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The Auburn quarterback situation has been a mess this season.
Jeremy Johnson entered the year as the clear starter and was regarded by some as a Heisman Trophy candidate.
But he struggled early and was replaced by Sean White, who was spotty throughout the year, but seemed to have more upside than Johnson.
So what will happen in the Birmingham Bowl?
At this point, coach Gus Malzahn has not revealed whether White will be healthy enough to play. If he does, and plays well, he has a chance to start in 2016.
Johnson may be a different story. He had his chance and it’s obvious that he has not met expectations. He likely won’t be starting next season — if he’s still at Auburn.
While the Birmingham Bowl could provide momentum for White, it could also easily hurt him.
He wasn’t great this season, finishing with 1,064 yards, just one touchdown and two interceptions in six games, five starts. If he looks mediocre again in the bowl game, Malzahn may look somewhere else.
The best option at quarterback for Auburn next year may not be playing in the Birmingham Bowl. John Franklin III is an athletic former Florida State quarterback, who played in junior college and committed in November.
While a solid performance from one of Auburn’s current quarterbacks would be nice, it may not tell us a lot. It seems like the Tigers could have other plans.
Sean Labar is an SEC football contributor for Saturday Down South.
