When Justin Fields signed with Georgia last December, Jake Fromm was getting ready for the College Football Playoff. Bulldogs fans were very happy with both events.

The 2017 season came and went with a narrow loss to Alabama in the National Championship Game and the recruiting season ended with Georgia No. 1 in the nation, thanks to Fields and a half-dozen more 5-star commitments.

As the page turned to the 2018 season, Fromm and Fields have basically been attached at the hip since January. Georgia coach Kirby Smart has done an excellent job of handling the situation and — even more important — so have the two players involved.

Everyone on the roster has bought in to the scenario as well, and the fact that there’s no backstabbing and no off-the-record sniping or anything says a lot about how Smart has handled all of this — and how everyone else has followed in line.

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Smart set the stage early in the spring, with Fromm as the incumbent and Fields being a true freshman who had to get prepared to play quickly. When Jacob Eason transferred, it became critical to have Fields ready to play as the new No. 2.

But the smartest thing Smart did — no pun intended — was to keep them attached at the hip. At every media opportunity he always talked about the two of them as a collective. Both played well, both are getting better, both struggled today, and on and on. There was never a time where Smart separated the two, and that was the perfect way to handle it.

Fromm started the season opener against Austin Peay, but Fields came onto the field early and both played well. It was different in the South Carolina game, where Fromm played so well in a critical SEC road game that Fields didn’t play until the outcome was no longer in doubt.

It was fine — excellent, really — and no one complained. That’s been the good thing about all this.

Week 3 is here and a nonconference game with Middle Tennessee is next on the list. It should be an easy game for the Bulldogs —  Middle is 1-1, but lost its opener to Vanderbilt 35-7 — so we’re likely going to see a QB rotation more similar to the Austin Peay opener, and that’s just fine with everyone.

“I think the important thing for Justin (Fields) is that he continues to improve,” Smart said. “He’s worked hard, and we want him to continue to improve as a player, and that’s what’s going to make our team better. And that’s what is important for his future to continue to do that. I would love to get him an opportunity to get into this game.”

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You can be sure that will happen, not to cause any controversy, but to be sure Fields is ready to contribute in a high-pressure situation if he has to. Georgia did the same thing with Fromm last year, and when Eason went down with an injury, Fromm was ready. And then they continued on their title run with Fromm, a No. 2 forced to be the No. 1. He was great.

You need two quarterbacks who can play, and play well. Maybe even three, to be honest.

“It’s become more and more of a trend because I think, a), guys have left more often now, and, b), guys get injured, because they’re spread and they’re running more,” Smart said.  “So you’ve got to protect the quarterback and have the ability to have two quarterbacks that can play.”

Injuries are always a concern, especially at that position. The other 21 spots in the starting lineup are more plug-and-play situations. Quarterback is different.

“I think it’s very important to have three quarterbacks on any roster, because when you don’t have three, you’re a play away all the time,” Smart said. “And I think there’s no better evidence than in the NFL, because those guys usually carry three on the roster and they have emergency guys.”

What’s made all this work is that everyone is on the same page. Fromm is the clear No. 1 now that the games have started, and Fields is the No. 2 that everyone has confidence in. That’s all good.

What helps even more is that Fromm is eliminating almost all of any arguing because he’s been playing so well. So far he’s completed 27 of his 34 passes (79.4 percent) with 3 touchdown passes. Every Georgia player on this roster is expecting a national championship run, and they know that it’s Fromm’s job to get them there.

“The boy is a playmaker, he’s a really great student of the game, he knows defenses left and right, just like he knows the offense, he knows what to call, he knows what to check to,” Georgia defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter said. “It’s hard to beat a player who knows everything going on around the whole game. He handles situations so well, you would never think the guy is a guru out there. I’m just glad to have him on our team, and glad to have him on our offense as the leader.”

This situation is different from what’s gone on at Alabama. The incumbent there, Jalen Hurts, had some warts and once Tua Tagovailoa was so impressive in the title game, it changed that narrative in the offseason. Where Nick Saban made a mistake was simply wanting to argue about it. It was a no-win situation for him during camp and now the the season has started, it’s obvious who should be the starter there. Hurts and his family can whine, but that’s the way it is.

The Clemson situation is far more similar to what’s gone on at Georgia, with Kelly Bryant the incumbent and Trevor Lawrence the next star. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has handled that pretty well too, but when push came to shove last Saturday in a shootout with Texas A&M, Swinney stuck with Bryant, the veteran, and he played well (337 yards, 2 TDs).

What happens this week at Georgia is that we’ll see more of the same and both quarterbacks will get a good run.

What happens next week at Missouri might look more like last week at South Carolina, where it will be up to Fromm to win another SEC division game on the road.

And that’s all good. Fromm has earned it. And Fields is ready, just in case.