I never thought I’d be forced to defend Mark Richt in these pages.

But then again, maybe he hasn’t done enough. Just two SEC titles, three division crowns and seven 10-win seasons are “all” he’s brought to Athens.

Well, after an anti-Richt column written in these pages by Justin Davidson on November 10, I’m here to refresh some pages in the Bulldog Nation’s memory.

In his attempt at a column, Davidson wrote that Richt “has lost control of the program.” He said SEC offenses have left Georgia’s behind, and that Richt has lost the ability to prepare and motivate. How Davidson went into the locker room and found that out is beyond me. But then he ends with a real kicker: “If Richt can’t recapture the magic soon, the question is not if he will be shown the door. It’s when.”

Here’s why Davidson comes off looking like a spoiled Georgia fan.

Richt didn’t lose the ability to coach this past offseason. He didn’t go to bed one night with a .788 winning percentage, only to wake up a sub-par coach.

What did happen this offseason was the early departure of the most talented quarterback in Bulldog history in Matthew Stafford, and the best running back since Herschel Walker in Knowshon Moreno.

Imagine those two still playing here. Now snap back to reality.

Georgia has been forced to use an offensive attack with only two senior starters. Two.

To expect the same offensive production with such little experience is rather foolish, to say the least.

Speaking of foolish, Davidson also said the spread has become the norm in college football, while the Bulldogs’ offense is lagging behind.

He’s not just wrong–he’s blatantly wrong. Eight SEC teams currently run an offense like Georgia’s.

And that pro-style offense of Georgia’s was second in the SEC last year, when it led us to another 10-win season. It sent Stafford to the NFL as the No. 1 pick, and Moreno as the 12th.

Not good enough?

Just last year Georgia was third in scoring, third down conversions and amount of sacks given up. Second in first downs converted.

And now, less than a year and four losses later, this offense no longer works? Wrong.

Aside from receiver A.J. Green, Georgia had no proven playmakers coming into this year. Trying to teach multiple players at once tends to lead to growing pains – and you’ve seen them. The Bulldogs have used eight freshmen in a serious role on offense this year. Couple that with Georgia’s certifiably crazy schedule, and a mediocre season was easy to foresee.

But what hurts Georgia today will prove to be its reward tomorrow. Georgia loses only three major starters. The rest, including Green, will be back next year.

And they’ll be better because of the tough-love lessons they’ve learned.

Sometimes, fans of little faith, you have to accept the fact that your favorite team just had a down year. These seasons happen. And I don’t think I’m out of line to say Richt has earned a pass to have more than one bad year before being so quickly judged.

So sit back and think, Richt haters: Can you seriously argue this program would be better off without Richt?

His 87-26 record is fourth best among active coaches. He’s graduated 105 of his players since 2005, and even helped design the new addition to the Butts-Mehre athletic building. He’s the face of this program and in full control of it.

Any misguided hopes of “showing the door” to Mark Richt after one disappointing season are simply evidence of a spoiled rotten perspective.