Beware of Nick Marshall Hijacking the Heisman Trophy Race

Down but not out?

That's likely how Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall feels after his Tigers fell on the road to Mississippi State and Heisman Trophy contender Dak Prescott two weeks ago in Starkville.

The loss leaves very little margin for error for the Tigers in the race to repeat as SEC West champions and has Marshall fighting a steep uphill battle for the Heisman Trophy.

Getting back into the mix for college football's most prestigious honor isn't out of the question, though. 

If Marshall gets hot down the stretch and either leads his team into the SEC Championship Game or makes it a strong option for the College Football Playoff as a one-loss team that didn't win its conference, it could elevate him into a true Heisman contender.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

It starts this week against a South Carolina team that boasts a defense that is softer than warm butter.

The Gamecocks rank 12th in the SEC in total defense (421.3 yards per game), last in yards per play (6.21) and 13th in pass defense (239.6 YPG). Auburn had a bye week to prepare for the Gamecocks and fix some of the inconsistencies Marshall has displayed through the air.

"At times this year, he's played extremely well, and at times, he's missed something," head coach Gus Malzahn said on Wednesday's coaches teleconference. "This off week has been really good for us, and I think he's in a position where he can improve."

Comp./Att.	Pass Yds.	Pass TDs	INTs	Rush Att.	Rush Rds.	Rush TDs
72-of-130	964	10	3	75	492	4

Not only is Marshall improving, but the game plan may be improving as well.

After the loss to Mississippi State, offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said Auburn is changing the way it evaluates Marshall as a passer, according to Joel A. Erickson of AL.com.

"Things are changing," Lashlee said. "It may not be as much about the percentage of completions as it is the efficiency, and as long as we're throwing touchdowns, not interceptions, maybe getting chunk yardages and making the throws when we need them, then that'll probably be good enough."

To put it more simply, Auburn's going back to the future, to what worked last year when Marshall led the Tigers to the SEC title. That means more focus on the running game, more deep passes and more stress on the back end of defenses.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

If it works against the Gamecocks—and there's nothing to suggest that it shouldn't—Auburn can capitalize on that momentum.

A road trip to Ole Miss looms on Nov. 1, and generating momentum heading into that big-time matchup against the Rebels' stout defense is imperative.

That's the statement game for Auburn. If Marshall can get things cooking this week and keep it up against the stingy "Landsharks" defense at Ole Miss, he'd be back in the Heisman mix with the porous Texas A&M defense coming to The Plains on Nov. 8.

Hello, Heisman.

This three-game stretch is huge for Auburn's title hopes and Marshall's Heisman hopes, and it could set the stage for what amounts to a national title elimination game on Nov. 15 in Athens against Georgia.

Get your popcorn ready.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.