The 3 Biggest X-Factors for Auburn vs. Georgia

This is the game that has been marked on the calendar since last season. The Georgia Bulldogs and the Auburn Tigers will do battle between the hedges on Saturday night and it’s a crucial game for both teams in order to have a chance to win the SEC.

Auburn is coming off a tough home loss to Texas A&M while the Bulldogs are coming off a dominating road win against Kentucky.

According to Oddsshark.com, the Bulldogs come into the game as a 2.5-point favorite. But that really doesn’t mean anything because both teams are very similar to one another, so it might come down to who has the ball last, just like last year.

Here are the three biggest x-factors for this very important SEC contest.

Nick Marshall

This will be a very emotional game for Nick Marshall. The senior quarterback played for the Bulldogs in 2011 as a cornerback, but he was kicked off the team before the 2012 season.

Marshall played one year of junior college ball as a quarterback before transferring to Auburn, and the rest is history.

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Auburn leads the SEC in rushing because of Marshall’s ability to run. Along with him and running back Cameron Artis-Payne, the Tigers average 286 rushing yards per game and both have scored a combined 20 touchdowns on the ground.

But Marshall can throw from the pocket also. He has thrown for 14 touchdowns and completed 61 percent of his passes.

He is going up against a Bulldogs team that is fifth in the conference in pass defense and leads the conference in turnover margin. So in order for the Tigers to score on offense, Marshall will have to make good decisions in the pocket and be able to make plays with his legs.

Hutson Mason

Hutson Mason has waited a long time for a game like this.

As a starter, Mason has an 8-3 record, but he does not have that signature win.

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Mason has taken a lot of heat for his play this season, but he has thrown for 15 touchdowns, five interceptions and has a completion percentage of 69. Also, he’s coming off his best performance of the season where he threw four touchdowns and no interceptions against Kentucky.

The Tigers are ranked near the bottom of the SEC in pass defense, giving up 256 yards per game. So Mason has a great opportunity to make some plays through the air and lead the Bulldogs to a much-needed SEC win.

Todd Gurley

But as important a player as Mason is to the Bulldogs, the best player on the entire field will make his return after missing the last four games due to a suspension by the NCAA.

Todd Gurley is back and he will be more than ready to pick up where he left off a month ago. Before he was suspended, Gurley was leading the SEC in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, rushing yards per game and yards per carry.

"

Richt on when Gurley will play: "First offensive play, you'll see Gurley. I can promise you that. ...Todd Gurley is the starting tailback."

— Marc Weiszer (@marcweiszer) November 11, 2014"

There is no telling how much he will play because Nick Chubb has exceeded expectations. But there is no question Gurley will be on the field in key situations.

The Bulldogs went 3-1 without Gurley in the lineup, so they proved they can win without him. However, this game is on another level compared to the rest of the games this season. If big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games, then Gurley needs to be a part of it. He has played well in games like this so many times during his career.