It’s time for the Mark Richt era to end at Georgia.

There are no more scapegoats.

A.J. Green’s return was supposed to be the antidote for Georgia’s issues. He wasn’t.

Georgia fans were frustrated by Saturday's loss to Colorado. Photo by MEAGAN KELLEY.

Green’s return did help the offense, but once again, Georgia lost … for the fourth time in a row. And not to an SEC program this time.

Instead, to a program that has become a Big 12 cellar dwellar over the past couple of years and endured a 52-7 loss to California just three weeks ago. But on Saturday, even Colorado fans felt better about their program than Bulldog Nation, taking a minute away from questioning their coach to storm the field in jubilation over beating a Georgia program that is now just 1-4.

This was supposed to be the year that Georgia surpassed expectations, not grossly underachieved like the two previous seasons under Richt. The dismissal of Willie Martinez was supposed to solve the slide, not exacerbate it.

Yet Georgia’s program is 1-4 for the first time since 1957.

There’s no doubt Richt had a great first five years in Athens, with two SEC Championships and largely contributing to the nation’s fourth-highest winning percentage that he enjoys today. But those five years were with former defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder, and the Bulldogs’ defense and discipline appear to have departed with him.

In this SEC world of what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, Richt hasn’t done much on the field, and the discipline problems and key mistakes from his team have become more pronounced than ever.

Richt supporters want to point the blame at Mike Bobo. That’s laughable.

While I can’t deny that Bobo’s play-calling has left a lot to be desired at times this season, do you really think Richt gave away the offensive play calling in 2006 only to let Bobo run a completely divergent offense?

Richt’s an offensive guy, always has been, and has given the majority of his attention to the offense since he’s been at Georgia.

Every offensive call comes through Richt’s headset during the game, and Richt is in every offensive game-planning meeting, including all quarterback meetings. By getting rid of Bobo, he’d be, in effect, firing his very own protégé.

It’d be like Barack Obama firing Joe Biden for his poor approval ratings.

It’d be different if it were a really young team. But it’s not — Georgia starts nine seniors, including five offensive linemen with three years of starting experience.

So is the problem a lack of talent or is it talent development? Either way, the buck falls back to Richt.

With one of the most talent-rich states in the country to recruit from, and only one other BCS program in the state to recruit against, there’s no excuse for the Bulldogs’ recent slide.

Georgia’s chances of even making a bowl look bleak at this point, with formidable opponents Florida, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Tennessee still on the schedule.

I don’t claim to know what new athletic director Greg McGarity thinks of Richt’s ability to turn the program around, but it’d be hard to think it’s too favorable based on the history between the two men. No one has seen Richt’s shortcomings on a firsthand basis more than McGarity — no one.

While McGarity was at Florida, he saw Richt go just 2-7 against Florida. Now, Georgia is just 1-4 since McGarity was named Damon Evans’ successor, with the lone win coming against a Sun Belt conference opponent.

Each week, Georgia gets more desperate for a win. Yet, each week, the losses get more puzzling and embarrassing.

Sometimes, things just get stale, and a new approach is needed.

It happened at Auburn, where Tommy Tuberville was let go just four years after an undefeated season. It happened at Tennessee with Phillip Fulmer. And it appears it’s happened at Georgia with Richt.

At 1-4, the buck stops with Richt. And he can’t pass it on to anyone else.

He’s already had his scapegoat, and few get a third chance — especially in the SEC.