Reflecting upon each season, the same story seems to surface for Mark Richt and the Georgia football program: 9 to 11 wins and a lot of "could've" or "should've" discussion. Entering the first game of the SEC schedule for 2015, Mark Richt is averaging 9.7 wins per season, which ranks him in the top 5 for active coaches with the highest winning percentage (for a minimum of several seasons).
Yet, the last time UGA won the SEC title was in 2005, despite finishing 2nd in the nation in 2007 and being a play or two away from the National Championship in 2012. Recently, a 13-year old called into the Paul Finebaum show, basically wondering when Richt was going to deliver something meaningful again (if ever).
Quite honestly, I never know quite what to think about Richt. My feelings for him are somewhat like my feelings for the band, Journey. I don't want to stop believing in their legacy, but they never got as great as they could have been. They had amazing vocal talent in Steve Perry and a solid guitar talent in Neal Schon, but I ultimately remember Journey as having great songs here and there. Ok, back to more relevant thoughts on Mark Richt...
I admire him as a person and certainly think he is a very good coach. Last season, it was impressive to keep UGA composed after losing Gurley mid-season due to suspension. UGA reeled off impressive road victories at Missouri and Arkansas. However, every time I want to fully jump aboard the Richt train, UGA loses to a team it shouldn't (Florida).
After the Florida game, I hit the reset button after UGA dismantled Auburn. But, then two weeks later, UGA lost to Tech in one of the most frustrating scenarios: squib kicking the ball when the opponent only needed 3 points to tie. I cannot blame Richt for the loss to Tech, but his call, in a lot of ways, compromised UGA's position to win the game.
Georgia finished with a solid win over Louisville in the Department Store (Belk) Bowl and a top 10 ranking. As the 2015 season commences, I once again find myself cautiously optimistic about the Bulldogs. They have tons of talent, a relatively favorable schedule, good coordinators, and depth. But, I can't help but believe UGA will lose 2 or 3 games it shouldn't (cough cough Tennessee).
Following the loss to Florida last season, Jeremy and I both expressed our views on Mark Richt, which remain largely unchanged today: we both agree UGA has missed opportunities under Richt, but at the same time, Richt has kept UGA consistent while Auburn, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee have certainly seen an ebb and flow of success since 2000.
Yesterday, ESPN ran an article profiling which programs have the most players on active NFL rosters at the start of this season. Not surprisingly, UGA placed in the top 5. Miami had the most players with 36, LSU with 35, and Alabama/UGA tied with 33 players.
This statistic about UGA's NFL talent tells me two things: 1) Mark Richt continues to recruit elite talent, and 2) Mark Richt continues to develop talent. Certainly, there are players like Matthew Stafford, AJ Green, or Todd Gurley who could have attended any program and made it to the NFL.
But, there are plenty of other Pro Bowl UGA alums in the NFL who were not nationally rated talents out of high school (Geno Atkins, Justin Houston, Tim Jennings) - meaning they developed while playing at Georgia AND/OR Mark Richt truly has an exceptional eye for recognizing talent.
In any case, I won't stop believin...Mark Richt is the right coach for Georgia right now.
But, as for Georgia's season: "some we'll win, some we'll lose...oh this movie never ends, it goes on and on, and on, and on..."
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