I was thinking how lists are, at their worst, a fun diversion for us as we trek through camps and coaches on vacation and not much in the way of news this month. Then I remembered something we always seem to talk about here, which is that whatever happens to West Virginia, and quite likely to Dana Holgorsen, in 2016 is tied to Skyler Howard.

That’s heavy, but that’s what and how a lot of people feel. Let’s see what that might mean as we look forward.

Certainly, no one position is as linked to a team’s success. If you’ve got a good quarterback, you’ve got a chance, though it relies on so many other aspects of your roster. Anyhow, Holgorsen likes his QB, and that’s precisely why he’s so high on the potential of the ’16 offense — Howard put up huge numbers in the bowl game, and he has all these important pieces plus some new ones at his disposal again for a 12-game encore.

We can pick apart his statements, and there are some easy and popular points to make. One is that Howard’s 13th game last year cannot and should not erase or even overshadow the 12 before it. That’s fair. Another is that a good offense might not be good enough to prop up a defense that could be in flux early if not often in the fall. That’s also fair.

But let’s just consider the offense for a moment in terms of the keystone quarterback. Now let’s consider the rest of the Big 12. WVU, in June, is in a pretty favorable position.

Do me a favor. Do yourself a favor. Rank the Big 12 quarterback situations.

No. 1 is clearly Baker Mayfield. I think No. 2 is clearly Patrick Mahomes.

But after that? I suppose it’s subjective, but this is perhaps the point. There can’t be a consensus … for 80 percent of the conference. Don’t get me wrong: There’s a general order. There’s a general area where QBs do and do not belong. But we’re going to have different order.

Mason Rudolph has had many fine moments at Oklahoma State, and he absolutely looks the part, but thought he’d be my pick for No. 3, he doesn’t blow Howard away. They’re both going into their third year in their offenses, too.

Baylor has Seth Russell, but he’s coming back from a major  injury, and it’s been stated he won’t and can’t be the running threat he was before. We also don’t know what the coaching situation will do for or with the quarterbacks, and that’s important to remember because Jarrett Stidham isn’t there to wear a baseball camp.

TCU has Kenny Hill, who flamed out at Texas A&M, but you can easily make an argument that the Aggies just aren’t good for young quarterbacks.

Texas is again looking for a star, but Shane Buechele is a freshman who has a seemingly slight edge over Tyrone Swoopes.

Kansas State hopes to have Jesse Ertz for more than the one snap he took last season before tearing his ACL.

Iowa State has a new coach, but junior Joel Lanning was pretty good at times late in the season and will have some sneaky good skill position talent around him.

Kansas probably feels good about the way Ryan Willis played as a freshman last season.

Again, the top two are very good, and it’s, let’s say, intriguing to see Texas Tech receive some hype based on Mahomes and an ability to cover up some of the team’s other flaws, but that’s what a QB can do.

In June.

After that, there are some gaps between some of the players found between Nos. 3 and 10, but they’re not chasms and they’re close enough that you can foresee a team maybe overachieving in other areas — think WVU’s defense — to follow a good QB toward a very good season.