Dec. 11, 2012
By Jon Cooper
Sting Daily
We’re about three weeks away from the 79th Hyundai Sun Bowl, which will pit Georgia Tech against USC.
In those coming days, there are bound to be plenty of comparisons made and charges and counter-charges about the superiority of one school to the other, until there can be a proper culmination on the field of Sun Bowl Stadium.
Some careful research, the Georgia Tech Athletic Media Relations Department drew some compelling and downright remarkable comparisons between the schools.
Never to leave something like that alone, Sting Daily has taken some of the more compelling items and even found a few more that have proven that USC is going to have its work cut out in order to even call it a draw with Georgia Tech.
Here is that tale of the tape and Sting Daily’s (rather quite biased) conclusions.
Home City: Atlanta (Georgia Tech) vs. Los Angeles (USC)
Edge: Georgia Tech: Los Angeles is a remarkable metropolis and certainly worth visiting. It’s really nice if you like driving everywhere and I do mean EVERYWHERE.
Traffic: I-85 (Georgia Tech) vs. I-5 (USC)
Edge: Georgia Tech. Unless, of course, the criteria is sitting the longest without moving. Think Spaghetti Junction is bad at rush hour? Try driving I-5 at just about any time.
Nickname: Yellow Jackets (Georgia Tech) vs. Trojans (USC)
Edge: Georgia Tech. Yellow Jackets are pesky insects that can actually be deadly and more important, are still around. Trojans are warriors, sure, and while the city is real, Trojans are based on mythology. Give them points for their treachery, the Trojan Horse — we’ll save falling for that for when Tech plays Michigan State in a big game — but the current Trojan Horse is a computer virus, something which Georgia Tech alumni are frequently hired to eliminate. Tech’s former nicknames even rank above ‘SCs, as Golden Tornado, Engineers and Tecks are better than Methodists or Wesleyans.
Best Mascot: Buzz, Ramblin’ Wreck (Georgia Tech) vs. Tommy Trojan, Traveller VII
Edge: Georgia Tech. Buzz has a much cooler look and is child-friendly. Tommy Trojan looks, let’s say a little bizarre and do you really want someone wielding a sword around your children? As far as mode of transportation, the classic car has more horse power and better gas mileage. Traveler may be pretty, but a horse is a horse of course, of course.
More Complex Offense: Spread Option (Georgia Tech) vs. Multiple (USC)
Edge: Georgia Tech. Paul Johnson’s offense is so complex that people don’t even know how to properly refer to it, never mind plan for it.
Best Heisman Recognition: John Heisman (Georgia Tech) vs. Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Charles White, Marcus Allen, Carson Palmer, Reggie Bush (USC)
Edge: Georgia Tech. HELLO, NAMESAKE.
Best Zombie TV Show: Georgia Tech: This is easy. The Walking Dead walks away with this one. The show “We’re Alive” has been in existence since 2009. Haven’t heard of it? Enough said. Zombie movies is another story, and a category we shan’t get into.
Biggest Football Rival: Georgia (Georgia Tech) vs. UCLA, Notre Dame (USC)
Edge: Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets-Bulldogs rivalry is one of the longest running in the history or college football, period. The Trojans can’t decide who their biggest rival is, crosstown UCLA or halfway across the country Notre Dame. Usually they consider their biggest rival the one they beat in a given year. It’s a toss-up this year, having lost to both.
Notable Fans: Ludacris, T.I., Big Boi (Georgia Tech) vs. Snoop Dogg, Andre 3000 (USC)
Even. Georgia Tech brings Ludacris and T.I. to the house, but L.A. has Snoop Dogg. The successful East-Meets-West connection is OutKast, which features Big Boi (Georgia Tech) and Andre 3000 (USC). OutKast, however, tips the scale slightly to Tech because both Georgia natives.
Men of Flight: Ben T. Epps (Georgia Tech) vs. Neil Armstrong (USC)
Edge: Georgia Tech. The late Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. It doesn’t get much cooler than that. But Ben T. Epps became known as Georgia’s First Aviator. He designed and BUILT the Epps 1907 Monoplane. When it comes to Astronauts, the sheer number, including Robert S. Kimbrough, one of those selected to fly in the Space Shuttle following the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy, simply tilts the scales. There are simply too many more Tech alum to name.
Men of Science:
Edge: Georgia Tech. Do we really need to pursue this one?
Best First Baseman: Mark Teixeira (Georgia Tech) vs. Mark McGwire (USC)
Edge: Georgia Tech. While McGwire hit more home runs, Teixeira’s durability and Gold Glove-caliber defense in the field, nonpareil in today’s game, make the difference.
Best pitcher (active): No Current Major Leaguers (Georgia Tech) vs. Barry Zito (USC)
Edge: USC. Let’s give some props to Barry Zito for winning a World Series and pitching some clutch ball that Jackets Coach Danny Hall would be proud of, when everyone counted him out.
Best Hitting Pitcher: Micah Owings (Georgia Tech) vs. Barry Zito (USC)
Edge: Georgia Tech. Micah Owings has 58 career hits, nine home runs and even has been used as a pinch-hitter for position players. Zito did get RBI singles in this year’s NLCS and World Series, but likely would not be an option to pinch-hit for anyone other than a pitcher.
Best former major leaguer-turned-analyst: Nomar Garciaparra (Georgia Tech) vs. Aaron Boone (USC)
Edge: Georgia Tech. It’s NOMAR!
Best Football Assistant Coach-Turned-NASCAR executive: Jerry Glanville (Georgia Tech) vs. Joe Gibbs (USC)
Edge: USC. Joe Gibbs is legendary as an owner. Just check out the roster of Joe Gibbs Racing. Plus, he was smart enough to leave the driving to others. Glanville got behind the wheel, which takes guts, in both the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. So points for moxie, but Gibbs gets the nod.
Former College Assistant Coach Now NFL Head Coach: Romeo Crennel (Georgia Tech) vs. Norv Turner (USC)
Edge: Georgia Tech. Crennel, a defensive specialist, has been part of staffs that have won four Super Bowls (one with the New York Giants under Bill Parcells and three with Bill Belichick in New England). Norv Turner, a respected offensive wizard, won back-to-back Super Bowls in Dallas under Jimmy Johnson. He gets credit for helping develop Troy Aikman. Neither Crennel nor Turner has exactly wowed as NFL head coaches, although in Crennel’s defense, his teams haven’t exactly been A-list. And although Turner’s Chargers beat Crennel’s Chiefs twice this season, it’s likely that only Crennel, will be viable for this comparison next season.
Best Wide Receiver: Calvin Johnson (Georgia Tech) vs. Lynn Swann (USC)
Edge: USC. As great as “Megatron” is — and he is possibly the best receiver in the NFL today — Lynn Swann is one of the greatest receivers ever in NFL history. Closing the gap is Johnson’s appearance on Madden NFL ’13.
Best Golfer: Bobby Jones (Georgia Tech) vs. Al Geiberger, Dave Stockton and Craig Stadler (USC)
Edge: Georgia Tech. Not really close here. Tech didn’t even have to go to its current greats Stewart Cink or Matt Kuchar, or countless others that will be making their way onto the PGA Tour. Stadler’s nickname, “The Walrus” provides some name recognition — albeit probably not necessarily the way he wanted — and Geiberger and Stockton were great pros, but both lack the panache of Jones, who personifies golf greatness.
Best Dunker: Isma’il Muhammad (Georgia Tech) vs. Harold Miner (USC)
Edge: Georgia Tech. Sure Miner had one great night on the big stage in the NBA Dunk contest, something Isma’il never did. But even George Costanza won a contest. In actual game competition, Muhammad was far more explosive. Oh, and, by the way, he played in a Final Four in 2004. Miner’s best team, was knocked out in the second round of the 1992 NCAA Tournament by Georgia Tech on a buzzer-beating three by James Forrest.
