SCBusPilot

Not otherworldly like Cam of course (once in a lifetime talent), but Nick Marshall wasn't an otherworldly QB in 2013 on the way to the NCG. Heck, Nick didn't even get drafted as a QB in the NFL but was good enough in Gus' offense to go 12-2. That says a lot. The best Auburn could muster WITHOUT a mobile QB in Gus offense was 8-5 with Chris Todd (2009). Granted, 2009 was not a great year for our defense either. 2014 is still an anomaly to me, as it's the worst offense Gus has had with a mobile QB. We missed Jay Prosch especially that year.

I think it says that Gus has finally accepted what some of us have been thinking for years - that his offense NEEDS to have a true running QB threat in order to be more successful than an 8-5 or 9-4 team in the SEC. I know what he did with Chris Todd and others at Tulsa and Arky State, but in the SEC his offense needs a Cam Newton/Nick Marshall type to get over that 8 or 9 win hump. It's just not as effective here without that run threat due to the superior defensive talent and speed in the SEC. Personally, I hope JJ has been concentrating on his running and zone read skills in the off-season (even though he doesn't 'like' to run), but that's just me...