Disney Day 3 -

So I just finished with day 3 of Disney World. The kids are absolute troopers. The expensive double-wide stroller rental was a big hit today. Rode some rides. Saw a bunch of shows. Ate ice cream. Drank and drank and drank water. I have to tell you - the water fountain water at Magic Kingdom has that distinct 20+ year old pipe taste. I'm sure that helps drive bottled water sales. The fountain water at Animal Kingdom was pretty tasty by comparison. To the person who commented on kids memories. I can promise you, my 6 and 3 (she turns 4 next month) will remember. My 3 year old still reminds me about things when she turned 2. That one has a steel trap for a memory. It certainly was brave bringing a little one, but we still wanted our 6 year old to have that "magical" feeling about it. We'll come back again in a few years, after plenty of vacations in Hilton Head to get us grounded again.

Back to Georgia Tech sports. Let's get your breakdown of how the season is going to play out. Here's my take - what's yours?

Date Opponent / Event
08/28/08 vs. Jacksonville State
09/06/08 at Boston College
09/13/08 at Virginia Tech
09/20/08 vs. Mississippi State
10/04/08 vs. Duke
10/11/08 vs. Gardner-Webb
10/18/08 at Clemson
10/25/08 vs. Virginia (Homecoming)
11/01/08 vs. Florida State
11/08/08 at North Carolina
11/20/08 vs. Miami TV
11/29/08 at Georgia

Date Opponent / Event
08/28/08 vs. Jacksonville State
A must win. I don't care who their QB is. He's one guy and the rest of the team is mostly made up of guys that didn't get DI-A offers. New offense or not, fumbles or not, this is a must win game. No excuses here.... 1-0

09/06/08 at Boston College
BC won't be the same team they were last season. However, they have a good coaching staff, and they'll be tough to beat on the road. I give us a 40% shot to get the W here, which means I'm really picking us to lose in a close one....... 1-1

09/13/08 at Virginia Tech
Not a game I expect us to win. Still too early in the season for our team to be hitting on all cylinders and our youth will ultimately hurt. I expect VaTech to take this game soundly...... 1-2

09/20/08 vs. Mississippi State
Swing game for me. Could go either way, but we really should get the win. I would put the odds at about 60%...... 2-2

10/04/08 vs. Duke
Another must-win. I hate playing Duke any more. They're like a live grenade rolling around the floor. It's going to go off on someone eventually. However, we should still win this one - no excuses. 3-2

10/11/08 vs. Gardner-Webb
Another must-win. If we win our opener, this one won't even count towards bowl eligibility, but it will be important in working on schemes and execution.... 4-2

10/18/08 at Clemson
I live in upstate SC. The Tiger expectations this season have almost become a joke because they are so high. However, if Clemson doesn't win the ACC this season, it won't be because of the talent on the field. We'll find out how good of a coach they have once and for all.... maybe. For GT, I expect a loss. The rivalry is one of the most underrated in the ACC and other than a couple of blowouts is always down to the wire. Having said that, I do not expect Georgia Tech to win 2 years in a row here...... 4-3

10/25/08 vs. Virginia (Homecoming)
GT does not lose homecoming games. It's become an amazing streak by itself (something like 11 in a row, although I didn't look it up). Virginia lost half it's team to academics, arrests or other issues. Key players too. They season last year was marked by a bunch of amazing close victories. It's a statistical fact that the law of averages will catch up to them. They won't win so many close ones again. The Jackets will prevail on homecoming once again...... 5-3

11/01/08 vs. Florida State
Things are starting to get interesting. Why? It's this final stretch in the season that I expect to see a step change in the timing, execution and precision of the offense. The FSU, NC and Miami games also present a perplexing unknown in what we will be facing. Will FSU be "back"? Is UNC really that much better? We'll know. Is Miami "back"? Well, I think this will be a close game, but that GT will fall short..... 5-4

11/08/08 at North Carolina
By this point we'll know if Butch Davis has taken his team to the next level. However, I think Paul Johnson will have plenty of unanswered questions for Butch and the Jackets will take home the victory..... 6-4

11/20/08 vs. Miami TV
It's dangerous to predict that you'll beat a team for the 4th year in a row. It's just seems crazy to think it could be the Miami Hurricanes. There aren't many teams that have beaten them 4 times in a row. Could we join that club? I honestly don't think Miami will be "back" yet. I'm just not sold on Randy Shannon and I'm really not sold on Patrick Nix. I think we can win this one.... 7-4

11/29/08 at Georgia
Heart versus head. Heart vs head. I keep going back to Paul Johnson's 1st season at Navy. His only losing season as a head coach. A season where his daughter cried the streaming tears of someone experiencing losing for the first time ever.......... then a crazy thing happened. In the midst of finishing the season with only 1 victory, Navy ended their season with stunning victory over Army... Whoah. Where did that come from. That victory was the springboad and soapbox for Paul Johnson's success at Navy. It made people believers, and they never looked back. PJ has made the Georgia game a priority for everyone. We know what it means to us. We know what it means to him. In a year where UGAg opens the season #1 in the coaches poll, is it conceivable that the Jackets actually win? Could the Jackets play spoiler to the mutts national title hopes. I will dream about it, and relive it over and over if it happens. However, my head is overruling my heart on this one. Jackets lose a heartbreaker, but the battle has only begun..... 7-5


So that puts us at 7-5, with the bowl streak extended. How do you see the season playing out? Post it in the comments.