August 26, 2022 · 10:18 AM

Still carrying that torch

Mark Schlabach, of all people:

By season’s end, more than a few Georgia fans will still be questioning why coach Kirby Smart chose Stetson Bennett over Daniels.

True, or nah?

70 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football

70 responses to “Still carrying that torch”

  1. Anon
    August 26, 2022 at 10:20 AM

    I predict Stetson will be attending the Heisman ceremony

    Liked by 14 people

  2. MagnusDawgus
    August 26, 2022 at 10:26 AM

    True that Schlabach is fast approaching Mr. CW as the most embarrassing sports journalist to earn a diploma from Grady. Seriously, Stetson might shit the bed this seaon, but he has earned a lot more rope based on his 2021 performance and a fulll season under Monken’s tutelage will only help.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Down Island Way
      August 26, 2022 at 10:30 AM

      That’s some high cotton, right there now…

      Liked by 1 person

    • JoeDashDawg
      August 26, 2022 at 12:52 PM

      Schlabach is one of the few guys i respect at ESPN. They dumped a slew of really talented writers (most of them now at the Athletic or CBS) in order to have Steven A Smith scream at you from the TV for 4 hours a day.

      In any event, both can be true – Stetson is a DGD and a DGQB that got the job done, and JTD might be a better QB. I don’t think he’s predicting a Stetson bed shitting. Hope it works out for JTD, bc it worked out for us last year and he seemed like he was a supportive teammate the whole time.

      Liked by 3 people

      • RangerRuss
        August 26, 2022 at 5:47 PM

        I read Schablach’s article in its entirety. Seemed reasonable. There will be fans questioning Kirby’s decision to start Stet over Daniels at the end of the season. Hell, there are still fans questioning Kirby’s decision now. Bennett is resilient, sturdier and more likely to complete the season healthy than JT. The receivers will need that consistency throughout the season when it will payoff in the playoffs. I really don’t give a rip what Daniels does at WV.
        Where I take issue with Schablach is his predictions of the Dawgs vs Bama. Give him a gold star and a cookie for correctly predicting last year’s outcome. It’s easy to predict normalcy. Kirby has something going at UGA that the media isn’t picking up on. How many programs are routinely turning 3⭐️ into first round draft picks? I’m of the belief that Bennett’s off-season work as QB1 along with a healthy receiver/TE unit and Kirby’s constant rotation of players and intense training will be more than Saban’s tired ol wore out program can handle. The Tide will be good. Just not Georgia good.

        Liked by 6 people

  3. Granthams Replacement
    August 26, 2022 at 10:33 AM

    Kirby isn’t putting up with BS from the Daniels no matter how good JT can play.

    Liked by 4 people

  4. Biggen
    August 26, 2022 at 10:33 AM

    His argument is Daniels “…couldn’t stay healthy”. I don’t buy that. He was perfectly healthy in the 2nd half of the season but he simply couldn’t win the job back.

    Look, I have no doubt that Daniels is a good QB. I also have no doubt that Bennett is good QB. Can’t they both be true statements?

    Liked by 17 people

  5. Derek
    August 26, 2022 at 10:36 AM

    I certainly hope not, but its possible.

    It will be interesting to see how much, if any, progression we see.

    Liked by 2 people

    • TEXBaller
      August 26, 2022 at 11:43 AM

      Wise.

      Like

    • Bulldawg Bill
      August 27, 2022 at 7:35 AM

      Well, let’s see now…JT’s not going to have nearly the supporting cast around him at WV. Of course, on the other hand, he’ll be playing an ACC schedule. Also a new staff and scheme

      Stetson has been here for what, 6-7 years already, has an amazing supporting cast, is now getting the benefit of the QB1 spot all off season, and has the system down pat.

      Sounds like Stetson all the way!!!!

      Like

  6. Dawgfan1995
    August 26, 2022 at 10:39 AM

    The only way that we get to that conclusion is if (a) Stetson struggles at some point and then gets hurt and (b) Stetson gets Easoned/Danielsed (formerly known as Pipped after Wally Pipp, who was replaced by Lou Gehrig) by Beck or Vandagriff, who then leads us to some massive blowout victories in key games while passing for 400 yards a game and running for 50 more.

    Further, if UGA goes 12-0 leading up to another playoff appearance, I doubt that there are too many UGA fans who give a damn how many TDs JT Daniels throws.

    Liked by 2 people

  7. WH
    August 26, 2022 at 10:43 AM

    Reads like it was written the morning after last year’s SECCG, and not ** checks notes ** THIS morning.

    Mark… Mark… we were all with you on this at the end of 2020. No one scratched their heads harder over why it took so long to get Daniels on the field.

    BUT… Kirby won a National Championship with his chosen quarterback. If you want to make the argument it was in spite of Bennett, I guess you can. Still, regardless of measurables and stats, there’s now literally ONE thing that separates Stetson from JT in the minds of Dawg fans, and it’s in the trophy case, not on paper.

    Could Daniels have won it playing opposite that nasty defense? Sure. But he didn’t. (A whole lot of quarterbacks could have, but they were either injured, playing on someone else’s roster or simply not better than Stet.)

    End of the day: I trust the assessment of CTFM more than I trust the on-paper comparison.

    Liked by 13 people

  8. munsoning
    August 26, 2022 at 10:44 AM

    Nope. I’ll take Stet over Pornstache McBlackTurtleneck.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. mg4life0331
    August 26, 2022 at 11:00 AM

    Stetson can have a year that sucks and will still give him the golden parachute.

    Liked by 3 people

  11. Castleberry
    August 26, 2022 at 11:05 AM

    The first time we punt some d-bags will be yelling for Beck, Stockton, Vandagriff.

    Are the dipshits? Yes.
    Are they out there? Absolutely.

    Even if we win another natty we woulda won by more with the 2nd string QB for these folks.

    Liked by 8 people

  12. ben
    August 26, 2022 at 11:08 AM

    Can you still see Schlabach’s red and black, or is he fully into the ESPN hive mind?

    Liked by 1 person

    • siskey
      August 26, 2022 at 7:14 PM

      He has to throw everyone of the scent. Mark spent a lot of time at “College Club” learning how to gamble when not covering the Dawgs.

      Like

  13. SOWEGA_DAWG
    August 26, 2022 at 11:36 AM

    JT will put up great numbers against high school caliber defenses all season. Don’t fall for that “first take” comparison.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Jack Klompus
    August 26, 2022 at 11:37 AM

    No truth to it if Stetson has a strong year. If he doesn’t and Daniels does, there is going to be a significant amount of fans that are going to be yelling “I told you so”.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. 69Dawg
    August 26, 2022 at 11:37 AM

    Lazy ass journalism at this point. Click bait.

    Liked by 4 people

  16. godawgs1701
    August 26, 2022 at 11:38 AM

    It does not matter if JT Daniels goes up to Morgantown and wins the dang Heisman trophy and the Big 12 championship and a national title up there and Stetson loses every game here. Stetson Bennett won the national championship last year – JT Daniels literally could not have done anything better than what Stetson did last year, the goal was to be national champions and they did that. Jeez.

    Liked by 7 people

  17. godawgs1701
    August 26, 2022 at 11:41 AM

    If D’Wan Mathis lights it up at Temple are we going to hear about how Kirby made the wrong choice there, too? This Kirby QB meme with the media needs to die, it’s a joke at this point. Stetson’s got a ring.

    Liked by 5 people

  18. Dylan Dreyer's Booty
    August 26, 2022 at 11:41 AM

    I hope that JT does throw 30 touchdowns. We all know that he is very talented. But talent and football smarts are only useful if you are healthy. Plus, if JT had finished last year and won it all, he wouldn’t be here this season anyway, and neither would Stetson. Whatever happens, I am never going to have any regrets about the staff decision to let Stetson finish the season.

    Liked by 7 people

    • archiecreek
      August 26, 2022 at 3:15 PM

      Damnrite,
      Boo-TAY…
      You can’t help the club while you’re in the tub!
      (For the non-initiated…the tub is slang for the whirlpool)

      Like

  19. Dawg in Austin
    August 26, 2022 at 11:45 AM

    What a weird take. We’d have to care first, Mark, in order to feel that way. Last I checked, Dawgs got the trophy. So we really don’t care what happens at WVU this year.

    Liked by 3 people

  20. eethomaswfnc
    August 26, 2022 at 11:51 AM

    If JT ended up with the year that he and SBIV had combined throwing the ball, he would have been a 1st 3 round selection in April and wouldn’t be in Morgantown.

    3,584 yards passing – would be #2 behind Murray 2012
    66.4% completion percentage – would be #3 behind Mason 2014 and Fromm 2018
    9.41 yards per attempt – would be #3 behind Robinson 1974 and Murray 2012 (SBIV sits at that spot now)
    36 TDs – tied for #1 with Murray 2012
    10 INTs
    171.35 passer rating – would be #2 behind Murray 2012 (that record is now held by SBIV)

    A loft of ifs and buts there.

    What that walk down memory lane reminds me is that Aaron Murray’s 2012 season was pretty damn incredible.

    Liked by 4 people

  21. charlottedawg
    August 26, 2022 at 12:01 PM

    I hope not but all it takes is Stetson to struggle and Daniels to light it up for talking heads to go “See!!!!”

    Shit just look at 2019 where coley was doing his best schottenheimer impression while Fromm regressed to the point he had zero confidence and couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, while Justin fields is literally setting records in the big 10 at Ohio state and personally accounted for more touchdowns (41 passing, 10 rushing) than the entire Georgia offense combined (26 and 21) that year.

    Liked by 2 people

  22. divingduck7
    August 26, 2022 at 12:02 PM

    I hope they both light it up.

    I think JT is the better qb and we would have won it with him but to publish this today is sourcing unnecessary attention.

    Like

  23. SenorLorenzo
    August 26, 2022 at 12:17 PM

    Well, “more than a few” sure gives a writer a whole lot of CYA room doesn’t it? I have absolutely no respect for these kinds of lazy “hot takes” that nobody will remember enough at year’s end to remind the writer of. Impress me instead with a bold guarantee of such and find somebody to take a big bet on it, and which won’t be me because I couldn’t care less, and actually hope JT has an outstanding year and gets drafted in the first round.

    As has been said ad nauseam, Kirby and Monken had those two players in practice for MONTHS, and professionally evaluated them beyond Schlabach’s knowledge or ability. I was good with that then, and still am. JT might just win the Heisman at WV, while Stet might outright suck, but I won’t be one of those “few” who’s gonna second guess the 2021 season. Geez!!!

    Liked by 3 people

  24. David Chadwick
    August 26, 2022 at 12:21 PM

    Nah.

    Like

  25. akascuba
    August 26, 2022 at 12:25 PM

    There will always be some that question anything Kirby does. I’ll admit my own posts last season were always hoping for a speedy full recovery for JT. Once SBIV won over the coaches and players at practice that was enough to convince me he was the best choice each week. Kirby clearly can be stubborn it never seemed starting Bennett was that. I believed as told Monken had full control of the offense. I never felt as some stated there was an anti JT conspiracy. He just lost the job in the practices we didn’t get to see. It’s easy now to look back at the QB ride each week last season and laugh now. It sure wasn’t funny at the time.

    Schlabach has a long history going back to his days at the AJC of writing stuff at the expense of UGA athletics. During coach Donnan’s days Mark wrote inflammatory stories just before signing day. Helping Fulmer and UT grab more Atlanta kids. Traitor Mark Schlabach was how some of my tailgate buddies referred to him.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Herschel Blogger
    August 26, 2022 at 1:15 PM

    Kirby Smart is paid to make decisions that lead Georgia to a national championship.

    In 2021, Kirby Smart made decisions that led Georgia to winning a national championship.

    His job was fulfilled, his contract upped, and anything else is simply fodder for the BS artists in the media.

    Liked by 3 people

  27. stoopnagle
    August 26, 2022 at 2:51 PM

    Oh come on. Of COURSE there will be Georgia fans dogging Stet.

    I remember hearing assholes at games talk about how glad they would be when Matt Stafford left so Joe Cox could start. Some people are just too stupid to be good for any damn thing.

    Liked by 4 people

  28. MGW
    August 26, 2022 at 3:19 PM

    There will always be Monday morning quarterbacks. People were still complaining AFTER we won the title.

    Like

  29. moe pritchett
    August 26, 2022 at 3:36 PM

    Really Mark?! WTF with that snarky ass remark about Burton winning TD catch? Damn dude.

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Clayton Joiner
    August 26, 2022 at 4:19 PM

    I mean when there’s low hanging fruit someone’s got to take a stab at it…smh

    Like

  31. olddawg22
    August 26, 2022 at 4:42 PM

    In one breath he says we will wish we had Daniels then picks Ga to go undefeated and play Bama in SEC again? When is it we pine for JT?
    PS love Daniels he could have been one helluva distraction last year and he was nothing but a great teammate (as far as we hear)
    I will personally cheer for him the rest of his career and anytime he comes back to Athens! But that trophy I am kissing( to the rt) tells me Kirby made the right decision!
    Kiss it Mark!

    Liked by 1 person

  32. monticellodawg
    August 26, 2022 at 8:22 PM

    I think his is a true statement. Georgia, in my opinion, would have been much better off last season and this season with JT, natty notwithstanding.

    Like

  33. nacodaawg
    August 26, 2022 at 8:29 PM

    By season’s end Stetson Bennett will still have more national titles than JT Daniels

    Like

  34. gurkhadawg
    August 26, 2022 at 11:06 PM

    A guy that refereed a couple of UGA’s scrimmages last year told me the answer is simple: Stet outplayed JT in practice. It wasn’t even close.

    Liked by 1 person

    • eethomaswfnc
      August 27, 2022 at 8:35 AM

      If SBIV was outplaying JT in scrimmages, why was Daniels starting in Charlotte? Why did JT take back over against South Carolina when Bennett had the big game against UAB?

      JT got hurt in the Vandy game (I believe it was his last TD pass in that game). By the time he was healthy, SBIV had won the team (and coaches) over. Kirby didn’t want to play around with team chemistry when JT was healthy. It’s that simple, and it worked out.

      Like

      • gurkhadawg
        August 27, 2022 at 1:39 PM

        I agree with your take during the year. The conversation I had was after the SECCG and all the Stet vs JT controversy. The guy said that JT was playing so bad in practice before the SECCG that Kirby had no choice but to go with Stet.

        Like

        • eethomaswfnc
          August 27, 2022 at 7:22 PM

          Gurkha, my take at the championship game was that Kirby likely knew we were in regardless of the outcome and pulling SBIV in the championship game would shatter his confidence, so he let Bennett work out the big game kinks. I think his perspective by that time was if Stet leads us to a title, we have a QB. If he doesn’t, we’ll have a full-on competition in the spring with the 4-5 QBs on campus. My opinion is that JT stays in Athens through spring practice if we hadn’t won the title. If he didn’t win the job, he still had plenty of time to get into the portal and select a new school because he would be a grad transfer.

          That’s pretty much with no inside information just a hunch.

          Am I glad SBIV is QB1? Yep. Do I hope JT tears it up at WVU? Yep. Do I hope we get to see Beck and Vandagriff play some meaningful snaps in garbage time rather than “I handed off good as f***”? Yep.

          Like

          • gurkhadawg
            August 27, 2022 at 10:05 PM

            Ok ee. I respect your opinion and don’t want to argue, but that is a lot of assuming going on there. You’ve come up with a narrative that makes sense to you. I’m not trying to act like a big shot with a bunch on inside information, cause I’m not. But the guy I talked to was the real deal. He wasn’t picking sides, just said that JT was making very poor decisions in practice and pretty much took himself out of the competition with his poor play. Of course the guy could have been FOS.

            Like

            • eethomaswfnc
              August 28, 2022 at 8:35 AM

              I guess what I’m saying is that there appeared to be no QB competition after Daniels was out for an extended period of time just like there was no competition when Eason returned from injury and Fromm had won the team.

              Like

  35. uga97
    August 27, 2022 at 7:52 AM

    Picking teams to go 12-0 is a curse, thanks Mark. College football always has its twists, and “Upset Saturdays”, always.

    Like

  36. Bulldawg Bill
    August 27, 2022 at 7:58 AM

    I do think the difference was Stetson’s mobility, which ultimately helped keep him healthy. Relatively speaking, JT’s as mobile as a dead whale, thus his fragility. YMMV.

    Liked by 1 person

  37. ciddawg
    August 27, 2022 at 10:39 AM

    Aaaaah…when the shit stirrers are down to click baitin last years Qb “controversy” they are scraping the bottom…
    That means the Seasons almost here!!!
    GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS!!!!
    SIC EM!!!!!
    WOOOOF WOOOOOF WOOOOOOF!!!!!!!!

    Like