QB Matchup Key: Can KJ Jefferson Do Better in Spotlight Than JT Daniels?

At the single most important position on the field, which banged-up quarterback plays best usually wins

Forget all the talk breaking down positions on either side of the ball.

When No. 8 Arkansas shows up against No. 2 Georgia, it's going to be whether KJ Jefferson can handle the most pressure-packed environment he's ever seen.

Oh, sure, there was the Texas game. That was in Fayetteville. Missouri last year was a small, intimate gathering of folks in Columbia, Mo., because of COVID.

This will be different.

The Bulldogs' faithful will pack venerable Sanford Stadium. They've had a month to celebrate and recover from the hangover after opening the season with a 10-3 win over then-No. 3 Clemson.

On the other side fans are wondering the same thing about JT Daniels.

READ MORE: Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones' Emotional Visit with Sam Pittman

Georgia's road to reach the College Football Playoff has two obstacles in the way right now. The cocktail party thing in Jacksonville with Florida at the end of the month.

And now, surprisingly, the Razorbacks.

If the Bulldogs aren't playing for a national title around the first of the year, Kirby Smart has a problem. Coaches won't admit looking that far ahead but he knows.

Sam Pittman has been dealing with more media stuff this past week than he's probably dealt with his entire college coaching career in total.

And now we're hours away from a game that on paper comes down to who can make a play.

No other single position on a football team is more important than quarterback. Every group is important but Jefferson and Daniels hold the keys for the team that walk out with a win.

Both are dealing with some nagging injuries.

Pittman says Jefferson is fine after bruising a knee on a scramble in last week's 20-10 win over then-No. 7 Texas A&M.

Smart dropped an injury update on Daniels that caught some by surprise.

"His oblique is fine; he's been having a little bit of a lat issue," Smart said in his Wednesday press conference. "It bothered him some last week, and it bothered him some this week."

If he's injured that means the Hogs would face Stetson Bennett, the same quarterback that started in the season opener last year. He didn't make it through the entire game.

READ MORE: What SEC Network's Gene Chizik Thinks About Jefferson

Smart plays his game. Pittman plays his. Even with quarterbacks (remember, nobody really knew Jefferson was going to start against Missouri last year).

Daniels is called a "cerebral" quarterback by his coach. Jefferson awes folks at times with his athleticism.

Which one plays out best will probably decide the winner of the game.

Setting up bigger games down the road.

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