How Stetson Bennett compares to this former NFL quarterback

Just how good has Bennett had it?

Along with having Kirby Smart—one of college football’s top coaches today—at the helm, Bennett also saw much stronger talent on the roster, as Georgia has a reputation for being an “NFL factory” (especially nowadays). But hey, you can’t fault the man for the players that surround him if he’s doing his part of looking great while using them. That is, if you are actually looking great.

This last season, Bennett was named one of the four Heisman finalists, and the announcement left many perplexed. Not only was he the worst of the four from a statistical standpoint, but he was also shown up by multiple quarterbacks who were not finalists, such as Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and UNC’s Drake Maye. Those two both outshined Bennett by the numbers despite working with worse overall teams and coaching.

Now I’m sure the first response to a statement like that would be to bring up Bennett having to play in the SEC, which is a level of competition so tough that one couldn’t possibly have it “easy.” That is exactly where Bennett ended up having it the easiest, though, as he was fortunate enough to still face relatively little adversity.

Think about it: Regardless of what all Georgia has been up to as of late, Alabama has consistently been the most prominent name in the SEC over the past 15 years. So, if you’re going to succeed in the SEC and beyond, you’re going to have to succeed against Bama, right? Well, if you’re Stetson Bennett, not necessarily.

Over the course of Bennett’s entire college career, he faced the Crimson Tide three times, going 1-2 against them. The first time was a 41-24 loss in the 2020 regular season, while the second time was a 41-24 loss in the 2021 SEC title game. That second one is really crucial, as losing a conference championship by three scores would kick most teams out of playoff contention, but Georgia made it anyway.

The Bulldogs went on to face Bama a third time in the national title game just weeks later, winning 33-18. But, while Bennett deserves credit for helping bring home the crown, it was a late pick-six that put the game away. As for this last season, he didn’t face Bama at all, as 2022 treated the Tide even worse than 2021.

And while his final college game was a historic 65-7 blowout over TCU, he and his Dawgs had to rely on a missed field goal to survive Ohio State just a week prior.

Again, the goal here is not to take anything away from the legacy that Stetson Bennett has established for himself. Instead, it is to merely state that circumstances like his—unspectacular stats despite elite talent and/or coaching—have been known to set misguided standards. But said circumstances have applied to many promising players over the years, so what is it about Alex Smith in particular that makes him stand out?