Sat for a lengthy period of time and listened to Paul Johnson hold court earlier this week at the ACC Football Kickoff, and let's just say an ACC title hasn't exactly diminished his perceived arrogance and impatience with criticisms of his system.
His offense can't succeed at the BCS level ... Defenses will "figure out" his system ... His offense can't produce NFL prospects ... and so on.
Johnson always has thumbed his nose at the skeptics. Now, he does so with a grin that says:
"Twenty wins and an ACC title in two years. How ya like me now."
On Monday, someone asked him about the notion that opponents tend to do better against his system with extra preparation time. The Jackets have looked awful in their two bowl games under Johnson, getting waxed by LSU and Iowa. His explanation for that was simply that his team ran up against two really good teams and didn't play well itself.
He was also asked about open dates and the benefits opponents gain from them before facing Georgia Tech. Two years ago, North Carolina got one and ended up smashing the Yellow Jackets. Last year, the Tar Heels didn't get one and ended up getting smashed by the Yellow Jackets.
His response: Of course open dates help. Extra preparation would help any team, including his.
It made me wonder about the importance of open dates. So I went over the past two seasons in the ACC and looked at the fortunes of teams that had the advantage of an open date.
(And it should be noted that we're talking about "true" open dates, and not the extra two days of rest that come when a team plays on a Thursday night and doesn't play again until nine days later. We're also not counting when both teams get an open date to prepare for the same game).
Here are the findings:
2009:
-- Boston College at Virginia W 14-10
-- Clemson home Wake Forest W 38-3
-- Duke home Maryland W 17-13
-- Georgia Tech home Georgia L 30-24
-- Virginia at UNC W 16-3
-- Virginia Tech home UNC L 20-17
-- Wake Forest at Duke W 45-34
2008:
-- Clemson at Boston College W 27-20
-- Georgia Tech home Duke W 27-0
-- Maryland home Wake Forest W 26-0
-- Miami home VT W 16-14
-- UNC at Rutgers W 44-12
-- UNC home Georgia Tech W 28-7
-- N.C. State at Duke W 27-17
--- Virginia home Clemson L 13-3
-- Wake Forest at FSU W 12-3
So that's 13 wins and three losses. Pretty strong evidence that having the advantage of extra preparation time is a pretty big deal for everyone.
In Clemson's case, Tigers fans don't need to be reminded just how crucial last year's open date was. They were 2-3 after a home loss to TCU and an inexplicable defeat at Maryland, and you could make a case that Clemson doesn't reel off six straight wins and claim the Atlantic Division title if the open date doesn't fall where it did (before the 38-3 demolition of Wake Forest). That extra time allowed for some serious reflection and self-examination, and it just might have been the key to the turnaround.
How about in 2008? Do the Tigers go to Boston College and win without the open date that followed a home loss to Georgia Tech in Dabo Swinney's first game as interim coach? That win in Chestnut Hill -- a victory that snapped an agonizing three-game losing streak to the Eagles -- might've been the most important to Swinney's getting the job for good.
Other notables from the list:
North Carolina fans are still trying to figure out how Virginia came into Chapel Hill and dusted the Tar Heels last year. But when you factor in the Cavaliers' extra preparation, coupled with North Carolina's desultory loss at Georgia Tech a week earlier, it begins to make some sense. Some sense.
Still kinda hard to figure Georgia's win at Georgia Tech last year. Tech had an open date, and the Doggies were coming off an awful home loss to Kentucky seven days earlier. My best explanation: The Bulldogs had spent an entire year being reminded of what happened the year before in Athens, and they were doubly ticked about the loss to Kentucky.
Another one that's tough to figure: Last year, Virginia Tech has 12 days to prepare for a home game against a North Carolina team that gagged away an 18-point lead over Florida State seven days earlier. The Tar Heels win 20-17. My best explanation: Though they were coming off a humbling defeat at Georgia Tech, the Hokies had watched North Carolina's complete unraveling the previous Thursday night and underestimated the Tar Heels.
In 2008, Maryland goes to Clemson and pulls out a huge comeback victory. A week later, the Terps go to Charlottesville and get flattened 31-0. After an open date, the Terps play host to a Wake Forest team that beat Clemson nine days earlier. Maryland wins 26-0.
Also in 2008, North Carolina comes off an open date and plays host to a Georgia Tech team that posted an exhilarating win over Florida State seven days earlier. The Tar Heels squash the Yellow Jackets 28-7.
Some important open date advantages to watch this season:
-- Clemson at home vs. Miami (Canes will have nine days between games after playing at Pitt on a Thursday)
-- North Carolina at home vs. Georgia Tech (Jackets play at Kansas seven days earlier)
-- Boston College at home vs. Virginia Tech (Hokies play host to East Carolina seven days earlier)
-- Maryland at Clemson (Tigers at North Carolina seven days earlier)
On to a few links...
Speaking of PJ, here's an account of some of the stuff he said in Greensboro earlier this week.
Included is Jim Grobe's take on Johnson's offense:
Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, who said he always thought the offense would work, said Johnson may be the best ever at orchestrating the attack.
Even though the team lost B-back Jonathan Dwyer, the ACC player’s of the year in 2008, and Demaryius Thomas, who was the first wide receiver taken in the NFL draft this year, Grobe said the Yellow Jackets won’t slow down in year 3. The teams will play Oct. 2 in Winston-Salem.
“The personnel doesn’t matter, it’s the scheme that gets you,” Grobe said. “No matter what coaches know about stopping it, you can’t give everything you know to the players.”
The Deacons had some success against the Yellow Jackets last year. Despite giving up 463 yards, Wake forced Tech to overtime, where the Jackets won 30-27.
Grobe said that’s the perfect example of the difficulty in facing such a unique offense.
“We still weren’t good enough,” he said. “We had schemes that helped us, but we weren’t good enough. Let me put it this way: if you don’t have a good scheme, you’ll get blown out. If you have a good scheme, you might be competitive.
“They’re just a machine.”
Speaking of the triple option, looks like it's all the rage in the Southern Conference.
Frank "Magnum" Spaziani wants to give star tailback Montel Harris a rest this season.
Matt Hinton, also known as Doc Saturday, says Bryce Brown leaves Tennessee without a word.
The Football Writers Association of America is considering giving Southern Cal's 2004 national title to Auburn.
There's just something about that I don't like. Probably the supposition that Auburn was better than Oklahoma simply because the Trojans dusted the Sooners in the title game.
At the Nashville Tennessean, Joe Biddle laments the burgeoning presence of unabashed fans in the media corps.
Of the 873 credentialed media, one particularly caught my eye Wednesday, the day Alabama Coach Nick Saban spoke.
He wore an Alabama visor and an Alabama shirt. He was picking up a copy of every useless news release that covered a table that was about 40 feet long. Yes, he had a valid credential.
Roll, Tide.
Mmmmmmm.
Nothing like the smell of jock-sniffers in the morning.
LW
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