Georgia vs. Georgia Tech: Mark Richt in the Clear or Back on Hot Seat in 2012?

It's been quite the roller coaster season for Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt. He started the season with a pretty warm seat after a disappointing 6-7 campaign last year. After an 0-2 start in which his team dropped well out of the Top 25, his seat was white-hot. A large contingent of Georgia fans were calling for his head, and most college football analysts considered his job all but gone.

And now, after nine straight wins that have brought the Bulldogs back to No. 13 in the most recent BCS Standings, he has his team in primed to play the No. 1 team in the country for a shot a BCS bowl and an SEC Championship. This all begs the question: Is Mark Richt on the hot seat for next season, or has he bought himself more time?

Richt's Track Record

Mark Richt had a great start to his career in Athens. Georgia finished in the AP Top 25 each of his first eight seasons. In that span, he led the Bulldogs to two SEC Championships and three BCS bowls.

Moreover, his team came in first in the SEC East four times and finished in the Top 10 (in the Coaches Poll) six of those eight years.

The Decline

However, the Georgia Bulldogs have experienced a significant drop-off the last two seasons. In 2009, Georgia finished the regular season 7-5, with an Independence Bowl victory bringing them up to 8-5. Last season, they finished 6-7 after an embarrassing 10-6 loss to the Central Florida Knights in the Liberty Bowl.

In both seasons, the Bulldogs finished unranked. They were a combined 7-9 in SEC games. In Richt's first eight seasons, the Bulldogs were 46-18 in conference play.

The Verdict

I think a lot depends on how Georgia plays today against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and in the SEC Championship Game against the LSU Tigers. Yes, the Bulldogs have bounced back this season, winning their last nine. Richt is now a candidate for the SEC Coach of the Year. However, in those last nine games, the Bulldogs have only played one ranked team, the 7-4 Auburn Tigers. A large part of their winning streak has been dodging games against the Big Three of the SEC West.

Now, the competition is heating up. The Bulldogs have two consecutive games against ranked opponents to close the regular season, before facing what will likely be a solid bowl opponent. If Georgia can beat Georgia Tech, keep it respectable against LSU and win their bowl game, I think Richt's job will be safe for the 2012 season.