SEC Debate: Which QB is most important to his team's chances at victory Saturday?
Rivalry week is officially upon us, and every game on the SEC schedule can be considered a meaningful game.
This year has proven to be a transitional year for the SEC’s starting quarterbacks, but with just one week left in the season and so much still left to be decided, the play of those quarterbacks will likely determine how it all shakes out.
Thus, we asked the SDS staffers the following question:
WHICH SEC QUARTERBACK IS MOST IMPORTANT TO HIS TEAM’S CHANCES AT VICTORY IN WEEK 14?
Jon Cooper (@JonSDS): Bo Wallace
Although Ole Miss is out of the SEC West race, the Rebels can still wreck Mississippi State’s season. And nobody is more important to their team than Bo Wallace. Ole Miss’ offense has a void of playmakers since Laquon Treadwell went down, and if anyone can make big difference-making plays, it’ll have to be Wallace. He’ll have to do it both running and throwing, and he certainly can, as the Bulldogs’ secondary is the biggest liability on defense.
Ethan Levine (@EthanLevineSDS): Dak Prescott
It was one year ago that Prescott came off the bench in the fourth quarter of the 2013 Egg Bowl to lead Mississippi State on two late scoring drives to steal a 17-10 win over Ole Miss, even though the Rebels had out-played the Bulldogs for most of the night. Prescott was battling multiple injuries at the time and was still grieving over the death of his mother less than a month earlier, but he came ice-cold off the bench and took over the game, rallying his team around him in the biggest moment of their season. This year’s Egg Bowl will once again serve as the biggest moment of MSU’s season, and the Bulldogs will once again need to rally around Prescott, this time on the road in Oxford, to finish off an 11-1 season and keep their playoff hopes alive. Prescott has grown tremendously since last year’s game, and he’s the leader and the superstar Mississippi State needs to close its best season in a generation.
Christopher Smith (@CSmithSDS): Nick Marshall
Alabama’s biggest weakness in recent seasons: uptempo offenses with athletic, mobile quarterbacks. Johnny Manziel, Nick Marshall, Trevor Knight and Bo Wallace all played well in recent wins against Alabama. But Marshall is going to have to produce a yeoman’s effort in this year’s Iron Bowl if Auburn is to win. The Tigers defense, in addition to struggling of late, doesn’t match up well with the Tide. Marshall must make great decisions on read option plays, orchestrate some sort of downfield passing success and keep the entire unit operating at a brisk pace. Otherwise Alabama will get revenge in Tuscaloosa.
Jason Hall (@JasonHallSDS): Patrick Towles
The redshirt sophomore needs to have a strong performance for Kentucky to secure bowl eligibility. The Wildcats are 4-1 when Towles has thrown for over 200 yards and 2-1 when he’s thrown multiple touchdowns. Louisville ranks No. 3 overall in rush defense and is averaging 88.5 yards per game. Louisville has a balanced defense that will challenge the Kentucky passing attack, but its rush defense is its strongest attribute.
Brad Crawford (@BCrawfordSDS): Dylan Thompson
Without a doubt, South Carolina’s Dylan Thompson. As a sophomore in 2012, Thompson went into Clemson’s Death Valley and won after the program’s all-time winningest quarterback, Connor Shaw, was a late scratch prior to kickoff. The Tigers were ranked No. 12 at the time and riding a 7-game winning streak. Thompson threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns during the emergency start. On that night, Steve Spurrier set the wins record at South Carolina with his 65th overall. Matched up against the ACC’s top-ranked defense this weekend, Thompson will be the reason the Gamecocks falter or win their sixth straight in the Palmetto State rivalry matchup.
Mack Dalton (@MackDalton): Bo Wallace
If the Rebels have any shot of taking down Mississippi State, Bo Wallace will have to clean up his play and cut down on his mistakes. It is obviously a rivalry game, so anything could happen, but for Ole Miss to walk away with a win Wallace will need to play a solid game. Since losing Laquon Treadwell the Ole Miss offense has looked pedestrian. They will need Wallace to find some new targets and spread the ball around in order to compete.
Drew Laing (@DLaingSDS): Dak Prescott
No quarterback has done more for his team this season the Prescott and in the Egg Bowl, MSU’s biggest game of the season, Prescott needs to deliver one more time. We saw last year how big of an impact he made, coming into the fourth quarter and eventually scoring the game-winning touchdown. I think if Prescott struggles today, there’s no way MSU comes away with a victory. But I expect the Heisman Trophy candidate to keep up his impressive play and come away with another big game against Ole Miss.
Brett Weisband (@WeisbandSDS): Bo Wallace
The Rebels looked completely lost on offense with their senior leader out of the game against Arkansas, and just as bad when he came back in hobbled by an injury. Ole Miss’ offense has gone downhill ever since Laquon Treadwell was lost for the season, and it doesn’t appear they have the firepower to keep up with Mississippi State at this point. If Wallace is healthy and looks more like the quarterback who played lights-out football against Alabama, Texas A&M and even Auburn, Ole Miss has a much greater chance of spoiling their rivals’ dream season.