Tuesday, July 20, 2004

SI's Stewart Mandel talks Georgia Tech football

In this Q&A (link here), he answers the following question:

Is Georgia Tech going to be the surprise team in college football this season?
--Donzell Hunt, Atlanta

His answer:
I don't know about the surprise team -- I'm still crossing my fingers it will be Vandy -- but the potential is definitely there for the Jackets. Their 7-6 record last season was deceiving -- they way exceeded expectations thanks to a surprisingly dominant defensive front that helped them upset Auburn, Maryland and N.C. State and nearly do the same to Florida State. Of course, they did also get crushed by Duke. Holding Tech back last season was the coaches' reluctance to fully unleash athletic freshman QB Reggie Ball, relying instead on a conservative attack centered around bruising back P.J. Daniels. Assuming Ball progresses, they have enough talent at the skill positions to open up the offense, and the defense should be solid again. The only problem: They could be much improved yet still finish around .500 due to a daunting early-season schedule that includes Clemson, Miami and Maryland in the first five weeks.

Also notice the nice picture of Reggie Ball on the page as well.