It’s just another year in the SEC East: Georgia is predicted by the media — and most other outlets — to win the division.

It’s an annual occurrence that Mark Richt is one of the most talked about coaches, because the Bulldogs never can appease the enormous expectations. He’s regularly criticized, and he talked about handling that at SEC Media Days.

“I didn’t know I got criticism,” Richt said. “I think the big thing — I know when I first started coaching 32 years ago, whenever it was, with Coach Bowden and being in what we call hideaway and him talking about notes. A few things he talked about in the very beginning of those sessions, and one was criticism. He said, it’s just the nature of the beast in the profession. If you can’t take criticism, then you shouldn’t coach.”

That’s one of the reasons Steve Spurrier left Florida — ten wins weren’t enough anymore, along with the NFL itch, of course. The difference between Spurrier and Richt, however, is that the Head Ball Coach won five SEC Championships during his stay in Gainesville.

But the curious case of Richt and the Bulldogs remains. UGA hasn’t won an SEC Championship since 2005, having lost the 2011 and 2012 championship game against LSU and Alabama.

Richt has dialed up nine 10-win seasons in 14 years, appearing in 14 consecutive bowl games. Among active FBS coaches who have coached at least 100 games, his .739 winning percentage (136-48) ranks fourth among them. He’s one of only five coaches in Division I history to win 115 games in 13 seasons.

Looking ahead to 2015, Georgia and Tennessee are projected by most to go head-to-head for the Eastern division this season. The most talented roster lives in Athens again, along with the best player in the conference, Nick Chubb. The Bulldogs, however, play the SEC West’s two toughest teams, Alabama and Auburn.

Georgia can still win the Eastern division even losing to both Alabama and Auburn by sweeping the East.

But what if that doesn’t happen? What are the ramifications for Richt if the Bulldogs can’t get back to Atlanta?

Richt is nowhere near the hotseat in 2015, and he’ll be nowhere near it in 2016, even if the Bulldogs don’t win the division. He agreed to a two-year contract extension in January that will keep him with the Bulldogs through the 2019 season.

Barring a national championship, Richt will receive some sort of criticism after 2015. That’s part of the gig. But Richt isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Asked how long he’ll coach at SEC Media Days, Richt responded, “I’m going to do it as long as the Lord says to do it.”