SEC Media Days: Georgia, Richt Preparing for a Hot Start, Not Hot Seat

Day Two of SEC Media Days has been considerably quieter than Day One was. Of course, when you have the last two national champions scheduled for the same day, in the home state of the most recent title winner, one should expect there to be an uproar.

No, today was supposed to be slightly lively, at the very least, with Coach Mark Richt taking the podium to talk about the latest NCAA Inquiry, which happens to be centered on the Athens, GA school.

Problem is, he's not allowed to talk about it. As a matter of fact, no one from Georgia is allowed to comment on the NCAA's reported investigation into "Agent-Gate."

So, we in the media decided to focus on something else which is completely irrelevant.

Mark Richt being on the "hot-seat."

I've said since the end of last year, when Georgia defeated two pretty good non-conference foes, that the hot-seat talk was ridiculous. It's expected when a great program goes through its first down year in a coach's tenure.

But the sting of the five losses the 'Dawgs endured was somewhat lessened when Georgia defeated bitter rival, Georgia Tech, which was ranked No. 7 at the time. The talk was even further ruled illogical when Georgia defeated an up-and-coming Texas A&M squad in the Independence Bowl about a month later.

Yet, there are still some who insist that the Dean of SEC Coaches is treading on dangerous ground in 2010.

When asked about the hot-seat, Richt took the question in stride saying, "I understand the business. I don't worry about it."

Richt was quick to point to his 90 wins in nine seasons as Georgia's head coach.

The problem is, Richt shouldn't have to point to his 90 wins. We should all realize that this is the most successful Georgia head coach since Vince Dooley before it even comes down to one miserable season for the 'Dawgs. And, by the way, can it even be considered miserable when you tied for second place in the SEC East?

Should these questions even be asked of a coach who has been to three SEC Championship games and won two of them in less than a decade? How about a coach who has been to three BCS games and won two of them in that same span? 

The truth is, we in the media built Richt's 2008 team up so high in the preseason that, when it failed to live up to the lofty expectations we loaded upon it, we then took it upon ourselves to start asking what was wrong. News flash: Georgia still won 10 games that year!

When Richt and the 'Dawgs followed that season up, with five losses, the hot-seat talk had already begun in earnest.

Mark Richt is still the same coach he has been. Nothing has changed.

And in 2010, he and the 'Dawgs are poised to show that.

Richt welcomes back one of the nation's best offensive line units, the best wide receiver in the nation, a highly touted redshirt freshman quarterback, and a brand new defense, whose architect has 11 seasons experience as an NFL assistant.

Just stop the hot-seat talk now.

By the end of September such talk will be completely moot anyway.