SEC bowl season gets under way at 9 p.m. tonight when Missouri faces Texas in the Texas Bowl in Houston.

That’s the first of nine games that feature SEC teams over the next six days.

Some key players are injured, some are choosing not to play in order to avoid injury and get ready for the NFL Draft. But someone will emerge over the course of each game to distinguish himself as the Most Valuable Player.

It could be someone who has stood out all season, someone filling in for a missing star and maybe a role player who demonstrates he’s poised to take on a bigger role next season.

Here is our best guess at the players most likely to be the MVPs of the bowl games involving SEC teams:

Texas Bowl MVP: Missouri QB Drew Lock

Missouri vs. Texas (tonight)

Lock was the primary reason the Tigers are on a six-game winning streak entering this game. Missouri has not beaten a bowl team, and at full strength the Longhorns’ defense would present a strong challenge. They’re not. Safety DeShon Elliott and cornerback Holton Hill are sitting this one out. Look for Lock and the Tigers offense to take advantage.

Music City Bowl MVP: Northwestern QB Clayton Thorson

Kentucky vs. Northwestern (Friday)

Thorson has announced that he’ll be back for his senior season in 2018 and he’ll finish 2017 on a high note. Northwestern has won its past seven games and the offense was humming down the stretch.

Belk Bowl MVP: Wake Forest QB John Wolford

Texas A&M vs. Wake Forest (Friday)

New Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher and his contract have been getting all the attention, but the Demon Deacons are focused on finishing the season on a winning note. The Wake Forest offense has had several big games and Wolford will guide one more against an A&M team in transition.

TaxSlayer Bowl MVP: Louisville QB Lamar Jackson

Mississippi State vs. Louisville (Saturday)

The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner will be the best player on the field and he’ll do better than he did in a Citrus Bowl loss to LSU a year ago. The State offense will struggle without Nick Fitzgerald and put the burden on the State defense, which will eventually run out of gas chasing Jackson.

Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Outback Bowl MVP: Michigan DT Maurice Hurst

South Carolina vs. Michigan (Monday)

Hurst has decided to play in his final game rather than getting ready for the NFL and he’ll make it worth remembering. The Gamecocks’ offense is limited and the Wolverines’ defense, led by Hurst, will be the difference.

Peach Bowl MVP: Auburn RB Kerryon Johnson

Auburn vs. UCF (Monday)

We don’t know if Johnson will be fully recovered from shoulder and rib injuries, but he felt well enough two weeks ago to tweet that he would play. The SEC Offensive Player of the Year should have fresh legs and be ready to roll.

Citrus Bowl MVP: LSU RB Derrius Guice

LSU vs. Notre Dame (Monday)

Guice battled multiple leg injuries during the season, but he should be as healthy as he has been all season for this game. This will be an old-fashioned battle featuring the defenses and the running games and Guice will be the difference-maker in what could be the junior’s final college game.

Rose Bowl MVP: Georgia LB Roquan Smith

Georgia vs. Oklahoma (Monday)

With Baker Mayfield and the OU offense and Nick Chubbs and the Georgia running backs, this game could feature a lot of yards and points. But the better defense likely will make the difference, Georgia has the better defense and Smith is the Bulldogs’ best defensive player.

Sugar Bowl MVP: Clemson DE Clelin Ferrell

Alabama vs. Clemson (Monday)

The defenses should dictate how this game goes and if the Tigers are going to win they’ll need to pressure Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts. The Clemson defensive line will contain the run and it’ll be Ferrell who takes the most advantage on passing downs.