I’ve got a couple of well-reasoned summaries of what’s been an up-and-down season worth a look.
From David Ching…
There was a time not so long ago where Mark Richt was arguably having one of his better coaching seasons as Georgia’s head Bulldog in charge. Today, you won’t find anyone who would make that argument.
Not after Richt’s decision to squib kick with 18 seconds left in regulation against Georgia Tech – a call that he later ranked among his dumbest decisions as Georgia’s coach – gave the Yellow Jackets time to tie the game with a last-second field goal and then win in overtime.
Or after a consistently terrible Florida offense suddenly looked like the mid-90s Nebraska Cornhuskers by running all over Georgia’s defense in an enormous upset, following two road wins where the Bulldogs seemingly could do no wrong.
Such has been the peaks-and-valleys nature of this season for the Bulldogs — and that’s saying something at UGA, which frequently ranks among the nation’s most schizophrenic programs.
… and Seth Emerson:
For this team, it has been a year of great highs: Clemson, Auburn, Missouri two days after Gurley’s sudden suspension, and Arkansas the next week.
But the lows have been just as great: South Carolina and the first-and-goal fiasco; Georgia Tech and the squib kick decision; and worst of all, the egg-laying against a Florida team so bad it fired its head coach two weeks later.
It’s also a season that isn’t over. A good way for this Georgia program to feel better about itself would be to win a bowl game and have a 10-win season, the ninth in Mark Richt’s 14-year tenure.
I don’t think there’s even a slight possibility Mark Richt will be canned, even if the bowl game generates another loss, but after reading several days of comments here and elsewhere, there’s little doubt that the way the 2014 regular season ended has left a sour taste in plenty of Georgia fans’ mouths. And there is a segment of folks out there who clearly want the program to move on, coachingwise.
Which leads to today’s reader poll. It’s not just a simple should-he-stay-or-should-he-go temperature taking. A couple of your comments have made me wonder how much of my experience as someone who’s followed the program for the better part of four decades has factored into my attitude about the program. So this poll is constructed with a twist, as you’ll see.
As always, comments are appreciated. I think this is a subject that deserves thoughtful response. (Meaning it wouldn’t kill some of you to be a little bit more respectful of others as you express your opinions.) So have at it.
Get The Picture 
I think Mark Richt is a 9-10 win coach, assuming 13 games. But the risk of change is worse than the downside of keeping him. And, people can grow and change.
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That’s interesting, because he’s won more than 10 games multiple times, the last being two seasons ago.
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I was thinking average.
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He’s won less, too. Remember 2010? 2009? 2013? I won’t go through them all. But he does average close to 10 wins per year which is pretty good, IMHO.
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2013 is not a result of coaching, I blame injuries on 2013 and choose to grant a pass on that one
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Fear of making a worse decision is not a reason to keep making a wrong decision in this case.
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I read a lot of Russian history and literature. And I’m a Royals fan. This experience has taught me that things can – and often do – get worse. Much worse.
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Unless you think the worse decision is the wrong decision.
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That’s a truism and generally sound, but you can’t assume in your assertion that keeping Richt is the wrong decision. That’s the big question. Also, you’ll never know whether you made the right or wrong decision except in hindsight.
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I was implying that dismissing Richt could result in far worse than we already expect. The shadow of Ray Goff looms large in my memory.
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I get ya. I was replying to Otto. You and I are more or less in the same group.
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Look at Tennessee they still have not recovered from getting rid of Fulmer
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I said 20+ and keep him, though it wasn’t easy. Someone said yesterday he doesn’t have 14 years of head coaching experience, he has one year of coaching experience 14 times. I think that is well said
I agree with CMR that we are damn, damn close. My issue is that HE is part of the reason we can’t make it over the top. I hate blaming the culture at BM – the culture at BM isn’t what caused us to lose 3 games this year.
DESPITE the culture at BM, DESPITE ridiculously bad injury luck, DESPITE a lack of talent and depth among DBs, DESPITE a noodle armed first year starter at QB, DESPITE gurley-gate, DESPITE feeling like the refs are always against us, we COULD have been and frankly SHOuLD have been undefeated this year. So we are doing something right
I believe that at some point soon the stars will align, the ball will bounce our way and we will find a way to win the games we have found a way to lose (GT and SC, this year) and either will show up for every game or will somehow find a way to avoid our annual bed wetting and will reach the next level.
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Completely agree. We have more former players in the NFL than anyone, so it isn’t talent. We have good, sometimes great, coaches. Often we look like we could beat the Patriots.
But then he has to make a late game decision….This goes back to his early head coaching days when he was horrible with clock management. He knew it and spent time with an ‘expert’ – I think Hoke Smith, but not sure about that – and it helped some. But in pressure situations he clearly has trouble making a sound decision to this day. He needs to recognize that he has a problem. He is good at assessing people’s talents. He needs to figure out who on his staff is good at pressure decisions, and let them make the call. The rest of the time, recruiting, hiring, game planning, etc. he’s a great head coach.
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You’re too quick to dismiss BM as a significant problem in Athens. And that’s the main reason I voted to keep Richt.
While BM probably couldn’t have spared Gurley from being suspended for one or two games, it very well might have prevented him from being suspended for four games. That means he would have been available for the Florida game. So perhaps that game would have turned out differently.
And anyone who thinks that, if the impossible somehow happened and Nick Saban left Bama for UGA, that he would be just as successful in Athens without legions of consultants, a hostile police force, a Puritanical moral code to enforce, and a miserly administration is fooling themselves.
Some coaches could do better than Richt in Athens. Many would do worse. And B-M has given no indication that they are capable of determining the difference.
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I’m in the <20 year camp and also chose the Keep Richt option. And like you, the choice was edgy but your DESPITES are what lent some weight to my thinking.
Could the '14 team have played "smart" in a few key situations this was an 11-1 and in the SECC kind of year. Which would have been impressive given the abundant distractions. Then again, how does "playing smart" overcome a bogus holding call that wipes out a 55-yard TD (USC)?
The one aspect that has stuck to me though is that in two clutch pressure situations at the end of games (1st-Goal at the USC 4yl … Inside the GT 10yl in OT) the Dawgs 5th year Sr. QB couldn't deliver. I'm hoping he goes out well in the Bowl.
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Really. I thought the QB delivered when he rallied the team to take the lead at GT with only 18 seconds left.
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Late on this, I know. He rallied the team once but as we saw not finally (as in the USC game). All the “rallies” in the world don’t matter much when the end result is a loss.
But in a general sense, over the long haul of the season, I saw Mason as effective and mostly undone by the absence of his battering ram, Gurley.
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Neither fire him or praise him. Give him an ultimatum. He will receive no contract extension or pay raise until he makes the playoffs. The AD or himself should come out and say that. The goal of the program is a national championship. He has a few more years to accomplish it but if he can’t pass the baton. I would go ahead and name Pruitt his heir apparent as well that way we don’t lose him in the interim.
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You can’t name a coach in waiting. That coach then becomes restricted for recruiting.
Also basing extensions and raises on the playoffs will hasten the pace towards a 16 team playoff.
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So, give the head coach with 14 years experience who wins at a 75% clip an ultimatum and make a coach with 2 years experience as a DC and no head coaching experience the coach in waiting? Sounds like a really sound plan.
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Yes, but that’s about the best case scenario when you – as noted in the post – assess the program as a whole (that is, UGA’s approach to these things). I mean, I think it’s more likely Bobo would be given the job. It wasn’t his defense getting ripped in Jax.
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Bonedawg’s suggestion seems misguided even by B-M standards.
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Yeah, but his offense only scored 20 that day – don’t think you can hang Jax entirely on the D. But Bobo’s done an awfully good job this year – the two “middlin'” performances (Florida and GT) are 2 of our 3 losses.
Leaving out the cupcakes – Georgia pts scored:
45 35 35 44 34 45 20 63 34 24
Our D is slowly getting there, I think. We’d be in clover if CJP could get it where we’re routinely holding the opposition in the high teens or twenties.
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Let’s see how many teams over the next few years interview Bobo for head coach and how many interview Pruitt. If Bobo was that great, he would already be gone. Pruitt took a below average defense and improved their standing significantly in many categories in one season and FSU was a totally different team this year without him. He didn’t make the decision to squib kick at the end of the GT game or throw it inside the 5 yard line on 1st on goal in the USC game. He is a Saban disciple and has the fire that Richt will never have. You don’t think Jimbo Fisher knew he would be strongly considered for the job before Bowden left? You don’t advertise it but there are ways of letting him know.
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Fisher had 7 years experience as a position coach and almost 10 as an OC before he was even hired at FSU. Pruit may end up being a great head coach, but how anyone can know that now is beyond me.
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I know the voting is early (36 as I post) but over 90% say he should stay. Yet the media portrays it as the UGA fan base is all riled and want him gone, based on a few voices and even more trolls. I want this team to win it all as much as anyone. I was in the stands for the 1980 season and loved it. However, I recognize that only one team of 120 can win it all and the odds are hard to overcome. Last thing we need is to turn over a staff that has us in the discussion yearly. I know Richt needs to make fewer game management mistakes but it appears to me he has begun to adapt. Evidence for that is emphasis on special teams, forth down tries, and a little more pedal to the metal in games. If he continues to morph, the recruits keep coming, and fate smiles, this team can win it all.
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The program has reached a point that it is considered just “average” outside of UGA circles. I’ll argue that of all SEC coaches, Richt has consistently done less with more (talent wise) with Pinkel doing the most with less. Even if we make a change, I would expect the program to spend some time in the wilderness before building itself back up. The difference is the Georgia program should be able to do it quicker. The cupboard is not bare and the talent level in the state is at a level that a rebuild should be much quicker (as compared to Tennessee). There is no excuse given the resources of the university and the high school talent in state for this program not to be challenging for national titles.
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Pinkel lost to Indiana. That is a worst loss than any I think off the top of my head in the last 10 years here at GA. Yes we lost to Vandy when they got a crap ton of breaks, happens. But Mizzou lost to Indy at home, at home.
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Not too mention UGA absolutely pasted them in their own damn building as well.
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I’d like to draw your attention to 2010 Colorado.
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At least that was on the road
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I was 20+ and keep him. It seems that the 20+ people remember the Goff and Donnan days too well and are not ready to give up on Mark Richt just yet.
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That’s where I fall. I grew up a Dawg fan, but my freshman year was Goff’s first as head coach. The program was a mess. There were high moments–the night we beat Clemson after the Braves clinched the division in 1991 was amazing–but one of my jobs was working at a place that sold UGA tshirts, etc., and the way the sales just trickled to almost nothing for even a $9 shirt that said “GEORGIA” was chilling.
The reason I could afford season tickets when I graduated was the Athletic Assoc was essentially spotting newish grads the donation for the first year or so, even though it was only about $200. I was able to request and receive South side of the stands, on an aisle, and that’s exactly what I was given.
That type of desperation, that lost decade from 1989 to 2000 when the Athletic Association was essentially bribing new grads to buy season tickets, that’s how you end up with a mindset that prioritizes the bank account over everything else.
I do like Richt, and (generally) how he runs the program–I certainly wouldn’t hitch my livelihood and reputation to a bunch of college boys for even Saban money–but I also feel sure that even if he has a terrible year (which this wasn’t), given the current administration at Butts-Mehre, plus the way the college football coaching market has changed since the 1990s, if Richt leaves, we’d end up not just missing him, but possibly the Goff and Donnan years as well. My fear is that we’d look at UT and think what happened there wasn’t so bad. Good lord.
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That’s when I started, too. Probably, ahem, finished later than you did, but you’re right…it was a dark time. No enthusiasm. Highs were few and far between — the aforementioned tomahawk chop Clemson game, thumping LSU at home in 1991. Thing is, it feels worse in retrospect; who could have known, in 1990, that UF was starting a decade of dominance?
If we could have dug a little deeper in 1992, we could have reversed the trend. Lost two games by a total of five points. Sheesh.
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My second year was Goff’s first. So, yeah, that signaled the beginnings of the Dark Time. That crazy OT game against Auburn was the next time I felt good about anything. I never want to return to the Dark Time.
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So I think it comes down to asking yourself would you rather be Auburn over the last 10 years or UGA.
I will take a national championship, a trip to a national championship game, and 3 SEC championships that come with 3 different coaches, 2 losing seasons and one season with a winless SEC record rather than 10 consecutive bowl appearances with only 1 SEC championship.
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I’ll be a drama queen here and say I sense an existential crisis within our program. “The Georgia Way” can’t be used any longer to smugly dismiss those who challenge the way things are done at BM, especially since we have nothing to show in the way of championships or respect from the broader college athletics community for our moral high ground.
At a minimum, I want to see an IP facility forthwith and our marijuana testing program changed. Weed is now legal in four states and Nick Marshall was caught in Georgia with pot in his car and didn’t even get arrested. McMilquetoast needs to realize how quickly society is changing on this subject. He also needs to learn how to deal with thorny situations and not pop off and humiliate people much more important to the program than he is (Gurley, Pruitt).
I am also bothered by the misuse of players like Langley and Green. Can anyone say we wouldn’t have benefitted from those guys playing at their natural positions this year? Instead, we dicked around, shifting them back and forth, and I can see why they wanted to leave.
In terms of coaching
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….I say keep Richt. He is completely bewildering at times, and it drives me crazy that he doesn’t seem to learn from previous errors like clock management and situational decisions like the squib kick. Somehow he has assembled the second highest rated recruiting class in the nation, and I certainly don’t want to endanger that.
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I’m neutral on the subject of Richt, aside from my obvious misgivings about B-M’s ability to select an improvement as a replacement, but I will say that keeping a head coach to avoid cratering a promising recruiting class is a bad justification. If the next man is a quality hire, there will be other classes.
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Blutarsky, I would like to see a poll on McGarity. As I looked at our record, I realize that anything less than 9 wins against our schedule would have been an absolute catastrophe. With 3 out of conference cupcakes next year and the 2 usual ones inside, all we have to do to get to 9 wins is play .500 ball against the rest. I have drafted a letter regarding this to Morehead, as well as the game “experience” with the “nooner” game factor, his handling of the Gurley situation and several other “money” related factors. I am an upper level donor for more than 30 years. I support Richt with some reservations related to the ease of our schedule vs. the Avg. 9 wins department. I won’t continue to support as significantly the Athletic Department stances degrading my game-day experience and donations.
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I actually apologized to Clemson and Auburn fans for the 30-45 minute waits to get into the stadium through the Reed Hall entrance. And these were people who assembled almost an hour before the start of the game. Add to that the continued concessions nightmare, the nooners, and watered down schedules (Southern? Nicholls State?) and you have a diminished game day experience.
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I’ll probably do something along those lines in the spring.
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Magnus replacement phrase for The Georgia Way:
“Instead, we dicked around,”
What is The Georgia Way?
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With apologies for the theft to Jim and Jake.
Been Dazed and Confused for so long it’s not true.
Wanted a football, never bargained for you.
Lots of people talkin’, few of them know
Soul of a football team was created below.
You hurt and abuse tellin’ all of your lies.
Run around sweet baby, Lord how you hypnotize.
Sweet little baby, I don’t know where you’ve been.
Gonna love you baby, here I come again.
Every day I work so hard, bringin’ home my hard earned pay
Try to love you baby, but you push me away.
Don’t know where you’re goin’, only know just where you’ve been,
Sweet little baby, I want you again.
Been dazed and confused for so long, it’s not true.
Wanted a football team, never bargained for you.
Take it easy baby, let them say what they will.
Will your tongue wag so much when I send you the bill?
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Oh…keep him as long as we can.
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I said 20+ and keep him. We had not appeared in the SECCG until he arrived – we’ve done it 5 times since. Our winning percentage over the last 14 years is one of the highest in the country and would be the highest in college football if the program were only 14 years old. Coach Dooley won 6 SEC championships (3 of which were shared). Coach Richt hasn’t had the luxury of sharing a championship in today’s world, so Dooley’s 3 solo titles in a conference of 10 members compared to Richt’s 2 in a conference of 12 now 14 members is a wash. Similar to TDawg above, I remember what UGA football was between 1984 and 2000. While I would love to have a 3rd national championship on the mantle, we would be nuts to make a change given the facts considered without the emotion.
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Dooley also had the benefit of only 6 SEC games per year, with permanent opponents consisting of Ole Miss, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Florida, and Auburn. We played Tennessee, LSU and Alabama once every five years.
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Very good point about the schedule both the opponents and the 6-game conference schedule
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See…the thing is, I remember the dark days of the end of Wally Butts, and the dark days of Johnny Griffith, I remember the good times under Dooley, and the head-scratchers under Dooley. Donnan and Ray? meh…I had seen much worser.
It got so bad around junior high, I started reading about ice hockey.
Lose a game or two or three? Fire the coach? This whole conversation is a little weird to me.
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Excellent points as usual, Scorp. Butts and Griffith were before my time, but my father feels the same way as you about a change at the top.
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+1
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It’s interesting that you picked 20 years as your line of demarcation. I’d say those of us about my age (mid-30s), that have basically exactly 20 years are some of the most vocal that fresh blood is needed. We came on at the tail end of Goff (I started going to games in 92), then became more invested and attended UGA during the Donnan/Richt changeover. When I graduated in spring of 04, I was pissed because I was certain I was going to miss a NC season. Ten years later, we’re still waiting and actually feel just as far if not further away.
We don’t have any of the Dooley years as memories, and though I remember, a lot of us can’t relate to the Goff years. We just feel like we’re sitting here as OSU under Cooper.
For the record, I don’t want Richt canned. I want to see what Pruitt can do with his own recruits. But I do feel like Summer is coming to an end for Richt. If he voluntarily resigned tomorrow, I wouldn’t be heartbroken either.
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I’m mid-30’s and am a vote to keep him. But honestly, the Cooper comparison is the one you have to really think long and hard about. There are certainly differences (Cooper had been a HC 11 years prior to taking the job at OSU, he flat out couldn’t win bowl games or games against Michigan…the Big 10 was really a 2 team league for most of his tenure and he couldn’t beat the other team)….but there are an awful lot of similarities, too.
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We are in a precarious spot — we know we this program is capable of more yet we remember the dark days of Goff and Donnan. To make a comparison, Florida fans think they are entitled to a championship each year — they are not. Gator fans are spoiled and arrogant and fail to recall that they had nothing before Spurrier (not ONE SEC title in over 70 years!) yet they believe they should be a “playoff” team every year. The interesting thing is that they believe this for many of the same reasons we believe that UGA can be better — talent, facilities, alumni and fan support, ie resources.
So what makes the two fan bases and programs different? I believe it’s an institutional mindset that begins at the top with Bernie Machen and Jeremy Foley. Florida is out to win championships, bottom line. It is their stated goal and they really don’t tolerate much less on any level. Whether it’s their arrogance or hubris, it’s what they believe and it is their goal. Period.
The University of Georgia however tends to be more conservative with their goals and the way they go about creating the Georgia culture. It’s not that our leadership doesn’t want to win big, of course they do, it’s that they sometimes appear scared to say that they want to be GREAT. So while I don’t espouse Florida’s famous arrogance, I would like to see our leaders and coaches make a collective statement and say that we are this to win it all. We will do it the right way, the Georgia way whatever you want to call it, but we dare to be great. We have the potential (in spades) — it’s time.
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But Jax, it seems to me we are doing everything you want….the difference is that we have not won it all yet.
I suspect that pressure to push the envelope will make the conservative mind withdraw into its shell.
Georgia has won one national championship in my fandom and we had to have help from (dear God almighty) Georgia Tech and God to get in that game.
The tremendous pressure the new system puts on Georgia…that you win it all or you don’t count…I don’t think we will adjust to this quickly if at all.
I would hope Florida has learned a great lesson about titles at all costs. Trouble with that lesson seems to be part of the culture in Florida.
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Spurrier changed the mindset at Florida. He said “look at all the talent and resources here, there is no reason we can’t dominate”. And they did, and he didn’t apologize for it. And I happen to respect that. Problem is those days are over for them because the fans got too spoiled. There is a fine line between our DESIRE to win big and Florida’s ENTITLEMENT mentally.
He made Florida realize they were better than they thought they were. Who is doing that for us now? As much as I respect Mark Richt, his humility comes at a cost sometimes. I don’t want an arrogant jerk, but I think effective leadership sometimes takes bold stances. Make a stance — dare to be great. Someone please demand Overachievement. Machen, right or wrong, demands it. Where is UGA’s President on this? Fred Davidson was vocal about his expectations. Maybe that’s dangerous for a president these days but it doesn’t stop many of them.
Remember “knocking the lid off this program”???? That statement let everyone know that Richt got it at the time.
It appears to me that Richt is running low on gas, maybe Pruitt and the other new staff members can provide him with some ethanol-free high test.
Otherwise we are looking at the norm until Richt retires.
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Jax I think you are asking the right questions of the right people, while Jere Moorehead does have people he answers to, I would love to hear him say he would like to have a glass football or two before he retires.
I won’t hold my breath.
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Well said.
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Without denigrating anyone….
20+ and he needs to go. And the poll results are now trending similarly.
My Nebraska alum CFO said it best, “I hope Lincoln doesn’t pursue Richt – we just got rid of mediocrity.”
SC, Fla and GT losses are all pinned on Richt (1st & goal, unprepared Jax & Squib). Superior coaching gets you over the hump in all three games. SUPERIOR we don’t have.
The risk (FEAR) of replacement, in my opinion, is worth the reward. I think a change would bring immediate & positive results!
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Nebraska’s about to get a harsh dose of reality when they roam in the 5 – 7 wins range for a while.
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+1
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…in the Big 10
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Better check those poll results again QuickDraw.
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20+ years and it is time for a change. The program appears to be stuck in 3rd gear (2 to 4 losses per year). It has been 10 years since a Richt lead Georgia team has won the SEC. South Carolina is currently on par with UGA, if not better. Mezzo has now been in the. SEC for 3 years and has represented the East in the SECCG for 2 of those years. It is a given that Georgia will lose a game or 2 annually that it has zero business losing. Richt continues to struggle with late game situations in Richt. His unwillingness to over sign (by 2-3 additional kids) given the known offseason departures for weed, guns, theft etc. has hurt the depth and on field performance for multiple years now. It will not happen, but time for change is now.
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You mean 6-6 South Carolina? Or is there some other South Carolina I forgot about?
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Your comment about South Carolina completes invalidates everything you said. They just had a horrible season and aren’t bringing in the talent like they had been.
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Yet they still continue to beat Georgia on the regular. Why? Their coach does more with less. Richt does less with more. Yet another reason that Richt should be fired.
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20+/Keep
I’d also be curious to see how the numbers fall across graduates and/or season ticket holders.
Very disappointed with how this past weekend played out, but looking back over the changes coming into the season, unexpected personnel losses before and during the season, I’d still rate this as a great coaching job for the season.
Looking ahead, the lack of razor sharp decision making in key situations is my top concern. But there is huge upside with consistent winning, recruiting, and a likely to expand playoff field.
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I’d also like to know how the numbers fall across actual UGA graduates. It feels like that the loudest bunch in the FIRE RICHT!!! camp didn’t even go to the school (at least the folks I know).
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That is the case among my friends who are UGA fans. I know it’s anecdotal, but it has proven true for me.
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Richt made a few boneheaded choices this year, just like every coach does. Do I need to bring up Saban’s field goal attempt against Auburn last year? We are going in the right direction and we are bringing in the right recruits. FSU had the #1 & #2 class of recruits in 2011 & 2012, Alabama has been top 5 since 2008, that’s why they are who they are right now. We have a #2 2015 class, with a decent shot at #1, right now. 2016 is shaping up the same. Change coaches now….really??
People were worried about Joe Cox 2.0 and an empty secondary to start the season, now they are salty that we dropped 3 games and missed the playoffs. It sucks only getting close, but we are right there. There are 100+ FBS football teams, they all have the same goal; only one can win it all each year. I take the long view and I remember the 90’s all too well, I am happy with Richt at the helm.
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So I am 20+ alumnus and I voted to keep but I would say we were closer in 2004 to a national championship than 2014. Here are the numbers…..
Richt first 7 years – 72-19, 2 SEC champs, 4 division champs
Richt last 7 years – 63-29, 0 SEC champs, 2 division champs
We just seem to be getting worse despite improved recruting classes.
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I’m in the <20 years and keep Richt camp. Yes his decision making can be mind boggling at times, but I think he does give us a good shot to compete for titles regularly.
And Bonedawg, I don't exactly think it's fair to break it down first 7 and last 7. We all know the BVG days are better than the WM days. Our last 2 DCs haven't lit the world on fire, and I'm willing to let Pruitt get at least 1 more year (although preferably 2) to see some improvement on that side of the ball. If Bobo can lose one of the SECs most decorated QBs AND Todd Gurley for half a season and STILL score more points I think we'll be okay on offense knocks on wood, so if we can get some improvement in the defense I think it'll help shift the trend back towards the first 7 years.
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2004 is 8 years before 2012 and 2014 is 2 years after. I’d say you’re wrong.
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Except for the fact CMR lost that game for us. Spike the ball!! You didn’t need downs at the end of the game, you needed time, and an offense all on the same page without confusion.
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20+ and need new blood…I can’t say I want the man fired, but I have no faith that he’s the coach to lead this program to a national Championship….although as has been stated, the Athletic Department is the real problem…
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Agreed a good hire may lead UGA to improve, a bad hire may clean out B-M. Yes we would suffer for a while if the second happens but sometimes growth hurts.
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I’ve been a fan of the program for less than 20 years and I voted that I think it’s time for a change. I’ve said very recently that I think he should stay, but the more I think about it the more I keep going back and forth.
For starters, I honestly believe, 100%, that we’ll never win another SEC championship with Richt. Further, I genuinely believe that we were a Top 5 team this season when playing to our potential, and that we’d easily win the SEC if we were playing in the game this Saturday. Yet in spite of this, we couldn’t even win one of the weakest divisions in the Power 5. This, to me, is unacceptable and it’s been happening for far too long. The 2012 season looks more and more like a lucky glitch than a promise of things to come.
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Well thought out response but the 11-1 regular season in 2012 wasn’t a lucky glitch. That team was darn good especially on offense.
We were clearly one of the best teams in the country at the end of September last year before all of the injuries in Knoxville. The team this year was schizophrenic with a first year starting QB and inexperience on defense including the new staff.
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“We were clearly one of the best teams in the country at the end of…”
This is what irks me the most. How many times could we have realistically said this in the past 10 years? 2006 maybe? Definitely 2007, 2012, and heck maybe even 2014 before the Florida fiasco. And how many times has it resulted in an SEC championship? Zero since 2005. Heck, we’ve only even played one competitive game in the SEC championship since then.
I’m not one who expects a MNC every year, but I do expect an SEC Championship more than once a decade, and I will be pleasantly surprised if we ever get one again with CMR at the helm. To be even more honest, I’d be pleasantly surprised if we even make it to the SEC championship game and play competitively (the only reason the 2012 game was competitive is because of the fluke blocked field goal returned for a TD which essentially caused a 10 point swing, but I’ve already hashed out my thoughts on that before).
I still enjoy a good win as much as anybody, but I’m honest with myself about what we’re capable of.
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I don’t disagree with your expectations in regard to SEC Championships more that once a decade. The thing you have to take into account is that NO ONE from the SEC East has won the SEC Championship since 2008. and Florida is the only one who has one from the East since (yep you guessed it) UGA in 2005. The SEC West has been on a different plane than the rest of the country the last 8-10 years because of the oversigning and greyshirting that every last one of them did during that time. Since the SEC stepped in and capped the number at 25 per class and limited the number of count backs for early enrollers you will see the pendulum start to swing back to the center where every on is on somewhat equal footing.
You are way off base on being non competitive in the SECCG the last two times as well. The 2012 game was one of the best football games (if not THE best) that I have ever seen on any level. Both teams played their asses off and we just happened to come up a little bit short. There is nothing to be mad or ashamed about from that game. The 2011 game was completely deceptive from a final score standpoint. Our defense held them without a first down in the first half. Our receivers don’t get a case of the yips and we are up 21-0 at half time. The punt return before the half was aided by a block in the back that was clearly visible on TV but mysteriously not called on the field (insert conspiracy theory here).
The 2013 team would have made it 3 SECCG appearances in a row if not for the rash of injuries. With a healthy Gurley we don’t lose to Missouri or Vandy and 99 times out of 100 the ball at the end of the Auburn game falls to the turf.
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There’s a lot of “what-ifs” in your 2011 SECCG game, and football games are 60 minutes, not 30. I actually conceded that the 2012 game was competitive. Anyway…
“The SEC West has been on a different plane than the rest of the country the last 8-10 years because of the oversigning and greyshirting that every last one of them did during that time.”
UGA has only won the East twice since 2005 and the West being all-powerful has had very little to do with that. The SEC East may very well never be as weak again as it has been since Tebow left Florida in 2009, yet we only have two division titles to show for it in those 5 years. What makes you think we’ll fare better once Florida gets back on track and Tennessee recovers from the Kiffin/Dooley era? Mind you, we barely beat TN most years despite their dumpster fire status. The balance of SEC talent swinging from the West back to a more neutral status is trouble for the Dawgs.
Really the only thing any reasonable fan can hang their hopes on is that Pruitt FINALLY gives the Dawgs a formidable defense to match our offense. Maybe then we’ll capitalize on whatever lucky breaks come our way.
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I’m only going to argue with your ‘the only reason it was competitive’ take…UGA averaged 3.9 ypc against a D that allowed less than 2.5 per game that season…the only other team that ran like that against Bama in 2012 won (TAMU). UGA put up 8.3 yards per pass…again the highest against Bama in 2012 and well above their average. Calling that play a 10 point swing assumes the offense doesn’t score on the next possession.
Anyway…the team that beat the stew out of Mizzou, Clemson, and Auburn would have been plenty capable of beating Bama this year.
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“Anyway…the team that beat the stew out of Mizzou, Clemson, and Auburn would have been plenty capable of beating Bama this year.”
If the team that beat Mizzou, Clemson and Auburn showed up we’d have laid a whooping on Bama.
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Unfortunately, it was the same team that played USC, UF, and GT. When you get wildly different outcomes with the same personnel, I think the problem lies with preparation and coaching rather than the players. Alabama doesn’t show up for every game either (Arkansas) but Saban figures out how to win.
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See, I sat through eight years, at the end of each season, in Athens or Atlanta, sitting in the stands deeply bummed each time, losing to Georgia Tech….most folks can not even begin to conceive of the horror of this…I thought…”God, I am going to go back to school Monday and all those Tech fuckers…all those assholes that jumped on them cause they were winning…are gonna make all those snide remarks for days and days.”
What is it? two, three losses to Tech in 20 years….and you guys want BETTER???? From my point of view that sounds as arrogant as…well Florida fans.
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“two, three losses to Tech in 20 years….and you guys want BETTER????”
Do you really believe that losing to Tech is the only reason people want Richt gone?
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Actually, right now, yes. If we were 10-2, in the Top 10 and looking at an Orange or Peach Bowl invitation with a potential top 5 finish, no one who is howling would be.
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So do you think losing to GT was the be-all end-all, or the straw that broke the camel’s back?
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That’s the truth right there.
You can’t lose to Tech. Period.
I think it’s a good thing that it at least takes multiple losses to force the administration’s hand. If we lose 2 of 3 or 3 of 4, we’ll have a new coach. But it’ll take a complete meltdown for there to be a change otherwise.
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Good question – my opinion is that it’s the straw that broke the camel’s back for a number of people who have called for the firing of Richt/Bobo/Grantham/whoever is the current whipping boy after a loss.
I think this game became the be-all, end-all for some people because we aren’t going to Atlanta after whipping Missouri (the frustration was building up here on Friday after the Arky/Mizzou game), the way we lost to Florida, and just a loss of any kind to tech.
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I agree, the Mizzou/Arkansas (well, Mizzou/Tenn and Mizzou/A&M too really) game has a lot to do with all this angst. If that game turns out differently most of us would still be expecting a solid performance this week against Bama and wouldn’t think the program is in total disrepair.
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Poll question should have really been how long have you maintained season tickets and do you want him to stay/leave.
Most of the folks that want him to go probably havent been to a game or bought season tickets in years, if ever. Who gives a shit what people who dont support the team think.
From previous polls we already know that the majority of commenters on this blog dont even attend the games. Season ticket holder comments are probably less than 20% since 4pm on saturday.
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Had season tics for several years, and it was awesome – front row, upper deck, 30 yard line, north side. Great tailgate spot on E. Cloverhurst. Quit going 15 years ago – game times varied too much, kids to care for, long drive, tailgating restrictions, higher costs, etc, etc. So yes, I don’t have the same skin in the game I used to.
I think Richt finally has a staff that can make up for his screw-ups. I think he should be a figurehead HC (like his mentor Bowden) and hand all decisions over to CMB/CJP.
But my vote was for him to go. Sooner or later you got to show you belong with the big boys – and that means winning the big one. And he’s proven over 14 years that he can’t do that.
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2001-UT in Knoxville-not a “big one?”
2002-Clemson at home
2002-@ Alabama (1st UGA coach to win in Tuscaloosa)
2002-Auburn on the Plains to clinch the SEC East for the 1st time-not a “big one?”
2002-SECCG vs Arkansas-win the first SEC title in 20 years
2003-Sugar Bowl vs FSU
2003-@ Clemson
2003-@UT
2004-Blow out of King Saban and LSU
2004-vs UF-1st win in 7 years
2005-Boise St
2005-@ UT
2005-SECCG vs LSU (no one gave us a chance in that game if you recall)
2006-@ South Carolina 18-0-only time Spurrier has ever been shut out
2006-@ Auburn (they were ranked #5 and we had a true freshman QB)
2007-Oklahoma St
2007-Alabama in Tuscaloosa
2007-Florida
2007-Blackout vs Auburn
2008-@LSU-1st team to drop 50 in Tiger Stadium
2009-Arizona St (in the pouring rain)
2011-Auburn
2011-Tech
2012-Missouri
2012-Florida
2012-Shut out Auburn on the road
2013-South Carolina
2013-LSU
2013-Florida
2014-Clemson
2014-Missouri
2014-Auburn
I can go on if you want or are they only “big games” if we lose?
Richt is 9-4 vs UT
5-9 vs Florida
9-5 vs Auburn
12-2 vs Tech
3-1 vs Clemson
8-6 vs South Carolina
I am just not sure what the criteria is to say that he isn’t winning enough. No coach on the planet is going to “win’em all” every year.
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Richt “choke” games:
2001 – BC (really??)
2002 – Fla (cost UGA the national championship)
2003 – LSU (fake punt was a hysterical joke)
2003 – LSU SECCG (punked)
2004 – Tenn (UGA was #3)
2004 – Auburn (UGA was #8)
2005 – Fla (UGA #4)
2005 – Aub (UGA #9)
2005 – West Virginia
2006 – Tenn
2006 – VANDY (we should never lose to Vandy)
2006 – Kentucky (we should never lose to Kentucky)
2007 – Sou Carolina
2007 – Tenn
2008 – Ala (punked at home)
2008 – Fla (punked in Jville)
2008 – GT
2009 – OKST
2009 – LSU
2009 – Tenn
2009 – FLA
2009 – Kentucky…..again
The oh Boy year….2010
2010 – Sou Car
2010 – Ark
2010 – Miss St
2010 – Colorado (Big 12 bottom feeder)
2010 – Fla
2010 – Aub
2010 – Cent Fla (God Damn…..)
2011 – Boise (Big loss – great uniforms)
2011 – SC (first conference game)
2011 – LSU (SECCG)
2011 – Mich St
2012 – SC
2012 – Ala (SECCG – just clock the damn ball)
2013 – Clem
2013 – Mizzou
2013 – Vandy (even with all the Richt excuses….GA should beat Vandy every year – Murray – 101 yds, 1 pick – not denigrating)
2013 – Auburn (just knock the damn ball down – fat Tony Barnhart claimed the following Monday morning “of course Richt told his players to knock down the bal nineteen times! Then Richt countered Wednesday by stating he did not once tell his defense to knock the ball down)
2013 – Nebraska
2014 – SC (first conference game – 1st and goal at 4)
2014 – FLA (players self indict – “we not prepared”)
2014 – GT (SQUIB)
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So let me get this straight……if we ever lose then it is a “choke” but if we win then it was expected and the other team wasn’t really that good anyway?
Nice way to Dawggrade your own team.
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I didn’t log every loss (but there are a lot of painful ones, right?).
Dude, if you’re going to point out the grab-ass feel-happy games (25% of his wins) then you have to look at the BIG games lost by Richt…..and some of the above listed weren’t even BIG…..just simple laydowns.
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Sorry, I thought I was being clear. I didn’t say “winning enough”. I said THE big one. You listed several games, none of which was a national championship game.
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I’ve kept out of this for the last few days but I can’t hold my fire anymore. For the most part, Richt did a great job this year. Let’s say Alabama loses Amari Cooper for half the season. Anybody think they do as well as they have? I’m as sick about the Tech loss as anybody, but let’s say the 2 freshman TBs don’t fumble. Georgia probably wins big, and nobody is calling for Richt’s head right now. Football is a streaky sport that is decided as much on luck and funny bounces as anything else.
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Agree, Irish. Erin go bragh.
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Yep.
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I’m a fan of Mark Richt and I would prefer that he stay. Like the rest of Dawg nation, I would truly love to see Georgia win more championships. CMR has been a good representative of UGA, and when I look and listen to the pathetic Jimbo Fisher, I appreciate Richt all the more.
By now we know what we’re going to get with Richt. And by now I’ve concluded that I need to dial back my expectations about being in the playoff hunt for the MNC every year. I want very badly for Richt to succeed in a big way, for his sake, for UGA’s sake, and for the loyal, longsuffering fans of the program. I know he’s not Saban, but I also know he’s not Goff.
There’s a chance that Jeremy Pruitt can become the missing piece to elevate CMR’s program to a championship level. I’m willing to see if that tree will bear fruit, whether it turns out to be next year or two years or three years down the road. I’ll still worry about CMR and game management in the late going, and I’ll still be jittery that we may look like a Div 2 team on occasion. And I’ll still become disgusted when we stock Auburn’s roster with our own reprobates.
But I guess the bottom line for me is that I’m not yet willing to give up on CMR. I’ve been with this school and this team since the Sixties, and I know the ups-and-downs in its history over that period. The game is changing, and the SEC is a ruthless, merciless place to compete in football. CMR has the same situation that Vince Dooley had in his era, in that the best coach on the planet resides in Tuscaloosa. But because I think CMR’s earned it, I will give him the benefit of the doubt when he says, “We’re close.”
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The ones of you that are complaining about the cupcake games are the same ones that would be up in arms if we scheduled a quality OOC opponent and then lost.
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Bull snort. I am supportive of Richt staying. I have been to all games but Troy and Chas. Southern for the reason that I don’t want to watch a cupcake. Al, you most likely di not go to as many games as I did. Do you enjoy “Nooners” against these cupcakes? Do you really want to watch 66-0 and 55-9 games while spending a minimum of $125/ ticket/game including donation. I don’t. Sure I’d like to get an SEC or National Championship, but my real want is to go see live COMPETITIVE college football at the school I graduated with 2 degrees from.
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My first game was Auburn in ’71. So, I think I’ve seen the gamut of highs and lows. I support Richt, but realize his limitations. That said, I believe a better coach can be found, but not by the current cadre of decision-making boosters and the folks at B-M. I’ve witnessed the debacles with Ray, Donnan, Mason and Barnett. Those hires and non-hires were handled in ways that would make the Three Stooges proud. Sadly, I have no faith that the current group of decision makers can provide a better coach than Mark given the pervasive culture that controls UGA football. All is well.
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Like the Senator, I’m neutral. I’ve been a fan since the ’77 Sugar Bowl when my Stepfather said he went to UGA and took classes with Fran Tarkenton. A major reason I went to UGA (transferring from ABAC after a hitch in the Navy) was to continue the Georgia Tradition in my family. I live in Reno and to be honest Coach Richt leaves me very dissatisfied. Make no mistake I believe all y’all fans are awesome and I love the fans that didn’t go to UGA–they love our Dawgs. I’m Pretty soured on Richt; not so much the squib kick but the timeout to let Tech line up the FG was horrible. It’s flat out Football 101 stuff. I flew home for the Tenn & Auburn games and despite those wins, the season seems negative and I predicted 8 wins. There’s something to be said that this team can win 10 games with Mason as QB (although, we should probably give Ramsey the bowl practice snaps and heavy playing time in the bowl) but it’s equally accurate to point out Richt, in 14 Seasons, has yet to get to the Championship level. I created a Formula: Coach Richt wins 8 games a year + 1 win per player leaving early as a 1st round pick – 1 game lost to coaching mistakes. I was wrong this year as I didn’t factor Chubb & Carter in. I believe the -1 game a year comes from the fact that this fan base loves the Coach Richt has a higher calling than coaching football and I for the life of me don’t know why you keep someone like that as the leader of you program. I guess the reason is….Money? We got Richt on the cheap and people like him more than dislike losing so why would there be a change. I prett much decided I won’t attend games with Richt as coach. I guess the reason is…Money? Every game was on TV this year. Even if I’m in Athens, I can tailgate and then watch from the Georgia Theater or take my Lady to the Last Resort Grill and enjoy the day as much.
2006 Sugar Bowl
2007 South Carolina
2010 Liberty Bowl
2011 Boise St.
2012 SEC Championship
2014 Ga Tech
These are all games right off the top of my head that I believe coaching played a major factor in losing and it really sours me with Richt and sours me with spending money on this program right now. We already have the students disengaged but now I’m getting a little turned off.
Spoiler Alert: all my friends back home and everyone I know in Reno are all calling my bluff and I don’t blame them because we all love the Dawgs and will be back, lol
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How did coaching lose the 2012 SEC Championship?
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SPIKE THE BALL! I know they wanted the matchup and had them on their heels but SPIKE THE BALL!
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But it’s not the reason they lost. A Bama DL blocked the ball and Chris Conley made a stupid decision.
Spiking doesn’t prevent either of those two things.
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I would argue that the reason we lost that game was our defense’s inability to stop the run.
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yep.
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Todd Grantham… a gift that keeps on giving.
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Gentlemen, I respect y’all’s input and strike the ’12 SECCG (you have my word I’ll drop the not spiking) and let’s acknowledge some of Richt’s triumphs. Let’s just focus on the end of last week’s game after a brilliant comeback to take the lead. A squib kick when only up by 3 & calling timeout to allow Tech the chance to lineup for the FG instead of a frantic clock-running FG attempt. Nobody can look at that and not First Guess the decision making. I gotta get to work and I better not make a Bad Call or I’m a total hypocrite, lol
BTW, I like this poll the Senator should run it monthly and break WordPress
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I’m glad you brought up the fact that Richt called time out so Tech could get lined up for the 53 yard FG attempt. A kick that long is hard enough to make, but when the kicking team has to run out on the field, set up, the kicker has to line up, visualize the kick and then calm down, make a good swinging motion with his leg and kick it through, well that is damn near impossible. Richt calling TO to allow Tech plenty of time to kick is just about as stupid as the pooch kick-off. That’s 2 moronic decisions in the space of less than 30 seconds.
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I’ve seen several people cite the timeout as a mistake, but Tech’s QB ran out of bounds on the play, which would’ve stopped the clock. I think the timeout was an attempt to a) Ice the kicker, which hardly ever works, and b) “coach ’em up” to be on guard for a fake FG.
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Yes, it stopped the game clock…but the play-clock was down to about 5 seconds and Tech was still getting set up for the FG. Before the TO, the whole thing had to be rushed and was NOT at all optimal for the kicker for the reasons Mayor references. IMO, there was also no way that Tech was rushing to get their kicker out there in order to run a fake before the TO. Usually there is some amount of forethought, discussions that go into such decisions, and again this was a necessarily rushed job (pre-TO). In fact, I thought calling a TO made it more likely they could run a fake, so I don’t blame our decision to rush the kick with this in mind (about the only not-terrible coaching decision within the last 18 seconds).
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Thanks for the response. I wasn’t factoring in the play clock aspect, I’ll have to go back and take another look at it. Thanks again.
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20+, alum and 34 yr. season ticket holder. We have a chance to win EVERY game with Richt. Now is not the time to fire him. When we get to the point that we don’t have a chance in every game then will be the time. When that happens it will be quick and easy to recognize. With that said this negativity after every loss will catch up to the program sooner rather than later and the only solution to that is to make a change though the new coach will face the same music.
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20+ & keep.
I have seen many bring up the moderate expectations to begin the year. In the pre-season, South Carolina was a top ten team. Clemson was top twenty. Florida was expected to be better, Tennessee was expected to be better. Missouri was ranked. Auburn was hell on wheels. It looked like Georgia was going to face a gauntlet of a schedule.
If you had started the preseason knowing that Florida would fire Muschamp during the season, South Carolina wouldn’t be bowl eligible until week 13 of the season, Missouri would lose to Indiana at home, and Auburn would finish with four losses, I think the expectations for this team would have been much higher. Everything went to shit in the division, and Georgia still managed to not win it. I am not a national-title-or-bust guy, but I do believe Georgia should take advantage of their division rivals being bad instead of bungling each opportunity. They won’t be bad forever.
All of that being said, I don’t think we should fire Richt. I think he lacks a killer instinct. He is at his best when he is going balls-out, but it is contrary to his nature. When he is Evil Richt, I think he is among the top five coaches in the country. But, I think he lacks the will to be that balls-out coach all the time. It seems like he wants to revert back to sit-on-it football and hope the clock runs out before anything bad happens instead of the attitude to call a double-reverse pass to score 50 on your rival (or even the FSU attitude of the 90’s that got him this job in the first place: we’re going to whip your ass for 60 minutes and score as often as we damn well please). Whether it is not wanting to embarrass the other team or he genuinely feels like disaster is imminent (like the rest of us), he just won’t do it. The squib is the latest example. The epitome to me, however, was the Arkansas 2nd half. UGA gets the ball to start and returns the kickoff to midfield. Up 38-6, UGA gets in a double-tight end I-formation, runs it into nine-man fronts four times and turns it over on downs. That gives Arkansas all the momentum they needed to outscore UGA 26-7 the rest of the way and turn a blowout into a contested battle in the fourth quarter. PUT THEM AWAY. I don’t think Richt will ever change on this front, and it is my greatest criticism of his leadership.
I think next year will be a 9-3 season as well, but I don’t think we should fire him then either. If the guys on the roster and the guys that say they are coming stick around and stay out of trouble, 2016 seems like the next great opportunity. I also think Pruitt is being given opportunities to make changes in the program. He is the new blood, and I think it would be a mistake to scrap what progress he may be making just for the sake of a change at the top. In the world where Hugh Freeze gets $4.5 M for a 9-3 season at Ole Miss, I don’t want Georgia to get rid of a 9-win coach to pay 50% more to get right back where we are. With Bobo’s crayons and Pruitt stiffening the defense, a re-stocked roster, and an experienced quarterback, I think Georgia can get to the promised land. I’m not preaching patience forevermore, but I don’t think now is the time.
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Good post, Trey. I’m fairly neutral on Richt now too, recognizing his many strengths, but also feeling frustratingly resigned to the several Ls that his weaknesses seem to cost us each year.
Yeah, I too find the “pre-season expectation” argument a pretty weak in determining whether or not a team met its level of potential or fans should be satisfied with the ultimate results at the end of the season.
To me it’s kind of like getting on the airplane to Vegas telling yourself “I’m willing to lose $2,000 without feeling bad.” Once you arrive, you get on a major hot streak and win $98K. Then on the last hand of poker, you draw 4 aces, and put $100K in the pot. Then you either (1) fold (Georgia’s self-inflicted losses) or (2) lose to a straight flush (Georgia’s knack for bad luck or freak losses)….and end up $2,000 down as you get back on the plane for home. Despite what you reasonably told yourself before the trip, plenty of rational people would be a little disappointed/frustrated/angry on the plane ride home.
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I’ve got less than 20 years following UGA football and I voted keep him. I grew up in Georgia but didn’t really follow college football until I graduated high school in ’99 and enrolled at UGA (didn’t graduate, joined the navy instead). Since my fandom began towards the end of the Donnan era, that became my baseline impression, and I think everyone would agree that Richt is an upgrade over Donnan in every aspect. Richt’s coaching has put this program in the discussion/contention for championships nearly every year, so at the very least I think he deserves a couple more years.
On a side note, I think both Richt and Bobo deserve raises. Relative to their peers, they’re both underpaid. I think, like having an indoor practice facility, paying those two better would send a signal that this program is serious about winning. Making a great hire for the S & C coach would go a long way too.
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I’m a 20+ guy and I’m for keeping Richt.
For those wanting to pin the SCAR loss on Richt, explain to me how he’s calling plays again.
And Saban has had some terrible games during his tenure and has made some bad decisions.
I’m no Disney Dawg. I just believe that we have a very strong program and we are close. In August everyone was thinking anywhere from 8-4 to 10-2. We split the difference. 9 regular season wins sounds about right to me for this edition. We had some deficiencies in all three phases.
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I doubt if Richt had won 3 national championships (as Saban has) in the last 7 years people would be calling for his head. You can make some bonehead calls when you win it all.
Saban expects nothing less than perfection, unfortunately you and Richt are ok with a few losses. Thats the difference.
Hey and I still said keep him because I don’t know of anyone better out there. It is just frustrating to know we should be playing in SEC championship this week for a chance at the playoff if not for a total lack of effort at UF.
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No one’s debating this: the football team at UGA is not winning championships. The question is why?
a) It is reasonable the Senator is looking at wider issues such as the B-H regime. Anyone who thinks Bama outspending UGA by a 50% margin is not significant, is not being intellectually honest. I agree with the poster who said AD McG needs to take seriously the comments of Jeremy Pruitt, Coach Pruitt was right, considering UGA’s football revenues, there is no excuse for not having an indoor world class facility, and it matters when weather effects things, like the days prior to both SEC Championships where UGA missed key practice time due to inclement weather. World class commitment to facilities also helps recruiting. It needs a sense of URGENCY from AD McG to happen NOW, no reason to spend 6 months PLANNING?!!!
Speaking of AD McG, he has done a number of things to hurt the football team, a) scheduling: top 10 matchups for the first 2 weeks, aside from obvious revenue benefits, we now see why no other team in the nation does that, the away game stretch this year was crazy, who does that? and why not schedule cupcakes early if you’re committed to having the nation’s toughest discipline policy because suspensions are inevitable if that’s your standard–you can’t have the nation’s toughest discipline policy AND schedule top 10 teams in the first 2 games
b) the ridiculous self righteous discipline policies that sees game changing players like Nick Marshall leave the program. Why did WE suspend Gurley? I don’t think the NCAA would have touched that case because of all the negative pr @making money off your own name.
c) must decide if the goal is profits or championships? If championships, then commit like champions do financially
d) try and schedule the easiest schedule in the nation, not the hardest, again, watch Urban Meyer.
Coaching:
a) I accept the truth that if you want the best players, because of their immense disproportional contribution, this leads to practice issues because they don’t want to risk getting hurt for the NFL draft and they know the time to expend maximum energy is the game, not practice. Urban Meyer gets it, he has a circle of honor program, where you only get in for making plays on gameday, but once in, you get a lot of perks, these are EARNED, it is a culture that rewards gameday superior performance. If you’re a 5 star, you start on special teams, make plays on special teams, and you get a shot at gameday making plays. Urban Meyer has a degree in psychology and it shows up in his understanding of how to get the best out of gamechangers. These can be game day like scrimmages in the off-season.
b) must get a dedicated full time world class special teams coach. Yes, some improvements were made, but in the losses, special teams played a critical role.
c) must get a whole slew of assts who are trained to remind richt of points of emphasis at key times in the game. Almost all situations can be prepared for in advance. With technology, you should be able to pull up a search and get a solution in 5 seconds and relay that to Coach Richt in 5 seconds. No more being unprepared. An example would be “best defense under 20 seconds left in the game following a go ahead score not at midfield with mobile qb”, “attempted 50+ yard field goal protocal”, “end game scenarios”, “time out protocals”, etc.
d) must get serious about standards for players gameday performances: Saban would not have put up with a qb habitually throwing interceptions, or habitual offsides by olinemen, or habitual fumbles, or special teams habitual gaffes by certain players, habitually getting beat deep in coverage, habitually missing containment, habitually missing tackles, you do it his way, or you don’t play.
e) talent selection. How did we miss so badly at evaluating Mettenberger, Nick Marshall, Marlon Brown, JJ Green, and Cam Newton? This is a skill, so it can be learned.
f) stop repeating the same mistakes year after year. take failure seriously, like ACL injuries, losing to division rivals, etc.
g) peak at the right times (ex UF > Clemson/GT)
h) stop losing games the way we lost to Florida, and the team we lost to.
i) make better in-game adjusts, Pruitt especially, can’t let teams like UF/GT keep running the ball down your throat, bring up some safeties and make a sub par QB beat you. Can’t give up 38 points to key rivals Florida AND SC and expect to win. Can’t let UF & GT run for 800+ yards. Can’t finish the 2 rival games with SC & UF with a total of 1 forced turnover in the 2 games.
Players:
a) Need more leadership. These guys have to step up, set standards, and lead by example.
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“b) the ridiculous self righteous discipline policies that sees game changing players like Nick Marshall leave the program”
He stole from his teammates, You think it’s ridiculous to kick out a guy that steals from his team?
“Urban Meyer gets it,”
Yes,he coddled a gang-banging murderer. That’s what Georgia needs?
“How did we miss so badly at evaluating Mettenberger, Nick Marshall, Marlon Brown, JJ Green, and Cam Newton?”
Mett? What the fuck are you talking about? Mett was kicked off the team for reaching up the skirt of a waitress and grabbing her ass. Not a lack of talent.
http://onlineathens.com/stories/050410/foo_632586081.shtml
Nick Marshall would’ve been an excellent DB at Georgia. He is not a pro-style QB and will not play QB in the NFL. To reiterate, he was kicked off for stealing. Not ability.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000397078/article/auburn-qb-nick-marshall-ideally-suited-to-play-safety-in-nfl
JJ Green? Again, what the fuck are you talking about? That he was better than Gurley, Marshall, Chubb and Sony, but Richt was too stupid to play him?
and finally Cam. Yes, Georgia should’ve recognized his talent and recruited him as a QB. But there is no doubt that he is built like a TE and would be an amazing TE. What’s more, he chose UF b/c it was the perfect offense for his talents, as is Malzahn’s or Mullen’s. If he had gone to Alabama, LSU or Georgia, he likely would not have put up those amazing numbers b/c those schools don’t run the QB the same way.
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Forgot to discuss Marlon. This is a true tell that you are 19 years old and don’t know what the fuck you are talking about.
Marlon Brown was the best WR from the state of Tennessee when we signed him. Long time SEC fans know that Tennessee HS football is particularly underdeveloped, especially Memphis prep football, where Marlon came from. He should’ve redshirted but CMR promised that he wouldn’t so he played marginally his first year. It took Marlon several years to get strong enough to play in the SEC and crisp enough in his routes to be effective. By the time he was a senior, he was our second best WR, next to Bennett. Mid season he suffered an ACL. Which is why
You, being an idiot, heard about Marlon from your fantasy league and were shocked (SHOCKED!) that he went to Georgia since you’d never heard of him.
Everyone else on this boards knows all of this about Marlon, Except you, junior.
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Completely mismanged Marlon Brown. Richt never got anything out of him but he’s tearing it up in the NFL.
Also, sat Knowshon Moreno, Moreno’s first season.
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Moreno was a great player, but he was also behind some pretty good backs his freshman year. Kregg Lumpkin had 850 yards in 2006, with Danny Ware and Thomas Brown adding good chunks. The trio had over 1400 yards between them and they all had pretty decent NFL careers. Moreno is the only player you can suggest didn’t play enough in his first year out of the hundreds that Richt has recruited in 14 seasons? Ridiculous. Hell, Dooley wasn’t going to play Herschel his first year until he had to.
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if you had been a Dawg fan when Marlon was here, you would know how stupid that statement is.
I get that you were not concerned with the Georgia receiving corp while playing the skin flute at Crabapple High School. But if you’d take a moment to take your head out of your ass, you’d realize how stupid your “analysis” is of Marlon Bronw’s career at Georgia.
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1) “b) the ridiculous self righteous discipline policies that sees game changing players like Nick Marshall leave the program” He stole from his teammates, You think it’s ridiculous to kick out a guy that steals from his team?
Yes, suspend him for a 1/2, but respect his talent more than kicking him off the team.
“Urban Meyer gets it,” Yes,he coddled a gang-banging murderer. That’s what Georgia needs?
I wasn’t agreeing with everything Meyer did, but pointing out the Circle of Honor is a proven way to manage 5 stars.
“How did we miss so badly at evaluating Mettenberger, Nick Marshall, Marlon Brown, JJ Green, and Cam Newton?” Mett? What the fuck are you talking about? Mett was kicked off the team for reaching up the skirt of a waitress and grabbing her ass. Not a lack of talent.
I didn’t defend Mett’s actions, just said we missed on our evaluation of him, he was a better Qb than Murray.
Nick Marshall would’ve been an excellent DB at Georgia. He is not a pro-style QB and will not play QB in the NFL. To reiterate, he was kicked off for stealing. Not ability.
He should have been encouraged to play Qb in college, not DB. This was misjudging his talent. And his leadership, as he led his team to the Championship.
JJ Green? Again, what the fuck are you talking about? That he was better than Gurley, Marshall, Chubb and Sony, but Richt was too stupid to play him?
JJ Grren av 5.65 ypc in 2013, just shy of Gurley’s 5.99, he will transfer to a great team and make big time plays. Why Richt started him over B Douglas in 2014 when Douglas got 4.11 ypc, was a clear misjudgment of talent.
and finally Cam. Yes, Georgia should’ve recognized his talent and recruited him as a QB. But there is no doubt that he is built like a TE and would be an amazing TE. What’s more, he chose UF b/c it was the perfect offense for his talents, as is Malzahn’s or Mullen’s. If he had gone to Alabama, LSU or Georgia, he likely would not have put up those amazing numbers b/c those schools don’t run the QB the same way.
Cam won the Championship. We misjudged his talent and leadership, Richt thought he’d make a great tight end.
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“How did we miss so badly at evaluating Mettenberger, Nick Marshall, Marlon Brown, JJ Green, and Cam Newton?” Mett? What the fuck are you talking about? Mett was kicked off the team for reaching up the skirt of a waitress and grabbing her ass. Not a lack of talent.
I didn’t defend Mett’s actions, just said we missed on our evaluation of him, he was a better Qb than Murray.
Nick Marshall would’ve been an excellent DB at Georgia. He is not a pro-style QB and will not play QB in the NFL. To reiterate, he was kicked off for stealing. Not ability.
He should have been encouraged to play Qb in college, not DB. This was misjudging his talent. And his leadership, as he led his team to the Championship.
JJ Green? Again, what the fuck are you talking about? That he was better than Gurley, Marshall, Chubb and Sony, but Richt was too stupid to play him?
JJ Grren av 5.65 ypc in 2013, just shy of Gurley’s 5.99, he will transfer to a great team and make big time plays. Why Richt started him over B Douglas in 2014 when Douglas got 4.11 ypc, was a clear misjudgment of talent.
Your replies to these three points say about all that is needed to show you have no clue. Mettenberger is better than Murray? Seriously? I know about 100K rabid LSU fans that would’ve killed the trade quarterbacks with us. Nick Marshall and leader have never been uttered before in the same sentence – except in the police blotter when it said “Nick Marshall was the leader of the theft ring.” JJGreen? Really, better than Gurley, UGA’s second all time greatest RB in history? Better than Chubb, who could end up passing Gurley and Herschel if he stays 4 years? Absolute non-sense.
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Give me a break, junior. Marshall also led his team to four losses this year. He’s a very good runner and a mediocre passer. You expect Richt to ditch his entire pro-style offense (that led the SEC in scoring) in order to accommodate an option quarterback? Hokay.
And Mett was better than Murray (who set SEC records for yards and touchdowns beyond those of Tebow, Manning, Manziel, et al)? What are you basing that on, his G-Day performance?
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I agree with some of your points. But some seem nonsensical. If you think any program in the country can just throw up a world class IPF, from planning to construction, in a single off-season, you’re kidding yourself.
We had to suspend Gurley because Allen came to us directly with evidence of Gurley breaking NCAA rules. If we had played Gurley after that, the NCAA would have vacated wins, just like they did with Tech’s last ACC championship. But, I do agree that we didn’t really have to conduct an exhaustive investigation that resulted in him being suspended for four games.
I don’t think that B-M is conflicted over championships vs. reserve fund. The reserve fund is their greatest priority. While they went big on Grantham’s contract, which carried over to Pruitt’s, they have exhibited that they have no desire to spend more than is absolutely necessary to have a competent staff.
While UGA is in the minority of teams without a special teams coordinator, only 16% of schools have a dedicated, full time special teams coordinator that doesn’t coach another position. I don’t know if it matters or not. I’m happy that special teams improved this year. But there are obvious areas of incompetence, like fielding short kickoffs, that should have been addressed.
There’s no way that B-M spends the money for an army of assistants to help Richt game plan for every conceivable contingency. Also, there’s no possible way that every contingency can be quantified on the fly. The squib kick was the dumb call in the Tech game and it should have been obvious without knowing whether the odds of Tech kicking the field goal were 8% or 15%.
Insisting on standards, or you don’t play, sounds great in theory. And, if you have Saban’s depth, it’s more likely you can make good on your threats. Although, I notice that Saban didn’t yank Simms after his 3 interceptions in the first half of the Auburn game. But UGA hasn’t had the depth to sit a talented player for making a mistake just to prove a point.
I don’t agree with your point on talent evaluation. Cam Newton wasn’t wrongly evaluated by UGA. We just didn’t meet his asking price. And Marshall and Mettenberger were dismissed for disciplinary reasons, not because we didn’t know how good they were. Now, some kids, like Tripp, have been wasted. But, I think that’s more about trying to fit a square peg into a round hole as not understanding their talent.
I don’t think Pruitt’s problem is in-game adjustments. I just don’t think he has the depth of kids that he trusts to perform well. His second half adjustments against Clemson were pretty good. And he adjusted against Tech. But, in that game, he just had to pick his poison. He was either going to give up the inside run, or the outside run. He couldn’t stop both with his personnel playing the way they were.
Other than that, I agree with you. 🙂
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I’m 53 years old, and have been loving UGA since the late 1960s. I was born in LaGrange and heard nothing but go tigers and war damn eagle as a child. One time my father and I went to a UGA game at Auburn and Brad Johnson, the UGA fullback, ran through Auburn’s defense like a dose of the salts. Since then, I have been a UGA fan and there are no other teams. I am a UGA fan, not an SEC fan. I think Mark Richt is a good coach but a damn unlucky coach. I honestly believe he will win more than one natty at UGA. Keep him!
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My only suggestion to the poll is a 5th option: Fire Richt for not starting Faton Bauta, winner of the Spring Game.
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I do not fault Richt/Bobo for the way the SC game ended.
They played to win, played aggressive, tried to be unpredictable, put up 35 points of offense,
but the 3 losses were more on Pruitt if you really look at why we lost those 3 games.
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And the odds are, the defense will improve.
Man, losing to Tech makes people crazy. For once, I’m thankful for the 2012 SECCG. That game broke me, but gave me perspective.
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Not losing to GT that concerns me, it’s giving up 38 points each to SC & UF, and only forcing 1 TO in those 2 key division rivalries.
Shows me Pruitt didn’t get his defense to peak at the right times, Mizzou proved to be the exception, as his defense got plastered 2 of 3 of the 3 key division games.
The 3 most important games are:
SC, UF, and Mizzou because you have to first lock up your division.
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If you expected Pruitt to come in and work miracles, while losing player after player on the defense from last year and having to rely on so many freshman and underclassmen, you had your expectations in the wrong place.
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This was a defense that finished No 20 in 2012, and No 5 in 2011.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/fpi//id/61/year/2012/georgia-bulldogs
http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/fpi//id/61/year/2011/georgia-bulldogs
Grantham used 2013 as a rebuilding season for his defense, and was gearing up for a terrific top 20 defensive season in 2014.
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No, this wasn’t a defense that finished in those positions. See, many players graduate or leave early for the NFL (Jarvis Jones/Alec Ogletree/etc.) so defenses become new again. And you if you are longing to have Grantham back, you need to find another team that wears red and black to root for.
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There are some things Pruitt should have done better, he should have retained his top talent, and he should have tried stuff like bringing up the safeties to stop the run vs GT & UF. And he didn’t peak during SC & UF. And his unit was the only 1 of the 3 units (sp teams, off, def) to not finish in the top 15 in effic. Very dissapointed in those areas. He let us down this year and we didn’t get his best.
Why not expect greatness from coaches?
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Thank you. We all knew going into the season that we had an extremely inexperienced defense and a new coordinator. We lost the best player in the country for half of the season, still led the SEC in scoring, and lost three games. This is not the end of the world. I am a 20+ year fan and voted in support of CMR.
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WE have the 4th best offense, the 14th best special teams, but just the 30th best defense.
Just want to call Pruitt out on this, he’s the reason this season went south.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/fpi?id=61&year=2014
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Agree completely. I expected 9-3 or 10-2, with a possible loss in SEC championship game going in and that’s what we got. Anyone who expected 12-0 or 11-1 and being in the natty hunt was looking through some extremely red and black colored glasses. Would it have been nice? Did I dream of that too prior to Florida and possibly getting Gurley back? Absolutely. Then reality slapped me/us right back in the face again. We are what I expected we would be.
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In 2005, we won the SEC. With a 1st year starter at Qb. So it’s not unreasonable to think it can be done with Richt.
But the defense was better that year, than it was in 2014, and that made the difference.
Also, DJ had more mobility than Mason, which is why I thought Bauta would have been the better choice for a transition season, following the 2005 pattern.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/fpi/_/id/61/year/2005/georgia-bulldogs
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what grade were you in 05?
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LOL.
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On Dumb Injuries:
I think you could make the case that both Gurley’s and Murray’s injuries were unnecessary, team had a big lead in both games so in future, sit key talent when you have a big lead.
ON QB Development
Also need to do a better job at getting upcoming QB talent real game experience at non mop up times. Why Hutson didn’t have more experience in 2014, and 2015’s starter also will not, back to back, is non-strategic & inexcusable. DJ’s prep the year prior to him taking over should be the model, rotate the No 2 Qb in every few series.
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I would like to know how loudly you roared when DJ was played in the Florida game and promptly through a pick-six, thus costing us that game in 2003? I agree that experience should be a key to develop qb’s, but Mason was just not the same caliber of SEC QB to win a conference championship (like Stafford/Murray/McCarron/etc.). I would have liked to see more of Brice this year, though, in what I would have defined as a rebuilding year, at least at the qb position anyway.
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You rarely win a BCS Championship with a first year starter, hard to even win a conf championship, unless you get the QB lots of important reps the prior year like Richt did with DJ. Since that time, that practice was abandoned, but should not have been. Yes, Ramsey should have gotten 25-50% of the reps and been rotated in every 2-4 series if he’s the No 2.
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I can’t debate that point much, but you also have to recognize that playing an inexperienced quarterback will, generally, wind up with bad results. So, we might have lost another game or two this season. With that, when would he have played more? When we were in a dogfight in Columbia, SC? Or last week? Would he have won those games.
I would’ve like to see more of Ramsey this year because I think he’s better than Mason, but you just can’t insert your back up to gain experience. You want to win now and that does’t often help towards that end. There’s a reason the back-up quarterback is always the most popular guy in the stadium.
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I thought Bauta looked like a better choice, mobility plus he threw the ball very well in the Spring game, granted, small sample size, but he looked really good there. Point is, should have been a 2-3 Qb rotation this year to try to find out who should be leading the team in 2015. And to get that Qb some experience.
you have to know when you have a transition year, it’s”can I win the BCS this year?”, If not, then rebuild for next season.
You’ll notice Urban Meyer at UF was either great or really bad there. He has the Championship mentality.
Everything has to be about winning championships, not 9-10 games a year.
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So you think that CMR and CMB (who both played QB in college football and have been coaching the QB for decades) can’t divine our best QB option to win a game through the miles of tape and thousands of snaps during practice?
You realize how retarded that statement is?
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No one knows (not even God himself because of freewill) how good someone is until they perform in a real game.
Even Richt’s said that you don’t know how good a guy will be until you see them in a game.
I’m just saying don’t let high school hype, similar religious orientation of a player, and practice performance cloud your decision, especially when it’s a transition rebuilding season, you don’t want to have 2 seasons in a row where you have an untested Qb at the reigns.
Happened in 2009, 2010, 2014, and will in 2015. That’s 4 out of the last 7 years. That’s utterly pitiful foresight.
epic fail.
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“similar religious orientation”
WTF????
Hey Moe-Ron, Aaron Murray is Jewish. Epic fail
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I was referring to Hutson Mason, an outspoken conservative Christian, just like Richt.
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Which proves the stupidity of your statement.
Why wouldn’t CMR play HM over a gold-bricker like AM if he’s some hidebound Bible thumper?
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Richt kicked Mett off the team for his moral values, and Nick Marshall, both for stuff most coaches wouldn’t have even suspended them for (see Championship coach at FSU as exhibit A).
I am saying Richt has a bias towards Qb’s he perceives to be higher morally than others, and doesn’t look at talent/poise/leadership/accuracy/turnovers as carefully as he should, and is unrealistic when it comes to moral perfection as witnessed by Mett and Marshall both going on to play for major SEC coaches with who have played in the national championship as a head coach.
championship coaches evaluate talent FAR differently than Richt, ESPECIALLY AT QB.
Moses killed a guy, and David ordered a hit on a man and had him murdered, but both turned out to be a pretty good leader, ya know?
We’re all morally flawed, especially strong potential leaders, many learn from big moral failures right before they step into epic leadership achievements.
It’s another thing Richt is clueless about.
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So CMR is a Bible thumping moralist who doesn’t know the lessons of flawed leaders found in….the Bible?
You realize how retarded you are?
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How do we know the best prospect at QB go-forward wasn’t redshirted?
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Evaluating Georgia QBs strictly on the basis of G-Day performance is a fool’s errand. Which goes to show you something…
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It’s at least a pressure situation. Lot better than going off high school hype, practice without contact, etc.
Remember, Bauta took contact then and in practice.
But yes, nothing subs for real games for evaluating talent.
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G-Day is a pressure situation? It’s a glorified scrimmage, dude.
Name one Georgia QB who Richt claims won the starting job based on a G-Day performance.
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Not a QB, but remember every year that walk-on from Chicago winning accolades in the spring game?
http://www.nmnathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8800&ATCLID=308250
For some reason, he never made a big impact in the fall. Hmmmmm
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GDay is far more than a glorified scrimmage, it’s in front of 40,000 fans, and for Bauta at least, he took live hits. I said it’s a small sample size, but Bauta looked very capable as a passer, and is more mobile, which better fits the 2005 formula that UGA used with DJ to win the SEC in 2005.
Who cares if Richt evaluates Qb’s based on how tthey practice without contact, I’m saying that didn’t work in 2009, 2010, and 2014 for winning any champ’s so let’s try something else like a real validity test.
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We all get that the Spring Game last year was seminal moment in your Dawg fandom.
Did it coincide with orientation or was it your first visit it campus?
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“It’s at least a pressure situation. Lot better than going off high school hype, practice without contact, etc.”
Uh…you realize there’s no tackling the QB at G-Day right? They’re wearing non-contact jerseys (except for Bauta last year). So…what type of pressure or contact is that?
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You missed my point.
It’s not about “Hmm, how can we win 9-10 games this year?” The of course you with experience.
But if you are interested in championships, you ask “Hmm, can we win a Champshp this year?:
If not, let’s hold a real game Qb competition and then gear up for the a Champ run over the next 2-3 years.
Unfortunately, Richt’s been asking the wrong question in 2009, 2010, 2014, and 2015. “How can we win 9-10 games?”
You can tell by his choices at Qb.
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2010? Who should have started that season?
Isn’t playing Murray as a true freshman what you’d want?
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By far, this is your stupidest point and indicates you’ve never participated in any sport (beyond pocket pool).
That coaches should use live games as a training exercise instead of trying to win the game based upon the hundreds of hours they prepare for those 12 games is beyond absurd.
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I would have started the guy who performed the best in the public scrimmages. I’m not sure who that was in 2010, but it would have been a 2-3 Qb rotation, maybe No 1 gets 50%, No 2, 35%, and No 3 15% and make reps happen as the next series on the game.
2010 was a big time rebuilding season with a new defense, AND a new QB, so no way you’re going to win 9 games, so look forward to 2011, and have a real game Qb competition.
IF you want to win Champs.
How did Richt’s plan work out in 2009, 2010, 2014, any conference or national Champs?
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Can you point to any football programs in the last decade or so that have successfully pulled off a rotation like that?
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It’s the way you verify things, you check it out for validity, validity tests are done to determine truth in every field, been done for thousands of years, it works.
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Spurrier has rotated at Qb a lot and had a lot of success.
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Bullshit example. When he’s rotated, it’s because he’s unhappy with the performance at the position, not because he’s building for the future.
It’s a real stretch of the term to refer to what he’s done as a “rotation:.
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You do know that Mark Richt knows more about football and running a major program…in his big toe…than you do? If there is a point to your points, you’ve lost them. Criticism of the coaches is fair game, but inserting your own nonsensical theories of how they should coach is narcissistic trolling.
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U20/Keep
I could make a few arguments for why we need to keep Richt but I’d rather refute the ones against Richt that breakdown pretty easily.
We Always Lose Games We Shouldn’t:
Such is the life of football right? Honestly, I’m with you. I don’t think UGA should lose any football games and that any team in a P5 conference is probably talented enough to beat any team they play if willpower, execution, and luck all go their way. The problem with the argument is that no coach can always win the games he should win and if you actually look at Richt’s losses there is no habit of inexplicable losses.
Richt has lost 45 times in his tenure at UGA and 2 losses were to teams with a losing record. One of those losses occurred while we had a losing record ourselves. 2 losses to “bad teams” out of 126 games played is about 1.2% of the time.
There has to be some criteria to define losses which shouldn’t occur otherwise all losses shouldn’t occur. If we set the criteria as losing to a losing team I don’t see a problem I see one maybe two outliers.
We Should Be Winning the Division/Conference/Championship More Often:
The only clear expectation we can have of how often we should be winning has to be based on the past. Although we all know there’s a problem with basing our expectation on the past simply because times change there is no better alternative. UGA has been a part of the SEC since 1933 and part of the Eastern Division since 1990. Since then we’ve won 12 SEC Championships (14.81%), been Eastern Division champs 7 times (29.16%), and National Champions twice (2.47%).
Richt has brought us 5 Division Championships since winning them at a 35.7% clip. We’ve won the SEC Championship 2 times of his 14 year tenure (14.3%). We haven’t gotten to a NC yet but the shortest time for UGA between NCs in its history is 38 years. It’s been 34 years since our last NC and Richt has been coaching 14 of them. He’s not exactly behind plus he’s winning Division and Conference Championships at or above our normal historical rate.
Richt Doesn’t Do Enough with the Talent He Has:
He’s the complete breakdown in this argument. The talent UGA has is a direct result of the coaching staff. Yes, the fact that we are the top school in our state helps but it does not guarantee success it is merely one factor.
Let’s assume the talent available to UGA is by no means a factor of the coaching staff but rather a results of the state. Under Richt’s tenure UGA averages about the 4th (3.71) best recruiting class in the SEC and I think one could pretty fairly argue UGA has been about the 4th best team in the SEC since 2001.
I’m not saying there is no argument for letting Richt go but I believe the above ones are pretty weak.
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Great post…
There has to be some criteria to define losses which shouldn’t occur…
Time to shift from economics to behavioral science. If the incredibly loud minority whine after a loss…It’s a loss that should not have occurred!
Interestingly, as of this post, over 80% (of nearly 1000 votes) continue to support Richt…the vast majority with more than 20+ years supporting the program. May we conclude the cranky and the entitled are simply unwilling to listen to reason and experience?
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+1 – well done
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20+ and keep him. Some fans dissatisfaction stems from looking at the win loss record in isolation. Injuries and luck have a bigger impact than they factor in. Trading Richt for some unknown or young unproven coach with a great previous season is ridiculous. It is like divorcing your wife who helped you get to your success to marry some cute young arm candy. It doesn’t usually lead to long term happiness. UT is the best example of that.
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Had a “Hoosier” moment, “coach stays”. But.
Want to see what Pruitt can do with the defense after this year.
These changes must occur for me to be on board after one more season.
Clean up your sidelines.
Get more mentally into the game and be more forward looking in decisions, game management, and play calling [all three phases of the game].
Recruit and keep players for 3-4 years.
Stop releasing problem players from scholarship. Lock out their decisions.
Much better discipline from players. Can not have or afford multiple game suspensions.
Stay on top of academic progress of each and every player.
Indoor practice facility up and running in 24 months.
2015 roster. Get some players on the D line and secondary.
Make a quick decision on Marshall. Available for bowl, play him.
Start incorporating your other QBs in plays. even use a 2 qb set if for no other reason than to force the opponent to burn a time out.
Address and evaluate about game prep, roster, and game management.
Tell your AD no more 4 game road schedules ever again.
Determine if the turf in Sanford is an issue re injuries like Murray and Gurley.
Up the pay on everyone of you coaches.
set your bar higher than Bama.
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20+ and keep him. This should not be based on this season alone (which turned out much better than many predicted).
I remember having serious misgivings about the outcome of this season during the preseason. I think most everyone’s expectations were low with the attrition of defensive players, a new starting QB, and a completely new defensive staff. To finish 9-3 with 2 of those losses being last minute losses makes it seem like we should have been undefeated or only have one loss (and that to a pitiful UF team). I realize we could have done better but for this staff to get this team ready to play despite all the preseason misgivings is pretty good coaching from an overall standpoint.
I do think the future looks bright. Recruiting is as strong as its been. Solid coaching staff with a lot of factors trending upward. Let’s finish this season with a bowl win, restock the team with some quality guys who want to be Dawgs and get ready for the future.
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Why are losses always pinned on coaches but not wins. JA
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The poll results are about what I figured. I was under no delusion that mine was anything like a majority opinion. If it was, Richt’s status would be in doubt right now. So I’ll hope most of you are right and things do improve.
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don’t kid yourself, the poll isn’t scientifically valid. And is biased to 20 year fans.
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Yes, but the under 20 set is for keeping Richt at a higher rate than the over 20 in this particular sample.
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Coach Richt has won at least 10 games for 13 seasons (and maybe 14 after this one). Some of those seasons have seen us a play/game away from a national championship game (and still would have made the playoffs under the new format). Sometimes the ball don’t bounce your way (tell that to Bama last year) and sometimes injuries bite at the wrong time. Sometimes a coach will make a bad call or a player fumbles or doesn’t catch a kick off. We’re all human and will make mistakes. That’s the beauty of college football. But we are right there, competing for the top prize every year. Why take a risk of becoming the next Nebraska/Tennessee/Florida/Texas or other former big time program who is now just scratching to get back on the field. This whole fire Mark Richt thing is totally ludicrous and more of the “me, me, me” “now, now, now” mentality that is prevalent in society today. Go DAWGS!
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Because 11 of the 14 SEC teams who made a coaching change, did not win less games this year than the prior year. Odds are very good the program will not get worse.
Did happen at UF, Vandy, and Ark. But didn’t anywhere else.
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Tell me you would rather go through Tennessee’s troubles since 2008? 6 years of crap. We did already, it was called Ray Goff. They are celebrating 6 wins and being bowl eligible. I would gladly take hand-ringing over not winning the SEC east or SEC championship and finishing with 10 wins over hoping and praying for 6 wins any day. Unbelievable.
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When you reference Tennessee, you lose Smith. Tennessee had already lost their mojo by the time Smith took notice of CFB.
To be fair, Smith doesn’t know who Ray Goof is/was.
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Butch Jones has Tenn on the rise, best year since 2010, and lost to UGA by 3, and UF by 1 and Mizzou by 8. And he’s doing it right, with the youngest team in the NCAA. His special teams and defense were both better than UGA’s, just needs to tweak his offense and he’s right there.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/fpi?id=2633&year=2014
Butch is also rumored to have turned down the Michigan job and in line for a new raise.
http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vols/2014/12/02/butch-jones-contract-tennessee-vols/19810137/
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/tennessee-football/butch-jones-turned-down-michigan/
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Oh, puhleez. UT won a single game more this year than last year, mainly because Vandy went back to being Vandy.
Yeah, Jones has recruited well, but so have a lot of other SEC teams.
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I’d say the same thing about UGA then, only won 1 more game than last year, because they didn’t have to go up against the better Vandy team.
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So what? I’m not making any major statement about Georgia’s program as you are about the Vols.
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You said it was ‘only” a 1 game improvement, but UGA had “only” a 1 game improvement, you attributed that to a worse Vandy team, UGA also lost to Vandy in 2013 and beat them in 2014.
Richt only improved the same amount as Jones, because of Vandy for the same reason, so how do you view Richt as having a better year than Jones or view both improvement equally overall?
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Richt having a better year than Jones has nothing to do with season to season improvement, but I’d say if you don’t see winning three more games and winning head-to-head as being better, you’ve confirmed you’re as clueless as most here already suspect.
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Butch improved as far as wins go at Tenn that hadn’t been done since 2010, Richt didn’t do anything significantly better than what UGA has done before since 2010, I think most people see what Butch accomplished as far more significant.
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I’m sure you do.
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“Butch improved as far as wins go at Tenn that hadn’t been done since 2010, Richt didn’t do anything significantly better than what UGA has done before since 2010, I think most people see what Butch accomplished as far more significant.”
Way to just gloss over the whole almost playing for the national title in 2012 thing. Yeah, Butch getting bowl eligible is SO much more impressive than that…
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I’m not impressed by Jones. His overly conservative offensive gameplans cost them at least the Florida game. Probably the Missouri game as well.
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Michigan and his admin is impressed.
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Michigan was impressed by Brady Hoke, and Tennessee’s last two hires were Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley. A retarded chimp would probably impress them.
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Good point, and even though his defense and special were better than Richt’s, I guess that’s not really saying much now, is it?
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On what are you basing the idea that their defense was better than Georgia’s. It was worse in both total and scoring defense. It was slightly better against the run, but neither was at all impressive. And considering Jones made his reputation on offense, his team’s offensive woes seem relevant. They were 13th in the SEC in total offense and 12th in scoring offense.
I wish Richt were better, but comparing him negatively to Butch Jones is just dumb.
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Oh, I see, efficiency ranks. UT was 25th in defense and 10th in special teams, while UGA was 30th and 14th. Truly those are more important differences than 4th vs. 58th in offensive efficiency. Tweak his offense? He needs to overhaul it.
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Going by ESPN’s team effic, which is a solid tool for comparison.
Butch’s team is better ranked than Richt’s in 2 of 3 areas: defensively, and special teams, just needs to fix his offense.
So are you saying Butch outperforming Richt in 2 of 3 is not saying much or does it mean he did a better job in 2 of 3 areas with less talent?
http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/fpi?id=2633&year=2014
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I think he’s saying that you’re not making a convincing argument.
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Did noodle brained CMR go head to head with Butch “Bear” Jones this season?
What about last season?
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Yep Senator, that’s what I’m saying.
And true, head to head is another way to measure, but Butch with far less talent, pushed Richt to the limits in 2013 & 2014, losing both games by 3 points, 1 in overtime, so the gap might not be as far as you wish.
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UT did take UGA to overtime last year. Remember that the skill players who weren’t hurt before the game were hurt during the game? I think that levels the talent gap significantly.
Why am I feeding the troll?!?
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I’m not sure where you’ve been for the past 14 seasons, perhaps Zimbabwe, because your “me, me, me, now” comment is absurd. The vast majority of UGA fans have supported Richt throughout his tenure as head coach and have ridden the up’s an down’s and silly mistakes the entire time. Supporter patience has been extended and renewed, talent is come and gone (immense talent), coaches have come and gone both at GA and other SEC programs, and yet UGA is the only major SEC football program without a national title since the BCS era began in 1998. And if that benchmark doesn’t appeal to you then take it back 20 years, or 25 years, or 30 years!
Let me ask this — what more do you expect to see from Mark Richt the head coach that you haven’t already seen? What gives you confidence that he is going to win it all despite having every conceivable resource at his fingertips throughout his tenure? A special player? Well we’ve had those and on the same team(s). A special asst coach or coaches? Check that too. Lucky breaks, bounces, and events? Yep, check.
That said, I am not saying that Mark Richt should be fired because he will not be. The problem is that the fan bases expectations are all over the place despite the fact that everyone wants to win another SEC or (god forbid) another national title. The fact is that Richt has shown us what he can do and what he is not capable of. Since he isn’t going anywhere, maybe we just all get used to being an above average program because it’s “comfortable” and it’s profitable.
Will we ever dare to be GREAT.
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Exactly, exactly right, JAX. I’m ambivalent to the Richt situation, because I think that there are a number of things that he does well. However, it certainly appears that there is a ceiling on what we can expect each year from Richt team’s REGARDLESS of schedule, talent-level, injuries, luck, etc. And this ceiling is directly related to Richt’s primary weakness: (1) lapses in team/player motivation in certain games and (2) very poor late-game management.
To your question “Will we ever dare to be GREAT?”…….Not as long as we are merely decent/pretty good.
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Bingo! From what I am reading on this site most of the time, the average UGA fan would not dare to be great.
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Other than anonymously venting on a fan blog, what exactly are you doing to lead the program to greatness?
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What a dumb comment.
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It wasn’t a comment. It was a question based on your attitude of superiority. As I suspected, you’re all hat, no cattle.
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All sizzle, no steak?
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I’ve been a fan for 30 years and the only reason I say keep him is because, as mentioned, I have zero faith in the Administration to do what it takes to win a title. They say a zebra doesn’t change it’s stripes, well neither does those pulling the money strings at UGA.
The whole thing will eventually kill me from either frustration, anger, or booze.
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Forget it, Ben. It’s Athens.
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All of a sudden, everyone has ZERO faith in the administration at B-M to hire a coach who could even win at all, much less take the program to the next level. Those administrators are all surely a bunch of dimwits!! My compliments Senator, because you have been throwing this one against the wall since the Florida loss, and it has stuck.
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I hate to break it to you, but those of us who’ve followed the program for any period of time never had any confidence to shake in the first place.
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FWIW, half of those 9 or 10 wins Richt has averaged are gimme games, in particular Troy and Charleston Southern this year.
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Other teams play cupcakes, too. UGA’s schedule is ranked #11 this year by Sagarin. Baylor’s is ranked #66. FSU’s is #49.
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What is the measure of success. I say it is titles, not wins. Is it too much to ask to win an SEC Title every 10 years? Since its last Championship in 05 they have only played in the game 2 times. And blown out in one (LSU), lost both. 0 titles.
TN and UF have been historically bad the last few years, the worst together in a long time. SC was REALLY bad this year. And yet Mizz comes in and wins the East 2 straight years. The schedule was also in Georgia’s favor. When UGA was bad, TN and UF won national Championships. Even Auburn who is another big rival.
Also, Mark Richt wins more than most coaches, wins are important but ranked wins are even moreso. What is UGA’s record vs ranked teams the last 7 years?
The state of Georgia has doubled in size in 30 years. More talent available than anyone in the SEC with no real in state recruiting competition (UF with FSU, Miami) and just about as much money and resources as any school (although they don’t spend it). Dooley, Goff and Donnan didn’t have the talent base that is in Georgia now. The stadium didn’t seat 92,000 for a full decade and they didn’t have the huge $$$ that have been rolling in after the inception of the new TV contracts and the BCS money.
Richt has raised the bar, absolutely, but the question is where should be the ceiling? The past is no excuse to be settled. And the people that bring up firing Fulmer being a mistake are 100% incorrect. He should’ve been fired. The problem was they hired the WRONG person to follow him. Worrying that you will hire the wrong person is no excuse to not do something or to accept less that what you should expect given the resources. We saw some improvement this year but no consistency from game to game and lost to 2 really bad teams and after bye weeks. Next year is the 2nd under Pruitt, we need to see even more improvement.
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I’m a young fan who has been following UGA for less than 20 years. My fandom really went into full swing when my brother bought the guys in the family tickets to the 2000 Outback Bowl. So I have some memories of the Donnan days but Richt is really the only coach I’ve known and I voted to keep him. It seems to me that Richt supporters of my age are few and far between. The argument that they make is the oft repeated, “We’re Georgia and we can do better.” I really think that most of the fans my age have a skewed perspective of Georgia football. They’ve only known the success we’ve had under Richt and apparently haven’t read enough history to understand just how succesful he’s been compared to other periods in program history. The truth is that we have won at a more successful clip in the last 14 years under Richt than we ever have in any 14 year period. So the question I always ask is, “How can you say, “We’re Georgia we can do better’ when historically we’ve never actually been better than this for this long?
I understand there are other points to make about whether you think he should stay or go, but speaking to fans who make that, “We’re Georgia so we can do better” argument…. I’m sorry but the math and history just don’t back that up. This is as succesful as we’ve ever been for a sustained period. If we’re honest with ourselves we’re not the upper tier powerhouse program that some people seem to think we are and apart from some periodic 3 to 4 year stretches, we never have been. In that way I think Richt has kinda’ been a victim of his own success especially with the expectations he created in some younger fans who don’t really appreciate where he brought us from.
Apart from that thought, yes, Richt frustrates me greatly at times, but the guy has had us in serious contention for the MNC 3 or 4 times in 14 years. That’s about as good as you can hope for anywhere unless you’re a ‘Bama fan.
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