The SEC may not be saturated with all-time great quarterbacks this season like it was in 2013, but there are enough stars and players with intriguing potential to make it interesting.
Here are the 10 best games for quarterback lovers involving at least one SEC signal-caller in 2015.
1. Dak Prescott (Mississippi State) vs. Jeremy Johnson (Auburn)
Date: Sept. 26
Location:Â Jordan-Hare Stadium
Why It Will Entertain: At least before the season, Prescott and Johnson are the two best quarterbacks in the SEC. The duo likely will compete for an All-SEC selection. On the field, the Tigers are a trendy national pick. This is a revenge game for Auburn. Mississippi State isn’t getting much love preseason, but Auburn’s thin secondary and transitioning defense could be a prime “nobody believed in us” game for the Bulldogs.
2. Kyle Allen (Texas A&M) vs. Dak Prescott (Mississippi State)
Date: Oct. 3
Location:Â Kyle Field
Why It Will Entertain: Allen could throw for more than 4,000 yards if he holds off Kyler Murray for the entire season. Mississippi State’s secondary got burned by UAB last year, so it’s possible Texas A&M could do the same. The Aggies, defense should take some time to mature under new coordinator John Chavis, so Prescott should have some opportunities as well. Will this be a shootout?
3. Jeremy Johnson (Auburn) vs. Kyle Allen (Texas A&M)
Date: Nov. 7
Location:Â Kyle Field
Why It Will Entertain: This matchup completes the round robin of the three SEC quarterbacks who are likely to lead the SEC in production and hardware at the end of the season. This game produced 79 points last season (and 86 the year before). Can Will Muschamp and Chavis force themselves into the narrative, or will Johnson and Allen pick up where players like Nick Marshall left off.
4. Kyle Allen (Texas A&M) vs. Arizona State (Mike Bercovici)
Date: Sept. 5
Location:Â NRG Stadium
Why It Will Entertain: Taylor Kelly is gone for the Sun Devils, but his replacement should be darned good as well. A fifth-year senior, Bercovici put up great numbers as an injury replacement in three games last season, beating Stanford and USC in the process. It doesn’t hurt ASU that he’ll throw to all-purpose All-American candidate D.J. Foster. Arizona State’s pass defense did allow 7.5 yards per attempt last season, tied for 96th in the country. This should be a race to 40, or maybe even 50.
5. Joshua Dobbs (Tennessee) vs. Brice Ramsey (Georgia)
Date: Oct. 10
Location:Â Neyland Stadium
Why It Will Entertain: Dobbs is the preseason star, while Ramsey plays for the preseason favorite. The winner of this game should seize control of the SEC East. It may be determined by which of these quarterbacks makes fewer mistakes. Dobbs is the more dynamic player with better talent at receiver, while Ramsey benefits from a far superior offensive line.
6. Jeremy Johnson (Auburn) vs. Brice Ramsey (Georgia)
Date: Nov. 14
Location:Â Jordan-Hare Stadium
Why It Will Entertain: It’s almost a shame one of these two teams must lose in mid-November. This could be a matchup of Top 10 programs that could eliminate one team from College Football Playoff contention (or launch another into it). Can the Bulldogs’ pass rush rattle Johnson? And can Ramsey find holes in the thin-in-spots Tigers defense?
7. Dak Prescott (Mississippi State) vs. Brandon Allen (Arkansas)
Date: Nov. 21
Location:Â D.W.R. Razorback Stadium
Why It Will Entertain: The only SEC game featuring two established starting seniors, it’s a clash in styles. The do-everything Prescott will be playing to win the game for Mississippi State, while the caretaker Allen will be playing not to lose it for Arkansas. It’s also possible one or both of these teams could be scrapping to stay out of last place in the still-fierce SEC West.
8. Maty Mauk (Missouri) vs. Taysom Hill (BYU)
Date: Nov. 14
Location:Â Arrowhead Stadium
Why It Will Entertain: BYU’s Hill flirted with Heisman Trophy contention in 2014 before breaking his leg. The Cougars went into a tailspin without him. Meanwhile, after a white-hot start, Mauk’s development stalled midseason. Mizzou will need progress from him to contend in the SEC East once again. This matchup is intriguing because the offense of both teams will depend so heavily on the quarterbacks — BYU because of the disadvantage of the team’s offensive line and Missouri because of the lack of experience at receiver.
9. Will Grier (Florida) vs. Everett Golson (Florida State)
Date: Nov. 28
Location:Â Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Why It Will Entertain: We’re projecting a pair of quarterback competitions here — Treon Harris (Florida) and Sean Maguire (Florida State) each have a chance. We’ll know much more about each of these programs by the time they face off again. Will the Seminoles remain the ACC’s best and a national contender without Jameis Winston? Can Jim McElwain provide Gators fans with legitimate hope and progress in ’15? It also could pit Grier, the QB of the future, against Golson, the QB of right now.
10. Connor Mitch (South Carolina)Â vs. Deshaun Watson (Clemson)
Date: Nov. 28
Location:Â Williams-Brice Stadium
Why It Will Entertain: Watson is a popular preseason All-ACC selection for the Tigers. Assuming he remains healthy after tearing his ACL in 2014 (he played against and beat South Carolina despite the injury), he’s surrounded by top skill players. Watson also told USA Today in May that he isn’t going to lose to the Gamecocks. He’s the marquee guy in this one, perhaps a Top 10 quarterback nationally. There’s intrigue with Mitch, assuming he holds off Lorenzo Nunez, in that coach Steve Spurrier got both Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson to play pretty good football at the position.
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
