Richt’s Dogs have struggled against ranked teams
Mark Richt is only 2-7 in his last nine games against ranked teams. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
If most are doubting Georgia’s chances of upsetting No. 2 ranked Auburn Saturday, one reason is that the Bulldogs’ five wins have come over Louisiana-Lafayette (2-7), Tennessee (3-6), Vanderbilt (2-7), Kentucky (5-5) and Idaho State (1-8).
But there’s another reason: Mark Richt’s teams have struggled against any team in the top 25, let alone a BCS title contender.
Richt’s Dogs have lost seven of their last nine against ranked teams and are 4-8 since 2008. That includes losses this season to the only two ranked teams they’ve played — No. 24 South Carolina (17-6) and No. 12 Arkansas (31-24).
Contrast that with Georgia going 5-0 against ranked teams in 2007 and 10-1 in a stretch that started in November 2006.
In the recent 2-7 stretch vs. ranked teams, the lone victories came over No. 7 Georgia Tech in 2009 and No. 18 Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl the year before. The losses came to Florida (twice), Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, LSU, South Carolina and Arkansas.
The breakdowns:
♦ Here’s Mark Richt vs ranked teams year by year: 2001: 2-3 2002: 5-0 2003: 3-3 2004: 2-2 2005: 4-3 2006: 3-22007: 5-0 2008: 3-3
2009: 1-3 2010: 0-2 Total: 28-21 Here’s the breakdown since 2008: 2008 #8 Alabama: Lost 41-30 #22 Vanderbilt: Won 24-14 #13 LSU: Won 52-38 #5 Florida: Lost 49-10 #22 Georgia Tech: Lost 45-42 #18 Michigan State: Won 24-12 2009 #9 Oklahoma State: Lost 24-10 #4 LSU: Lost 20-13 #1 Florida: Lost 41-17 #7 Georgia Tech: Won 30-24 2010 #24 South Carolina: Lost 17-6 #12 Arkansas: Lost 31-24
♦
So there are the numbers. How confident are you that Georgia will buck this trend in Auburn?
♦
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445 comments Add your comment
WAR EAGLE
November 8th, 2010
10:30 am
“ribbing goes with being 10-0 and having a little controversy hanging around…”
Speaking of controversy, I stumbled on an ESPN column about how they love to have controversy surrounding games for ratings. Right now, there isn’t any evidence of any wrongdoing against Cam Newton.
Funny how this works. If Auburn was 3-6, no one would talk about this.
Tommy Tuberville
November 8th, 2010
10:32 am
War Eagle. Didn’t know they turned all the evidence into you making you such an authority on the ordeal. Agree that the blog about Bond, Rogers and the Cryer is all BS. The question is…how did Cam’s Diddy’s church go from broke to above water? Hmmmm? You probably have an answer for that don’t you.
JB
November 8th, 2010
10:34 am
The idea of Richt firing Bobo……..Bobo is the puppet….This IS Richt’s offense…..They run ” percentage” plays until they get behind 2-3 TD’s, and then they cut loose and look pretty good. I don’t see Richt bringing in a high paid Offensive guy and saying, here, help us, I’ll get out of the way, kinda like the Auburn coach did……. Auburn fans listen up….your biggest fear Saturday ought to be getting up by 2 -3 Td’s early, that when the Dawgs start moving and scoring.. Keep it close for 3 Qtr’s and Bobo will stay in the scripted 3 and out mode…………..I ‘m serious…….
Knowall Moreno
November 8th, 2010
10:37 am
GT Mustang, why dont you play QB for the Jackets since Josh is out so we can stomp your butt too!!! Woof Woof Let the Big Dawg Eat!!! Go Dawgs!!! We might lose to Auburn but we ll kick the crap out of the techies, even if they had Josh!!!
Joe Bob Thibodaux
November 8th, 2010
10:37 am
Good Luck WAR EAGLE. I don’t think Georgia has the fire power to win this week but you still have to play the game. Green is a delight to watch, too. Who would have thought Texas A & M could knock off Oklahoma?
Anything can happen.
Go Tigers (thats LSU).
ARdawg
November 8th, 2010
10:37 am
WAR EAGLE
No argument there. If you have a grasp of reality at all you’ll also note that AU has won a number of close games (MS ST, KY and Clem) so luck may also be somewhat of a factor. Nothing wrong with that, luck has a play in most every NC. Bama won a number of close ones last year. They were not the dominating team the Bama fans proclaim they were. I hope your guys lose on Saturday but, if they don’t I wish them well all the way to the BCS. I suspect AU maybe in fact overlooking UGA just a tad. For your sake you should hope they do not. It’s easy to pound the drum for your team while over looking many times, the obvious
JB
November 8th, 2010
10:41 am
Richt ought run the ball All night Saturday, for which I think we can. Hard for Cam to beat us on the bench….limit their possessions and we have a shot……. have a ton of 3 and outs, we lose by 3-4 TD’s…….
OkefenokeeDawg
November 8th, 2010
10:41 am
“….Robert Gibbs and Cynthia Tucker are both Auburn grads.”
*****************************
Whew! WAR EAGLE, I don’t believe I’d a told that . . .
JB
November 8th, 2010
10:44 am
I think Florida’s Defense is better than Auburn’s, and when we got behind, we lit them up….If Dawgs came out and played like that on offense for two halves, They would have a shot. A good one… I think REAL Auburn Fans are looking at this as a big game. A scary one
Dawgs73
November 8th, 2010
10:47 am
“We want to play where we’ll be proud of our effort, and we want the Bulldog Nation to be proud of the way we play,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said Sunday. “We just want to respect the game of football, to the point that every day we practice and every time we play, we play in such a way that we can feel good about it when we go on the field that next Monday, or whatever day it is. That’s what we’re looking for. That’s what I’m looking for, anyway.”
Here’s what I take away from Mark’s above stated quote. We are going to play “hard” and play with “respect”, putting forth “effort”, so we can “feel good” about ourselves and “proud” of our accomplishment. Nowhere in that statement do you see “expect” or “excellence”, or “we are going to put together a great game plan”, or “the players will be ready to compete and win”. This is what bothers me most about Mark and his thought process. He would rather be “proud” in defeat, have his players “respect the game” & “feel good about ourselves” without expectation of winning.
You Ain't-Know Gaily Whacker
November 8th, 2010
10:49 am
The Reporter: Mr. McGarity, you guys seem to have your act together for the Tigers, does Mark feel the same.
Greg: Absolutely, there is nothing clouding Mark’s vision for Saturday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIqLsGT2wbQ
Jeff Schultz
November 8th, 2010
10:59 am
Ray — When things go well, I write positive things. I don’t “spin” at all. I see, I report, I write my opinion. You either like it or don’t like it. Some agree, some don’t agree. Also, for the record: I’ve never written: Georgia needs to fire Mark Richt. If and when I write that, you won’t have to wonder what I’m thinking or use words like “seem”.
Joey
November 8th, 2010
11:04 am
Ray,
Yeah, a 55-7 win, that’s not a positive. Things didn’t go well Saturday. So you get a negative article.
Very fair journalism.
Joey
November 8th, 2010
11:05 am
Jeff is Richt’s biggest fans, all year long, so many positive articles after the wins.
Richard
November 8th, 2010
11:09 am
It won’t matter if Jeff, Mark, Tony, Tim, Chris Low, etc. ALL recommended Richt be fired.
Richt’s the #5 winningest coach, and has 19 top 10 finishes in the last 24 seasons in coaching.
Richt is untouchable.
Joey
November 8th, 2010
11:11 am
AJ Green’s game Saturday, was another negative, you guys need to put on the “AJC” shades/glasses. The defenses 2 intercpetion returns for td’s, bad. murray’s 300 yards passing, bad. Defenses holding to 7 points, bad. all bad, bad, bad.
just a fan
November 8th, 2010
11:13 am
Richt isn’t untouchable he has just earned a lot of get out of jail free cards with his 2 SEC championships and early success
Richard
November 8th, 2010
11:13 am
Forgot to mention Richt’s program has been in the top 10 most profitable 9 seasons in a row.
Trsut me, Richt ain’t goin nowhere, no matter how many journalists write negative articles after 55-7 wins.
Richard
November 8th, 2010
11:15 am
After 9 seasons, Richt isn’t fired. All your theories are wrong.
Richard
November 8th, 2010
11:15 am
The word “positive” AND “Jeff” don’t seem to fit together when it comes to Georgia.
Richard
November 8th, 2010
11:18 am
I must have missed Jeff’s positive article about Georgia after the recent 55-7 win. Can someone please provide a link?
Richard
November 8th, 2010
11:20 am
Ask yourself:
Does the picture in this article accurately represent a coach who just won a game 55-7? Is it a true picture or an attempt to frame Richt in a negative light, despite the 55-7 win?
Rick
November 8th, 2010
11:22 am
Richt has already exceeded expectations for 2010. I had them 3-9, condiering no exp at QB or running the new 3-4, and with AJ out for 4 games, should have been 3-9.
Rick
November 8th, 2010
11:23 am
Georgia should lose to AUburn by 50. Anything better than that, is unexpected suprise.
Ellie
November 8th, 2010
11:25 am
I throw out articles that don’t present things with context.
Is a 28-21 record agsinst top ranked teams good or bad compared to the rest of the SEC coaches?
Ooops, Jeff forgot to provide context again.
Dirty Dawg
November 8th, 2010
11:25 am
I know it’s wishful thinking to believe that we can beat Auburn Saturday…then again think back on the number of times we’ve burst AU’s bubble ‘on the plains’…I will say this…Dog fans be sure to take your rain gear along with you…it ain’t scheduled to rain, as far as I know, but you never can tell when they may decide to start washing down Jordan/Hare (or however they spell hair down that way)…heh, heh, heh.
Ellie
November 8th, 2010
11:27 am
Is a 28-21 record against ranked teams good or bad?
Compared to what?
Jeff didn’t provide the context, again.
Another example, is a 75% career winning % bad?
Compared to what?
OkefenokeeDawg
November 8th, 2010
11:28 am
Congrats, Rick. Most other “experts” had UGA in the top 20 in the NCAA.
I guess if Richt goes 2-10 next year, with AJ in the NFL, he’ll “exceed your expectations” again?
Jeez . . . One player doesn’t make (or break) a team. In case you forgot, Colorado, yeah, 5-losses-in-a-row-since-beating-UGA, Colorado beat UGA with AJ starting.
Dave
November 8th, 2010
11:29 am
If Richt finishes 7-6 in 2010, is that bad?
Saban finished 7-6 his first season putting in the 3-4.
Proper context answers all things correctly.
Dave
November 8th, 2010
11:31 am
Florida lost 3 games ina row without their star RB/WR.
SC lost the game where Lattimore got hurt.
Georgia lost 3 games without top 10 NFL pick AJ Green.
Anyone surprised?
Tom in ATL
November 8th, 2010
11:31 am
Schultz’s Head has struggled to grow hair.
Rick
November 8th, 2010
11:33 am
We’re in 2010, not 2011.
No one really expected georgia to do much in 2010 with 0 experience at the QB position, getting the brand new 3-4 defensive scheme going without the right folks to run it, and losing what 3 or 4 DL to the NFL, Georgia wasn’t a top 25 pick in most polls.
Rick
November 8th, 2010
11:35 am
Just curious, anyone know how Saban did in his first 9 seasons? How does Richt compare?
Dogs Beat Auburn!
November 8th, 2010
11:39 am
After that blowout of idaho, Richt has the dogs back on track—look for a huge upset against Auburn, which is overrated. Grantham’s 3-4 D will shut down newton and force a bunch of turnovers! Dogs win, 30-24!
Rick
November 8th, 2010
11:40 am
85% of Jeff Schultz’s articles about Georgia/Richt are negative.
Scott
November 8th, 2010
11:44 am
Auburn has a 62% chance of beating Georgia according to Accuscore.com
The only way Georgia wins if Murray throws for 2 td’s on 0 int’s, and Ealey runs for more than 68 yards and scores a td.
http://accuscore.com/game-forecast-previews/ncaaf/gameid,510/
Scott
November 8th, 2010
11:45 am
Accuscore gives Auburn an overwheling favrotie, 62% chance of beating Georgia.
Only way Georgia wins is if Murray throws for 2 td’s and 0 int’s, and Ealey runs for 70+ yards and scores a td.
OkefenokeeDawg
November 8th, 2010
11:47 am
“Georgia wasn’t a top 25 pick in most polls.”
***************************
Cut the BS, Rick.
2010 Preseason Polls:
USA Today – UGA 21st
AP – UGA 23rd
SI -UGA 22nd
In another poll, which averages 9 different preseason College football polls to get their rankings, UGA was 23rd.
Rick
November 8th, 2010
11:52 am
SM at SI didn’t have Georgia in his top 25. Wrong. Any poll have Georgia pre-season #1? Don’t think so. No one expected greatness out of Georgia. Phil Steele said Florida would win the SEC East. No accurate pollster had Georgia winning the SEC East in 2010. Get a clue.
Scott
November 8th, 2010
11:57 am
According to accuscore, Georgia must do 3 things to win:
1- Murray throw 2 td’s, 0 int’s
2- Ealey rush for more than 70 yards and score a td
3- Georgia wins TO margin
Tom in ATL
November 8th, 2010
11:59 am
Also – according to accuscore –
1) Georgia must finish the game with more points than Auburn.
OkefenokeeDawg
November 8th, 2010
11:59 am
You’re wrong jackass. Take a gander:
http://www.collegefootballcafeteria.com/rankings/2010-preseason-college-football-rankings/
Dawgs73
November 8th, 2010
12:03 pm
Wow, I can’t believe that I am reading all the blind homer posts again about how UGA is back after beating Idaho State and how the Dawgs are going to beat Auburns? You idiots are part of the problem, you can’t take an objective at this program and see the downward decline that is obvious to those who take of their richt-rose-colored-glasses.
What is it going to take for those of you to see that a change needs to be made. I guess the only way to support our beloved Dawgs is to drastically lower our expectations and be happy that we have a football program…RIDICULOUS!!!
WAR EAGLE
November 8th, 2010
12:10 pm
“The question is…how did Cam’s Diddy’s church go from broke to above water?”
Go call the IRS.
WAR EAGLE
November 8th, 2010
12:11 pm
“I suspect AU maybe in fact overlooking UGA just a tad.”
And how would you know this?
OkefenokeeDawg
November 8th, 2010
12:12 pm
The IRS doesn’t mess with churches, WE. Non-profit status and such.
Sounds like a good business to get into . . .
Jesse Stone
November 8th, 2010
12:14 pm
Rick=Dave=Ellie
Ray
November 8th, 2010
12:20 pm
Thanks Jeff for responding. Maybe I am oversensitive and I have not done a scientific study of your columns—but there does seem to be a negative view of CMR by both you and Mark. I am a regular reader of your work. I am serious about you sitting down with Coach Richt–that would certainly give some perspective. The best voices that I hear concerning CMR is that–he will at least finish out his contract at UGA. It sure would be tough to fire the man that is arguably the best coach in the history of UGA football. Thanks friend. Ray
just a fan
November 8th, 2010
12:24 pm
When is CMR contract set to expire?
OkefenokeeDawg
November 8th, 2010
12:28 pm
I read that Richt is under contract through 2013.