Sugar Bowl 2015: Players with Most to Prove in Alabama vs. Ohio State

When it comes right down to it, few participants have something to prove in the 2015 Sugar Bowl when the Alabama Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes collide.

Nick Saban and Urban Meyer are old acquaintances of sorts, but the reputations are established. Alabama wideout Amari Cooper is a Heisman finalist, Landon Collins joins him as a consensus All-American and Joey Bosa is one of the most feared defenders in the nation.

The point is observers know what to expect from some of the biggest names.

For others, the Sugar Bowl is perhaps a final chance to show that successful recent tears are no fluke. Momentum gained by the following players will do nothing short of both helping the program and each of them as individuals down the road.

Players With Most to Prove

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Ohio State sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott began the 2014 campaign as a reserve in need of experience.

He finished it with 1,402 yards and 12 touchdowns. The St. Louis native surpassed the 100-yard mark on seven occasions while scoring a touchdown in nine different games. While impressive, Elliott himself does not seem satisfied with his performance to date, per Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com:

"

I think there will be a lot of things that will improve, just like breaking tackles and things. I've left a lot of yards on the field this year just because of my wrist, I can't really carry the ball in my left hand, and can't really use my stiff-arm. I can't really use my hand to post on the ground. I have left a lot of yards on the field, something we are going to improve on next year.

"

One can argue that Elliott has yet to encounter anything like the Collins-led Alabama defense that surrenders just 16.6 points per game to rank fourth in the nation.

Michigan State comes close. A gaudy 154 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-37 triumph against the Spartans back in November suggests Elliott is ready for the task. 

Regardless, a big performance in perhaps the biggest game of his career will do much to silence any questions surrounding Elliott—including some of his own.

Blake Sims, QB, Alabama

Not many expected Blake Sims to beat out Jake Coker this past preseason for the starting gig.

In any case, he did, and he's not looked back.

The senior has put on a stunning performance in the process, throwing for 3,250 yards and 26 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He is also a strong dual-threat presence, as one can glean from his 321 yards and six scores on the ground.

Sims' play to date even has him on the cover of Sports Illustrated, per the team's Twitter account:

It is hard to doubt Sims in crunch time. Look at the 42-13 win over Missouri in the SEC Championship. He posted a 23-of-27 line for 262 yards and two scores. There is a reason Cooper and others often reference Sims as a source of inspiration, per Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman:

Through all of the adversity on the way to this peak, Sims has yet to play in a game as important as this College Football Playoff clash, nor has he seen a team as talented as the Buckeyes.

For Sims, the January showdown is another chance to silence the remaining critics.

Cardale Jones, QB, Ohio State

A long path has led Ohio State sophomore Cardale Jones to this point.

Backup duty behind Braxton Miller, Kenny Guiton and J.T. Barrett left Jones suspended in the wings.

Once through, though, the Cleveland native left his mark on the program with 257 yards and three touchdowns in a 59-0 thumping of Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship.

It seems just the beginning of Jones' journey, too. Meyer concurs, as illustrated by Eleven Warriors:

The blueprint for Jones to take the next step on a long journey is there. Auburn's Nick Marshall found plenty of success against the elite Crimson Tide defense, throwing for 456 yards and three scores. Mississippi State' Dak Prescott threw for 290 yards and two scores and ran for another 82 yards.

One problem—both efforts were not enough.

Jones has a lot to prove and gets a trial by fire where experienced quarterbacks have failed. The semifinal is a chance for Jones either to solidify his status as the future, or to once again fade down the depth chart.

Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.