Stetson Bennett just handed Georgia fans another talking point in the endless Georgia-Alabama debate, and this one comes with an NFL twist.
Alabama supporters had a moment of their own when the Rams used a first-round pick on Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson in the NFL Draft. They took it as a sign that Los Angeles was moving away from Bennett.
That idea didn’t last long. Through the offseason, Bennett and Simpson were locked in a battle for the backup quarterback job in LA, and both had their moments in practice and preseason games.
But with the Rams’ season opener set for Thursday, Bennett got the nod.
That decision gives Georgia fans another clean shot at Alabama pride. The first-round label next to Simpson’s name didn’t win him the job, and Bennett did.
In the NFL, the source of the story is simple: nothing is handed out. Simpson couldn’t beat Bennett for the backup role, so the first-round pick is the one waiting his turn.
Bennett also got his first regular-season NFL action on Thursday when the game was already out of reach. He came in for the final three minutes and finished 2 of 3 for 13 yards, while also adding a nine-yard run on the second snap of his career.
And the bragging rights don’t stop there.
Georgia already owns plenty of leverage over Alabama on the college side, too. The Bulldogs are the two-time defending SEC champions and the favorite to win the league again this season, which puts them in a strong position against everybody in the conference. They also beat Alabama in last season’s SEC Championship game, and that result carries more weight than Alabama’s win in Athens the year before.
Bennett’s own Georgia run only adds to the case. He lost his first start against Alabama in the 2021 SEC Championship game, then turned around a month later and beat the Tide in the national championship game.
After that, he led Georgia to a perfect 15-0 season and another national title in 2022. Georgia didn’t face Alabama that year, but the Bulldogs made their point anyway.
Alabama does still hold the better head-to-head record since Kirby Smart became head coach, but right now Georgia has most of the bragging rights. The teams will meet in Tuscaloosa this season, giving Alabama a chance to answer back. If Georgia wins there for the first time since 2007, the Bulldogs will have even more to say.
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