On3 host gives Georgia QB take that has Dawgs fans totally split

Jake Crain has an opinion on Georgia quarterbacks past and present, and it's got Bulldog fans thinking hard. The host of the On3 radio show "Crain and Cone" said that he'd rather play against former Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett instead of Gunner Stockton.

It's an interesting opinion that has a lot of variables to it, and it forces a deeper examination of the players and the different challenges they faced as the starting quarterback of the Bulldogs.

My thoughts: Crain has a drive-by opinion on complex topic

Stockton clearly has superior physical and real upside as a starting quarterback in the NFL. I don't think that's debatable. Bennett, however, played with a certain chip on his shoulder that made him very scary and as his confidence matched that chip, there was nothing he believed he couldn't do on the field.

But he wasn't always like that. 

I could almost argue that Bennett didn't really generate that sort of attitude until the fourth quarter of the CFP championship game against Alabama to end the 2021 season. He lost the fumble that led to a Crimson Tide touchdown and an 18-13 lead. It looked like Bennett was going to blow it and instead, that was the moment it felt like he stopped caring and started playing. That was Bennett's super power -- he didn't care about what you thought of him or your gameplan to stop him. He wanted to win.

But yes, in 2021 and 2022, the Georgia Bulldogs were arguably the most talented teams we'll see this decade. Stockton does not have the running backs or defense that those Bulldog teams have. The impact of the transfer portal has had a far greater impact on building a roster around Stockton than it did for Bennett.

At times, Stockton has also shown that he can bounce back from adversity. He's a tough guy. He's not afraid to try to make a play, and sometimes it doesn't work out. But I don't believe Stockton is afraid of the moment. He just might not be as completely carefree as Bennett was in 2022.

So, from a talent standpoint, Crain is right that Stockton presents a greater challenge, but Bennett was a menace and those guys are hard to beat and frustrating to play because there's nothing you can do to shake them.

At the end of the day, Bennett has two championships and Stockton is still chasing that glory. If the Bulldogs can hoist the CFP championship trophy in 2026, they can compare rings.