Another weekend of SEC football is almost upon us, and with it comes another fantastic slate of games from around the conference.

Fans will have the chance to take in four stellar SEC showdowns (Arkansas-Texas A&M, Georgia-Tennessee, South Carolina-Missouri and Kentucky-Vanderbilt) as well as three matchups pitting an SEC squad against a team from outside the power conferences (Auburn-Louisiana Tech, Ole Miss-Memphis and LSU-New Mexico State).

As always, there will be players who rise to the occasion and players who will fall well short of expectations. The only way to find out who will fly high and who will flounder is to watch the games.

Until then, here are three candidates to “boom” on Saturday, and three candidates to bust:

Boom

  1. Nick Marshall: The Auburn quarterback did not have his best game in last Thursday’s victory over Kansas State, but he should do plenty to redeem himself this weekend against Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs are 94th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing opponents to score more than 29 points per game, and Marshall is now in his second year running Gus Malzahn’s high-powered, run-first offense. Louisiana Tech has the 63rd best run defense in the FBS, but that’s nowhere near good enough to stop the Tigers once they’re in rhythm. Marshall knows the importance of building his team’s confidence back up before it returns to SEC play, and he’ll be sure to put forth a monstrous performance against Louisiana Tech in a redemption game Saturday on the Plains.
  2. Maty Mauk: The Tigers were embarrassed in a home loss to Indiana last week, but it wasn’t all Mauk’s fault. In fact, the score may have been more lopsided had it not been for Mauk’s incredible efforts to extend plays while his offensive line failed to protect him. Mauk is young, but he knows a loss to Indiana in the non-conference portion of Mizzou’s schedule will not hurt the Tigers chances of winning the SEC East. This Saturday’s SEC opener against South Carolina, however, will have a huge impact on the East race, and Mauk is primed for a big game in a big moment against the No. 13 pass defense in the SEC. The Gamecocks defense allowed 34 points to Vanderbilt last week, and Mauk is way better than Vandy quarterback Wade Freebeck (no offense, Wade). Look for Mauk to pick apart a suspect South Carolina secondary all night long in leading Mizzou back to the ranks of the relevant in the SEC.
  3. Todd Gurley: Gurley is well rested after only needing to play one series in a 66-0 rout of Troy last week, and his extra energy should come in handy when facing an inexperienced Tennessee squad this weekend. Many of the Volunteers’ key players on defense have never faced a player as dominant as Gurley is, and it could be a rude awakening between the Hedges if Gurley is able to run wild. The Bulldogs’ star back can make something out of nothing on every snap, and he never takes plays off, meaning the UT defense can’t either. Tennessee is a trendy upset pick throughout the Southeast, but rest assured, Gurley will not let his Bulldogs be upset by an East team they haven’t lost to since Lane Kiffin was its coach.

Bust

  1. Myles Garrett: Texas A&M’s freshman phenom is due for a rude awakening in Saturday’s showdown with Arkansas. Garrett leads the SEC with 5.5 sacks in four games, but he is set to face a Razorbacks squad that A) does not throw the ball much more than it has to, and B) has a powerful offensive line that is tough to beat. It’s just not a good matchup for Garrett, who does better against pass-happy teams that allow him to pin his ears back and aggressively rush the passer. Arkansas will force Garrett to either focus his efforts on stopping the run or get off the field in favor of someone else who’ll do the same. Even when the Razorbacks pass, it won’t just be Garrett and a tackle one-on-one; Arkansas will leave in extra protection for quarterback Brandon Allen, sacrificing options in the passing game to protect the quarterback. Garrett is an aggressive pass rusher who is better suited to stop a spread offense than Arkansas’ methodical, old school rushing attack. The freshman will learn a lot about his defensive end position in this game, but don’t expect him to make a big impact.
  2. Jaylen Walton: Walton is a do-everything back in the Ole Miss offense, but he will face a Memphis defense ranked 33rd in the nation in stopping the run. Ole Miss is ranked 80th in the country in rushing offense, which does not bode well for Walton. The scat back could make an impact catching passes when he’s not carrying the ball, but limiting him to a one-dimensional player is the easiest way to stop him. Without his versatility, he’s much less effective, and a stout Memphis defense will do everything it can to eliminate his threat as a runner. The Ole Miss offense may still put up huge numbers as it did in its first three games, but Walton might not be a key factor in Saturday’s contest.
  3. Hutson Mason: Mason is a prime candidate to bust against a Volunteers’ defense ranked fourth in the SEC in pass defense. Tennessee allows just 214 yards per game through the air, and Mason (a first-year starter) has never thrown for more than 191 yards in any game during his career this season as the unquestioned starter. The Bulldogs are deep at tailback, and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo should lean heavily on his run game to beat the Vols in Athens. Mason will need to simply manage the game and avoid turnovers, which he has done this year by not throwing a single interception. Still, simply managing the game will lead Mason to post rather pedestrian numbers as a passer, and if Tennessee can somehow limit Gurley’s effectiveness, it remains to be seen whether Mason can carry the offense to a tough SEC victory. Georgia deserves to be favored, but its quarterback will likely be average at best this weekend.