Rob's Rankings: Fall camp QB battles; annoying MLB fan bases

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

With preseason camp in full swing all over the country, depth charts spots are up for grabs. No positional battles draw more intrigue than ones at the quarterback spot, however, so this week in Rob’s Rankings we order the five most interesting quarterback controversies. From true freshmen to old familiar names in new places, the storylines below are as nuanced as they are unresolved.

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WHY IT’S INTERESTING: Pick a reason. First, Nick Saban blamed the media for creating his quarterback controversy. Then, Jalen Hurts, who has started 28 straight games, decided to take aim at how the Tide coaching staff handled the offseason transfer rumors that started to surround him. Hurts’ mother also weighed in on the situation. Then there’s the fact that the last time we saw Tua Tagovailoa, he was leading Alabama to a comeback victory in the second half of last year’s national title game. You can’t toss a houndstooth hat without hitting a fun bit drama around here, making placing it in the top spot a no-brainer.

FAVORITE TO START WEEK 1: Tagovailoa … I guess. Though, it’s clear this situation may have a plot twist or six left in it. Logic would dictate that the guy who led Saban’s program to last year’s title might get the benefit of the doubt. Not to mention the fact that, rightly or wrongly, Hurts isn’t doing himself any favors by being so outspoken on the matter.

WHY IT’S INTERESTING: Deondre Francois, who was FSU’s starter during the 2016 season, missed nearly all of last year due to injury, opening the door for James Blackman, who managed to show flashes as a freshman leading a mediocre team. The fact that Francois was limited during spring workouts also plays in the favor of Blackman, who was able to showcase his skills for new head coach Willie Taggart. The Seminoles’ new coaching staff comes with a new offense, so who will win this battle is really anyone’s guess, as both options are essentially starting from scratch.

FAVORITE TO START WEEK 1: Francois posted better numbers in his season as the team’s starter but that means little to Taggart, who is implementing a new scheme. The competition seems like a coin flip at this juncture, but we’ll gave a slight edge to the more proven Francois.

WHY IT’S INTERESTING: The mere presence of J.T. Daniels makes this interesting. The true freshman was inserted into the competition like a sitcom introduces a famous guest star playing a zany aunt during sweeps week. Originally a member of the 2019 class, Daniels reclassified to arrive at USC a year early. He now finds himself in the thick of the battle to replace departed star Sam Darnold and is coming off a Sports Illustrated cover as the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year. There wasn’t much to separate Matt Fink and Jack Sears during the spring, so the intrigue here will likely last throughout camp.

FAVORITE TO START WEEK 1: Fink leads the pack in experience, but the nine passes he’s thrown on the college level don’t exactly make him a seasoned veteran. Daniels is thought to be the most talented player of the three and probably didn’t graduate high school a full year early to sit in the bench. He gets the edge for now.

WHY IT’S INTERESTING: This competition has been written about ad nauseam both in this space and beyond, so there’s little left to say about it. It’s an incredible credit to Trevor Lawrence that he’s forced head coach Dabo Swinney so much as consider making at change at quarterback, as the Tigers return Kelly Bryant, who led them to the College Football Playoff a year ago. But alas, here we are. A true freshman, Lawrence turned in an incredible spring and has closed the gap headed into the fall. Still, the burden of proof he faces is massive given Bryant’s success.

FAVORITE TO START WEEK 1: Bryant has to be the favorite to take the first snap of the season, but it’s not out of the question that Lawrence could overtake him shortly thereafter. That’s not to say the incredibly talented Lawrence is facing an impossible task in camp. It’s just that coaches aren’t usually anxious to tinker with what works.

WHY IT’S INTERESTING: Because nobody knows anything when it comes to The Vols this season. Jeremy Pruitt is a first-time head coach and is installing a new offense. Jarrett Guarantano was solid this spring, but hasn’t locked down the job. Meanwhile, Stanford transfer Keller Chryst, who was likely brought in for a reason, arrived on campus in time for camp and will make things even more interesting.

FAVORITE TO START WEEK 1: Guarantano or Chryst. Guarantano is the closest thing to an incumbent the Vols have, but Chyst has an 11-2 record as a starter and was courted by Pruitt. And while Pruitt says he never promised Chyst the starting job during his transfer, he certainly liked the grad transfer enough to pursue him upon being hired in Knoxville.

The overtime space loves and respects baseball. It’s also running out of thigs to rank. It’s why this week, we give some virtual ink to baseball’s most annoying fan bases, which are ranked from 1-5 below.

1. Cardinals fans

To be honest, I don’t even feel the need to explain this one, so here’s this instead.

2. Cubs fans

“We won the World Series less than two years ago but we’re still lovable underdog losers. Woe is us. Feel sorry for us. We are still so tortured. Look at my scars. If I cry in front of you will you feel bad me again? Please? Can you believe we lost an inconsequential Sunday day game to the Padres? The horror!”

3. Red Sox fans

“Please allow us to demonstrate why the Yankees are over-covered and over-discussed by talking about the Yankees non-stop forever.”

4. Yankees fans

Say “27 world titles” one more time …

5. Mets fans

Mets fans are essentially new-age Cubs fans on the fast track to becoming incapable of shutting up about how bad they have it. Imagine being one of these miserable dorks. I certainly cannot.