The SEC officially has a new member, and Mark Richt, like a lot of other people, wonders what’s next.
The SEC announced Sunday that Texas A&M will become the league’s 13th member, beginning in the 2012-13 academic year — an announcement that had been expected for weeks, but had been stalled by legal obstacles.
“Well, if they’re joining us, you’d think there would be at least another one joining somewhere along the way,” Richt, Georgia’s football coach, said Sunday evening. “It’ll be interesting to see how it all shakes out at the end. Life is changing as we know it around college football.
“This may be a massive movement across the country. I don’t know exactly how it’s going to end up. It is certainly interesting what is happening in our league.”
Sunday’s announcement left many questions unanswered, such as how long the SEC is prepared to go with 13 members, and thus unbalanced divisions, and what the implications of expansion are on future scheduling formats and perhaps traditional rivalries.
“I haven’t even thought about that because all this time I really wasn’t thinking it was going to be real,” Richt said. “And also I’ve just been busy trying to get first downs and touchdowns and things like that. ... I’m kind of the guy that says, ‘Hey, just tell me who we’re going to play, and let’s go play ’em.’”
Georgia has played Texas A&M five times in football, losing the first three (1950, 1953 and 1954) and winning the past two (1980 and 2009). The Bulldogs beat the Aggies 44-20 in the ’09 Independence Bowl.
Robinson to return?
No definitive word yet, but Richt hopes to have starting inside linebacker Christian Robinson back from a foot injury for Saturday’s game against Mississippi State in Athens. Robinson was injured against South Carolina and missed the past two games.
“There is a chance he can play this week,” Richt said. “Even if Christian plays, I don’t know if he’s going to be able to practice every [day] and be 100 percent.”
Georgia’s other starting inside linebacker, Alec Ogletree, also is out with a foot injury and is not expected back until the Oct. 29 game against Florida. Freshman Amarlo Herrera and junior Michael Gilliard filled in for Ogletree and Robinson, respectively, at Ole Miss. Richt said both played well.
Richt is unsure whether offensive guard Chris Burnette, who missed the Ole Miss game with a knee injury, will return this week. Richt said Burnette “really wasn’t even close” to being able to play last week.
Looking ahead ...
Coming off a 27-13 win over Ole Miss, Georgia faces the SEC’s other Mississippi school this week. Mississippi State figures to be a sterner test, despite its 2-2 (0-2 SEC) record.
Mississippi State lost to Auburn and LSU and had to go to overtime to beat Louisiana Tech. But “all you’ve got to do is watch LSU-Mississippi State this year ... to know Mississippi State can line up and play physical with anybody in America,” Richt said Sunday. “There’s no question in my mind it’s going to be a tremendously physical game.”
LSU, ranked No. 1 in this week’s Associated Press poll, defeated Mississippi State 19-6 in Starkville on Sept. 15.
A victory Saturday would put Georgia (2-2, 1-1 SEC) above .500 overall and in the league. “If we do it, it’s going to be really hard-earned,” Richt said. Of Mississippi State’s two losses, he said: “It’s not like they lost to some teams that aren’t very formidable.”
Mississippi State defeated Georgia 24-12 in Starkville last season en route to a 9-4 (4-4 SEC) record. That broke a nine-game Georgia winning streak in the series and was Mississippi State’s first victory over UGA since 1974.
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