The end of PJ's world as we know it?

posted by LW, Friday, September 18, 2009

Georgia Tech's debacle in last year's Chick-fil-A bowl gave plenty of ammunition to the folks who think Paul Johnson's offense will run aground at college football's highest level.

Last night's stomping in Miami gave them even more.

I'm not buying the notion that, after a first season of sparkling success, Johnson's offense will now crumble because "everyone is used to it now."

I am buying the notion that preparation time is huge when defenses are gearing up to stop Johnson's offense.

Last year, North Carolina had a week off before facing Georgia Tech and kept the Jackets out of the end zone until the fourth quarter. And we know what happened in the bowl game against the Bayou Bengals.

Clemson spent time in the offseason preparing and did a credible job last week. Miami had 10 days between its opener against FSU and last night's game, and that's huge.

Johnson's biggest problem, in my mind, is that sieve of a defense. Hard to plod along and win ugly, as Johnson often does, when your defense is putting up zero resistance.

The one thing that should be concerning, though, is that PJ said during the offseason that his offense would be "a lot better" this year. So far it has not been.

Ivan Maisel was in Miami and writes a piece on the hottest offensive coordinator outside of Houston.

"The offense has taken his mentality," Shannon said. "Coach Whipple is a guy who feels he can score 100 points each and every game. He feels like if he calls a certain play, it's always going to work. The offense believes, no matter what play is called -- if they've got six defensive linemen and we have five receivers, he feels like the play is going to work and the offensive guys do, too."

Jeff Schultz of the AJC says the rationalizations need to stop: Georgia Tech has some issues.

The meltdown loss to LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl was just a bad night. Right. This season’s opener against Jacksonville State was just first-week jitters. Of course. And last week against Clemson when they looked like a new stage production, “The Dancing Sybils”? Come on, they won, didn’t they?

But when Georgia Tech comes to Miami to play one of its most important games of the season and loses, 33-17 — in fact, not just loses but seemingly drifts in and out of consciousness from the opening kickoff, for all the ESPN-watching nation to see — it’s easy to recall what coach Paul Johnson spent the entire off-season trying to hammer home to his players and fans and media.

“We haven’t done anything yet,” he kept saying.

This Miami columnist writes about the Canes' stout defensive effort.

Huge hit for Boston College: Starting defensive tackle Damik Scafe is listed as doubtful after suffering an injury earlier this week.

Scafe wasn't B.J. Raji or Ron Brace, but he was a presence inside. That's big.

Another story from Boston on Clemson's speed.

Hearing the way the line of questioning was going, Boston College defensive end Jim Ramella gave his own variation of the Alfred E. Neuman catchphrase “What, me worry?”

“You mean they have speed on Clemson?” cracked Ramella with perfect Mad magazine smirk.

The senior was, of course, joking. Having played Clemson three times in his college football days, Ramella doesn’t have to be told twice that the Tigers tomorrow will represent a major upgrade in the speed department over Northeastern and Kent State. And while the Eagles have had some success against the Tigers, it’s always been something of a roller coaster. Last year, it was finally the Tigers’ turn to be smiling when the ride was over.

In Clemson, the bizarre story that wouldn't Dye.



And more on that speed thing.

And more on Richard Jackson's remarkable transformation.



LW

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