Some people have a hard time managing adversity. Some people have a hard time managing through prosperity.
And then there are Georgia fans. They seem to have trouble with both.
For decades, Dogs fans have made no secret that they have not been happy with a football program that had not won a title since Herschel Walker roamed Between the Hedges. That's certainly understandable when the ultimate goal is the ultimate prize, no matter what the sport.
But we're barely over a week since the Georgia Bulldogs won their first national championship in football since 1980, something the fan base had held over the program’s head for, well, 41 years. For most fan bases, the exhilaration and giddiness would last far beyond just a week.
However, after six-year senior quarterback Stetson Bennett’s recent announcement that he has decided to come back for one more season at the helm of the Georgia offense, you would think that the world was coming to an end if you read Georgia blog sites.
How is the fact that the quarterback that just led you to the national title, despite everything you may have read about his shortcomings, a bad thing when you're looking to establish yourself as the next dynasty program?
Fans at home and across the country had openly doubted Bennett’s ability to lead his team to the Promised Land. But he did just that, winning the MVP along the way after helping the Dogs knock off defending champion Alabama, 33-18, in the national championship game on January 10th. He tossed two TD passes in the pivotal fourth quarter. He also outplayed the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Bryce Young of Alabama, in the game.
Kirby Smart and his staff have built the program into the kind of powerhouse that only Alabama has been able to rival over the past six seasons. They have depth at every position, including quarterback, and certainly are ready to stake a claim as the next superpower in college football.
Yes, with five-star talents like Brock Vandagriff and incoming freshman Gunner Stockton from nearby Rabun County waiting in the wings as Bennett's possible successor, it certainly does seem that naming one of them as a potential starter for the upcoming 2022 season would be sexy for the program moving forward. But when chasing national titles, is finding the best players to help you win it all more important, or is it better to look good while trying and falling short?
It seemed obvious to me that Stetson Bennett was the right man for the job in the 2021 season, contrary to what you saw and read on fan blogs and Twitter posts throughout the season. No coach in my opinion would ever play a No. 2 player at a position instead of a No. 1 player unless it was for an injury or discipline reasons. When JT Daniels did get hurt in the season-opener against Clemson, Bennett was called upon. He started all but one game the rest of the way for the Bulldogs, even after Daniels was declared fit for duty because Coach Smart felt he gave Georgia the best chance to win a national title. Apparently, he was right.
Of course, he could have been wrong. But Bennett proved him correct and rewarded him and the Bulldog Nation with their first title in 41 years.
It's time to jump on the Stetson Bennett bandwagon. Just let the man play, and let's see if he can make it back-to-back titles for Georgia and get the dynasty started.
