Of all the hot takes in the world about why Stetson Bennett starts ahead of JT Daniels, this is certainly one of them.
As we like to say around this joint, “likely” is doing a shit ton of heavy lifting there.
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UPDATE: I guess this is meant as a clarification.
At this point, I have no idea what he’s arguing. Although I’m not sure he does, either.
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UPDATE #2: When you’re explaining, you’re losing.
This seems like an appropriate time to consider applying the First Rule of Holes.
Get The Picture 
Mike butchers this approach. And maybe, he’s an idiot. But, he doesn’t seem to blindly report that SB is best QB and that there are other issues that are factored into the decision at QB1.
He and Dayne are going at it. Which is comical. But, I am not a fan of Dayne and his “reporting”.
That website is just a PR firm at this point.
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Dayne is a stenographer. Really useless.
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Lmao
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Dawgnation is unreadable. But if you can stomach it go back and look at Griffith’s work. He clearly is trying to be a provocative troll
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Mike will say whatever he believes gets him the most attention. Or to put that another way Mike is a self serving media whore.
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If you report out of both sides of your mouth you get double clicks – right?
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I’ve had it with the mystery, frankly, and the whole thing, plus the way we got steamrolled by Bama the same way again as if nothing was learned from 2019 LSU or 2020 Bama, has me very rapidly souring on this coaching style. I’m not saying CKS should lose his job. I’m saying I don’t want to emotionally invest in this any more (i.e., my personal fandom is waning… not that anyone cares, I realize).
This Daniels mystery is just a bunch a crap.
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I endorse this statement 100%. Every. Single. Word. I’ll sob like a baby when we win a natty (Kirby is stockpiling too much talent to not break through at some point), but the key is the “emotional investment”. This happened to me with Richt and is starting to happen a bit with the perplexing way Kirby continues to coach. I get it – his team, coaches see the practice and I have no doubt they aren’t actively thinking “how can we fuck this up”, but what I’ve found is if you can cash out your emotions, things like the 2021 SECC don’t sting quite as much.
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For me its more frustrating dealing with Pickens ACL and JT’s injuries.
Why can’t things go smoothly? What does it all go wrong? I do feel like this is a great description as my life as a dawg fan:
“The why cant kirby beat the best coach in college history? Fuck this!!! I quit,” isn’t a sentiment I can ascribe to.
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I don’t know why .gifs don’t always post for me.
https://imgur.com/a/VEFgeX4
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When I begin to feel frustrated with the Dawgs I find it helpful to remember I was a grove of oaks behind an arch as the difference in where I went to college. My ignorant country ass could be a tech fan. It was that close.
It’s great to be a Georgia bulldog.
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If you need a natty to be a proud dawg fan, then you’re just doing it wrong.
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It’s not a natty itself. It’s the coming close and blowing it, in part…but honestly I’m over the way Smart handles these things. He’s a bullshit artist, IMO.
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Yeah man if you can’t beat the guy with 8 natties and a Heisman winner qb with a former walk on qb I mean what a shit show, amirite?
I thought the same thing about the guy who trained Marvis Frazier:
38 seconds??!?! WTF?!?
Whoever was behind that guy must not know a THING about boxing.
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Not what I meant, but enjoy yourself.
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I am. Thanks.
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Why are we starting a walk on in year 6 of Kirby’s tenure?
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Fuck if I know. Ask Corch. He reads minds from afar.
He probably can tell you what you had for breakfast.
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If I let myself think about it post 04DEC too much I get pretty grumpy too. I’m far from QB1 material but I would think that stet may be doubting the “plan” too, I would if I were him.
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Mystery? What mystery??? I think JT has already checked out and will be in the portal come 1/3. If we invoke logic, no sane winning coach leaves a tallent like that on the bench when you desperately need to win. I think JT has made himself unavailable.
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While possible, I still don’t know the current transfer rules on the second transfer. I thought the first one was free to play immediately and the second, you have to sit out a year. JT has 2 years with the COVID year. If he transfers somewhere and has to sit out, he would then only get a one year to try and show something. If all of that is true, do you think JT has made himself unavailable?
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Things are in the works so that he’s eligible. He gone. And I agree – I think he’s made himself unavailable. There’s no other logic for why Kirby wouldn’t have pulled Stetson in the SEC as much as he was struggling.
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As the Senator often says, “I think” is doing a shit ton of work there, Bill.
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I must admit, “thinking” is a nasty habit. I’ve been trying to quit!
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I think, then, that it has not even occurred to you that it’s all your inference and opinion. No actual data (which is the point of calling it a “mystery”). Am I right?
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Since when did I infer anything but an opinion?????? Thus, the “I think!!!!!” Welcome aboard! Or, as the dity goes,”…but there’s a whole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza…”
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You missed my clever reference (that’s a self-deferential joke, btw) to your own use of “I think” when my original post pointed out the lack of verifiable information (hence, a “mystery”). Point being, what you think doesn’t amount to a hill of beans, because you don’t actually know anything either, and a person would have thought that you’d have been insightful enough to recognize that there only being opinions was the whole point. Which is just plain stupid.
Apologies for trying to be nice where directness was required.
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If you watch JT Daniels on the sidelines you would never say he has checked out. The guy was often yelling encouragement and help to Stetson between plays in the second half of the SEC CG.
As for transfering, wouldn’t it make more sense to play for a natty on national TV and improve his draft stock? Don’t give me that “checked out” crap.
Try this idea out and get back to me: He is still injured.
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That’s where I am at. People keep asking for a rationale, logical reason why CKS didn’t put JTD’s in. A rationale, logical reason is he is still injured or his injury has limited his ability to perform at a level that gives UGA the best chance of victory.
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What mystery?
You guys CREATE the mystery. Kirby has told you, since JT was cleared, that Stetson gives the team the best chance to win. He has told you time and again that they are evaluated every day, and that Stetson is the better choice.
There is no mystery.
What is it, exactly, you want him to say?
“Well, JT took eight sacks and threw three picks in practice today, and Stetson didn’t”. “JT didn’t check out of our gap-dive run when he saw a pre-snap pressure by the mike backer.” “You know, JT keeps underthrowing his long balls and telegraphing his hooks”. “I see the way the guys respond to JT, and he’s a cancer”
I’m sure those things would serve the fragile egos and salve the emotional desperation of the outspoken whiners, but none of that would serve his team; his job, believe it or not, is to serve that team, not you.
This apparent belief that so many hold which is that UGA football is somehow a democracy and Kirby is beholden to the whims of the masses is laughable. Want to know why you don’t get a more detailed answer?
You haven’t earned it.
Also, Mike is an antagonistic asshat douchebag beatwriter and he plays that part almost as brilliantly as Bill Plaschke.
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We recruited JT to beat teams like Bama. We recruited Stetson to be a backup. My only question is why do you stick with Stetson and not give JT a chance at all in the 2nd half of the SEC?
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I’m not equipped to answer that question, and speculating about is time wasted.
People really need to grasp the “accept the things I can not control” concept.
Btw – Bo Nix has beaten Bama, as has Zac Calzada. It’s not some impossible task. Our Defense blew it. The sooner people come to accept that, the better off they’ll be.
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The started to blow it when the offense was going 3 and out. The D responded in the 2nd half the offense didn’t. Don’t forget 7 of those Bama points was directly off Stetson’s arm.
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*The D started
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Alabama scored 3 TDs in the 2nd quarter. Two of them followed UGA touchdown drives (one of which was 8 plays and 97 yards). One followed a 3-and-out.
But sure.
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UGA 10 Bama 7
UGA goes 3 and out
UGA 10 Bama 14
UGA 3 and out
UGA 10 Bama 17
Quick TD UGA
UGA 17 Bama 17
UGA D still gassed
UGA 17 Bama 24
D was gassed and didn’t recover until the 2nd half. Bama’s offense attacked downfield and spread the field.
Bama did score quick to open the 2nd half to go up 31-17
UGA offense goes on a 6 minute drive when SB4 throws an INT. But after the INT UGA’s D was solid. Next UGA drive 5 minutes turned over on downs. The offense gives up a pick 6 later.
So yes sure
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So, in other words… your “3-and-out tired” excuse suffices for exactly 10 points.
Got it.
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2nd half UGA moved the ball but didn’t convert in points. D was able to rested and got stops.
Saban learned in the Clemson loss where Clemson gassed his and Smart’s D that to play complimentary football the offense must move and score in a way to gas the other team’s D. Play to spread the field sideline to side and for defender to run the width and length of the field often. If the other team can’t keep up they’ll make mistakes taking chances.
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Completely ignoring the additional 7 points in the 2nd half by the UGA offense. Getting it.
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You misspelled Kirby blew it. Offensive and defensive game plans were atrocious. We lost that game before kickoff.
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Great post, Ben.
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JT was a highly-rated recruit, right? Once a 5-star, always a 5-star, right? There’s actually no chance that Stetson could–at this point in time–be a better QB than JT, right?
I wish we could just disregard all the recruiting ratings. Stars are for high-school kids.
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Stars are for high school kids and moms basement coaches
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You’re an apologist for Kirby Smart, Ben, just admit it. Can see your take coming from a mile down the road.
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I love you, Dawg. But if you can’t accept what Ben has explained then there’s no helping you.
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Ben maybe correct but the facts are SB4 has cracked against Bama twice and he was cracking against UF forcing the ball which did give up an INT when the D bailed him out. SB4 run threat doesn’t offset this when you go against Bama’s D. JT may not win practice but maybe a gamer that doesn’t practice as well. I think Smart is trying to win his way and believes he is putting the best choices to win. IMO you know what you have in SB4 on gameday and it is time to give JT a shot. SB4 hasn’t won the close games, JT may not have looked great against Cincy but he did come home with the W. Ultimately it is a results oriented job, if SB4 is the best guy, it was Smart’s job to have someone better on the team.
Also it isn’t just limited to QB, the WRs has been depleted the entire year. For all the stars on D and RB, Smart hasn’t recruited WR as well as other positions. I don’t want to be the Wisconsin of the SEC and I don’t believe you can make the D good enough to win the SEC with Bama’s pre Kiffin offense.
You have to score 30 to win a SECCG and playoff, If you’re moving the ball and maintaining possession to score 30, the D stays rested and defends fewer possessions thus the other team is more likely to be kept under 21. If you have to score 45 you want the WRs to gas the other D first like Clemson did to Smart’s Bama D. I don’t like that current evolution of that game but you can’t change it.
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Bama scored 3 points in the first 57 minutes against Auburn.
Auburn couldn’t finish the drill.
Our Defense got its ass whipped. Just accept that. It was a bad day of football for the defense. Maybe they play better if we get another shot, maybe they don’t – but the narrative of “you can’t stop Bama’s offense” is ridiculous.
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The narrative that D wins is hysterical. Start at 1:30
They executed a game plan that is winning titles UGA isn’t. Auburn had 3 and outs in the first half. 1 to open the game and none were back to back. Bama can be slowed to a crawl but the offense has to be complementary. Sub 2 minute possession plays to Bama. Auburn eventually tired and Bama goes on to win.
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3 3 and outs in the 1st half for Auburn
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I can’t accept it because he’s been smoking the Kirby best chance to win joint since the start of the year, man. Sorry. Ben may be a DGD (he is), but money talks and bullshit walks.
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Also, no one would be asking any questions at all if we hadn’t shit the bed the exact same way as 2019 SECCG and 2020 Bama. What Kirby Smart owes everyone, including his own players, is figuring out ways not make the same mistakes over and over again. I hope he’d say the same thing, but so far what get from him is basically coachspeak nothingness.
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This guy gets it.
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That’s not what Corch says.
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Oh boy. The arena speech. Umm, I do not think Kirby should be forced to speak about every detail concerning his program and the thought process of his coaches, etc. that would be dumb; but this idea that fans aren’t owed ANY explanation at all over the QB situation is kinda laughable. How about “JT is struggling right now in practice.” Kinda short and sweet and it would put the fans minds at ease. Not too much to ask I would think. Georgia football is a product that we all pay our hard earned money for, some more than others. So, yeah…we kinda have have earned it.
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Kirby has essentially said that with this – We evaluate every practice and play the guys we think gives us the best chance to win.
Perhaps all you internet coaches need to polish your resumes and become highly paid coaches of a top 5 team.
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What happened to you at your job last time he dropped the ball on a super-big situation, then did it again the exact same way, with the exact same results the next time?
It ain’t about being in the arena. It’s about not being a damned idiot at one’s profession.
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Did he also mention that we would wear red at home and white while away? Did he let us know that only 11 can be on the field at one time? “We evaluate every practice and play guys that give us the best chance to win” is about as insightful. Kinda like, yeah….no shit?
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BD, in the SECCG, when Stetson obviously wasn’t getting it done, why didn’t we go to Plan B. Logically, the 2nd string guy should have been given a shot. Seemed like we needed to get down the field faster than what Stetson showed. Seems that worked for Bama against us a couple times. But of course, YMMV!!!
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Weird narrative. Kirby wasn’t even a walk-on. That was Will.
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You could make the argument that Kirby and Will have a soft spot for Dan Jackson.
Don’t get me wrong, Jackson is an asset and we’re lucky to have a guy like him while so thin at safety.
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I think they like guys that work hard and play well, regardless of whether they are walk-ons.
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The narrative that Kirby is trying to be stubborn is old and worn out. If JT was 100% and playing better than Stetson I don’t see him not starting him. Kirby wants to win at all costs. It’s a weird take.
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Totally agree. The best analogy would be wondering why McConkey is out there and why we weren’t getting Pickens and Blaylock ready to play in the SECCG? Or why Zeus played so much and why didn’t get Milton more touches?
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It’s an outcome borne of the coach not saying what’s going on while everyone wonders what he could possibly be doing. If the explanation isn’t apparent, then what is the explanation? We’ve got a whole month here to ponder it.
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Kirby told us JT Daniels is medically cleared to play, but he never said his oblique was fully healed.
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Exactly.
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Coaches are human. They are as prone to favoritism as anyone, even to the extent of going against theirs and their team’s best interests. This situation has happened time and again in football.
Take John Madden for example. From the late 1960s to the early 1970s, he had Daryl Lamonica at QB1, George Blanda at QB2, and deep on the bench Ken Stabler at QB3. It took years of losing playoff games and a Super Bowl before Madden figured out Stabler was the best QB to take the Raiders to a world championship.
I think Kirby thinks a lot like former Redskins coach George Allen. When Allen got to Washington, he inherited a Hall of Fame QB in Sonny Jurgensen, who could throw 45 yard perfect spirals behind his back for completions. For some reason, Allen dealt for Billy Kilmer, who had trouble throwing a pass that didn’t look like a wounded duck, and started him over Jurgensen. Supposedly, Allen preferred Kilmer because he wanted a ball-control offense that would keep his defense off the field.
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You must be 118 years old
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Legitimately laughed out loud
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+1
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While funny as hell, in truth he could be in his early 60’s.
If he were 80 he would have Otto Graham stories.
118 and you’re around when the first forward pass was thrown in 1906 by Bradbury Robinson for Saint Louis University coached by the late great football innovator, Eddie Cochems.
He might be called the Mike Leach of the last century, but for the fact that Coach Cochems won lot more football games than he lost.
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I watched all this happen and I’m only 64. Old, yes, but not quite 118. We actually named one of our dogs George after George Blanda.
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I think Sonny’s typical game time BAC level had some impact on Allen as well.
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Funnily enough, so did Kilmer’s:
https://www.liquisearch.com/billy_kilmer/problems_with_alcohol
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I read Billy Kilmer and had a vision of that single bar face mask. That was old school
even when I was a kid .
I’ll be 112 next week.
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I’m still waiting on the book about the final months of the Richt tenure in Butts Mehre.
Similarly, I’d like to also purchase the book about the QB room under Smart’s tenure.
You’d think by now, given how the Cade Mays thing flushed out, that someone from the Daniels or Fields families would’ve thrown shade Kirbys way, but it hasn’t really happened.
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If any QB’s family starts leaking, it will be Fromm imo.
Everything I’ve heard is that relationship soured in record time in 2018.
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What happened?
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Who would care?
Are they pissed his brother didn’t get an offer and was forced to the barn?
Another Mays family drama?
So what?
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I don’t know if anyone would care or not. I don’t care.
Just relaying what I’ve heard from WR folks.
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And I’m sure its all true. Most small town gossip is.
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Fromm better hope small town gossip isn’t true. Iykyk.
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Not buying this. Fromm nearly broke down in tears on live TV praising Kirby for believing in him after the Florida game in ’19.
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Fromm isn’t Fromm’s parents.
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Fromm is getting his first regular season snaps now.
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Those guys are idiots..
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The QB question is a distant second to my concerns about the defensive gameplan against Bama. The idea to try and design and execute a new defense not used all year after a) dominating everyone all year and b) the rather anemic output from Bama the prior three games suggests to me that the biggest problem is the psyche of the HC against Saban. He panicked.
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Absent any logical, rational explanation as to why Kirby is not only continuing to start Bennett, but even more than that, refuses to give Daniels any meaningful work in the last five games to get him ready… sure, why not? Seems as likely to me as anything else at this point. 🤷🏻♂️
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Why would we need Kirby to explain his qb decisions when we have you to do it for him? I hardly think CKS’s explanations would be more credible.
I’m frankly surprised you don’t agree.
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Ben Dukes’ posted a logical and rational explanation (posted at 11:38 above).
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The bottom line is qb play is what separates us from Bama and who we are.
Until we get a Young, Lawrence, Watson type qb, we will not get over the hump.
Notice that both the Bama and A&M qb in this year’s recruiting class is higher ranked than Stockton
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I’ve said that shit for years and no one has wanted to accept it.
The guys winning natties these days have qbs taken in the first half of the first round of the nfl draft. 2015 may be the last exception to that rule: Jacob Coker. Since its been Watson, Lawrence, Tua, Burrow and Jones.
The last time we had a starting qb who has taken a regular season snap in the NFL was the 2008 season.
For some reason Saban has a qb who steps up and our guys either become unavailable for some reason or certainly don’t perform their way into top 15 consideration.
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Stockton’s recruiting profile has suffered from his long-time and unwavering commitment to being a Dawg. There’s no drama in him, so no cashing in on bringing those star ratings up. Kid has broken all the records, he’s good. Whether or not that translates into field time in the next 2 years is up in the air.
But there’s another highly mobile 5* on the roster who will likely get a shot first.
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I like this Stockton kid a lot.
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Stockton plays AA ball. Don’t get too excited.
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Good thing we also have Vandagriff.
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I still think we get SB4 because of the offensive line. Kirby doesn’t trust them to keep JT upright. At least SB4 can run for his life. JT is not complaining because he knows it too.
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Our pass pro is pretty good. Not sure that’s a valid consideration.
We may not be able to run block as well as we like and a defense accounting for the qb helps that.
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That’s a bunch of crap. Seems to me the choice is to have Daniels take the occasional sack or Bennett throw a pick 6.
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Mike Griffith is a clickbait troll. I don’t understand why people listen to that dude, but then I don’t get why people believe a lot of the stuff they read on the internet.
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Wait – wait – if it’s on the internet it is TRUE.
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There are always 2 points of context on these hot college football sports takes.
1.)Job. Fan click bate during quiet, slower infrequent periods of news & reporting.
2.)Job. Blogjournalreportertweeters who fear loseing access, so they are motivated protect the daily narratives of the football program.
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I don’t know why some of you remain Dawg fans since Kirby is a loser that doesn’t have half the football knowledge as you.
The only other reason I can think of you are miserable because your wife has gotten fat and ugly since you said “I Do”.
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Or we hate seeing the same mistakes made year after year.
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You mean the injuries that decimated the WR’s or OL.
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Note sure which I hate more: the jackwagons who make the same mistakes year after year, or the jackwagons who make excuses for the jackwagons who make the mistakes.
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Some coaches can replace a QB and sail on to victory, seemingly without the slightest doubt in their mind about the change. Saban did it with Tua. Although it was due to injury, Corch did it with Cardale Jones.
Kirby just ain’t that kind of guy. If you’re not the player who carried the day in practice, you’ve lost the chance to show what you’ve got in the game.
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Injury? Tua got his shot due to Hurts’ ineffectiveness.
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