The quarterback duel in Gainesville between Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel may be decided by injury rather than by on-field performance.  According to Twitter reports today, Driskel has banged up his left, non-throwing shoulder.  Ah, but the extent of the injury is anyone’s guess.

Robbie Andreu of The Gainesville Sun claims a source told him that Driskel sustained a “significant shoulder injury” in practice today.

But Bryan Holt of InsideTheGators.com — the Rivals site covering Florida — claimed he had heard from “a source close to Florida” that Driskel “seems fine.”

Meanwhile, WJXL-AM 1010 in Jacksonville has reported that Driskel suffered a “broken scapula.”

The website AlligatorArmy.com does a nice job of summing up just how bizarre the whole situation is.  And it’s really just symptomatic of a larger problem.

Fans knock news outlets when they don’t get a story first.  But fans also knock news outlets when they rush a story that turns out to be more rumor from poor sources than fact.  Catch-22.

Then you have schools who close down practices, won’t talk about injuries, and — in some cases — produce their own “news” coverage on their official athletic department website which is really nothing more than PR spin.

And fans like that, too.

So fans want news first and fast and accurate — which isn’t always possible — since many media members are now more worried about getting something up on Twitter before anyone else than they are actually getting their facts straight.  Oh, and there are also more media members than ever before, all trying to make names for themselves.  Break a story, get followers.  It’s a simple formula.  But not every media member out there paid attention in — or even attended — journalism ethics classes.  Some folks are more likely to throw a lot of nonsense up against the wall, knowing that if just one thing sticks… they’re gold.

So while we wait for final word on Driskel’s injury — if that word ever officially comes — it might be a good time for fans and those of us in the media alike to ponder just what the hell we’re doing these days.

John Brantley is out with what’s believed to be a high ankle sprain.  Will Muschamp and Charlie Weis haven’t said for sure which of Florida’s three remaining quarterbacks will get the start at LSU on Saturday.  Most assume the starter will be freshman Jeff Driskel.

But according to defensive tackle Michael Brockers, that doesn’t matter to the Tigers:


“We’re preparing to take care of the offense.  It really doesn’t matter who plays.  We’re preparing for the offense in general.  Brantley, Driskel, whoever.”


Les Miles doesn’t sound overly concerned about the Gator quarterback situation either:


“Playing different quarterbacks gives you certain things and challenges that must be met.  I think that we’re very comfortable.  We’ve faced a number of offenses to this point.  Our defense has been tested against a wide range of attacks and can easily make an adjustment that fits the opponent.”


If so, the UF’s gamesmanship with its QB situation is nothing more than wasted time.

1.  Linebackers Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins are ready to make a difference for Florida.

2.  Will Muschamp says freshman quarterbacks Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett are awfully similar.

3.  Placekicker Caleb Sturgis is back from injury and “he’s been kicking the ball extremely well.”

4.  It looks like hotshot tailback prospect Isaiah Crowell is in line to start in Georgia’s season opener.

5.  Fifteen of UGA’s 25-man “Dream Team” signing class are likely to play this fall.

6.  Georgia — knock on wood — hasn’t had a football player arrested this year.  Maybe this is why.

7.  Here’s a look at Greg McGarity’s first year on the job as UGA’s AD.

8.  Kentucky’s Collins Ukwu now looks the part of an SEC defensive end.

9.  The Cats’ special teams units look to be solid…

10.  But UK’s banged-up O-line needs more time to jell.

11.  Joker Phillips thought his team was sharp in last night’s scrimmage.

12.  South Carolina’s new special teams coordinator is all about positive reinforcements.

13.  The Gamecocks are running out of bodies in the secondary.

14.  Quarterback Tyler Bray is showing signs of maturity at Tennessee.

15.  Once again, UT is looking to replace dismissed safety Janzen Jackson.

16.  It’s been 10 years since Tennessee won more games than Georgia in a football season.  Wow.

17.  Vanderbilt is working to set its starting lineup for its season opener.

Where did throwing arm rank in terms of importance when Urban Meyer and crew were searching for quarterbacks?  Not very high at all.

Speaking on ESPN in his new analyst role, Meyer just said that he trusted his coaches to be able to teach a quarterback how to properly throw the football, which is why he looked at other areas.  And that’s why he and his staff saw future Gator Jeff Driskel as the top QB in the country this year.

“Without question we had Jeff Driskel the #1 quarterback in America because of the four intangibles that he is tough, he does compete, he is intelligent and he’s a great leader.”

So arm ranked fifth to Meyer?  Interesting.  Meyer is doing a pretty solid job in his new role this morning, by the way.

Driskel has signed with Florida.

Content provided by Swamp Things – Gators Blog.

Florida commit Jeff Driskel finished with more than 3,000 yards of offense and 38 touchdowns for Oviedo Hagerty this season. (Orlando Sentinel photo)

Watch the highlight video and it seems Florida is getting itself a running quarterback. Oveido Hagerty quarterback Jeff Driskel has been making plays with his legs all season, including a 91-yard touchdown run against Lakeland in the Huskies’ playoff loss last month.

But it’s his arm that’s his strength, Driskel said Wednesday morning on The Morning Drive with Brady Ackerman.

“I worked a lot in throwing the ball this offseason,” said Hagerty. “A lot of people kind of forget that I have a strong arm and I’m accurate because I make a lot of plays with my feet.

“I think that will carry me farther than my legs will, in college.”

Driskel, the top-rated quarterback and 22nd-rated recruit in the 2011 class by Rivals.com, helped the Huskies to a 7-4 record this year with both. He completed 138 of 235 passes for 1,783 yards, 16 touchdowns and had three interceptions. He also rushed for 1,296 yards and 20 scores.

As for Internet rumors that he might not make it to Gainesville, Driskel said he’s 100 percent committed to the Gators. He will enroll in January and is undecided on a major, considering business or finance.

“A lot of kids waiver in the process, but I’m 100 percent to Florida,” he said, two days after DE Jeoffrey Pagan decommitted from the Gators. “I have been the whole way. That hasn’t changed.”