What to make of Mark Richt
Let me preface this by saying I am not or have never been a Georgia football fan. Let me also say that if you don’t want to see something analyzing both sides of ‘Fire Mark Richt’ argument, then feel free to skip ahead to the next portion of this column.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s dive into this topic. Last Saturday’s 38-10 Georgia loss to Alabama have once again added fuel to the fire of the Mark Richt debate among Bulldogs fans.
There’s no doubt that once again, a Mark Richt-led Georgia team fell flat on their face in a big game. ( This one might be one of the worst in recent memory as Alabama dominated both sides of the ball, especially at the line of scrimmage.) There’s a faction of Georgia fans, a growing faction I contend, that have said enough is enough with Richt’s apparent underachieving ways.
I, looking in from the outside, find merit in that argument. If I was a Georgia fan, I would certainly expect to contend for a national championship every few years, especially with the talent that is coming into Athens from the recruiting circuit and the talent that is going out of Athens into the NFL.
Yes, winning nine or 10 games every year is great. But eventually you start to want more, and Richt hasn’t delivered that.
Is that totally his fault? I don’t believe so. But the one constant through all the different assistant coaches and all the players that have come through UGA in the past decade plus is Mark Richt, whether his supporters want to see it that way or not.
It’s not crazy that this section of Georgia fans want a change, and they shouldn’t be ridiculed by their fellow fans that remain loyal to Richt.
Now, let’s see the other side of the argument. Mark Richt is a good coach. There’s no debating that. He’s brought consistency to the Georgia program in his 15 years, he’s won a lot of games against his rivals and he’s become one of the most respected coaches as far as developers of young men as there is in the college football landscape. And those three things weren’t there prior to his time in Athens.
I believe those three things count for something. Plus, whenever there is a coaching change, there’s no way of knowing which way things will go. There’s none (or at least very few) sure things in coaching. A new coach could certainly take the Bulldogs to the next level, but there’s equally the chance that a new coach could bring the program back down a notch.
Here are my final thoughts on the subject. Do I think it’s crazy for some Georgia fans to want Mark Richt gone and to move on to a new era? No, I don’t. Do I think that those Georgia fans that are loyal to Richt and want him to stay until he decides on his own to leave are wrong? Definitely not.
Both sides of the argument have merit. It just comes down to what you as a fan believe is the ultimate goal. With all that said, my gut feeling is that Mark Richt isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Weekend Picks
I’ll keep it short this week since I used a lot of space talking about Mark Richt above. Some big games for Georgia and Georgia Tech this Saturday as both face tough road tests as they try to stop the bleeding.
The Falcons are on the other end of the spectrum as they look to move to 5-0. Here’s my thoughts on all three matchups:
Georgia at Tennessee
It’s time to get up off the mat for the Bulldogs as they head to Knoxville looking to put the Alabama loss in the rearview mirror. And they’re facing a Tennessee team that’s on the brink after los- ing some late leads in several games early in the season.
I think Georgia is not only the better, more talented and deeper team in this matchup, I think they’re the more focused and more together unit. The Bulldogs’ renewing of their goal to make it to Atlanta starts this Saturday at Neyland Stadium. They’ll get a big bounceback win.
Score: Georgia wins, 31-17.
Georgia Tech at Clemson
The Jackets didn’t expect to be 2-3 at this point as they head to Death Valley to take on a Clemson team that many are now saying are a legitimate threat to make it to the College Football Playoff.
Georgia Tech has looked like an average team over the past three weeks, and the discouraging thing is they don’t look like they’ve made a whole lot of adjustments, which Paul Johnson has been known for in the past.
Clemson’s offense is scary with Deshaun Watson at the helm, and they’re defense isn’t bad either. This seems to be one of those games where the Tigers have a letdown after a huge win. (They defeated Notre Dame at home last Saturday.) but at the end of the day, they’re better than the Jackets. The tough stretch continues for Georgia Tech.
Score: Clemson wins, 28-17.
Washington Redskins at
Atlanta Falcons
In year’s past, the Falcons would do some good things and then they’d follow it up with a forgettable performance against a team they should beat. At 4-0 and welcoming an average Washington team to town, this would be one of those scenarios that would make for a disappointing Sunday in recent years with a bad loss.
But I see know signs of this team’s attitude and focus waivering under Dan Quinn. They bring it consistently every week. The Falcons offense has been a juggernaut the past few weeks, and they should continue that Sunday. Are we seriously going to be talking about a 50 Falcons team? I think so.
Score: Falcons win, 34-21.