Mark Richt, option quarterback?

Bacarri Rambo, the Georgia freshman safety, is playing the role of Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt in practice on the scout team.

Rambo has nothing on Richt.

The Georgia coach said he ran some option at Boca Raton High School with long runs in the 20 to 40-yard range. He told a story after practice Wednesday about running some option back in his freshman season at the University of Miami.

“We ran the inside-outside veer,” Richt said.

Ottis Anderson was a senior when coach Lou Saban switched to the veer.

The quarterbacks were summoned.

Mark Richt asked. Here’s the answer.

Forty games. Seven players.

That’s how many combined games projected starters on Georgia’s preseason depth chart have missed this season.

“I don’t know the stats,” the Georgia football coach said Sunday evening. “I’d be interested to know how many guys we’ve had that were projected starters, how many games were missed cumulatively because we really have been banged up.”

Richt described the season, 9-2 heading into the Nov. 29 game against Georgia Tech, as a “tough grind” for a team that began the year preseason No. 1.

Injuries, he said, have contributed.

It’s that time of year for coaches to lose jobs, be linked to new jobs and for rumors to fly fast and furious.

Georgia coach Mark Richt has reason to have more than a passing interest in what Clemson will do.

The Tigers often cross paths with Georgia for recruits and Richt’s son, Jon, looks like he will be on his third head coach at Clemson.

The freshman quarterback signed to play for Tommy Bowden, who was replaced on an interim basis by Dabo Swinney. Clemson reportedly interviewed Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables for the gig.

During an interview on Monday Night Football this week, Barack Obama said he would support an eight-team college football playoff.

“That’s a good way to get votes,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said on Tuesday's Election Day when told of Obama’s comments. “I would think most people would agree with that. I guess if he was the president of the United States he would have enough pull to get it done, I don’t know. That would be interesting, wouldn’t it?”

Obama said it was "about time that we had playoffs in college football,” according to an Associated Press account. “I’m fed up with these computer rankings and this and that and the other. Get eight teams—the top eight teams right at the end. You got a playoff. Decide on a national champion.”

Georgia offensive tackle Clint Boling would back the idea.

Penalties in practice are already being felt by Georgia players.
“I’m wearing them out physically for penalties—team and individuals,” coach Mark Richt said Tuesday. “My strategy and my thoughts were wrong. Penalties have not slowed down and have cost us. I did a poor job on the front end of it.”

The price for penalties in practice is a player having to do dreaded “up-downs,” and there apparently will be a price to be paid if Georgia doesn’t reduce it’s most in the nation penalty ways.

“As a team, we talked about it,” linebacker Darryl Gamble said. “I think no more than four is the maximum. That’s what the team is saying. No more than four or we’ll have to deal with it in the next week’s practice.”

The last time Georgia hit that new target was against Kentucky last November when it had four penalties for 30 yards.

Coach Mark Richt bristled just a bit Tuesday at the suggestion that games that get away quickly from Georgia have become a once a year habit.

Alabama in 2008. Georgia trails 31-0 at halftime and loses 41-30.

Tennessee in 2007. Georgia trails 28-0 at halftime and loses 35-14.

Tennessee in 2006. Georgia leads 24-7 but gives up 37 second-half points and loses 51-33.

West Virginia in 2005. Georgia trails 28-0 and loses 38-35.

“Southern Cal played Oregon State and they went down 21-0 in the first half and they were probably wondering what was going on,” Richt said. “They supposedly got about five or six first-rounders on their defense and here’s some little sawed-off 5-foot-6 kid that weighs 175 pounds (Jacquizz Rodgers) just ran for 180-some yards. Why would that happen? I don’t know. I wish I knew.”

Too bad Alabama is an SEC West team rotating off the Georgia schedule after this season because the Crimson Tide week again has some added spice this season.

Georgia closed down practices again this week to the media for the Crimson Tide. Just like last season.

“Uh-oh. Uh-oh,” cornerback Asher Allen said.

Allen was asked if Georgia has a top secret game plan or some trick plays.

“No, we’ve got some serious focus going on,” Allen said. “We ain’t playing.”

Truth be told, getting access to Georgia practices is more limited nowadays anyway.

Reporters get in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for about two periods or 10 minutes of practice.

Not this week.

Georgia coach Mark Richt seems to be enjoying the lead up to the game.

Think the Phoenix area isn’t hoping to cash in on the big football weekend here?

I walked into a store in a Scottsdale mall today that sold sports team merchandise. Front and center was Georgia gear.

Bulldogs athletic director Damon Evans would have loved it since he’s trying to spread Georgia’s brand name and logo to all corners of the nation, but I’ll bet the Bulldogs merchandise is no longer in such a prominent spot by Tuesday.

Here’s some odds and ends heading into Saturday’s game:
--Georgia’s Blair Walsh and Arizona State’s Thomas Weber are old kicking buddies.
“He’s a great guy. He’s a fantastic kicker,” Walsh said. “I’ve kicked with him many times out on Vegas. We’ll have a good pregame chat. I knew (Ryan) Succop from the same thing.”

Georgia could have a big shakeup on its offensive line.

Mark Richt said Tuesday that Georgia could make moves with its starting lineup there for Saturday’s game at Arizona State.

He went further about what that might look like today during the SEC teleconference.

What Richt said lent credence to an Internet rumor that offensive tackle Kiante Tripp might have been injured in practice yesterday. We’ll find out for sure with Richt when we talk to him after today’s practice, but I could get information on that before.

Georgia dropped another spot to No. 3 in the AP and coaches’ polls on Sunday behind top-ranked Southern California and No. 2 Oklahoma.

The Bulldogs’ remaining schedule could be their friend or foe if it's going to finish in the top two of the BCS standings and get into the national title game.

Georgia has the best chance of the three top teams to build up its resume from here on out because it’s got the toughest games left on its schedule.

There are five SEC teams ranked in the AP top 10 for the first time in history. Georgia is the highest ranked and has the other four on its schedule still to come.

“We’re going to play so many big games that I don’t think it’s going to bite us in the long run,” coach Mark Richt said Saturday night about just getting by South Carolina 14-7.