Mark Richt not being able to win big games fallacy perpetuated by rivals

Mark Richt has a reputation for not being able to win big games. What constitutes a big game? Big games could be defined as opponents in the top 25, games against your rival(s), conference championship games, bowl games and now the college football playoff.

Using the methodology of above, Mark Richt’s teams have fared far better in big games than detractors continually state. Mark Richt is in the top ten of the 46 power five coaches with at least five seasons as a Head Coach in the FBS against the top 25.

Through the 2017 season, Richt is a very respectable 41-38 against top 25 opponents. Richt’s record against ranked opponents is better than Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Washington’s Chris Petersen and TCU’s Gary Patterson.

As to be expected against the top ten, Richt is slightly worse. It would be difficult to find many coaches with exceptional records against top ten opponents.

Richt is 12-19 all-time against top ten teams for a 38.7 winning percentage. He basically wins slightly more than three out of every eight games against the top ten. That includes 1-2 in 2017 against Notre Dame, Clemson and Wisconsin.

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Dawn of the Dawg

The three games at the end of last season are the only three games Miami has had against top ten opponents during the Richt era. Mark Richt was 11-17 against the top ten as the Head Coach at Georgia. What likely led to Richt’s firing was a 5-12 record against the top ten from 2008-15.

Perception is often greater than reality. In Richt’s case, it became what have you done for me lately. His 6-5 record against the top ten during his first seven seasons in Athens was far better than most college football coaches.

Richt has been excellent against his primary rivals as a Head Coach. Georgia was 13-2 against Georgia Tech in Richt’s 15 seasons in Athens. Miami has gone 1-1 during Richt’s first two seasons against Florida State. The Hurricanes could just as easily be 0-2 or 2-0 in the last two years against the Seminoles.

Richt’s teams have made a Bowl Game in every season he’s been a Head Coach. He and the Georgia AD mutually agreed upon his departure from the Bulldogs following their victory over Georgia Tech in the final regular season game in 2015. He did not coach in UGA’s bowl game. He has a 10-6 career record in bowl games.

Richt’s teams have appeared in the conference title game six times during his career. He led Georgia to five outright SEC East titles and Miami to last season’s ACC Coastal Division Championship.

After leading Georgia to wins in two of the Bulldogs first three appearances in the SEC title game, Richt led teams have lost three consecutive conference championship games.

Mark Richt has yet to lead Georgia or Miami to the College Football Playoff during its four years of existence. He likely would have coached in the playoff during his tenure at Georgia had the Playoff been instituted earlier.

During his term in Athens, Georgia won or shared six SEC Eastern Division titles, won two SEC Championships, nine bowl games, won two out of the three BCS bowl games they played in and finished the season ranked in the top ten seven times. To paraphrase Mark Twain the report of my mediocrity is an exaggeration.

The Miami fans have to be happy with the upgrade Richt has provided as Head Coach. Prior to Richt taking over for the 2016 season, Miami was abysmal against the top ten during Al Golden and Randy Shannon’s tenures leading the Hurricanes. Miami was 0-5 against top ten teams under Golden and 1-4 under Shannon.

The Hurricanes split the four games against Florida State under Shannon. The infamous and now over seven-game losing streak to the Seminoles began in Shannon’s last season. Golden lost all five of his games to FSU.

The final game of the losing streak came in Richt’s first season with Miami. Florida State needed a blocked extra point in the last two minutes to secure victory in 2016.