Midseason awards are about as significant as preseason awards, but at least now we have a better idea of who will win the postseason awards.

The SEC used to award one Player of the Year, but in 2003 started handing out separate awards for offense and defense.

I prefer the old school method over the blue ribbon society, and with that in mind, here are the top 5 most valuable player candidates after seven weeks of SEC football. Value is the operative word, so this ballot is stuffed heavily in favor of those who are the primary reason their team is winning — or winning more than it would without them.

From Zach Cunningham to Arden Key, every team has a star or two. But these five have separated from the pack.

5. Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee: Dobbs is the classic ignore-the-numbers guy. It’s easy to find holes, but the Vols’ captain generally finds answers.

And this year, he’s had to deal with a shaky offensive line that has become progressively shakier as injuries have wrecked any chance of continuity.

There were times Saturday against Alabama where Dobbs’ didn’t even have time to plant his back foot on a 3-step drop without worrying whether he’d survive the play.

Tennessee has two losses. It would have at least four if not for Dobbs’ heroics this season. That’s value.

4. Eddie Jackson, Alabama: Alabama has NFL players on every level of its defense, and Jackson might not even be the best pro prospect in his own secondary, but he’s the most valuable.

Alabama has scored 11 non-offensive touchdowns this season — and Jackson has accounted for three of them.

It’s not just the how many that matters. It’s the when.

Alabama trailed Ole Miss 24-10 with a little more than 2 minutes left in the first half when Jackson fielded a punt at his 15. Eighty-five yards and six points later, Alabama was back in the game, on its way to a 48-43 win.

If Jackson merely fields that punt, or fair catches it, Alabama might go into the half still down 14 and looking for answers.

His pick-six against Western Kentucky turned a 10-3 lead into a 17-10 advantage. His punt return against Tennessee sealed a convincing win.

He’s leading by example in pivotal moments. He’s been everything Nick Saban wants in a defensive field general.

3. Austin Allen, Arkansas: SEC media members picked the Razorbacks to finish fifth in the West. The primary reason? Nobody was sure what to expect from first-year starter Austin Allen, and Allen wouldn’t have the security blanket of a proven 1,000-yard rusher in his backfield.

Arkansas has lost twice, which keeps Allen from climbing any higher, but he’s not only answered all of the questions about this season, he’s also given Hogs fans a reason to believe they can compete for a West title next year.

He’s been the SEC’s best quarterback and perhaps its biggest surprise.

2. Trevor Knight, Texas A&M: Knight’s value goes far beyond his hit-or-miss passing percentage. Value can be an intangible, and the biggest intangible Knight has brought to the offensive huddle is stability.

The long touchdown runs are appreciated, no doubt, but A&M has had plenty of QBs capable of appearing on SportsCenter’s Top 10 play list.

Those teams eventually fell apart, last year spectacularly so. This team, though composed of mostly the same pieces, looks different, and the biggest difference between 2015 and 2016 is one guy: Knight.

1. Jalen Hurts, Alabama: Every preseason question about Alabama centered around its backfield, primarily the running backs who would be replacing Heisman winner Derrick Henry. Considering how Alabama has won during Nick Saban’s decade of dominance in Tuscaloosa, that was a critical area of concern. The quarterback needed to be replaced too, but all Saban’s quarterbacks do is turn around and hand off 40 times.

Damien Harris has been good — not spectacular, but good. Bo Scarbrough still is trying to find his way.

And it hasn’t mattered. And the reason it hasn’t mattered is Jalen Hurts hasn’t allowed it to.

Quarterbacks get way too much credit — unless they’re Alabama quarterbacks, in which case they get next to no credit.

Saban has never had a quarterback who was his offense’s primary threat. He does now.

Alabama is unbeaten, looking unbeatable and on pace to break SEC scoring records.

Hurts, who entered fall camp somehow still third on the depth chart, leads the Tide with 8 rushing touchdowns. After playing the role of Deshaun Watson, he’s playing like Deshaun Watson.

Alabama doesn’t beat Ole Miss with Cooper Bateman taking snaps. Who knows how that USC game turns out if Saban didn’t quickly turn from Blake Barnett to Hurts after Barnett’s first two series resulted in 14 yards and two punts.

Almost instantly, Hurts made Alabama’s offense the scariest not only in the SEC this year, but perhaps in any year. The really scary part? The best is still to come.

He’s not the only reason they’re undefeated. But he’s the biggest reason they’re unchallenged.

Chris Wright is Executive Editor at SaturdayDownSouth.com. Email him at cwright@saturdaydownsouth.com and follow him on Twitter @FilmRoomEditor.