Has there any word with Richt regarding ...

#1

CobbVol

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#1
Rambo and Olgetree? As you recall, they supposedly failed a drug test earlier this year.
 
#5
#5
But UGA has one of the toughest anti-drug policies in college football. So says Coach Richt.
 
#7
#7
UPDATED: Richt mum but suspensions still expected for Rambo, Ogletree | UGA sports blog

UPDATED: Richt mum but suspensions still expected for Rambo, Ogletree
10:53 am August 28, 2012, by Chip Towers

ATHENS — Georgia coach Mark Richt remained tight-lipped about the availability of safety Bacarri Rambo and linebacker Alec Ogletree for Saturday’s season opener against Buffalo.

It has been reported since March that the two all-star defenders are suspended for the first four games following a second violation of the UGA athletic association’s marijuana-use policy. However, neither Richt nor any UGA officials have confirmed those reports to date.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs listed both players as starters in the depth chart for the first game, which was released before Tuesday’s weekly news conference. However, Richt retreated into evasive mode when asked what he expected to see from those players during Saturday’s game.

“I just think we’ll have to wait and see,” he said coyly. “Time will tell.”

Alan Ingram, Rambo’s head coach at Seminole County High in Donalsonville, said in no uncertain terms back in March that Rambo told him he was going to be suspended for the first four games of the season after he and other UGA players allegedly failed surprise drug tests shortly after spring break. Ingram said Rambo told him it was* his* second violation of UGA’s marijuana-use policy for student-athletes, which calls for a suspension of 30 percent of competition dates and said that Ogletree was in the same situation. In the case of football players, that means four games.

Reached by telephone on Tuesday at Seminole County High, Ingram said he has no reason to believe anything has changed.

“I’ve seen Bacarri on several occasions since then and we honestly haven’t spoken about it,” said Ingram, a high school coach for 41 years. “I suppose he’s just going on with everything and will see what happens. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know anything more than I do. Of course, they may have told him not to talk to me about it. I just don’t know.”

Ingram said it’s possible he could be left out of the loop. So far he has been the only person to speak on the record about the situation. He said Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo came down and met with him shortly after Rambo’s news broke in March.

“Mike came down here a few days later and we discussed it,” In gram said. They didn’t have a problem with [Ingram talking]. I certainly didn’t have a problem with it. I did what the kid asked me to do. I’ve been around long enough that there’s not much that can hurt me anyway.”

Neither player has been made available for interviews since that information came to light six months ago. There have been indications that the Bulldogs, at this point, are trying to use the uncertainty as a strategic advantage against their opponents.

Richt admitted that Georgia has modified its disciplinary policies, which previously included an announcement beforehand that a player was being suspended from play.

” I don’t know if there’s anything etched in stone, but we are handing it a little bit different this year,” Richt said. “I don’t know if I can even say why. But we are definitely handling it just a little bit different.”

Regardless of all the rhetoric, it’s clear that Georgia is expecting to have to shuffle its defensive lineup early in the season. The Bulldogs already know they’re going to be without Sanders Commings, who’s two-game suspension for a domestic violence arrest was announced in February. Starting outside linebacker Chase Vasser is also out two games due to a May arrest for DUI. Converted receiver Malcolm Mitchell was listed as the starter at Comming’s boundary cornerback position and Ramik Wilson is listed as the starter at Vasser’s Sam linebacker spot.

It’s anticipated that senior Christian Robinson will get the call at Ogletree’s Mo linebacker position. Former walkon Connor Norman is listed as Rambo’s* backup at free safety or the Bulldogs could move strong safety Shawn Williams to free and start Corey Moore at the strong safety. Clearly, the defense is expecting to make adjustments.

“These guys will be out for a while, but it won’t be a problem because whenever they come back we’ll be ready to play and we’ll have more depth,” said Robinson, who is listed as the backup for Ogletree at “Mo” inside linebacker. “They just tell everybody to be ready; you never know where you could be [playing]. I might be playing cornerback. Who knows?”

Ingram certainly isn’t expecting to see Rambo play early this season. But he said he believes the experience will ultimately be good for his former pupil.

“Bacarri’s a grown man now and he’s just going to take it,” Ingram said. “Whatever comes down is what’s going to happen. He wants to do some big things at Georgia, whether it’s seven or eight ballgames or 10 or 12, whatever. That’s the way he’s looking at it and that’s the way he sees it.”
 
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#9
#9
as long as richt suspends them for their first SEC game and they lose to Missouri, it'll be just FINE with me.

My 2 favorite teams are:
#1 Tennessee
#2 Whoever is playing Gawja.
 
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#11
#11
Part of another article:

Off the hot seat, Georgia’s Richt readies for Year 12 | University of Georgia | Macon.com

There was one wart Richt didn’t mention: Suspensions.

Two defensive first-teamers are out the first two games: Cornerback Sanders Commings and outside linebacker Chase Vasser.

But the status of safety Bacarri Rambo and inside linebacker Alec Ogletree remains unannounced. The two reportedly ran afoul of UGA’s internal drug policy, but Richt is remaining coy about any suspension they may face.

“I just think we’ll just have to wait and see,” Richt said, grinning. “We’ll wait and see. Time will tell.”

Why can Richt wait? Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity said UGA decided in the offseason that any discipline related to internal policy -- rather than an arrest -- can be announced at the discretion of the coach. And Richt is choosing to hold back to give Buffalo -- but mainly Missouri, the first SEC opponent -- time to wonder.

“You’ve got competitive issues that are at the forefront,” McGarity said. “They’re institutional policies, they’re not situations where they’ve broken the law or been arrested. We deal with those pretty quickly.”

The suspensions -- known and expected -- have been the only blot on Richt’s offseason.
Rather than answer hot-seat questions, he had a contract extension to talk about.

But Richt’s comments indicated that he knows the bad times are just a few bad losses away. And he hasn’t deviated from his steady approach to running the program.

“It’s really a fine line between success and failure in this business -- winning and losing,” said Richt, whose record at Georgia is 106-38 and 62-29 in SEC games.

“You have to understand that and know that sometimes when you are winning there are some things that need to be fixed. Sometimes when you are losing there are some things that you probably don’t need to abort. You need to stay with them because you are not that far away from having that success again. If you make too many changes in philosophy or personnel or whatever it might be, then you might be setting yourself up for failure because you forgot what got you there, too.”
 
#13
#13
We'll know by Saturday though

I doubt it. We will know about the first game, but I suspect that this will be a game that Richt will play every week for the first four games in order to give opposing defenses something to worry about.

mlsoft
 

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