Using your best offensive playmaker on special teams is always a risk, especially when that playmaker is likely the best receiver in the country.

That’s something Georgia and coach Mark Richt know, but, after some debate, it didn’t stop them from using A.J. Green, named the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Week Monday, on a successful attempt at a field goal block Saturday.

“I want to give credit to [linebackers coach] John Jancek for having the vision of A.J. Green being the middle blocker on our extra point and field goal team,” Richt said.

“There was a little resistance to that by coach [Tony] Ball, our wide receivers coach. He was kind of concerned about A.J. getting in there and jumping and landing on somebody and twisting an ankle or knee or something like that. John held his ground and in the end we always agree . But there was a little debate on should we do it or should we not, and John was pretty adamant that A.J. would be the best at it, and sure enough he got it. To get the block there was big. ”

Green said he never hesitated or thought about potentially getting hurt when asked to go in on special teams, and that he was in with the field goal block unit some during Georgia’s season opener at Oklahoma State.

Green, a former high school basketball player, blocked Arizona State’s attempt at a go-ahead field goal late in the game Saturday, which he called the biggest play of his career.

Many fans probably simultaneously cringed and celebrated when they saw Green, the lifeblood of the Georgia offense, in on special teams late in a close game. But Green provided a simple answer when asked if he expected to be in on more attempts like that.

“I hope so, since I blocked this one,” he said, smiling.

Houston also earns SEC honor

In just his second game back from a suspension, defensive end Justin Houston was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week on Monday.

Houston, at 6-foot-3 and 259 pounds, has started both games since his return following the season-ending knee injury of Rod Battle and hasn’t disappointed.

Saturday against Arizona State he charted the Bulldogs’ only sack and two tackles for loss among his four unassisted tackles. In his first game back against Arkansas, Houston was the Bulldogs’ second-leading tackler with seven.

Despite being the first Bulldog to win this weekly award since Charles Johnson in 2006, Houston said he hasn’t fully captured his game form.

“Not yet, not like I wanted to be,” he said Saturday. “I feel like I’ve got a long ways to go, and I can get better as the season goes on.”

Six-day option being exercised on Tennessee game

CBS is still deciding what time Georgia’s Oct. 10 date at Tennessee will be played.

The network will decide no later than Oct. 5 whether it will feature the Bulldogs and Volunteers on it’s 3:30 broadcast, or whether it will cover one of these other matchups: Alabama at Ole Miss, Auburn at Arkansas or Houston at Mississippi State.

If Georgia-Tennessee isn’t chosen for the 3:30 CBS game, it will be played on ESPN, ESPNU or the SEC Network at noon or 12:30 p.m.

This week’s game between No. 18 Georgia and No. 4 LSU will be CBS’ 3:30 kickoff.