Daily briefing: On Georgia Tech’s coaching search, Michigan hitting the road and Syracuse’s good fortune

On3 imageby:Ivan Maisel09/27/22

Ivan_Maisel

Ivan Maisel’s “Daily Briefing” for On3:

Georgia Tech may need to return to its past

It is possible to win at Georgia Tech. Until last January, the Yellow Jackets had won a national title (1990) more recently than Georgia (1980). But it’s not easy. The Dawgs are dominating the country, much less the state. Georgia Tech has higher academic standards than many of its competitors. Nearly every Power 5 school in the nation recruits Atlanta. Geoff Collins tried to make Georgia Tech’s location in Atlanta a selling point of his tenure. He went 10-28 and didn’t make it through his fourth season.  What works on the Flats? We know option football works there. Paul Johnson won one ACC championship and three Coastal Division titles at Georgia Tech. Before that, he won two I-AA national titles at Georgia Southern and turned Navy into a winner. Jeff Monken coached on Johnson’s staff at Georgia Southern. He has been a winning coach there and now at Army. Logic dictates he can do at Tech what Johnson did.

Michigan’s first road game? Iowa. Yikes.

No. 4 Michigan played a two-ply nonconference schedule – Colorado State, Hawaii and UConn are a combined 2-12 – and had to step up its game to put away Maryland 34-27 in its Big Ten opener. The Wolverines move up another degree in difficulty Saturday, playing not only their first road game of the season but at Iowa. We all know Iowa is tough defensively and struggling offensively. But here’s something to consider: As Scott Dochterman of The Athletic pointed out, Iowa is 5-1 at Kinnick Stadium against top-five teams dating to 2008. Michigan sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy has gotten off to a great start. He’s third in the nation in passing efficiency (48-of-60, 693 yards, five TDs, 204.5 rating). He’s also making his first road start at the toughest place to play in the Big Ten.

Syracuse still unbeaten, thanks to Virginia mistakes

Tony Elliott’s head-coaching career is off to a bumpy start at Virginia. Syracuse tried to blow a 16-0 lead to the Cavaliers, who wouldn’t be outdone in their attempt to hand the game over. Syracuse bet four turnovers would do it. But no. On 10 of its first 12 possessions, Virginia either committed a penalty, gave up a sack or turned the ball over. The other two possessions? Three-and-out. Two of those penalties came shortly before lengthy missed field goals that wouldn’t have been so lengthy. Down 16-6, the Cavaliers’ two-point-conversion team broke the huddle with 12 men, forcing Virginia to settle for one point. Syracuse (4-0) found a way to win 22-20, the clichéd motto of all good teams, but the Orange won’t be able to depend on the largesse of its remaining opponents.