Ramblin' Wreck Roundtable II

plezWorld participates in the Ramblin' Wreck Roundtable, which features a series of questions that are answered simultaneously on the different Georgia Tech blogs during the offseason.

1. A group of playoff proponents have a questionable theory on how to break out of the bowl system and get a D-1A playoff: Boycott the Rose Bowl. What's your take on the never-ending playoff vs. bowls debate?
   
   It's just that, a never-ending debate which will continue until NCAA takes control of the Bowl System and forces the hands of those conferences that continue to profit off of the setup of these antiquated bowls. The bowls were set up when there were only 3 or 4 major conferences, now there are probably closer to 6 or 7 conferences that could realistically place a contender in a championship playoff series. I would love to see how a Boise State or even a Georgia Tech would fare when given a chance in a 2 or 3 game playoff series that selected the TRUE National Champion in Div 1-A football.
   
   
2. What change to our football personnel makes you happier this year: Taylor Bennett at quarterback, or John Bond as offensive coordinator?
   
   I am cautiously optimistic about the emergence of Taylor Bennett at quarterback; from his debut in the Gator Bowl, I could see that he has good talent and can really lead the team. I'm a bit worried, though, about the change in offensive coordinator/quarterback coach with the departure of Patrick Nix. I'm not familiar with John Bond.
   
   
3. Last weekend, Steve Spurrier spoke out against South Carolina's practice of flying the Confederate flag over the state capitol. Should football coaches get political like that, or just stick to coaching?
   
   College football is a business and I have no doubt that certain political issues will have an effect on the success of certain football programs. In the South, the Confederate Flag carries unsavory and unwanted political baggage that more than likely affects the decisions of some student-athletes who would otherwise come to college in that state. Steve Spurrier is a great recruiter who knows that the Confederate Flag Issue is just one more thing that diminishes his competitive advantage when it comes to a visiting recruit who may be offended by the imagery evoked by the waving of that flag. In all honesty, I wouldn't want my son to play sports or even attend college in South Carolina or Mississippi, in part because of the Confederate Flag's prominence in those places.
   
   
4. There are always rumors at Georgia Tech of expanding our varsity athletics programs. What programs would you like to see added next? One for men, one for women.
   
   I'm not interested in seeing any additional varsity sports at Georgia Tech, but if I had to pick some, it would be soccer for men and field hockey for women. Or do we already have these teams?
   
   
5. The matchups were just announced for the 9th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge in basketball, and GT plays at Indiana (the teams' first meeting since 1969). In the history of the challenge, the ACC has won 48 out of 75 games, and has "won" the challenge every year. Is this a tradition you care about, or would you rather see something started with another conference (e.g. an ACC/SEC Challenge or ACC/Big East Challenge)?
   
   I'm kind of torn on this one, since the Big Ten teams would rarely get to play an ACC team unless they met in the NCAA Tournament. But allure of a regional rivalry with the SEC or Big East may be just as appealing. And the way things have played out of late (with Florida, Georgetown, Kentucky, Connecticut, etc.), winning the challenge would no longer be a "slam dunk" for the ACC.
   
   
6. Lightning Round!! Other Conferences Edition!! (Cue "The Matrix" fight music)
   Name the first thing that comes to mind:
   
   Big East: The ACC should've taken West Virginia (football) instead of Boston College.
   
   SEC: Leading football conference and almost tied with the ACC for basketball!
   
   Big Ten: Why not change the name, since they have 11 teams?
   
   Pac-10: Those USC National Championships were a fluke... the SEC was locked out each year that they won.
   
   Big XII: An SEC wanna-be.
   
   Sun Belt: You're kidding, right?!? I had to look this one up on the Internet... can you say: Mid-Major!
   

Check out the rest of the Ramblin' Wreck Roundtable:

Ramblin' Racket

GT Sports Blog

What's the Good Word?

YellowBlazer's World

moderated by Jeff at www.RamblinRacket.com

Ball's Out for the Gator Bowl

For the first time in four seasons, the Georgia Tech Football Team will be quarterbacked by someone not named Reggie Ball, well there was that one start last season when he was too sick to play, but our opponent that day was UConn! Unfortunately, this is Ball's last game as a Yellow Jacket and would've been his first New Year's Day bowl game - the last three bowl games were minor affairs after mediocre seasons. But this time, we're playing a high powered, high scoring West Virginia team with a quarterback that seems to find a way into the end zone more times than not!

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Reggie Ball will be replaced by his backup Taylor Bennett, who's only other start during his 3 years on the Flats was the earlier mentioned UConn game, in which he threw a touchdown on his first snap from scrimmage. Reggie Ball has been ruled academically ineligible and will have to sit out the last game of his college career.

NCAA rules require that players be in good academic standing. They also require seniors to pass at least six hours in the fall semester to be eligible for a bowl. Tech rules require seniors to maintain a 2.0 grade-point average to play, according to the athletics department Web site. Academic advisers and assistant coaches track athletes' academic progress, but Head Coach Chan Gailey is quoted as saying with seniors, "you rely more on their evaluation [of whether they're in trouble academically]."

Though, often maligned as not being "media-friendly," aloof, and worse... Tech fans are indebted to Reggie Ball for producing 4 winning seasons, 4 bowl appearances, more starts than any other Georgia Tech quarterback, the second most wins by a Georgia Tech quarterback, 2 clutch wins over Auburn (one at Jordan-Hare Stadium), 2 big wins over Miami (one at the Orange Bowl), and this season's trouncing of Virginia Tech. The biggest blemish on his record has been Tech's inability to slay those dreaded Georgia Bulldogs during the last 4 seasons (even though the last two outings were close games that were won on the last possession of the game).

The ACC Championship Game was the second big letdown for the team and the fans, after losing to Georgia to end this season. Ball didn't have his best game and we ended up losing the ACC Championship to an inferior Wake Forest team. Wake Forest goes to a BCS Bowl (Orange Bowl)... and Georgia Tech was relegated to the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida.

UPDATE 12-23-2007: The AJC reports that Reggie Ball will appeal his "D" grade in a class that made him academically ineligible, but it won't get him back in Georgia Tech's bowl game.

plez sez: TO HELL WITH GEORGIA!

Next, congratulations to my Kappa Alpha Psi frat brother and starting Georgia Tech tight end Michael Matthews. Big Mike will be playing in his final game as a Yellow Jacket in the Gator Bowl, but more importantly, he received his degree from Georgia Tech last week! I wish him and his family all the best because his future is so promising.

Now, I can pontificate on this Reggie Ball situation. I hate to see this young man go out like this. He has played on one of the biggest stages (prime time national television) and has stared down some of the nation's fiercest opponents, but Reggie Ball is still a kid, his best days are before him. I'd be loath to "pile on" someone who is barely out of his teens for failing to keep up his grades while being at the helm of a top(?) Division 1-A football program since his freshman season (his very first game as a freshman was a rousing upset of visiting Auburn - yeah, that Auburn with Jason Campbell and Cadillac Williams!).

And this also begs the question is how can someone be at Georgia Tech for 4 years and then SUDDENLY not be able to play the last game of his career because of academic problems? Grade problems don't just crop up during the last week of a semester. Since the loss to UGA, there has been a LOUD cry for his backup to play; I have a sinking feeling that if Georgia Tech had won one of the last two games, he'd be playing on New Years Day!

It is a tough row to hoe, being a college student and a semi-professional athlete at the same time. These young men have to practice, attend study sessions, review game film, go to class, meet with classmates and professors, pay their bills, deal with their families and friends... and then put on a show every Saturday afternoon in the fall. Some guys will handle this better than others. Some guys will succeed where others will not fair so well. Georgia Tech is a tough academic environment, there were times when I struggled at Georgia Tech, and I didn't have to worry about running from 290 lb linemen every Saturday who's main intent was on rearranging my bone structure!

Some will say that these young men get paid with a free education. I say that is BULLSH*T! Georgia Tech will receive more than $4 million dollars just for showing up at the Gator Bowl, their payout would've been over $10 million dollars if they had beaten Wake Forest and gone to the Orange Bowl! These young men are pimped by college athletic programs for their god-given talents and entertainment value. The colleges and universities always get much more than the value of tuition, room, and board.

I feel bad for Reggie Ball and I'm glad that I didn't use my season ticket status buy tickets (and rent a hotel room and buy plane tickets) to attend the Gator Bowl. I think it is an affront to my intelligence and the intelligence of the fans to think that we couldn't figure out that when BIG MONEY is involved, these college football programs will do almost anything to appease the fan base. I hope we beat West Virginia, but I have a feeling that Pat White & Company is going to run us out of the gym (i.e. score ALOT more points than us)!

I'm a ramblin' wreck from Georgia Tech and a helluva engineer!