU will score. I am looking at something like 35-10, maybe 31-14, somewhere in that range. If LSU can’t pass, however, we could be looking at another Auburn-MSU type score. And don’t forget, last year LSU’s two losses came the week after big SEC games. The Tigers could be suffering a let-down even with the Mad Hatter at the healm.

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1. Georgia, 247 points (11 first-place votes)
2. Florida, 245 (8)
3. LSU, 232 (3)
4. Alabama, 199.5
5. Auburn, 167.5
6. Vanderbilt, 161
7. Kentucky, 111
8. Mississippi, 100
9. South Carolina, 100
10. Tennessee, 86
11. Mississippi State, 34
12. Arkansas, 33

There are great Mississippi State sports tickets and Ohio State Buckeyes tickets at CTC!

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It didn’t get any better from there. Our defense was getting torn up by the Tech spread option, and when our offense could get something going, they would shoot themselves in the foot with false starts or bad plays. Everytime Carroll looked to the left side of the field (his left), he threw too high, usually causing McRea to have to jump 3 feet up to get the ball, only to tip it to a waiting defender.

Croom went to his other quarterbacks, but not until the game was pretty much lost. Tyson Lee came in and was able to make a few things happen, and at least Robert Elliot got some playing time. He didn’t look quite as fast as I thought he would.

The only highlights from this game were that I didn’t have to pay for the tickets and the chili dogs and fries at The Varsity rocked. BTW, did anyone see Elvis sitting in section 224?

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So, you have several choices. If your Internet service provider supports it, you can watch the game free on ESPN360.com, EPSNs online broadcast channel. Just head on over to the site and see if your ISP is in the list. I know that Charter is not, but AT&T is.

If you don’t have that option, you can look for a sports bar that might be carrying the GamePlan PPV. I have seen mention that Cowbells will be carrying it.

Another online option is a site I saw mentioned on the Six Pack forums: http://www.myp2pforum.eu/ncaa/.

It is basically a collection of people who stream live TV over the internet using a program called TVAnts. From what I can tell, once you download the TVAnts program all you need to do is click the link next to our game (see the ‘NCAA Football Week 4 | Streaming’ thread) and you should be in business.

Hope some of those options work. Either way, you should be able to watch the replay on CSS tomorrow at 3pm.

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“It is extremely difficult to defend,” Croom said. “I played in the wishbone. I know how hard it is to defend. I know whenever (Alabama) played Mississippi State and Coach (Emory) Bellard was here, we always worked on it in training camp separately. Their offense is a little variation on a pure wishbone. It adds some elements to it in the passing game.”

Hopefully it will be a good game. I am heading over to Atlanta shortly with my wife and son to see the Bulldogs play and grab some chili dogs at The Varsity. Pictures and a post-game report coming this evening. I might even try blogging from the game via Twitter.

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1. Mississippi State fans probably haven’t paid much attention to Georgia Tech. How is the team doing with the triple option that Paul Johnson brought with him from Navy? Are the players adapting well?

I think the best characterization is to say we are “ahead of schedule” in terms of learning the offense and defense. Paul Johnson has basically put in his entire offensive playbook and now it comes down to repetition. Since nobody knows where the ball is going until after it is snapped (including the offense), the reads have to become automatic. This is a function of practice, practice, practice. Paul Johnson’s offense gets better and better with repitition, even more than most typical offenses.

First thing to remember is that Paul Johnson’s spread system isn’t just learning to run the option. It involves radically different blocking techniques and schemes. For example, cut blocking (legal) is the order of the day. Our O-Lineman drive forward and fire off the ball on every single play, including pass plays. This goes for every offensive player though, including wide receivers. If you don’t block, you don’t play, and the game film always tells the story. They are judged on how many defenders are cut to the ground each game. In addition, we typically leave up to 3 guys completely unblocked on a given play. The attack goes for numbers first, angles second and match-ups third.

The defensive scheme is also brand new. We went from a Jon Tenuta blitzing attack on 85% of our plays to a more traditional, but multi-dimensional defense that throws a variety of stunts, fronts and blitzes at you. Our defensive lineman now have more freedom to “make plays” instead of setup plays for the Linebackers. Many national prognosticators / “experts” have said that Georgia Tech might have the best D-Line in the country, certainly top 10. What this typically means is that we’ll drop back more guys into coverage with the expectation that we can still rush 4 and get good pressure on the QB.

Probably the most important aspect of adapting to Paul Johnson’s plan is mental toughness, which we were lacking. He has instilled a “punch you in the mouth” attitude and the players have bought into it. Johnson pulls no punches. He calls it like he sees it, and the players seem to appreciate it. There’s no second guessing why you’re playing or not playing. As you probably saw, that goes for the media too, since he called the TV broadcasters from the GT/VT game “morons” for their commentary……. which was true.

We have to remember though - this team is the youngest in the ACC and one of the youngest in the country. There are 75 freshman and sophomores on the roster and we start freshman & sophomores at every single skill position. What we lack in experience we do make up somewhat in talent as the current sophomore class is one of the best classes ever signed at Georgia Tech. That class is making an impact all through the 2-deep. Still, young is young.

2. Georgia Tech has played 2 ACC teams this season - Boston College and Virginia Tech - and both were close games. Are there big plays that Georgia Tech is missing to be able to make those games solid wins rather than close calls?

There is a misconception that a team that bases their offense off the triple option isn’t a “big play” offense. The reality does not match up with that statement. In Georgia Tech’s 3 games so far, here are some stats:

3 games
20 plays over 20 yards
6 scoring drives under 2 minutes
9 scoring drives under 3 minutes
Every scoring drive this year has been less than 5:21

Having said that, we had the game-winning play wide open against Virginia Tech and the ball was overthrown by inches. We missed that one or we’d be 3-0. The reality is we have had to rely on the big play just a tad too much the past two games against two very good defenses. We got it against BC (43 yard pitch for a TD) but just missed it against VT.

Overall, Georgia Tech has faced two excellent defenses (and a DIAA team) and has been able to move the ball effectively. We lead the ACC in rushing and are 9th nationally. What is KILLING Tech, with a capital K, are turnovers. We gave up 10 points off turnovers to Virginia Tech last week. That was more than the difference in the game. In three games, we’ve managed to fumble the ball 11 times, and lose it 7 times. We also had one INT last week. Some of that is due to the high risk offense (belly handoffs, pitches, option reads) but many of the fumbles are just plain due to youth. They were just a guy not wrapping the ball tight. If we can control the ball, I fully expect Georgia Tech to win more games and get to a 12th straight bowl game. However, if our fumblitis continues, all bets are off.

As far as the ACC goes, it’s “middle strong” in my opinion. There are really no “elite” teams right now vying for national attention, like the SEC. However, the middle pack is strong. There are a bunch of teams that are legit top 15 - 30 quality teams. However, we won’t know who truly stands out until the games play out. There are only a couple of real stinkers (NCST and UVA at the moment). Even Duke has managed to look respectable so far. One thing continues to stand out in the ACC, strong defenses and weak offenses. It’s a theme and it’s been there for years. That’s why Georgia Tech fans have hope that a contrarian offense can step up and claim superiority.

3. Who are the key players on on the Georgia Tech team that State needs to worry about the most (offense and defense)?

On offense, it all starts with the QB - Josh Nesbitt. He’s a true sophomore and a true threat. If this offense is to work, it’s mostly because Josh “gets it”. So far, he’s ahead of the curve. He has to make all the right reads at the line and during the play. What’s nice for us is that he is a physical, strong and fast runner. He set a Georgia Tech QB rushing record for a single game last week with 151 yards on 28 carries. Tech fans hope to see more of the offense spread to other guys, but Virginia Tech was determined to clog the middle and take away the dive while also manning the corners and taking away the pitch. That left the QB to do most of the dirty work, and he did. Don’t underestimate Nesbitt’s arm either. He’s got a good one, and this spread option offense results in wide receivers in single coverage all day long. We may not throw much, but when we do, it usually downfield and for lots of yards. See if there’s not a play or two where you find yourself yelling at the TV - “WHY IS THAT GUY SO WIDE OPEN?”. It’s the nature of this offense, although that doesn’t mean we’ll convert.

The second guy to look for is Jonathan Dwyer at “B-Back”, which is the running back position lined up behind the QB. He is fast. He is big. He is talented. It is not a stretch that he will be in the Heisman race before he leaves Georgia Tech, barring injury. He can bust people up the middle, or he can bust it to the outside and run past them. However, he did sustain a back bruise against VaTech, and at this point, we really don’t know how he’s feeling.

On defense, the entire line is stout and boast 3 seniors. Michael Johnson is projected by some to be the #1 pick in the next NFL draft, although his play through 3 games has not been up to par. He’s a 6′7″, 260lb freak of nature. There’s no other way to describe him (see photo). The two defensive tackles, Vance Walker and Darryl Richard, are outstanding. Walker is a pre-season SI All-American and All-ACC. Darryl Richard doesn’t have a sack yet, but is 3rd in the ACC in tackles-for-loss, which is tough out of the DT position. At the other DE is Derrick Morgan, a true sophomore, who happens to lead the ACC in sacks at the moment with 3. The D-Line is the heart-and-soul of this team, and they’ll hopefully keep us in most games, while the offense figures out how to hold the ball tighter.

The other standout defensive guy worth mentioning is Morgan Burnett, a sophomore safety, who is outstanding. He’ll be around the ball all day making tackles and possibly interceptions (he has 2 so far).

4. Are Georgia Tech fans excited about Paul Johnson as the new HC? Will he be able to recruit the players needed to push Georgia Tech to the top of the ACC?

I would have to say the overwhelming majority of fans are very excited to have Paul Johnson as our coach. He brings a vastly different level of intensity, discipline and mental toughness to Georgia Tech than we’ve had in the past. Chan Gailey was a great person and a good football coach, but his conservative, laid back, play “not to lose” style started to divide the fanbase. There’s not a more intense game-day competitor than Paul Johnson and he plays to win. At Navy he punted less than almost any other coach in the country. The fans have gotten behind him and like what they see so far. To have so much youth and inexperience, implementing brand new systems on offense and defense, with brand new coaching staffs, with players recruited to a different system, and to be one fumble away from being 3-0 - we’re not complaining much.

Recruiting remains a question. So far he has proven he can get highly recruited guys (4-star QB’s, big D-Lineman, fast, strong O-Lineman, etc). Our recruiting has not dropped off, but Johnson and staff find themselves fighting off bad press, lies and misconceptions spread by opposing recruiting coordinators. The beauty of Johnson’s offensive system is that he’s actually looking for slightly different type guys than a “pro-style” offense. He wants O-Lineman that are more fast than big. He wants running QB’s to stay at QB while other schools recruit them as WR’s and DB’s. He wants the fast, shifty RB’s that happen to be “too short” for the power game. Those guys run all day long at the A-Back position (slotbacks who run and catch in the triple option). Defense is defense, and he’s been getting highly touted guys so far. We’ll probably never see another “Calvin Johnson” come through GT again (but then who will), but he’ll be able to get plenty of guys for his system.

Also, don’t forget - Paul Johnson coached Georgia Southern to 2 National Championships and was their offensive coordinator for some others. He has developed long-lasting relationships with high school coaches in the state of Georgia, and most of those schools run versions of his offense. A lot of those coaches played for Coach Johnson. Talent in the state of Georgia is rich, and he’ll do fine over time.

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“He looked OK,” Croom said. “He didn’t have any pads on, so that’s what I’m worried about, how he’ll look with pads on. I’m concerned. The guy hasn’t practiced all week. He ran around OK today. There’s no way he can be as sharp as he normally is, but we’re better with him than without him. If he’s ready to go, he’ll start.”

If if Dixon doesn’t play, I like our depth at running back right now with Christian Ducre and Arnil Stallworth, as well as freshman Robert Elliot and Wade Bonner. I think most fans are ready to see him on the field more.

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