Ramblin' Wreck Roundtable

So we're back... Call me a poor fan but I kind of go into hibernation mode during basketball season. Its nothing against the sport, it is just that football season is a three-month long journey with delicious treats, great games, and good friends. Just can't get hooked on college basketball since I left school. If Tech is on, I will watch the game, but it does not conjure up visions of weekend-long fun the way football season does for me.

So the rest of the GT blog-nation is participating in what we are calling the "Ramblin' Wreck Rountable". Jeff at Ramblin Racket is heading this up and this figures to start becoming a more regular thing, especially now that the AJC is posting a new Tech story once a month again until August. So here it is, my responses to the first inaugural Ramblin' Wreck Roundtable:

1. (Single obligatory basketball question) What do you make of the ACC's postseason in basketball? Was the conference overrated, or did the teams just get unlucky draws in the tourney?
Honestly, I think this year's bunch of ACC teams that made it to the NCAA tournament were all streaky basketball teams who had ups and downs all year. I think a lot of that came from being relatively young (as in the case of GT) or relying too heavily on one aspect of the game (perimeter shooting in the case of UVA). I think the selection committee did not overrate the ACC, I think the quality of basketball was poor all this year - there were only a few marquis regular season games (Duke v. UNC only mattered because Hansbrough was busted in the nose). Was that a sign of conference parity? I do not know. But I do know that I agreed with every selection from the ACC that was picked to go to the dance and it seemed that whenever it was time for an ACC team to go down, either 1) they went on a cold streak in the one aspect of their game that made them special or 2) they ran into a team who was perfectly designed to shut them down or 3) they had a first round game that was a microcosm for their whole turbulent season and caused you to almost wish you were back at work instead of watching them lose to UNLV.

2. On to football! Where will Georgia Tech be ranked in the preseason polls, and where do you think the Jackets should be ranked?
I think the Jackets will come out somewhere in the 35 - 45 range due to a new offensive coordinator, the loss of CJ, and a new starter under center. I think after we lay 42 points on the Irish that we are going to quickly jump up to where we should have been all along, in the 15 - 20 range. I think we are a preseason top 20 team with 9 starters returning on defense and Tashard and an extremely deep O-line coming back to set the Flats ablaze this year.

3. All due credit to Tech's 2006 squad, but we benefited from Miami andother teams' lackluster seasons. Will the big-reputation programs likeFSU and Miami be back in 2007?
I think the Hokies will be back in full and looking for revenge big time in our house. Everything I have read makes them look BCS worthy. The game is so late in the year it should be the ACC Coastal Championship. I think Miami is going to have atheletes, but you cannot have so much off the field drama and hope to reignite a new dynasty overnight. I think Miami will end up #3 in the Coastal. They will pull off a signature win this year, probably on the road against FSU, but it won't be against us in front of an empty Orange Bowl the week before. Every year in the ACC I hear the same thing, "FSU should contend for a National Championship if they get their act together" and "Is this finally Clemson's year?" FSU will be back (somewhat) and will be in the mix for the Atlantic title if Clemson or BC doesn't shatter their fragile psyche too early in the season. Even if they roll through the ACC, the Gators are going to be loaded and should dismantle them (and their egos) before we have to face them in Jacksonville.

4. Our out-of-conference schedule is exciting, with Notre Dame and Georgia bookending the season, and while Army is a cupcake, playing a military academy is kinda cool in my book. Which game are you morestoked about between ND and UGA? Also, what ACC games are you mostexcited about?
I think I am going to have to go with UGA. While ND is going to be awesome, we lost that game last year and it ended up not really mattering for either of us. I think ND v. GT is good TV, but I think GT v. UGA is a great rivalry. They think they own us. Stafford and the Bulldogs are going to be better, but so are we. I think this is the defining moment of Coach Gailey's career. He needs this game to avoid premature banishment to Coach Donnan-land. UGA v. GT is a bigger game no question. It means more to both schools, their fans, the teams, and the coaches than GT v. ND ever will.

When it comes to the ACC regular season, the two games I think mean the most and that I am most looking forward to are VPISU and Clemson. Both are home this year, so that much the better. Hopefully we can get them both at night. Nothing like the way BDS@HGF shines under the lights. On a lesser note, I want to finally win again at Charlottesville.

5. Lighting Round! (Cue "Eye of the Tiger") Name the first thing thatcomes to mind, as fast as you can:

Calvin Johnson: Buccaneer, hopefully not a Brown

Tailgate Food: Grilled pork tenderloin, Sister Shubert rolls, coleslaw, and potato salad

Beesball: ACC Champs, unsure about what happens in Omaha.

Taylor Bennett: Amazing what being 6'3" will let you do with a football

6. How do you deal with the football offseason? Prayer? Hibernation?Blogging?
Last year I got married. This year I am getting out of the Army and moving to Lexington, KY. I try and line up my major life changes in the offseason.

Well there you have it. Please check the sites of the other guys in this roundtable and give us your feedback as to what you think about it or any ideas or topics you might like discussed. -yb