Georgia Football: Mark Richt Is Under Immense Pressure to Deliver in 2015

Despite his 74 percent win percentage with the Georgia Bulldogs, Mark Richt will have to deliver more than just wins in 2015. In 14 seasons, Richt has won 132 games, a result that wouldn't have many coaches on any hot seat.

Most coaches would be safe averaging nearly 10 wins per year. However, at a powerful program like Georgia, nine- and 10-win seasons become irrelevant if there's nothing more than a Capital One Bowl trophy to show for them.

Even with success Richt has had, it's worth wondering if he's taken the Georgia program as far it will go under his watch.

This upcoming season, Richt will be under pressure to take Georgia's program to the next level and establish the Bulldogs as a legitimate contender in the SEC and on the national stage.

Since his last SEC Championship in 2005, the consistent knock on Richt has been his teams' untimely losses that have cost them spots in SEC and national championship games.

Georgia has often had above-average teams in SEC play but they've proven incapable of winning "the big one."

No matter how strong a Georgia team may look in certain parts of the season, slip-ups against an inferior opponent almost always seems to keep them out of Atlanta.

For example, last season Georgia should have almost been a lock to win the SEC East, but losses to mediocre teams like Florida and South Carolina paved the road to Atlanta for Missouri, a team Georgia pummeled, 34-0. 

Richt's most heartbreaking blown opportunity came in 2012, when Georgia blew a fourth-quarter lead to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

Instead, of playing Notre Dame in the national championship game that season, the Bulldogs took a postseason trip to Orlando for the Capital One Bowl. 

With the 2015 season quickly approaching, Richt will once again be given a chance to prove to Georgia fans that he can lead the program to another SEC Championship and possibly the College Football Playoff.

Dave Tulis/Associated Press

Each season that ends in disappointment for Georgia causes the temperature of Richt's seat to rise. Another season eight- to 10-win season without a trip to Atlanta might finally cause the end of Richt's 14-year tenure in Athens.

Talent has never been an issue with any of Richt's teams, as Georgia has consistently brought it highly rated recruiting classes and put players in the NFL.

Even though he's come close, in the past decade, Richt hasn't been able to bring that talent together to win the SEC or compete for a national title. 

Obviously, it's no easy task to win a title in the SEC, but in recent years, Georgia has had the benefit of having as fortunate of an SEC schedule as a team could hope for.

The Bulldogs play in the weaker SEC East division. Also, they haven't played the SEC's most dominant team, Alabama, in the regular season since 2008 and have matched up against LSU just once in the regular season in the same time span. 

Richt's Bulldogs will once again have high expectations in the 2015 season. ESPN's Mark Schlabach put Georgia at No. 8 in his initial preseason top-25 list for 2015. Once again, the Bulldogs will be among the favorites to win the SEC East. 

This year's schedule will feature a few tougher tests than previous seasons. Georgia will square off against Alabama in Week 5 and will also travel to Knoxville to take on a Tennessee team that Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee has already predicted to win the SEC East.

2015 has to be the year that Richt is able to break through and silence his many critics. He's tested the patience of the Georgia fanbase long enough.

Unless, he can deliver an SEC title or a berth in the College Football Playoff, it may finally be time for Richt and Georgia to part ways. 

Sami Harb is a Bleacher Report Contributor. Follow him on twitter @SamiPHarb