PAUL JOHNSON WANTS ME TO BE PUNCHED IN THE FACE

I can't blame Johnson for saying nerds should punch us in the face because 1) I am an unapologetic jerk to NATS supporters and it is because that is exactly what they deserve from me, and 2) his fan base is completely lacking any sort of back bone.

I also can't say that any of us should be worried. As if any Techie is really going to have a success at attempting to beat up a Georgia fan. They'd be afraid of their pocket protector or calculator getting smashed.

It is also hilarious that the AJC writer in the story answers Johnson on exactly what we have done to define Tech. 2 SEC Championships, 3 BCS bowls, and 8-1 against the bumble bees during Mark Richt's tenure. Considering you are the other school in the state, you will be defined by how you measure up against us, and it's not pretty.

Johnson's attempts to down play any loss to Georgia is comical at best. He's the one who drew the line in the sand when he was hired by stating that beating Georgia was his main goal that first year. He put the emphasis on this rivalry and made it a defining element for Tech last season. He accomplished his goal last year, but that doesn't mean the significance of this game is lessened from that point on. Johnson's overreaction to getting bested this year only proves that, and I'm sure he would have had a much different tune had he won Saturday.

At the end of the day, this just proves that our victory gets under his skin. Thanks for the confirmation, asshole.

He's asking for it. Maybe I can take him on in the Publix parking lot in Vinings.

Standing Strong Because We're Still Better

Now is the time to stand strong in the face of adversity. There's plenty of room to criticize, but this is also a time to reflect and realize that we could be the losers that walk around the North Avenue Trade School campus everyday.

While I give my hats off to Tech's players and their coaching staff for playing great, never giving up, and showing a new determination and attitude on the field (as I said here last week that their confidence was the thing that worried me the most), Tech overall as a program is still inferior to us and other institutions.

When I read in articles like this about how their number one goal coming into the season wasn't to win their division or conference, but to beat an in-state rival that isn't in their conference, it just shows the lower status of their program.

I understand how badly Tech wanted to win this game. We have a similar situation with Floriduh. However, our priorities would be out of whack to want a win over the Gators versus a conference championship (except for wanting to beat them as a necessity to lead us to a conference title).

Furman Bisher even states it plainly here that they would prefer this victory over a trip to Tampa.

I truly understand their point, even if it is just a priority for this year. You don't want to lose this game again, and perhaps you didn't think you could win your division. Still, having this as their main priority shows that Tech's program isn't as great as they wish it would be, or as much as the AJC wants it to be.

I don't think Paul Johnson is a dumb man, and I don't believe he would state this as his goal because he truly values such a win instead of a division and/or conference title. However, I do believe he realized it was an easy way to play into the mindset of the Tech fan base and boosters, who have shown to have their priorities out of whack (such as not wishing to interview Muschamp because UGA was his alma mater).

Statements by pundits about how Tech has arrived, how they are the number one team in the ACC(obviously they aren't since they won't be playing this week), are pretty much invalid at this point.

I respect Tech's win on the field this year, and they should brag for winning after SEVEN long years of losing to their most hated rival.

However, Tech still hasn't made that next step because their own mindset is preventing them from doing so.

Johnson is the right coach to change that mindset and re-adjust their priorities to make their program legitimate again. However, it will ultimately be up to their fan base to realize they should listen to him, and that will be difficult. Delusion dies hard.

(Editor's Note: This can be classified as my bitterness post).

Nerd Confidence

I have to agree with the Senator and Realist that I am perplexed as to why so many Dawg fans are afraid of Tech. It's not that I'm over confident, I just believe that the pressure is more on them to come into Sanford and prove they can 1) stop our offense, which is ranked higher than any offense they've faced thus far, 2) prove that they can run their new WOWSERS! offense on us, and 3) prove they can get past the stigma of the last 7 years.

I don't see a reason to buy into the fear that others are purchasing in ever greater quantities. It is all psychological and it's not as if this team hasn't been stopped (see their game against UNC).

I will say that if there were to be anything that worries me about Tech, it would be the confidence that this team exudes.

These players have obviously bought into Johnson and his system, and they've especially bought into higher expectations and winning. Before the season, I got the chance to speak to two of Tech's players through a friend of mine. Both of these players were confident that this season was going to be better than most expected, and that Johnson brought much more demand and discipline to their team (to the chagrin of some of the players). As the year has gone on, their confidence in themselves to win games and perform in crucial moments has obviously grown.

Bring it on wise guys! I mean, pocket protectors of the world unite!

No Tech fan can deny that since the Richt era began, they've walked into this game thinking that it was in the realm of possibilities for their team to win, but that in the end they weren't really confident they could pull it off (even when they probably should have won). It was also obvious that some of the Tech players in the past felt the same way. Maybe it was just the Reggie Ball syndrome or the Gailey effect, because I haven't seen that attitude in their team this year. They've started to actually believe they can win any game, and that is a definite shift that can play a factor in a rivalry game like this one.

Still, as PWD said earlier this week, let's see if they can handle the pressure and see if they really want this win that bad.

Reggie Ball Pep Talk

Does anyone actually like me? Did anyone, ever!?!

Reggie Ball met the Tech team at practice yesterday to give them some insight on their game this weekend against the Dawgs.

We're told Reggie threw a couple passes in practice with the team, but he ended up only throwing interceptions. This demoralized the entire team, so he decided to give them a pep talk.

We've obtained a recording of it, and here's the transcript:

Coach Johnson: "Alright men, I want you to listen to Reggie because he understands what this game means. While he never ended up graduating, never actually beat Georgia, and I'm sure he should be in Detroit washing Calvin Johnson's laundry, I'm sure he can give you some insight. Reggie, please don't screw up my team."

Reggie Ball: "Uh, thanks coach. I want you guys to know that this is a game of passion, which is something I completely lacked at all times in this rivalry. In fact, at one point I said this game wasn't that big of a deal. "

"That was a lie on my part. This game is actually the biggest deal of your lives here at this school. If you continue to lose to Georgia like I did, you'll probably hate yourself, have everyone lose respect for you, get kicked off the team because depression set in when you stopped going to class in September, and be reminded everyday by everyone in this state that you let those Dawgs dominate you. "

"I mean, these assholes are about to retire my number, and I played for the other team. You believe that? Just because I threw an interception in pretty much every game and always did it at a crucial moment to hand over the win, they think they can do that. "

"I don't want you guys to be like me. First, I want you to actually win. Second, I want you guys to remember that in big games like this, you probably shouldn't ignore your biggest playmakers. Throwing the ball or handing it off to every 3rd stringer you can find won't win you this game. Third, you need to go to class and not miss the ACC championship game because of academic ineligibility. "

"Just remember, you don't want to be like Reggie Ball. Actually win this game and you won't have to leave this state to avoid contemplating suicide on daily basis. Vacuuming Calvin's mansion is much better than being here after losing to the Dawgs. So, uh, go out there and make a claim to the prominence I never had!"

Paul Johnson: "That was the dumbest god damn speech I've ever heard. No wonder you couldn't graduate. Get the hell off of my field. We'll probably lose this game with the way you're demoralizing my players."