Terrelle Pryor vs. Cam Newton: Which Junior QB Is More Important To His Team?

After a triumphant performance in last year's Rose Bowl win over Oregon, Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor entered the 2010 season with some mighty big expectations to live up to, including a Heisman Trophy and a national championship game appearance.

When you consider Pryor's messiah-like recruiting hype, it's easy to say that those expectations were fair. 

The 6'6", 240 pound junior has gone from goat to God in Columbus after an uneven sophomore season that had fans questioning if their supposed superstar was really all he was cracked up to be.

Sure, everybody knew he could run, but outside of that there were plenty of questions that needed to be answered.

People wanted to know if Terrelle had the passing prowess and the mental stamina to ever take his Buckeyes team to that next level.

Pryor showed in that Rose Bowl game that yes, he could indeed lead his team to greatness, but it was up to him to prove he could repeat that showing on a consistent basis throughout the regular season.

One quarterback who's faced his own fair share of ups and downs during his collegiate career is Auburn's Cameron Newton. 

Newton, a 6'6", 250 pound super-athlete, was once a highly regarded recruit coming out of Westlake High School in Atlanta, choosing to play his college ball for Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators.

Cam looked to be the perfect fit to lead Meyer's spread offense once Tim Tebow departed, but sadly it was not to be. After injuries slowed the start to his second season, Newton was arrested for stealing a fellow student's laptop computer and throwing it out a window.

Newton would eventually leave Gainesville and transfer to Blinn, a junior college in Texas. 

It was there the quarterback earned back his reputation as a dangerous dual-threat weapon, as he led Blinn to a win in the junior college national championship game. 

Colleges from around the nation once again came calling for the young man's services before Newton ultimately decided to play for Gene Chizik at Auburn.

So far, Newton has looked like a great addition to Gus Malzahn's offense, and he has the look of a player that could finally get the Tigers over the hump in the SEC.

The two quarterbacks, who physically look like near mirror images of each other, now sit at 3-0 on the season, and both have statement wins under their belts already this year.

Pryor's Ohio State squad dominated a highly ranked Miami Hurricanes team in Week 2, while Newton's Tigers came away with a thrilling overtime victory over Clemson this past Saturday.

The road is only going to get tougher from here, however, and it remains to be seen if both players can lead their teams to supremacy in their respective conferences.

The comparisons have already begun to float, but when it comes right down to it, which player will turn out to be more vital to his team's success when all is said and done?

My vote is for Newton. 

That's not to say that I believe Cam is any more talented or deserving than Terrelle; it's just saying that at this point, I feel like Newton is the one who holds the key to Auburn's success in the 2010 season.

Newton is the true spark that makes that offensive engine go. After watching him in the Thursday night matchup with Mississippi State, it's easy to see why so many people around the Tigers program were giddy about having him at the helm.

I do feel that Pryor is actually the better pure passer of the two (which, to be honest, isn't saying much), and so far the numbers back that up. Terrelle has thrown for nearly double the number of completions and almost 200 more yards, but the stats don't tell the whole story.

Newton's real damage this year will come with his legs, not his arm. That's how he'll be a true difference maker in that offense. Cam is already averaging over 100 yards rushing per game through three weeks.

Not to take anything away from Terrelle, but we've seen guys like Craig Krenzel and Troy Smith, neither of which will be confused with Dan Marino anytime soon, lead Ohio State to national title game appearances in recent years. That program is one that has been consistently superior in the Big Ten conference well before Pryor's arrival.

Newton, on the other hand, looks like he can be the boost Auburn sorely needed. He brings a different energy to the field than what we've normally been accustomed to seeing down there in Alabama.

Both quarterbacks will have their chances to ultimately prove their worth as the season rolls on, but it's Newton who will have the spotlight this weekend when No. 12-ranked South Carolina comes to town for a Saturday night SEC showdown.

If Newton can lead Auburn to a victory over the Gamecocks, it would lay the foundation for a chance at a special 2010 campaign.

Who knows—maybe the two can settle the debate on the field in January out in the desert.