Which SEC West quarterback will have the better season: Auburn’s Jeremy Johnson or Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott?

That’s such a loaded question, and depending on who you ask, you’ll get a different answer. Several, though, think one of the two will wind up having the best season in the entire conference and one of the best in the country for a quarterback.

In order to win an SEC Championship, teams have to have a championship player under center. I fully expect both quarterbacks to play at a championship level.

We saw Prescott’s game go to another level this spring, and the improved passing game was obvious. Johnson is taking over the reigns of one of the most quarterback-friendly offenses in the county, and he emerged this spring to prove to the coaching staff he’s fully ready to take over this offense.

Both are equally important for their teams and for the conference.

Prescott, however, has already proven it, throwing for 3,449 yards, 27 touchdowns and 11 INTs, while rushing for 986 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. Those are incredible numbers.

Johnson could have started for a number of teams in college football, but he was stuck behind senior Nick Marshall, who had two of the best consecutive seasons at quarterback in program history.

Prescott is, without a doubt, the top SEC signal caller heading into the season and the conference’s Heisman favorite, but here’s why Johnson could have the better year:

1. Auburn has the better play caller
I love Dan Mullen, and what he’s done at MSU has been downright awesome to watch. But there’s no better play caller in college football than Gus Malzahn. When he smells blood in the water, he keeps pounding defenses into submission.

Malzahn has a base of five to eight formations, but he runs numerous plays within that formation. He makes defensive coordinators heads spin. He’s articulate and creative and keeps his foot on the pedal. He doesn’t know when to take it off either. Regardless of who you’re a fan of, watching his offenses churn up and down the field adds an entertainment factor.

Malzahn also caters to the strengths of his offense as well or better than anyone in the game. He reminds me of Urban Meyer in this respect. His offense looked different with Darren McFadden and Felix Jones at Arkansas than it did with Cam Newton at Auburn in 2010. The offense under Nick Marshall was more of a hybrid of those two. The offense under Johnson will create its own identity and could feature the passing game.

But tip your hat to Mullen, because has had a long track record of great quarterbacks – Alex Smith (Utah), Chris Leak (Florida), Tim Tebow (Florida) and now Dak Prescott, and he’s certainly had a big hand in developing their game. His style of play calls, too, cater to the strengths of the offense.

Did you watch Malzahn and Johnson carve up Arkansas’ defense to start the 2014 season? This year will look similar. Oh, and by the way, Arkansas had the fourth best scoring defense in the SEC.

Malzahn and Mullen will both call their team’s plays in 2015, but as a play caller, I’m all in with Malzahn.

2. MSU could rely too much on Prescott
Some players can take it, while others can’t. Tim Tebow, Cam Newton and Johnny Manziel could take being Mr. Everything. Prescott proved in 2014 he’s more than capable of carrying the load. But without Josh Robinson in the backfield, we’re still not sure what MSU’s rushing attack will look like. Under Mullen and Tebow, Florida’s offense was sometimes one-dimensional with the quarterback, and the Bulldogs just don’t have the horses around Prescott like Tebow did at Florida.

With eight starters lost on defense, Prescott could also play too much from behind, not allowing him to get into the flow of the offense, and MSU’s defense replaces defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, too. When teams play from behind, particularly quarterbacks, the offensive play calling is less balanced and tends to be one-dimensional: it’s Prescott or nothing.

All of this could combine to create a scenario where the offense has to rely on Prescott much more than it should, and in a grueling 12-game schedule, that could spell trouble. Teams are going to pin their ears back and send the house against Prescott and an offensive line that has a bunch of new faces and inexperienced resumes.

Johnson won’t be asked to duplicate Cam Newton. He’ll be more of a facilitator when compared to the do-it-all Newton, who was one of the best to ever play the college game. Johnson could be a better passer than Newton, and his speed and measurables are quite similar.

Auburn should also have the better defense. The Tigers return eight starters from last year’s club, and they add defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who, at least, will improve the scheme and play calling. Let’s not forget they get their best pass rusher back in Carl Lawson. Perhaps Johnson won’t have to come from behind as much this season.

Johnson also won’t be asked to carry the rock 210 times this season like Prescott last year. That was the fifth most in the conference. Now, imagine MSU’s running game not being as effective as it was with Josh Robinson, and Prescott could just get worn down before season’s end.

3. Give me the running game
If I’m a quarterback, having a stable set of receivers is great and necessary; however, I want a the best running game. Two years in a row now, Auburn has had the SEC’s top leading rusher, Tre Mason and Cameron Artis-Payne. This year, it could be JUCO transfer Jovon Robinson.

Josh Robinson meant everything to MSU last season, rushing for 1,203 yards and 11 touchdowns, and we just aren’t sure how Ashton Shumpert and Aeris Williams will fill the void.

Auburn led the SEC in rushing in 2010 and 2013 and finished second in 2014 to Georgia by two yards per game. Malzahn has proven he can take a fresh set of players and still dominate the running game.

So, as a quarterback in Malzahn’s system, you know there will be a stable rushing attack. It becomes easier to create balance for a play caller knowing the running game is violently attacking defenses.

Mississippi State and Auburn return just two starters each along the O-line each. However, the Tigers have more combined experience with Shon Coleman, Alex Kozan, Austin Golson, Braden Smith and Avery Young. Bookend tackles Coleman and Young are returning starters. Kogan was a former freshman All-American in 2013 before sitting out 2014 with an injury. MSU, on the other hand, lost so much experience and career starts. They weren’t highly ranked, but they were so physical and so experienced, headlined by Dillon Day.

Neither team has the advantage at wide receiver; it’s a push. Auburn’s Duke Williams and Mississippi State’s De’Runnya Wilson are first-team-type talents. MSU probably has more depth leading into the season.

Both quarterbacks are on track for tremendous seasons, and we could see both selected in the 2016 NFL draft; they’re that good, and their ceilings are that high. But specifically for 2015, Johnson has the higher ceiling, numbers and wins-wise.

However, regardless of which quarterback you’re taking, September 26 will be one of the most entertaining games of the season when Auburn and Mississippi State meet in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

I’ll be sure to tune in, and you will too.