Auburn vs. Alabama: The Iron Bowl, Cam Newton, Mark Ingram and BCS Implications

This Friday the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers renew one of college football's greatest rivalries in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the Iron Bowl.

This year is much different than in seasons past however.

A constant evolving scandal involving Heisman hopeful Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, last year's Heisman winner Mark Ingram playing his last home game possibly, and the BCS title game implications are just a few of the storylines.

Cam Newton is set to play even though Auburn (11-0) has faced heavy pressure from the media and the NCAA to sit the dual-threat quarterback.

Alabama (9-2) suffered two tough road losses in the SEC this season, the latest coming at the hands of the LSU Tigers 24-21, which derailed any chances Alabama had to get back to the BCS National Championship Game.

Still though, Alabama can end Auburn's hopes of playing for the national championship with a win at home Friday.

Perhaps no game this season is as important to teams like Boise State and TCU, both undefeated and trailing Auburn in the current BCS standings.

An Auburn loss would instantly catapult Boise State into the the title game if they were able to stay undefeated.

TCU is currently ahead of Boise State in the standings, however the Broncos are projected to finish just ahead of the Horned Frogs if both run the table the rest of the way.

Unless both Auburn and Oregon (10-0) were to slip up it seems TCU will be left out of the national championship picture, as unfair as that is, Boise State has been there before.

Another overlooked storyline in Friday's game is last year's Heisman Trophy winner, Alabama running back Mark Ingram.

Ingram, Alabama's leading rusher, could play his last game in Tuscaloosa this weekend for the Crimson Tide. 

Ingram is a junior this season and could skip out on his final season at Alabama to enter the NFL draft this spring.

Regardless of how close the game is Friday afternoon, or who wins, there will be endless stories coming out of the state of Alabama.

Either one more team bites the dust in the chase for the national championship, a Heisman hopeful is solidified, or a past winner is glorified.

Auburn vs. Alabama kicks off at 2:30 PM EST on CBS Friday November 26th.

Patrick Clarke is a student at Towson University and a writing intern for Bleacher Report.