How Do They Matchup?: Quarterback

Georgia's quarterback position has been well documented this season and has even come under intense scrutiny from outside the program despite Georgia's unbeaten regular-season run.

The expectation coming into the 2021 regular season was for JT Daniels to be the expected starter for Georgia at quarterback. Instead, Daniels would start in three of the first four games before Georgia, missing the UAB game with an oblique injury.

The oblique injury was just the beginning of Georgia's eventual decision to stick with current starter Stetson Bennett after Daniels left the game versus Vanderbilt after leading Georgia to a fast start, though he wouldn't play again for Georgia at quarterback until five weeks later against Missouri in a cleanup role for Stetson Bennett.

As everyone knows, Stetson Bennett proved himself in the weeks following Daniels' last start at quarterback for Georgia, as Bennett helped lead Georgia to the program's first unbeaten regular season in over four decades. And this Georgia coaching staff has spent the week leading up to the Orange Bowl standing by Bennett's body of work.

Like Stetson Bennett, Cade McNamara comes into Friday's game with the same chip on his shoulder. Both quarterbacks spent the majority of the beginning of their college careers on the bench behind other quarterbacks, bidding their time and continuing to put in the work behind the scenes. Even now, as starters for College Football Playoff teams, they are holding off players behind them.

McNamara, a junior, just led Michigan to its first Big-10 title since 2004 and still holds his own share of doubters. But, this season, McNamara has thrown for over 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns with only four interceptions while having competition breathing down his back.

The widespread opinion is that McNamara's backup JJ McCarthy, a true freshman, is the more talented quarterback on Michigan's roster. Coincidentally, McNamara will be facing another quarterback who many don't believe is the best quarterback on his team.

Yet, here we are.

When looking at the stats for both quarterbacks, it isn't hard to tell that the two are different quarterbacks. Bennett is the more talented scrambler out of the pocket, while McNamara may hold the edge as a passer.

Stetson Bennett: 2,235 yards passing, 24 touchdowns, seven interceptions
Cade McNamara: 2,470 yards passing, 15 touchdowns, four interceptions

Though McNamara's statistics can be a bit skewed considering he averaged a mere 13.25 pass attempts over the first four games of the season, and has finished the season attempting 28.3 pass attempts over the final 9 games of the season.

Both former underrated recruits coming out of high school, McNamara being a former three-star recruit and a scholarship player from the beginning for the Wolverines, and Bennett starting as a walk-on, both fit their offensive systems. Still, neither are considered elite at any one specific trait, but rather just good all around.

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