Wow, how fast things change in college football. The Auburn Tigers play the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday and as of the time that I am writing this, Cam Newton's status for the game is unknown. Auburn has gone from excitement over a possible dream season to sitting on pins and needles.
With only two games left in the 2010 season, Auburn is neck deep in controversy.
I doubt that there is anyone who is reading this article who is not familiar with all the allegations concerning Cam Newton, so I will not rehash them here. Especially since none of those allegations have been proved true or false at this time. It is always best to wait for the facts before making a decision concerning serious allegations.
Judging Cam Newton, Auburn, Mississippi State, recruiters or agents is not the purpose of this article. Rather than speculate on who is telling the truth or who has what agenda, I want to have you consider this controversy for some other angles.
First, let's look at the Heisman Trophy. Cam Newton is the current front runner for the Heisman Trophy. Will this controversy cost him this coveted honor? Ordinarily, I would say the smart money would be on Newton winning this award, but with the Reggie Bush controversy just a few months past, people could be looking at the Heisman Trophy in a different light.
How would it look to have the last two Heisman Trophy winners having to give back the trophy? This thought has to be in the back of the minds of everyone who has a vote for this award. The Heisman Trophy voting deadline is Dec. 6, and it is highly unlikely, if not impossible, that this controversy will be settled by that time.
Not only does this controversy have to be in the back of everyone's minds, but it also has to be affecting Newton personally, which may affect his play, if indeed he is allowed to play in his last two games. So, in effect, Newton now has two huge obstacles to overcome to win the Heisman.
Another thing to consider here is whether or not this controversy could cost Auburn the National Championship. This whole issue has to be a huge distraction for the other players on the team, as well as Cam Newton. Can the Tigers stay focused during this storm?
Auburn has to play Georgia and then Alabama, two teams which have had Auburn's number over the past few years. On top of this, the Tigers go into these games with a bull's eye on their back because of their ranking. You can bet that both of these teams will be gunning to ruin Auburn's dream season.
And, if the Tigers can hold it together and defeat Georgia and Alabama, they still have to stay focused enough to win in the SEC Championship. The next four weeks would be hard enough, even without this outside distraction. If Auburn can get through this stretch without a lose, they truly deserve to be in the National Championship game!
And finally, if Auburn does get to the National Championship game and wins, what will happen if later Cam Newton is ruled ineligible? Could the Tigers have their national championship stripped away from them months later? This has to be in the back of the minds of the Auburn faithful as well.
There is virtually no way that the NCAA will conclude their investigation before the National Championship game. So this question could remain unanswered for months to come.
These are some major distractions for these young men and the Auburn coaches to be dealing with going into the final weeks of the season.
It should be an interesting few weeks, as we see how all of this plays out. How will Cam Newton respond? How will the Auburn team and coaches respond? How will the Heisman voters respond?
For me, all bets are off concerning this. The only thing that I would put my money on at this time, is that the 2011 Mississippi State versus Auburn football game will be nationally televised!
Bohdi Sanders ~ www.TheWisdomWarrior.com
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