Quarterbacks Who Have the Most to Prove This Bowl Season
Bowl season begins on Saturday. Rejoice and be happy in it. But bowl games aren't all fun and games. (I mean, they are those. Just not entirely those.) No, sometimes bowls are about giving players one final opportunity to make a good impression on the season.
No position can make use of that opportunity like the quarterback, which is heavily scrutinized anyway.
In the following slides are seven quarterbacks who have the most to prove in their bowl games. For some, a good performance could impress NFL scouts. For others, a strong game could mean the difference between entering the offseason as the presumed starter or entrenched in an open battle. Others want to show they can win games on their own.
The players selected were chosen based on 2015 season-long performances, and in some cases, potential job security moving into 2016.
Alabama QB Jake Coker
1 of 7
Alabama quarterback Jake Coker differs from the others on this list for two reasons. For one, he poses the fewest question marks. (For that matter, he also has the best supporting cast by a landslide.) Secondly, Coker and the Crimson Tide will have upwards of two postseason games since they're in the playoffs.
So what does Coker have to prove? That he could lead the Tide in a shootout. By and large, he hasn't had to put the team on his back. The closest thing Alabama has encountered to that was a come-from-behind rally that fell short against Ole Miss.
As B/R colleague and SEC writer Barrett Sallee points out, Coker might not be asked to do that in the semifinal against Michigan State. Matchup-wise, the Spartans aren't going to spread defenses out and run 85 plays a game. Thus, it seems unlikely the Tide will be in a shootout with Michigan State.
But if Alabama does win and goes on to play either Clemson or Oklahoma in the national championship, that could change. The Tide offense has gone through Heisman-winning running back Derrick Henry all year, but what if Coker is asked to lead another rally or orchestrate a game-winning drive? Coker's been put in few of those situations this year.
Coker's attempted only 26 passes per game in 2015. That's eighth in the SEC and 72nd nationally. When the game's on the line, can he lead Alabama to a win on the biggest stage?
Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong Jr.
2 of 7
Really, Nebraska shouldn't even be in a bowl at 5-7. However, there weren't enough bowl eligible teams, so here we are.
While some (many?) will bemoan five-win teams making bowl appearances, inclusion provides these teams with much-needed extra practices. Nobody might need those practices like Cornhuskers quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr.
Mitch Sherman of ESPN.com called the pairing of Armstrong and offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf a "model of inconsistency," and he's not wrong. Armstrong threw 21 touchdowns, but added 16 interceptions. Some of the decision-making by the multiyear starter was puzzling, to say the least.
There's a longstanding frustration with Armstrong by the Nebraska faithful and understandably so. Will things get better for the bowl game? UCLA has the best pass defense in the Pac-12, so probably not.
Texas A&M QB Kyler Murray
3 of 7
Kyle Allen has transferred out of the program. The two-quarterback debate is over. Congratulations, Kyler Murray. This is your show now—presumably, anyway. If it's not, and if Jake Hubenak gets the start in the Music City Bowl, then that could signal trouble.
For as athletic and gifted as Murray is, his freshman campaign wasn't without bumps in the road. His start against South Carolina showed promise (379 total yards, two touchdowns), but he threw three interceptions against Auburn the following week. There was also the report about Murray and "practice" (Allen Iverson's emphasis added).
It's unlikely head coach Kevin Sumlin will tip his hand as to who will start the bowl game, but if it's Murray, then this is a big opportunity for him heading into spring ball. It's understandable that even the most talented of freshmen struggle to adjust to the college game, but Murray has now gone through a season of practice and has some game experience. A good performance against Louisville would go a long way to assuring the Aggies and their fans that he's the guy moving forward.
A bad performance, however? That could create more quarterback controversies for the entire offseason. And A&M desperately needs to trend back in the right direction, at least offensively.
— UPDATE —
Billy Liucci of TexAgs reports Murray intends to transfer from A&M, and that the coaching staff is trying to keep him.
— END UPDATE —
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Florida State QB Sean Maguire
4 of 7
Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher confirmed, per Safid Deen of the Tallahassee Democrat, Sean Maguire, not Everett Golson, will start against Houston in the Peach Bowl.
Maguire only played in seven games this season, but he was statistically solid with nine touchdowns and only two interceptions. He's 5-1 as a starter overall and, unlike Golson, will be back for 2016. What's to prove, then?
Maguire was the No. 1 guy last offseason almost by default. That might not be the case next spring if Maguire has a bad bowl performance. Starting Golson made sense early in the year because the Seminoles' offensive line was so inexperienced. As a result, Golson's scrambling ability was useful. But as Florida State's O-line improved over the year, coupled with Golson's decline, Maguire was the right fit for the offense. Now, he needs to end on a positive note.
Florida State's offense has gone through running back Dalvin Cook. The passing game—namely the protection to push the ball downfield—hasn't quite clicked as well. This is a chance for Maguire and the entire offense to show they've turned a corner.
LSU QB Brandon Harris
5 of 7
In all likelihood, LSU running back Leonard Fournette will have a monster game against Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl. The Red Raiders have the 126th-best (worst?) run defense in all of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Basically, don't be surprised if Tigers quarterback Brandon Harris isn't needed to win the game.
But what if things don't go according to plan? What if Texas Tech comes out firing and gets out to a big lead? After all, Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes leads college football in total yards per game (397.3) and the LSU pass defense is less stingy than you'd expect.
Or, what if, heaven forbid, Fournette gets hurt? There are situations in which it is foreseeable that Harris would have to do more himself. Harris had a miserable November, stats-wise, and was of no help when Fournette was shut down against Alabama.
Harris' development has been a slow process. He's shown flashes of making perfect throws this year, but he hasn't shown the ability to take over the offense and win games. If LSU gets behind against Texas Tech, he'll need to break that trend.
Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg
6 of 7
It feels like Penn State's Christian Hackenberg has had a lot to prove for a year and some change. Hackenberg has all the physical gifts in the world, and every so often makes a throw that screams future first-round draft pick, but he's regressed since his freshman year.
It's not all his fault, of course—Penn State's offensive line is porous. There's a strong case to be made that Hackenberg would actually be better suited to leave for the NFL rather than come back for another year.Asked whether he's staying or leaving, Hackenberg declined to get into specifics:
"I’m just focusing on it one week at a time, doing what I need to do to make sure I’m the most prepared I can," he said last month (via Jourdan Rodrigue, the Centre Daily Times).
If he does choose that route, the TaxSlayer Bowl against Georgia would be a good chance to showcase some of the throws he's capable of making. He can also demonstrate good decision-making. Though the Nittany Lions give up a lot of sacks, sometimes those plays come about because Hackenberg didn't get rid of the ball fast enough.
There's more than enough tape for NFL scouts to get a feeling on Hackenberg, so one game won't make or break his chances if he decides to make the jump to the next level. However, it would add more context, for better or worse.
West Virginia QB Skyler Howard
7 of 7
According to a university statement, West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen is coming back in 2016. Still, the biggest knock against Holgorsen is that he hasn't been able to recruit and develop a quarterback prospect out of high school. Instead, he's relied on two transfers in the post-Geno Smith era: Clint Trickett and Skyler Howard.
Howard has been utilized less in the Mountaineers' adapted, suddenly run-heavy offense. In November, he attempted just 21 passes per game. However, a percentage of that has to be attributed to Howard's inaccuracy as a passer. Granted, he hasn't received a ton of help from his receivers, who have dropped numerous passes, but he's also overthrown wide-open guys. Heading into the spring, don't be surprised if Holgorsen re-opens the quarterback competition.
It's important, then, for Howard to have a big game in the Cactus Bowl against Arizona State. It doesn't mean he has to throw the ball 40 times for 400 yards, but he does need to improve his efficiency as a passer. As of the end of the regular season, Howard is the lowest-ranked full-time starting quarterback in the Big 12 in passer efficiency.
If Howard has another mediocre game in which he turns the ball over and makes bad throws/reads, Holgorsen will be under intense pressure to make a change at quarterback in the spring.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.
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