Dennis Dodd mentions an old friend today.
Here’s 25 things to watch this spring.
1. Tuscaloosa two-step: The most anticipated, intriguing, delicate quarterback battle in years kicks off March 21. That’s when the battle begins. Jalen Hurts seemingly lost the job at halftime of the College Football Playoff National Championship, but Tua Tagovailoa has to follow through after the second-half comeback against Georgia. Will Hurts transfer? Will Tua flourish? Will both play? The only thing at stake is the continuation of Alabama’s dynasty.
2. Speaking of quarterback battles … Georgia might have an even more interesting situation. Jake Fromm led the Dawgs to the brink of a championship. But here comes the No. 1 prospect in the country, Justin Fields, another Georgia native son with better all-around tools. Think Deshaun Watson with a better arm. Either way, it doesn’t seem like Kirby Smart can lose.
Yawn. Sigh. Yeah, whatever. What’s interesting about his column, though, appears a few entries down.
9. Clemson is locked and loaded: A bit of Alabama Jr. here. There is a lot of speculation about Kelly Bryant’s job security now that No. 1 recruit Trevor Lawrence is in the fold. Bryant’s backup Hunter Johnson is also in the mix. To be clear, Bryant goes into spring as the starter.
“A bit of Alabama Jr.”? If we’re churning the narrative here, how is the situation at Clemson any different than the one at Georgia? (Other than a legitimate third option in Johnson, that is.) And why haven’t the pundits been pounding the Clemson QB battle the way they’ve been doing so about Georgia’s? If anything, it should be an easier case to make, as Fromm finished last season eighth nationally in passer rating, compared to Bryant’s sixtieth. Yet it’s Bryant who’s the clear starter in the spring, while Fromm is merely in an “interesting situation”.
It’s gonna be a long offseason.
Get The Picture 
Sigh, 177 more days
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Isn’t it because Fromm didn’t struggle as Hurts and Bryant did against better competition? (not that Fromm played perfectly, but did pretty well for a true freshman)
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I think so, personally. Bryant isn’t the qb to win you a title (as if that wasn’t on full display this past year).
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Oh, we can top clempsons 3 man competition. Don’t forget Stetson Bennett and slingin Sammy Vaughn.
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Right on W Cobb!!
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A couple of differences.
Fromm didnt win the job the way that Bryant did.
Smart has expressed a preference for dual threat QB.
Bryant is a Junior
Fields is supposed to be all world.
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They both inherited the job because there was no one else. Watson left and Eason was hurt, not saying either didn’t earn it or deserve the job.
I thought Lawrence was the #1 overall on 24-7 composite, what does that make him?
The biggest difference is viewership. GA has more eyes than SC when it comes to getting readers to click. Just being cynical. But either way this will not go away for Fromm and Fields until a public statement is made and that will not happen because it will dampen the competition every week.
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Lawrence was ranked above Fields in some rankings. I think he has a better chance of unseating the incumbent than Fields does. Not that he is necessarily better than Fields but because Fromm played better than Kelly and has more room to improve than Kelly as well.
I also agree with Eddie. Georgia has more eyeballs to get clicks and media attention from than South Carolina so the media is going to push the UGA narrative harder. Eddie…If I woke up with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn’t be more surprised than I will be if Fromm isn’t starting Game One.
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Fromm got the job by “accident” but didn’t look back after that. He got better and better. He “will” be the starter and by the end of the season will be the top QB in the nation. This kid is scary good.
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I agree, monster Fromm fan here, since Houston days, but boy oh boy, Fields has some accolades as well. Better arm they say than Watson, has already timed faster, and is as big as Cam practically. He’s a rare one as well.
As to Clem, Lawrence will start by the second or third game, he’s WAY better than Bryant. Watch his tape, although not a runner per se, he can run much better than people realize.
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I concur Fromm is special, and feel he was our best QB choice last season but understand why Eason got the start (good luck to him, great kid). I hope this remains a competition until late August, and want both to play against Austin Peay…no red shirting unless one is injured.
I am not as positive about Lawrence as you, but will have to see how that plays out. He looked really weak in the Army All Star game against speedier defensive players. I know it was just one game, and a new offense, but he looked very uncomfortable.
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I can’t imagine a situation where Fromm isnt the starter without an injury.
If Fields is better than Fromm I think he starts, but if he is better then Fromm I would have to really start to question how much development we are doing with the QBs.
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You mean other than recrutiing a better one each year?
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There is absolutely nothing “interesting” about our starting QB situation. It will be Jake Fromm, and we will all be very happy. Barring injury, I would imagine Jake Fromm has the highest percentage chance of being his teams starting QB in all of college football.
In 6 months from now, most of these writers will forget about Justin Fields, but it helps fill columns between now and then.
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And Trevor Lawrence is so lovely and talented.
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Nice hair
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Perhaps, but he’s no Eason.
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Don’t forget about me. I started the hair thing at South Carolina biatch.
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And all this time I was thinking Clemson was Auburn Jr.
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Clemson was dirty way before Auburn. (I)t’s (P)robation (T)ime (A)gain, (Y)’all! or (I) (P)ay (T)en (A) (Y)ear!
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(I) (P)ay (T)wo (A)thletes a(Y)ear!!!
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Clemson is Auburn with a lake.
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“25 Things, Names, Storylines, battles…” Dodd throwing mud on the wall forcing “you must know”- pick something by golly, we are bobbing for clicks at CBS today!
-By “delicate” about bama’s QB battle, he meant “The Process” which tranlates to…the starter will be named after Game 2, late enough so that none of them can transfer early enough and play at a Juco.
-If he could put Fromm’s brain inside Field’s body then hes got something, otherwise it’s Fromm, stop with the BS narratives.
-Clemson showing 9th on this list just means with their returning D-line, u could put a ham sandwich at QB and they should be in the CFP
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There is no quarterback battle at UGA. Jake is our starter and Justin is ridin’ the pine.
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Dennis Dodd is just a pain in the a**.
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If Fields can come in and earn the starting spot, more power to him. That would by definition mean that he is close to Superman, as it would take superhuman skills and talents to displace Fromm. It could happen, but I can’t imagine a scenario, barring injury, where he simply pushes Fromm aside. Jake is not only skilled physically but also has a complete grasp on what Kirby wants from him. We didn’t see all his skill set last year, so he can probably be even better than that. I will be unbelievably shocked if Fields takes over.
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“…complete grasp on what Kirby wants from him.” takes the kewpie doll as the larger difference between the two. Knowing the plays and signals takes more than a summer practice session and Fields knows it. Fields is a smart lad and will do very well catching up as the season progresses, but Fromme is fully trained into our system and that experience last year doesn’t occur for anyone else in college football.
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I’m just glad we signed Fields…keep crootin…
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Y’all better hope we don’t end up like Corch did in 2008 with Tiny Tears and $cam. $cam was the better athe-lete, but the Bull Gators and the WWL were all about Jesus’s kid. I can see some scary echoes of that shaping up. I think we need to tread carefully.
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I don’t go to church, but if I did, I’d be at yours.
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Good grief … we’re going to start this about Fromm and Fields? I don’t care who is the best athlete. I want who is going to be the best QB and is going to win games. Right now barring injury, that’s likely to be Fromm with Fields playing regularly.
By the way, $Cam would have played at Florida if not for that laptop theft. It’s not like Florida sucked while $Cam was riding the pine or at JUCO while the GPOOE was there.
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