When UGA went into Tuscaloosa this past weekend they did so with a lot of hope and optimism that they would finally knock off Alabama.
UGA had been an impressive second half team all season, and coming out of halftime with a 24-20 lead, you liked the position they found themselves in.
In its first three games of the season, UGA outscored their opponents 62-6 in the second halves (32-3 vs. Arkansas, 3-3 vs. Auburn, and 27-0 vs. Tennessee).
That wasn't the case against Alabama unfortunately as the Crimson Tide shut out the Bulldogs down the stretch and ran away with a 41-24 victory.
Part of the issues in the UGA loss was the performance of Stetson Bennett, who turned the ball over three times including once right at the goal line.
There's been a lot of discussion this season about Bennett and the QB position, and if J.T. Daniels should have taken over at some point once he was cleared.
John and Hugh chat about Kirby Smart's mindset as it relates to the QB role, how it's cost UGA in the past, and how it cost them on Saturday.
"I don't want to blame it all on the QB, but in games like this that's when you really need a big-time QB," says Hugh Douglas. "That's when Tom Brady's and guys like that, you need guys like that to make plays."
"Kirby Smart has got a stubborn streak in him, otherwise Justin Fields would be your QB right now," says John Fricke. "J.T. Daniels probably should be in there, he's not and I can't explain it."
When you look at the three current top-tier programs, Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State, all of them have had QBs in the Heisman discussion in recent years while UGA has not.
For UGA to bridge the remaining gap they need better play at the QB position and while they might have that guy on the roster already in J.T. Daniels, it's meaningless if Kirby Smart refuses to play him.
