Mark Richt has a 90-27 record and two SEC championships to his credit and, entering his 10th season at Georgia, is the longest tenured coach in the SEC. Yet after an 8-5 record last year and a lowly 4-4 league mark, even he can't avoid speculation that he's on the hot seat this year.

Such is life in a conference that chewed up and spit out coaches like Auburn's Tommy Tuberville and Tennessee's Phil Fulmer, who went from the top of the conference to the unemployment line in only a few years.

Does he mind?

"Not really. I understand the business," Richt said. "I understand just how things go, so I don't worry about it. My goal is to worry about the important things and the things I can control. I can control my attitude. I can control my effort."

Richt's not standing pat. He brought in former Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham to implement a 3-4 scheme as coordinator. It's been like a shot in the arm.

"There's an energy in knowing that you've got to prepare and be ought of your comfort zone a little bit," Richt said.

The coaches are on their toes, too.

"Let's face it, coach Grantham is the only one who truly understands what he's trying to accomplish," Richt said.

Regardless, there are rumblings about Richt's future, especially after he lost a key ally in athletic director Damon Evans, who was forced to resign after an embarrassing drunken driving incident earlier this month.

"I have a very good friendship with Damon Evans and was very saddened by what happened," said Richt, who doesn't expect to have input in the search for a new AD. "Has it affected our preparation? I don't think it has."