Tech not concerned if Green plays

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said it doesn't matter to Tech if injured wide receiver A.J. Green plays for Georgia in Saturday's 8 p.m. game at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

"A.J. Green is probably one of the best players in the country. He might be the best receiver in the country," Johnson said. "Certainly if they don't have him it will hurt them, but it won't change the way we get ready to play. I guarantee they will still trot a four- or five-star recruit to line up where he was."

Should Green not play, it would rob fans of the chance to see two of the best wide receivers in the country. Georgia Tech's Demaryius Thomas is second in the nation and leads the ACC in yards per catch (24.4). He also leads the ACC with 86.4 receiving yards per game. Green has 47 catches for 751 yards this season.

"They got the big receiver in Thomas, their No. 8," Richt said. "Thirty-nine catches for 950 yards, six touchdowns, leading the ACC -- unbelievable number of yards per catch. But that's what's going to happen when they run their system. Everybody is going to be playing the run; one guy is going to be playing a very big receiver, 6-3, 230-pounder, and [Josh] Nesbitt has just been putting it on him."

Regardless, Johnson said the Jackets are assuming Green will play. Whether he does is mostly irrelevant.

"We worry about Georgia Tech," Johnson said. "I don't know what Georgia's going to do. They might come in there and run the wishbone. They may come in here with no backs and throw it every down.

"Quite honestly we wouldn't do anything different."