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When is a brand new contract not exactly a ringing endorsement of a coach?

When that coach, heading into his 12th season at the school and coming off that school’s first appearance in the SEC championship game in six years, doesn’t get any more guaranteed money in his new deal.

Some of the details of Georgia coach Mark Richt’s new contract started to trickle out Thursday following the UGA Athletic Association board of directors meeting in Greensboro, Ga.

The headline grabber was that Richt’s salary would essentially stay the same, according to Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity, although Richt’s incentives package will be sweetened.

Richt’s annual salary is right around $2.9 million.

These contract talks have been ongoing for nearly six months, and McGarity said Thursday that the deal, which will keep Richt under contract through 2016, was still not finalized.

McGarity also said that Richt’s buyout would be adjusted, and it will be interesting to see how that buyout is adjusted.

Extra years on a contract do not amount to much if there isn’t guaranteed money attached to those extra years.

If you’re looking at this whole thing from Georgia’s perspective, it’s understandable that they’re hesitant to load up Richt’s contract with a bunch of guaranteed money. After all, there was considerable rumbling prior to last season that Richt was teetering coming off the Bulldogs’ 6-7 finish in 2010.

It only got worse after the Bulldogs started 0-2 last season before reeling off 10 straight wins and playing their way into the SEC championship game.

So here we are, and the position of the Georgia brass is pretty clear at this point: They don’t mind paying more money to Richt, but only if he wins SEC championships and goes to BCS bowl games.

As McGarity was quoted as saying, it’s about “rewarding excellence.”

But it’s also a telltale sign that McGarity and the movers and shakers at Georgia aren’t convinced that Richt is their coach for the long-term future.

Otherwise, this deal would have been done a long time ago.

We're once again taking an early look at the 2012 college football season and colleague Mark Schlabach yet again provides us with a few talking points. On Friday, he unleashed his Way-Too-Early To0-Early 2012 Top 25 and it has six SEC teams in it:

1. LSU
2. USC
3. Alabama
4. Oregon
5. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
7. FSU
8. West Virginia
9. Michigan
10. South Carolina
11. Michigan State
12. Stanford
13. Arkansas
14. TCU
15. Wisconsin
16. Clemson
17. Ohio State
18. Kansas State
19. Texas
20. Florida
21. Washington
22. Oklahoma State
23. Virginia Tech
24. Nebraska
25. Georgia Tech

Some thoughts:

• LSU and Alabama are ranked where I'd have them. Both look like they'll once again be two of the most talented teams in the country this fall. It seems hard to believe that LSU's offensive won't be better and more balanced with juco transfer Zach Mettenberger taking over at quarterback. LSU's defense has a couple of holes to fill, but it doesn't look like that will be too hard for the Tigers. Alabama should also see an offensive boost in the passing game with an older AJ McCarron and coach Nick Saban is making sure this year's defense doesn't go the way of the 2010 group.
• Georgia has the schedule to make it back to Atlanta and that team that Mark Richt has isn't too bad either. But suspensions to four defensive starters to begin the season is a concern, especially with a trip to Missouri coming in Week 2. Quarterback Aaron Murray said this spring that despite the distractions that have come with the suspensions, this team is still very focused on its goals, but the pressure will surely be on the Dawgs in 2012.
• South Carolina should probably be a little higher, but with Marcus Lattimore coming off of that knee injury, it's tough to know what this team will do this fall. The defense returns a handful of talent, while quarterback Connor Shaw picked up where he left off last season, which is a good thing for the Gamecocks' offense. South Carolina does face LSU and Arkansas this season, meaning the Gamecocks will have to at least split those to challenge Georgia for the East title.
• The loss of Bobby Petrino has Arkansas trending down a bit, but if players rally the way they said they would under interim coach John L. Smith, the Razorbacks will be dangerous this fall. The offense is still loaded, led by quarterback Tyler Wilson and running back Knile Davis, and new defensive coordinator Paul Haynes should help Arkansas have a more aggressive defense. There will still be questions surrounding this team with Petrino out and Smith in, but the Razorbacks are still very confident and don't anticipate taking steps back. Having Alabama and LSU at home this year will play in the Hogs' favor as well.
• The Gators saw improvements on and off the field this spring and coach Will Muschamp is much happier now than he was a year ago. I think Florida is a little high on this list, but an improved offensive line and more confidence in Gainesville could go a long way for the Gators. While Muschamp was happy with the strides made on the field, he was even more pleased with the chemistry of his team. Players are stepping up as leaders and buying into the program more. Muschamp is in charge of a tougher team this fall, but will play his first two SEC games on the road this year.

College Football Live's panel of experts preview Georgia's upcoming season.

ATHENS, Ga. -- Complacency is always a concern when bringing back a top-rated team or unit. Players can’t hide from the fact that they’re good and everyone around them will make sure they know it and make sure they remember what they did.

Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham doesn’t want his defense, which ranked fifth nationally in 2011, to forget either. But it’s what he doesn’t want his players to forget that has this unit ready to pick up and surpass last year’s success.

“You don’t let guys forget where they came from,” Grantham said. “Don’t let guys forget what got them there and you build from there.”

That’s why Grantham is making sure he gets back to the basics with his players. We’re talking hustling to the ball, right form and playing physical basics. Every year, his plan has always been to go right back to simple fundamentals.

Losing those loses a defense.

“To me, you break it down into five phases and you go back every year and you start over,” Grantham said.

Five phases:

1. Pre-spring workouts
2. Spring practice
3. Summer workouts
4. Fall camp
5. Regular season

Fundamentals 101 comes in right when spring ball starts. Proper footwork is harped on. Correct field placement is set up over and over. The right tackling technique is perfected … and then perfected again.

In order to combat complacency, the same motions run by All-American linebacker -- and sack master -- Jarvis Jones are run by wide-eyed nervous freshmen. The goal is to have the older guys pick things up quickly and then assist the youngsters. Grantham wants his players to get better individually, but then focus on improving the team as a whole from the ground up.

That’s why Grantham thinks his defense was much better in 2011. Fundamentals made that group even more comfortable in Grantham’s 3-4 and helped it evolve as the season progressed. The Bulldogs allowed 277.2 yards per game (51 yards less than 2010), forced 32 turnovers and recorded 100 tackles for loss for minus-439 yards.

“Yeah, we knew our system better, but I thought we were a more mentally and physically tough team and we played defense the way you’re supposed to play it -- physical and aggressive,” Grantham said. “When you’re all on the same page and speaking the same language, those things can happen.”

This spring, players bought right into what Grantham preached. Rising senior linebacker Christian Robinson said no one seemed concerned about being content. He said players looked at what they didn't do last year as a spark for the spring. Players dwelled on the 35 points given up to Boise State, the 45 to South Carolina, the 42 to LSU and the 33 to Michigan State -- all losses.

Even when players felt good, Robinson said coaches directed them to video screens to bring them down a notch.

“We’re not perfect, so when we go in our meeting rooms we watch the tape and there are always things to get better at,” Robinson said.

And if film work doesn’t help, coach Mark Richt can cut into the confidence when needed.

“You’re really not a great defense until you play great and we haven’t done that in 2012,” he said. “We haven’t had a chance to do that yet. There’s an anticipation of having a chance to be pretty good if everybody keeps it together, stays healthy and does their part.”

One humbling thought is that Georgia will be without four key starters suspended early for poor off-field behavior. The secondary takes the biggest hit with All-American safety Bacarri Rambo and cornerbacks Branden Smith and Sanders Commings out. Inside linebacker Alec Ogletree is also suspended.

Grantham and his players agree that while they’re disappointed in the boneheaded decisions made, they aren’t dwelling on the situation. Grantham used it as an opportunity to create better depth by inserting younger players. He’s no stranger to changing lineups, as he had 11 different ones in 14 games in 2011.

He also received a boost when star wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell moved to corner. He should start the season on defense.

Richt hopes this turns into a situation like last year when linebackers Michael Gilliard and Amarlo Herrera stepped up when Robinson and Ogletree were injured. It also gives coaches a chance to cross train players more, something Grantham prides himself on. (Look at safety Shawn Williams playing linebacker last year).

Earlier this spring, Jones proclaimed that Georgia had the nation’s best defense. Time will tell on Jones’ statement, but after going through the spring motions, at least one of his teammates sees where Jones is coming from.

“We have an opportunity to do something special, as a defense and as a team,” Robinson said. “If we go out and do what we know and what we’ve learned, we could be one of the best ever to play at Georgia.”

It was a meeting of minds that had never really met. Still, Jim Mora knew that he wanted Noel Mazzone running his offense.

Mora, who has spent virtually his entire career in the NFL, was looking for someone with deep college roots. But he also wanted someone who could give him a mental sparring match.

"In watching his offense, I watched it like a defensive coach would watch it, because I'm a defensive-minded coach," said Mora. "I'm watching his plays and wondering 'How am I going to defend that?' And I thought, I don't know. When it posed those problems to me initially, I thought that's the guy."

And Mazzone jumped at the chance -- even though he only knew Mora by reputation.

"It was sort of the four degrees of Jim Mora separation," Mazzone said. "That's how coaching is anyway. There is always a little bit of a tie because you know a guy who knows a guy who worked with that guy. I didn't even really know him. A good friend of his was someone I worked with at the Jets."

Mora, who had been in broadcasting since being fired as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, had spent a lot of time watching college football. And he kept a close eye on what was happening at Arizona State, where Mazzone had served as offensive coordinator to Dennis Erickson.

"I love his personality," Mora said. "I love his energy. I love his experience. I know he's great with quarterbacks. Now I'm watching his offense and I don't know how I'm going to stop it. With all of the experience I have -- going against [Bill] Belichick and [Mike] Martz and Bill Walsh. Man, I thought, this guy is special."

And that's how Mora and Mazzone came together. And both feel it's going to be a mutually beneficial relationship.

"Well, I haven't missed on a third-and-short to keep the defense off the field yet," Mazzone said. "So we'll see what happens the first time that happens."

Mazzone's up-tempo spread offense comes from years of picking and grabbing what other offensive minds have done for more than three decades. His first influences were Jack Elway, Joe Gibbs and Don Coryell. Then he became friends with Mike Leach and Dana Holgorsen and spent time with Mark Richt. Through the years, he's molded his own philosophy and approach to the game from watching others.

"There's not a lot of earth-shattering, unique, new ideas out there because a lot of this stuff was being done in the '30s," Mazzone said. "But an old coach once told me, it's not the plays, it's the presentation. That's how I think of offense. It's not the plays, but how do you present it. How do you present your team to the defense. I've just taken from my past experiences and built something."

And the results have been undeniable. He completely revamped a struggling Arizona State offense into one of the better attacks in the country in just a couple of years. Now Mora is hoping he'll do the same with the Bruins, a team that's been in the bottom half of the national offensive rankings the past few years.

"I watched a lot of college football these last two years," Mora said. "I knew Noel briefly and we'd competed against each other when he was at the Jets. We had common friends. And I always enjoyed his personality and approach. I think it's going to work out great."

At first glance, it appears that Georgia has all the parts needed to make another title run in the SEC this fall.

A quality quarterback is assisted by some talented skill players on the offensive side of the ball. And the defense is loaded with just about everyone who was a part of the nation’s fifth-ranked defense last year.

But upon closer examination, there is a glaring issue on the offensive line. Well, maybe there was.

Entering the spring, Georgia was down three starters up front, including potential NFL first-round draft pick Cordy Glenn at left tackle and All-SEC center Ben Jones.

The Bulldogs had the bodies, but not the experience, and it showed early. Georgia coach Mark Richt said he spent the first part of spring just trying to find the right pieces to plug in. He was constantly rolling different players in at center and experimenting with putting players in different places along the line.

The result: a lot of mistakes and some pretty good defensive highlights.

Richt said all of the stunts and different looks that defensive coordinator Todd Grantham threw at the Bulldogs’ line of young pups confused and frustrated the line. Things didn’t move smoothly on offense at first because the offensive line wasn’t comfortable.

“The bottom line was we just weren’t blocking very good and we weren’t handling our mature defensive line,” Richt said Tuesday.

But like good things, even bad things come to an end. And they did for Georgia’s line.

As the spring continued, players started to get more settled up front. By the midpoint of the spring, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said he found three reliable linemen in tackles Kenarious Gates and Kolton Houston, and guard Chris Burnette. Leaving spring, the staff found five that it could call starters, with the additions of rising sophomore David Andrews at center and Dallas Lee, who started seven games last season before breaking his right leg against Florida, at guard

Gates might be the best of the bunch because of his athleticism and smarts. Richt said he has the option of moving Gates around on the line because he has the ability to play just about every position up there.

But the player who really stuck out to Richt and his staff was Houston. Richt said Houston was always viewed as either a guard or a center prospect until this spring when they threw him in at tackle and watched him excel.

“He held up pretty good, especially in the pass protection area,” Richt said. “I don’t know if you can sell the big mauler out there in the run game, but a big part of being able to play tackle is being able to pass [protect] and he did a nice job.”

While Richt saw improvement as spring continued, he’ll also get some more talent in two incoming freshmen, including top tackle prospect John Theus, so Georgia’s depth will look a little better this fall. Getting guys more reps and game ready is the main goal in fall camp.

ATHENS, Ga. -- Isaiah Crowell sprinted into the huddle.

(Months ago, that sprint would have been described as a slow jog -- at best.)

Once he reached the huddle, there was no prepping by Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray. Crowell knew his spot, knew what he was doing, and even knew what others were supposed to do.

Evolution of Crowell’s game and mindset was on display.
The next huddle, the same result.

The babying that Murray, other teammates and coaches had to do with Crowell last season had been eliminated. It was as if a new person had joined the Bulldogs.

The enigmatic rising sophomore running back that was criticized profusely for not being tough enough, having an attitude problem, and being immature, made an effort to change this spring. An up-and-down freshman year cast Crowell in a negative light, and he was out to refine his image.

“He definitely needed some growing up. He definitely needed to mature,” Murray said of Crowell. “He realized that, and I know he heard all the talk going around (about him). He took it personally.”

Added classmate Malcolm Mitchell: “When you look at him, you don’t just see, ‘OK, I just want to chill today.’ You see he’s going after something.”

Even after being named the SEC’s freshman of the year and ranking sixth in the league in rushing, Crowell had some pretty thick mud splattered on his season. Because of nagging injuries, he had stretches when he spent more time at the training table than on the field. He was suspended a game for violating team rules, and a source told ESPN.com that Crowell was suspended after failing a drug test.

He had an incident when he caused members of the media to wait hours for him after he missed a scheduled interview session, and he was booed by Georgia fans during the SEC title game.

According to teammates and coaches, that Crowell is gone. The new Crowell is focused. He said this spring that he wanted to win the Heisman Trophy, and his teammates can see that determination.

Murray said he saw it in how Crowell’s film sessions were longer and more detailed. He saw it in how Crowell took pre-practice stretching seriously. More importantly, he saw it in how Crowell understood his position this spring.

Murray said Crowell didn’t rely on his athleticism or his strength. He started using his brain. He started learning how to block, where to block, and whom to block. He focused on form and timing. He knew Georgia’s playbook this spring.

Crowell also learned how to deal with injuries. Nagging injuries crept up again this spring, but those around him all agreed Crowell toughened. He battled through the aches and pains.

“He’s absolutely making progress,” coach Mark Richt said.

One thing that should help Crowell this fall is the addition of more running backs. They not only pushed him in terms of competition, but they'll help take some pressure off him, Richt said. Crowell didn't exactly have that luxury last season, with Washaun Ealey and Caleb King not making it to fall practice.

Crowell was immediately supposed to be the guy, and instead of running with the second or third team, Crowell was promoted to starter.

Now, Richt has more confidence in the running backs around Crowell. True freshmen Keith Marshall, who enrolled early, and Todd Gurley are expected to play this fall, and veterans Ken Malcome and Richard Samuel had solid springs.

"It’s not going to be like a whole program is resting on Isaiah’s shoulders," Richt said.

Seeing those other running backs on the roster has made Crowell elevate his game, Murray said.

“He’s a special running back,” Murray said. “When he puts his mind to it, I really don’t see anyone better than him.

“When he has the ball in hands, it can turn into a big play at any minute.”

As for Crowell’s heart, well, Mitchell doesn't see any issue with it.

“He’s never been one to sit out of a game,” Mitchell said. “I highly doubt he did that. Just to sit out to sit out? Nah, I don’t think he would do that to the team, because he seems to care about us a lot.

“I know he’s not going to back down. If I took anyone to a fight, it’d definitely be him.”

ATHENS, Ga. -- Christian Robinson and his Georgia teammates were instructed to block out the noise.

Noise that began well before the 2011 season and bellowed throughout Athens immediately following Georgia’s 0-2 start. The veteran linebacker left Twitter for a week because of all the “hateful” comments he received -- mostly from overzealous Georgia fans.

Things reached a boiling point for Robinson when he saw a picture of a distraught Mark Richt with his headset on the ground during the South Carolina game taped to a professor’s door in Georgia’s Terry College of Business. On it, Robinson said someone wrote something to the effect of “This is like the beginning of the end.”

Every day after his management class, Robinson walked by that picture, taking it personally each time.

Robinson watched as part of a fan base that was supposed to be supportive had turned to its nasty side and it hurt. So Robinson and his teammates channeled that rage. The disrespect became a motivator. The noise became an advantage.

Georgia reeled off 10 straight wins and ended up in the SEC championship game sans picture.

“Ten weeks later, where are those posters and where are those hateful tweets, now?” said Robinson who appeared in 12 games last fall, making four starts, recorded 47 tackles with 6.5 for loss and recovered a fumble.

Fast-forward to the spring of 2012 and Georgia is dealing with a new type of noise -- noise of the hype machine.

Georgia returns 15 starters (nine on defense and six on offense) and 49 lettermen. Only two defenders are gone from the nation’s fifth-ranked defense and quarterback Aaron Murray could be an early Heisman contender. Georgia should enter the fall ranked in the top 10 and will have BCS aspirations strapped to its name.

As spring winds down, that sort of talk is merely a blip on the Bulldogs’ radar, but it’s something this team will have to deal with more as the season approaches. So far, Richt has shielded his players from the noise, but once his hands aren’t around them this offseason, he hopes they’ll be smart enough to ignore it.

When asked about maintaining his team’s focus, Richt was reminded of the 2008 team that entered the year No. 1. That team had star power, like Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, Mohamed Massaquoi, A.J. Green, Rennie Curran and Geno Atkins.

Stafford and Moreno had Heisman aspirations and the entire team expected BCS fame. However, none of it came. Robinson, who was a freshman then, said selfishness and immaturity lingered throughout the team, as Georgia lost three games that season.

Richt said the 2008 team didn’t have the veteran leadership 2012 does. As many as 14 starters were underclassmen in 2008, while 2012 will be filled with vets.

“We have to understand that we have to earn it and nothing's going to be given to us,” Richt said. “We just have to wait and see.

“I hope they’re not believing the hype. I have to make sure they understand that they gotta earn everything they get and I can reference 2008.”

Robinson said this team is smarter and more mature than 2008. Their minds are clearer and their bodies are better. This team has handled adversity, going from an embarrassing 6-7 to a win away from a BCS birth. The focus is right with these Dawgs.

“This is a totally different team,” Robinson said. “You don’t read your press clippings and start believing.”

However, more adversity is on the horizon for the Bulldogs. Georgia will be short staffed to begin the season as defensive starters Bacarri Rambo, Sanders Commings, Branden Smith and Alec Ogletree were suspended for poor off-field behavior.

The distraction of having four defenders out -- three being a part of an already thin secondary -- has truly frustrated Richt and his players, but in a twisted way, Robinson said, losing those players will help the Bulldogs band together even more. Adversity brings the good teams together, he said, and Robinson sees this team working harder knowing it will be down early.

Richt said there have been private meetings to address the boneheaded decisions that have hurt Georgia and expects “many more” before the fall. Murray has also taken it upon himself to be more outspoken about these issues. In the last few weeks, he’s seen a more levelheaded group and hopes it carries over to the fall.

“Our guys understand that you can’t be doing anything too crazy right now,” Murray said. “This could be a very special season. This could be a season you remember for the rest of your life.

“If we work hard, the sky’s the limit for us.”

It’s still way too early to tell what kind of team Georgia will have this fall, but it’s hard not to make the Dawgs a preseason favorite in the SEC East. The schedule sets up nicely (no Alabama, Arkansas or LSU again), the staff is settled and just about everyone is back.

It’s a recipe for success, but then again, so was 2008.

ATHENS, Ga. -- In order for Malcolm Mitchell to pull off his quest of playing double duty for Georgia this fall, a major change must occur.

It won’t be so much changing his workout habits. Sure, he’ll work more on quick burst drills and sprints with little time for breaks, but Mitchell’s change will be much more significant to his realm of comfort.

Mitchell must significantly alter his diet if he wants to have the stamina to play both cornerback and wide receiver in the SEC this fall. He’ll have to trash the sweets.

“I always had a problem eating candy,” said Mitchell, who moved to cornerback this spring after catching 45 passes for 665 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman last fall.

Mitchell said that since he was a kid, his diet has mainly consisted of fruit-flavored candy, preferably Starburst jelly beans, and Sprite -- a catastrophic combination of sugar and carbonation.

The 6-foot-1, 184-pounder is used to consuming at least five bags of jelly beans and who knows how much Sprite a week. That’s approximately 1,160 grams of sugar and 6,000 unnecessary calories from jelly beans alone.

“I know that’s going to have to change,” Mitchell said with a laugh.

“I’m going to work for that stamina because I know I want to play both ways.”

Mitchell plans to replace some of that candy with fruits and veggies and will add more water to replace his Sprite intake. He refuses to go cold turkey, but hopes to get down to one bag of candy a week. Maybe.

If Mitchell can get his diet on track, it will make life much easier. He started the spring working primarily at corner, but offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and quarterback Aaron Murray have tried to steal him away as much as they can.

Murray still throws with him and he’ll run the occasional route here and there, but his main focus this spring is to own the cornerback spot. The Bulldogs are dealing with depth issues at corner and the suspensions of two starters -- Sanders Commings and Branden Smith -- for the beginning of the season, so Mitchell’s training has accelerated.

While Mitchell played both receiver and corner at Valdosta High in southern Georgia, he admits it took him some time to get his defensive legs back. The first practice at corner was filled with slipping and sliding and poor technique.

Mitchell only decided to play wide receiver after he saw that A.J. Green was going pro. However, he quickly realized that his heart was still on defense and after talking with his mother just before Georgia’s bowl game last season, he approached coach Mark Richt about the idea of playing some defense in 2012.

“I was never going to be satisfied with myself if I let the opportunity pass,” Mitchell said.

One thing he’ll have to do is brush up on his two-way player history. Mitchell admits he didn’t grow up watching football and has never seen film of past two-way stars, such as Deion Sanders or Georgia great Champ Bailey.

Mitchell got into football later in his younger life, after seeing all the attention his brother received from playing. Jealous of that attention, Mitchell suited up and looked to steal the limelight.

Mitchell is looking to steal it once again and is taking full advantage of his time on defense. Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham has been more than impressed with Mitchell, especially his increased knowledge of the defense.

Grantham said Mitchell can play inside and outside, has premier speed, showcases excellent ball skills and has the instincts to excel at corner.

“He’s a dynamic corner,” Grantham said. “He’s a guy that has the total skill set to be a dominant corner at this level and the next.

“He’s an NFL corner.”

Grantham said that after only a few spring practices, Mitchell is ahead of where past Georgia corners were at the same point.

Murray isn’t thrilled with facing Mitchell in practice and has already been the victim of a few “freakish” plays by the youngster.

“He’s a special athlete,” Murray said.

“He could easily be one of our best corners if he wanted to do that full time and one of our best receivers if he wanted to do that full time. It’s great to see how spectacular of an athlete he really is.”

Richt sees it too. More importantly, he sees a player who doesn’t have to worry about his knowledge of the game. Unlike Brandon Boykin and Branden Smith, who both pulled a little double duty for the Dawgs, Mitchell understands the entire offense. Plugging him in with few offensive reps won’t be an issue from a mental standpoint; so getting him more time on defense shouldn’t drastically hinder his offensive ability.

But can he hold up physically?

“He’s very capable of playing both ways,” Richt said.

“The question isn’t going to be if he knows enough of the system, it’s going to be his stamina and how much is too much.”

The new diet should help.

Mitchell understands that less sugar and more water is just the start. He’s expecting practices and film sessions to intensify and his performances will be scrutinized more.

But it’s worth it. Mitchell wants it and he wants to prove himself because he’s honored to be a member of Georgia’s defense.

“This defense is the best defense I’ve been a part of or even played against,” he said. “Me being over there to help that makes me feel like a better player. To feel like I can help something that’s already great makes me feel better than anything I did last year because how good the players are.

“Just to be a part of it and help out means a lot to me.”

ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia’s football team has the talent to have a very special fall, but the spring has come with unwanted hiccups.

Georgia has dealt with too much suspension and attrition. The most glaring issue for the Bulldogs is that they’ll be without defensive starters Sanders Commings, Alec Ogletree, Bacarri Rambo and Branden Smith to begin the season due to suspensions.

The losses of key starters, especially Commings, Rambo and Smith, who all patrol a pretty thin secondary, have Georgia players and coaches frustrated, but they’re pushing ahead as the second half of spring football bleeds into the true offseason.

“It robs some of the momentum that you’re trying to build and trying to create,” coach Mark Richt said. “It doesn’t destroy it unless you let it, but it’s just another thing that needs to be overcome.”

Georgia has had a rash of off-the-field incidents in the past calendar year, and when asked if he thought there was an invincibility complex with some of his players, Richt said he hoped not, but didn’t think that there was a discipline problem with his football team.

“The bottom line is that if there are things that need to be disciplined around here, we’ll discipline them,” he said. “We don’t treat a starter any different than a walk-on. We’ll discipline even if it hurts -- and it hurts sometimes.”

Georgia’s coaches are now having to plug more young players into first-team rotations on defense. While the Bulldogs have a handful of players to use at Ogletree’s middle linebacker spot, the same can’t be said for the secondary.

Georgia had to dip into its offense to get help at cornerback by inserting rising sophomore Malcolm Mitchell, who is coming off a solid SEC debut in 2011. Mitchell has received most of his work on defense this spring, and the consensus is that he’s taking hold of his new position, but offensive coordinator Mike Bobo isn’t ready to totally give Mitchell up to Todd Grantham and Georgia’s defense.

“I don’t plan on losing Malcolm Mitchell,” Bobo said.

In the meantime, Mitchell is looking to help a relatively young secondary in Athens. Coaches and players agreed that two youngsters currently standing out are Corey Moore and Damian Swann.

The depth in the secondary isn’t ideal, but Grantham said he isn’t concerned about numbers, or talent. He’s just looking for the development, and it’s slowly coming.

“The guys that we’ve got here are capable,” Grantham said.

Mitchell’s absence on offense also means that Bobo and quarterback Aaron Murray are both looking for more from younger wide receivers. Murray gushed about rising seniors Tavarres King and Marlon Brown, who Murray said finally looks like he’s putting things together and is actually healthy. Bobo and Murray both stated that sophomores-to-be Michael Bennett and Chris Conley should continue to be reliable targets this fall.

But one player really sticking out to Richt is redshirt freshman Justin Scott-Wesley. Though he sat out last fall and split time between track and throwing sessions before spring practice, Scott-Wesley has really impressed with his speed and athletic ability.

“He’s a track guy, but he’s a big, strong, physical guy,” Richt said. “He’s going to help out a lot this season. There’s no doubt about it.”

Where Georgia would really like to get more consistent this spring is on the offensive line. Bobo sees a lot of bodies there, but he’s still worried about depth. Right now, he likes what he’s seen from Kenarious Gates, Kolton Houston and Chris Burnette, but after that it’s a bit of a mystery.

Bobo said the second half of spring will be crucial to finding capable depth up front.

“We have three guys we feel good about,” he said. “We’re looking to find some depth. We’re actually trying to find five (linemen who can play).”

Georgia's defense appears to be taking two more big hits, as a source at the school confirmed to ESPN.com's DawgNation that safety Bacarri Rambo and linebacker Alec Ogletree will be suspended to start the 2012 season for breaking unnamed team rules.

The news came after a report on Georgia's Scout.com site, dawgpost.com, said that the two starters could sit out two to four games to begin the season.

This also comes after two other defensive starters had run-ins that could have both sitting out the start of the 2012 season as well. Cornerback Sanders Commings will sit out the first two games after being involved in a domestic dispute in downtown Athens in February. Fellow corner Branden Smith will likely sit out at least a game after being arrested on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge during spring break.

This would be the second time in two seasons that Rambo has had to sit out the Bulldogs' opener. He was suspended last season against Boise State for an unnamed rules violation.

While the school hasn't confirmed the suspensions, this is another huge distraction that Georgia coach Mark Richt, his staff and players have to deal with during a very important spring and offseason. Not only will the Bulldogs be struggling to find bodies to fill in the secondary this fall, but this team must go through every practice answering questions about losing so many key components to its defense. It will have to answer discipline questions. And it will have to keep its focus despite knowing it will be down men to start the year. No matter what the Bulldogs do to focus their attention elsewhere, the loss of these players will surround them.

This not the way a team challenging for back-to-back trips to the SEC championship game wanted to start the spring. The discipline of this Georgia team has been called into question before, but now it appears obvious that something isn't getting through to these players. The feeling of invincibility can only last so long, and Georgia is seeing it wear off faster and faster.

Georgia returns most of the components of a defense that ranked fifth nationally a season ago, but could have just one starter back in the secondary -- safety Shawn Williams -- to start the 2012 season. Against Buffalo in Week 1, the Bulldogs probably won't notice it much, but they'll certainly feel the loss of their starters the next week when they travel to Missouri to take on a more high-powered Tigers offense.

Georgia's secondary got a boost this spring with Malcolm Mitchell moving over from wide receiver, but even he hasn't played on defense since high school. Outside of its four normal starters, this secondary doesn't exactly scream experience, and Georgia's coaches will have to turn to youth to find replacements.

This is a team that should be a favorite in the SEC East this fall, should be ranked in the top 10 and should be in early national championship conversations. The talent and experience is there on both sides of the ball for Georgia to have a special season, but this team is struggling with character issues at the moment and it's holding the Bulldogs back. Distractions can ruin a team and Georgia is being bombarded with them right now.

1. If you want to see Oregon or any Pac-12 team in one of the preseason “bowl” games a la Alabama-Michigan, you’ll wait a long time. To bolster the Pac-12 Networks, the league won’t play any neutral-site games unless “all video/audio rights” are given to the Pac-12 (a home-and-home neutral-site game is OK). In a league in which teams soon will play nine conference games and a Big Ten opponent, maybe no Pac-12 team is interested. But you think a USC-LSU game would draw any attention on Labor Day weekend?

2. Chris Low and David Ubben reported Wednesday on the opposition to multiyear scholarships in the SEC and at Texas, respectively. But according to Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne, the Wildcats student-athlete council, representing the supposed beneficiaries of the legislation, voted overwhelmingly against it. The reasoning – if a teammate proves to be a locker-room cancer, the Arizona student-athletes want their coaches to have the ability to remove the problem.

3. Warm weather usually means that southern schools start spring practice early. But at Texas A&M, coach Kevin Sumlin is waiting until March 31 to start spring practice because he wanted to give his strength coach, Larry Jackson, as much time as possibile to work with a team that consistently blew fourth-quarter leads last season. And at Georgia, coach Mark Richt didn’t start until this week so that the spring game would not be played on April 7, clashing with both Easter weekend and the Masters.

It didn’t take long for Aaron Murray's eagerness for spring practice to kick in.

Georgia’s redshirt junior quarterback turned his attention to March almost immediately after he left Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 2, following the Bulldogs’ overtime loss to Michigan State in the Outback Bowl.

He spent every night chatting with tight end -- and roommate -- Arthur Lynch about plays and routes. He took the time to drag his receivers out for extra throwing sessions three times a week -- all while going through offseason 7-on-7 sessions.

“I know I’m excited and everyone is ready to put last season behind us and get ready to go,” Murray said.

The workaholic didn’t end the season well, so he enters the spring with a bit of a chip on his shoulder and a thrust for improvement.

Even after helping to lift his team out of an 0-2 start and guiding the Bulldogs to their first SEC championship game since 2005, the criticism firing squad took aim at Georgia’s recording-breaking gunslinger.

After a freshman campaign in 2010 in which he broke the Georgia freshman record for offensive yards and tied for first for touchdown responsibility in a single season, Murray shattered the Bulldogs’ single-season passing touchdown record last fall with 35 and won 10 straight games.

Still, questions arose about Murray’s play when the stages got bigger. Murray went 0-4 as a freshman against ranked teams, and in 2011 he beat just two ranked teams. Georgia’s first two losses came to ranked opponents (Boise State and South Carolina), and its last two came in the SEC championship game against No. 1 LSU and in the Outback bowl against the 17th-ranked Spartans.

In Murray’s last four games, he threw eight touchdowns-to-six interceptions, including four picks in the last two games.

The criticism is justifiable, and Murray is the first to admit it, but he’s out to change this spring. He knows his demeanor changes in bigger games. The pressure starts to mount and he feels as though he must totally take over each game.

By doing that, Murray tries to put his entire team on his back. He wants to make that great play every play. Sometimes he loses trust in teammates because he feels as though he has to make sure he’s doing everything perfect, rather than right.

But that’s wrong, and Murray knows it. He ends up rushing plays, losing concentration and missing easy opportunities. For as talented as Murray is fundamentally, he knows he has to ax the Superman persona to take this team further in 2012.

“You’re never perfect and I know I have a lot more to do to be the best I can be,” he said. “I’m excited to have more opportunities to get better and work with [offensive coordinator Mike] Bobo and work with Coach [Mark] Richt and improve my game.”

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There were large numbers of Georgia fans last September who were convinced that Mark Richt was finished as the Bulldogs' head coach following the 0-2 start, and many of those same fans were clamoring for a change.

Some of them still are, in fact, although not as loudly.

Their rationale: They like and respect Richt as a man, but feel like the football program has hit a ceiling with him as head coach.

The Georgia administration obviously doesn't feel that way after it was announced Monday that Richt had been granted a three-year extension, keeping him under contract through the 2016 season. Richt is also expected to receive a raise, although the details of the contract are still being finalized, according to Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity.

Richt was already making $2.81 million per year, which doesn't include retention/longevity bonuses that take him above the $3 million figure.

Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham also received a two-year extension, taking him through the 2014 season. He made $750,000 last season and will also get a raise. When you consider what Grantham brought to the defense in the way of mental toughness, he deserves a hefty raise.

The thing to keep an eye on when Georgia releases all the particulars of Richt's new deal is how much the buyout has been tweaked. In other words, extensions in the world of the SEC are merely window dressing unless they're backed up by guaranteed money.

All head coaches want extra years on their contract so they can assure recruits that they're not going anywhere. Coaches also want that financial security built in to those extra years for their own peace of mind.

Richt's detractors will point to the fact that he hasn't won an SEC championship since 2005 and is just 6-10 in his last 16 games against nationally ranked foes.

But he has won 10 or more games in seven of his 11 seasons in Athens, and even though the schedule softened considerably after those first two losses a year ago, he guided the Bulldogs to 10 straight wins and a berth in the SEC championship game. He also beat Florida, something Georgia had done only three times in the previous 21 seasons.

Granted, the way the Outback Bowl ended was disappointing, but Georgia has a team returning in 2012 that will be picked to win the East and likely start the season ranked in the top 10 in the polls. The Bulldogs also reeled in a signing class last month that was ranked No. 5 nationally by ESPN.

Like everybody else in the SEC, Georgia is chasing Alabama and LSU. Just about all of college football is. But the truth is that there are a lot of schools right now that would gladly trade places with the Bulldogs.

The Georgia administration did what it had to do, because if you don't extend and/or sweeten Richt's deal at this point, you might as well cut ties and start anew.

And starting anew in this league after pushing out a longtime coach who's sustained success is anything but a foolproof solution. Just ask the folks at Tennessee.

Simply going to SEC championship games at a place like Georgia is never going to be good enough. Richt understands that and so do his coaches and his players.

At the same time, the cyclical nature of this conference has a way of blinding some of the smartest and most loyal supporters into thinking that changing head coaches will be a cure-all, even when there's a chance that things could get a whole lot worse before they get better.

At this rate, Georgia might be holding tryouts at cornerbacks, especially for those first couple of games in the fall.

Rising senior cornerback Branden Smith was arrested early Monday morning in Abbeville, Ala., and charged with marijuana possession. Smith was apparently on his way to Panama City, Fla., for spring break. He's the second Georgia cornerback to be arrested in the past two months. Sanders Commings was charged with domestic violence/simple battery on Jan. 21 after police accused him of striking his girlfriend during an argument in downtown Athens, Ga.

Georgia coach Mark Richt has already suspended Commings for the first two games in 2012, including the road trip to Missouri on Sept. 8.

Georgia has a policy that mandates game suspensions for such transgressions as alcohol and drug arrests. Richt said Monday he was gathering additional information before determining how Smith would be disciplined.

Commings started all 14 games at cornerback last season. Smith started seven games at cornerback in 2011 and has 17 career starts. They were projected as the Bulldogs' starting cornerbacks heading into spring practice with Brandon Boykin departing.

If Smith is indeed suspended for the Missouri game, that leaves the Bulldogs precariously thin at cornerback and means that they will have to play Malcolm Mitchell there even more than originally expected. Mitchell was the Bulldogs' top receiver last season as a true freshman, but Richt has said Mitchell will play both offense and defense next season.

On Monday, Richt said Mitchell would get the majority of his snaps this spring on defense.

Mitchell said last week, "I don't want to come off the field."

He may get his wish, at least early on next season.

The Georgia defensive staff has a lot of high hopes for sophomore Damian Swann, who was already going to compete with Smith for one of the starting cornerback jobs. Swann played in 11 games last season as a true freshman.

Redshirt freshman Devin Bowman would probably be next in line after Swann, and signee Sheldon Dawson will be on campus this summer.

The Bulldogs' depth at cornerback has been slowly dwindling over the past several months. Nick Marshall and Chris Sanders would have both been a part of the cornerback rotation next season, but they were dismissed from the team last month reportedly for their role in a theft of money.

Also, cornerback Jordan Love left the team following the bowl game, while Derek Owens left the team during the season last year.

The Missouri game the second week of the season was already going to be a tough one for the Bulldogs. But if they're as depleted as they look like they might be at cornerback, slowing down James Franklin and that Missouri offense (and doing it on the road) will be a monumental task.