Why Georgia Shouldn't Fire Mark Richt

The sound you heard as the clock struck zero inside EverBank Field on Saturday afternoon wasn't sea gulls along the coast of Jacksonville, it was the sound of Georgia Bulldogs fans calling for the head of head coach Mark Richt.

The Bulldogs got blown out 27-3 in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party on Saturday afternoon by rival Florida in a game that seemed out of reach from the moment the team clad in red and black took the field.

After all, Richt made the panic move of all panic moves when he trotted out third-string quarterback Faton Bauta for his first career start in a huge conference game. As was the case when Auburn started Sean White vs. Mississippi State earlier this year and LSU gave Brandon Harris a start at Auburn last year, it ended badly.

Bauta threw four picks, looked lost from the moment he took the field and never got a chance to show off his ability on the ground, which was one aspect of his game that was supposed to be featured.

Now, Richt has become the Internet's punching bag.

Look, I get it.

You're frustrated. 

Richt managed to create a quarterback controversy and a punter controversy during the bye week by starting Bauta and moving Brice Ramsey—a former 4-star prospect who spent the majority of the season as the No. 2 quarterback—to starting punter.

It takes a lot of work to mismanage a roster that badly.

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You're also frustrated with the offense in general.

Even before running back Nick Chubb's season came to an end after the first play from scrimmage vs. Tennessee, the offense was a disaster. The Bulldogs haven't scored a touchdown in eight quarters, have the second-worst third-down offense in the conference (converting only 31.18 percent) and the third-worst red zone scoring percentage (78.57 percent).

You're also frustrated with the lack of big wins, as ESPN's Twitter account noted shortly after the Florida game.

This isn't the year to let Richt go. Although if things don't improve, 2016 should be.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, however, shouldn't have even been allowed to board the bus outside EverBank Field Saturday night.

I questioned his hire when it was made last offseason, and Saturday's Cocktail Party was a perfect example of why Schottenheimer never made sense. His offense routinely struggles in those key spots in the red zone and on third downs, and Schottenheimer calls plays to make himself look good rather than help the team out. How else can you explain how Bauta—a dual-threat quarterback—only had three carries and wasn't a part of the offense on the ground?

"You can’t come off a game like that and not have calls you’re going to second-guess," Schottenheiemer said after the game according to DawgNation.com. "There certainly is going to be some I look at tomorrow and say, ‘hey, those weren’t very good.’"

As my colleague Justin Ferguson noted Saturday night, it's time for Georgia to admit Schottenheiemer was a bad hire.

They were downright awful, and Job No. 1 in order for Richt to keep some heat off of himself is to let Schottenheimer go or, at the very least, take over play-calling down the stretch in order to minimize the damage.

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Richt has to stay, though, because Georgia already has one of the top recruiting classes in the country committed in the class of 2016. Included in that class is 5-star pro-style quarterback Jacob Eason, who clearly will come in with the pressure of being the savior after already signing a financial aid agreement and announcing, according to DawgNation.com, he plans to enroll early.

As Bleacher Report national recruiting analyst Sanjay Kirpalani noted in September, it's a remarkably deep year for talented players in the state of Georgia, which is already one of the most fertile recruiting states in the country.

I understand Georgia has recruited well for years, and a program can't be held captive by recruiting rankings, but a full-scale coaching change right now would likely allow a chance to clean up in-state go by the wayside.

That can't happen and should be what gives Richt one more chance to turn things around.

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Richt clearly misses former coordinator Mike Bobo, and instead of adjusting to the new world of college football, which demands a more flexible offensive style—one of Bobo's specialties—he tried to go "Back to the Future" with an NFL also-ran who hasn't been successful at any stop. 

That's not going to fly. But if he fixes the glitch and minimizes the damage Schottenheiemer can do down the stretch, he can preserve the recruiting class and should be given one more opportunity to turn things around.

Richt was squarely on the hot seat entering the 2011 season after stagnant seasons in 2009 and 2010, and that became scorching in 2011 when he lost two straight to open the season. He then ripped off 10 straight wins, played in two straight SEC Championship games and nearly earned a berth in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game following the 2012 season.

He can take a similar path during this downturn, but he has to take the road less traveled right now and recognize that the heat is on.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics are courtesy of cfbstats.com.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.