OK, so what happens with Richt if UGA loses in Starkville?
Quality-of-life-wise, it would behoove this man to win next week. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Not to say I’m smart or anything, but the Georgia season has played out the way I figured: Win, loss, loss. (No, I wasn’t so all-seeing as to know A.J. Green wouldn’t have played a down.) I also had the Bulldogs winning eight of the next nine games and finishing 9-3, which I do believe will occur. That said …
The Mississippi State game has long seemed to me the pivot point of Georgia’s season. It’s a game UGA should win, but it’s on the road in a different time zone, and strange things can happen in the realm of the cowbell. And today I pose the musical question: What happens if Georgia doesn’t win in Starkville?
Nothing much, I submit, but I’m willing to concede I might be in the distinct minority. Opening the SEC season 0-3 hasn’t happened under Mark Richt — to be accurate, the Bulldogs have never before been 0-2 in league play under Richt — and would loose all manner of outcry from the masses. Greg McGarity, the new AD, wouldn’t join the chorus, but even a new AD couldn’t help but note the furor.
I say again: I think Georgia is going to be fine. This is a young team with a new quarterback and a new defense that faced two very difficult early games without its best player. I find no dishonor in either defeat. And I expect these Bulldogs will tame the maroon Bulldogs on Saturday in Starkville. But I’m pragmatist enough to grant that this could get ugly if UGA doesn’t.
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992 comments Add your comment
Herschel
September 19th, 2010
4:45 pm
You Georgia fans are so funny. Every year you think your team is going to win the National Championship. You wear your Red and Black until the first loss and then you put it in storage until the next win. Based on the schedule, looks like the next time you will be pulling out the red and black attire will be the day after the Idaho State game…..
CDAWG
September 19th, 2010
4:47 pm
dawgster, good points. I do think we need some help on offense. We need some different looks. I think we go after a top notch OC.
robdawg08
September 19th, 2010
4:49 pm
A fan of a supposedly good SEC team doesn’t expect to be 0-2 in the conference whether its UGA,UF,Bama,or LSU.
2CentsWorth
September 19th, 2010
4:51 pm
It doesn’t matter what game scheme you try to run, Dawg fans. You don’t have the coaches in place to win many games. The coaching staff at UGA is a complete joke and why it is allowed to continue is a genuine puzzle to me. Georgia Puppies = mediocrity. Get ready for a long, long season. Maybe UGA will get invited to the Car Parts Bowl but would not bank on it. Murray is likely wanting a transfer to UF. Ha!!!
CDAWG
September 19th, 2010
4:52 pm
Does anyone on here have any ties to Isaiah Crowell and have any idea which way he is leaning between UGA and AL? If he comes to UGA he could be an immediate starter.
5150 P.O.A.D
September 19th, 2010
4:53 pm
SteveW how do you know UGA will compete for the 12 MNC? You don’t even know what type of team you have right now. Do you really think you have any idea what the dawgs will be like in 12 months muchless in 2012. Get it up. Now dawg fans are starting a new chant of wait for 2 years. AHAHHAHHAA. have to lov the dawgs drinking koolaide
Who Cares?
September 19th, 2010
4:56 pm
1st. UGA will not lose to Miss. State. Nor G.T. As far as Auburn, Tenn. Flordia, and those others, who knows? They fought like HELL with Ark. Saturday. Its easy to sit back in the recliner with popcorn and beer and when its over say, “our playcalling stunk” “we need to fire the defense coach” ” we need to fire the offensense coach”. “CMR has taken this team as far as he can.” YADDA, YADDA, YADDA,. UGA needs to fire the fans.
Andy in Blairsville
September 19th, 2010
4:57 pm
Just think….a couple months from now these same fair-weather UGA fans will post on here (as they do every year) cheering for AL or FL in the SEC title game, then most likely cheering on AL in the NC game under the mentality of if the SEC wins, we win!
We are such big beaten down losers we can hate you during the season, but we will cheer for you once the season is over because our team once again didn’t amount to anything.
GO SEC! GO SEC!
Pathetic, but oh so true.
Mark Richt
September 19th, 2010
4:57 pm
Ha ha, what a sweeeet gig I have. No matter how bad I suck, a coordinator or position coach gets blamed. This has been going on for years. Hell, even the strength and conditioning coach catches heat before I do. And the kicker: I get rich in the process! By the time it all catches up to me and I get booted, I’ll have enough money to buy my own tropical island. Life’s good when your Saint Mark. Peace, God Bless.
Lowell
September 19th, 2010
4:58 pm
Bring back Ray Goff! These ungrateful Jawja fans deserve somebody like him coaching their team. If i was Richt i would pack up and leave these ungrateful rednecks.
2CentsWorth
September 19th, 2010
5:01 pm
CDAWG, please go outside and sit down on your deck. Now pop open a cold Coke or Pepsi, take a few swigs and just think about that question. Which school would you select if you were IC?
Jeff
September 19th, 2010
5:06 pm
I am a Ga Tech fan, but if UGA does loose next weekend the talk of coaching changes is a joke. UGA has a class coach in Mark Richt. UGA may end up winning only 7 or 8 games this year, not every team can win 10, 11 or 12 year after year…there has to be some rebuilding ever so often. I love college football, but I think when a team has an average season people just need to chill. Everybody want their team undefeated. UGA had a decent season last year, and even though I am not a UGA fan, I am sure they will be okay this year and be back to a 9 or 10 win season next year. Dont put any more pressure on your coach. It could be worse, UGA could have lost to James Madison. Mark Richt, your a good Chirstian with great values, but I still have to say…GO Tech. Love them Yellow Jackets. Stay strong Mark Richt.
trey
September 19th, 2010
5:07 pm
If they lose to Miss State: there will be the same number of blogs on AJC set up to attack the UGA football program and the same number of threads on the various bulldog forums around the net calling for CMR to be fired.
Nothing is going to “happen” until the season is over and the dust has settled over the season’s progress/lack of progress. If anybody gets fired, it’ll be Bobo. But I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting on that either.
Seems to me the money alums are perfectly content to keep losing to Florida and I expect that to continue this year. But big losses to Auburn (likely) AND the taliban (not every likely) will put some heat under Bobo’s Bozo butt that a dip in the pool won’t put out.
wildbill
September 19th, 2010
5:11 pm
Adams is going to do nothing about this mess. McGarity is gonna do nothing. CMR is gonna do nothing. Stick all of us with a fork, you know the rest………………..
guy
September 19th, 2010
5:22 pm
CMR needs to take over the reins of offensive play calling as his name is at the top.I wouldn’t care what anyone else thought either.Someone needs to either lead,follow,or get out of the way.The pass coverage is not very good at all even if the correct offensive plays are called.Something is missing!
Athens Police chief
September 19th, 2010
5:24 pm
Interesting that Chris Rainey is no longer on the Gator team even after the charges were dropped. But AJ Green stands on the sideline as a hero to the Georgia faithful. Appears to be some of that FSU Bowden mentality at work.
Lookingforasportswriter
September 19th, 2010
5:25 pm
This team couldn’t compete in Conf USA. Uga has fallen so far now it will take another 5 years to return to Atlanta. That is assuming we hire a new coach for the 2012 season. Bos
Bobo is the biggest joke of all. Consistantly makes bad decisions. Yesterday, we fight back to possibly luck into a win. It is 3rd and 4 with the game in the balance, Bobo decides to pass. What? Run the damn ball twice for four yards. The O-line is suppose to be our rock. Tell those guys to block like it and then your All-American placekicker can win the game as time expires. Instead we get sacked for 8 yards punt and have terrible kick coverage and defense. Our team looked totally gassed. Please someone on our coaching staff on your mistakes and make changes. Mid-year changes are unheard of but now is the right time, at least a demotion.
PappyHappy
September 19th, 2010
5:28 pm
Under Richt (and Adams) problems have developed regarding:
*Recruiting
*Discipline
*Conditioning
*Coaching
AND NOW
*Winning!
You tell me who is responsible! Every weekend we see teams who are led and coached well. Sadly, we also see the reverse — as we saw at Sanford Stadium yesterday!
Bet he could go back to selling insurance — commission only!!
Delbert D.
September 19th, 2010
5:37 pm
Talk about the pressure of coaching at the highest level, this is from the NY Times this morning:
“Michigan State Coach Mark Dantonio had a heart attack late Saturday night, shortly after the Spartans’ thrilling overtime victory against Notre Dame.”
Mich. State won the game with a TD pass by the holder to the tight end on a fake 46 yard field goal attempt. I caught the last 20 minutes or so of that one.
raymond
September 19th, 2010
5:47 pm
If you are going to be a top notch program you have to demand such performance from your coaches and Richt has not done anything in two years. The only way he even gets a next year is by finishing the season strong. They will lose to Fla but need to win the rest. UGA fans look at the schedule and see the Fla game and count it as a loss and it’s a shame we have come to this point.
From 11-3 to 13-1
September 19th, 2010
6:02 pm
If the University of Georgia Bulldogs lose in Starksville,
the season looks very grim.
JB at home
September 19th, 2010
6:02 pm
I watched a great game last night. Clemson at Auburn. I want to talk about Clemson. I saw a head coach COACHING. I saw a Head coach engaged with the players, other coach’s and the ref’s. I saw play calling that had Auburn on it’s heels ALL night. Great plays. Plays that worked. I saw a well coached team. Clemson should have won, but I was impressed by what I saw, Vs. what I’m not seeing in Athens.
Redbuzz
September 19th, 2010
6:05 pm
I agree with most of the others BoBo is calling a horrable game he is the worst OC in the SEC He and CMR both need to go it is amazing how many games the team has one in spite of the coaching. Go talk to the guy with the Blue Field.
JB at home
September 19th, 2010
6:06 pm
Daboo at Clemson last night did a great job. He was coaching, engaged, managing the game and his OC had Auburn on their heels all night. Great play calling and effort.
From 11-3 to 13-1
September 19th, 2010
6:09 pm
By the way,
The Georgia Institute of Technology Yellow Jackets
were the only local college team to win during the first annual
‘” Jeff Schultz Bounce Back Week ”
History in the making.
Delbert D.
September 19th, 2010
6:09 pm
Things that automatically get blocked: any mention of the ** Times, or New Yawk’s big noospaper. I hate using secret codes.
Anyway, I tried to post that Michigan State’s head coach had a heart attack after the game when they beat Notre Dame last night in OT on a fake 46 yard FG/TD pass from the holder to a tight end. He’s okay, though.
Delbert D.
September 19th, 2010
6:12 pm
Something is being censored, either NY Times, Michigan State, fake field goal TD, win in overtime, coach heart attack, or he’s okay.
Delbert D.
September 19th, 2010
6:13 pm
Maybe it was Notre Dame loses.
Delbert D.
September 19th, 2010
6:14 pm
Artificial intelligence is not very.
wildbill
September 19th, 2010
6:17 pm
Steve Spurrier. Hire Steve Spurrier at the end of the year. Let him clean house and build this team up from scratch. One condition, he must fire the recruiters as well as most of the coaches.
BULLDAWG BILL
September 19th, 2010
6:18 pm
A 7-POINT PLAN FOR GREG MCGARITY TO FIX THE MESS THAT IS UGA FOOTBALL
1. FIRE ALL THE COACHES
2. CANCEL THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON
3. REFUND ALL THE MONEY TO THE SEASON TICKET HOLDERS AND HARTMAN FUND DONATIONS AS WELL.
4. DO NOT RENEW ANY OF THE SCHOLARSHIPS
5. HIRE A PROVEN WINNER (AT LEAST ONE BCS OR DIV.1-A CHAMPIONSHIP) AS THE NEW HEAD COACH WITH A $3 MILLION BUDGET FOR ASSISTANTS.
6.LET PREVIOUS SCHOLARSHIP ATHLETES HAVE FIRST “TRY OUT” TO BE ON NEW TEAM
7.RECRUIT SOME PLAYERS WHO WILL STAY OUT OF JAIL AND WANT TO WIN.
From 11-3 to 13-1
September 19th, 2010
6:31 pm
Mr. College Football (Tony Barnhart)
is still waiting for that damn coach (Brian Kelly)
to get his Signature Win
I hope it never happens.
Emorydawg
September 19th, 2010
6:33 pm
Certainly Mark Richt is a morally good person and so is my Sunday school teacher but the latter is not being paid millions to do his job. The fact Rischt is a handsomely paid professional is the point of the discussion. He is paid competitively, he is regarded highly and rewarded with bonuses accordingly as are UM, NS et. al. The fans, University, alumni have a right to expect he perform according to his keep. I don’t care whether he is fired or not from a personal perspective. It would certainly be better for UGA if he buckled down and produced competitively by managing his staff and team effectively. Fans, alumni and University have moral and fiduciary obligations to demand no less. Quit, fire Bobo, chase out Stacey Searels or Tony Ball, Bryan Mclendon, John Lilly or Barbara Dooley, I could care less. Just fix it! He’s getting paid to do it and he darn well should do it. Ten years is too long to produce a stable program. Earn your money or don’t cash your checks. Gitter done!
JB
September 19th, 2010
6:33 pm
aa
JB
September 19th, 2010
6:37 pm
Maybe Richt and Staff could watch the Clemson Staff work a ball game and run and call those plays. ashamed Clemson lost in OT last night ( Parker getting hurt 4th qtr did not help.) but that Clemson staff is impressive. Had Auburn on their heels all night. Daboo is a coach. I laughed when they hired that guy. I’m not laughing now. He COACH’S ! during the game, and I didn’t see him mess or worry about his hair the entire game !!!!!
JB
September 19th, 2010
6:38 pm
WTF……where are my post ?
Slim Pickens
September 19th, 2010
6:39 pm
UGA has two chances to win in Starkville…….SLIM & NONE. The Doggies will fold up like a cheap tent and the other Bulldogs will have their way with the mutts from Athens. Too bad Murray cannot see over the ‘O’ linemen or he might be able to complete more than a 3 yard screen pass. Personally I cannot wait til UT comes to Sanford & Son stadium on October 9th and kicks the Doggies right in the nads. Barbara Dooley will be there wearing her orange and signing Rocky Top all night loooooooooooooong!! LMAO!
Beach Dawg
September 19th, 2010
6:40 pm
You could tell Saturday that Coach Richt’s emphasis certainly hasn’ t been defense. Even 15 SPF could have prevented the sunburn he had on his nose.
mike5385
September 19th, 2010
6:40 pm
Told you the problem 3yrs ago…recruiting…..30 yrs in coaching game..5star guys are not true 5 star..Media hype these guys and it spreads like weeds…Recruiting is not like years of old..so the quality talent you get changes as well…Thats why the NFL ROSTER each yr consist more of no name guys ..Tell you what you get 11 5star and i`ll hand pick mine and will kick your but 9 out of 10 times..Alot of big high schools guys get that title…nuggets are there at small schools that fit your scheme…you got to know how to find`em….Bobby Bowden and many others agree…Samething in Basketball.
JB
September 19th, 2010
6:40 pm
We got trouble. I’m nervous about that Tenn game. If Mark let’s Tenn. come to Athens and win, he’s lost the team. And a job
Emorydawg
September 19th, 2010
6:46 pm
My above post should read: “Ten years is too long NOT to produce a stable program.”
Best Onion Rings is . . . The Varsity
September 19th, 2010
6:48 pm
.
Aaron Murray is for real.
joe
September 19th, 2010
6:48 pm
0-3 = CMR fired
Ed
September 19th, 2010
6:48 pm
I doubt that, JB. If we lose to Tennessee, the fans will just call for Bobo’s head, or Grantham’s, or Searel’s, or McGarrity’s even…anyone but Richt’s. It’s baffling.
harold
September 19th, 2010
6:49 pm
Richt is not a great coach. HE IS A NICE MAN!
Kool Aid
September 19th, 2010
6:50 pm
Richt is fine. Mark my words UGA will go undefeated for eternity. Mark my words.
Herschel
September 19th, 2010
6:53 pm
Mark has ordered red panties for this week’s game at Starkville. That ought to work.
DMR
September 19th, 2010
7:00 pm
The “DEFLECTION” coming from the coaching staff is more deafening than the cries from the alumni. I saw some fight in this team. I saw a lack of willing to take some accountability from the coaching staff; specifically Mike Bobo. This is just like when all the pundits were killing fans when they said Richt should hire an O.C. to do the play calling, so he could focus on the “WHOLE” team. The fans were right then…they are right now. Grantham will get the pieces and this defense will get a whole lot better. Bobo cannot be the best Georgia can find to give direction and identity to our offense. It will soon be time for Greg McGarity to earn his dough and have a heart to heart with Mark Richt about how to improve this team and Its perception across the Country.
Who Cares?
September 19th, 2010
7:04 pm
JAWJA TEK beat a powerhouse team saturday. The noath karolia ter heals. That should move them up to 55th place.
John
September 19th, 2010
7:08 pm
Heard a good rumor today: Mark Richt is going to quit after the season and go into missionary work full, instead of part time. Leo Durocher had it right.