Cam Newton Investigation: Top 10 Winners and Losers
Cam Newton's recruitment is under investigation because a man who said he was a representative of Newton's asked for money from Mississippi State in exchange for his letter of intent.
It's being looked into by the NCAA, and if it's true, it's going to cause a massive firestorm in the college football world.
With that in mind I've put together a list of 10 winners and 10 losers if this situation plays out poorly.
Any thoughts? As always, leave them in the comments.
No. 10 Winner: Reggie Bush
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Why Reggie Bush, you may ask?
Well, after it was confirmed that he was taking things that cost him his eligibility at USC, Bush was vilified. Now that it's clear that it's become more common than people thought, maybe people won't be as hard as Bush as they were after the NCAA ruling came down.
Bush isn't alone, and that's all too clear now.
No. 10 Loser: Heisman Committee
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After the scandal around Reggie Bush and his Heisman Trophy, you know that the committee is going to want to avoid a similar situation.
It's going to be a hard decision when casting votes for the Heisman, and with this scandal hovering over Newton, maybe some voters avoid voting for a guy who may not have been eligible this year.
It's going to be different for each voter, and it will be interesting to see if it plays a role.
Me personally? I'd vote for Newton if I thought he was the best guy, regardless of any other outside factors.
No. 9 Winner: LaMichael James
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LaMichael James is neck-and-neck with Cam Newton for the Heisman Trophy, and it's so close that something like this could sway the voting.
James has been a beast for Oregon this year. He is one of the most explosive players in college football and is one of the reasons the Ducks are where they are right now in the BCS standings.
With this cloud around Newton, there could be voters that swing to James.
If James finishes the year strong, it could be a close race.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 9 Loser: Cecil Newton
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Cecil Newton, Cam Newton's father, is the main link between Kenny Rogers, the man who reportedly asked for money in exchange for Cam's commitment, and his son. Newton said he met Rogers a couple of years ago.
Cecil Newton says that if Rogers solicited money, he did it without the knowledge of Newton and his son. There are a lot of people that are going to be skeptical that that's the case. It's just the nature of the beast, especially in college sports.
It's a very shady situation.
No. 8 Winner: Mississippi State
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Mississippi State comes out of this looking golden.
The Bulldogs were the ones who refused to deal with Kenny Rogers and wouldn't pay any money to bring Cam Newton to Mississippi State. In a world where schools commit NCAA violations all the time, the Bulldogs had morals.
It's good to see that someone has standards in college athletics.
No. 8 Loser: Newton Family Church
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The Newton family church, which Cecil Newton helps run along with some others that he's a part of, is going to get a lot of unneeded attention.
Those churches would be a great reason for Newton to take money for his son's letter of intent for the school of his choosing. The Newtons have had to turn in financial statements to the NCAA as part of this investigation, and it will be interesting to see what comes out of it.
It's sad how people can get caught up in things like these.
No. 7 Winner: Georgia
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The Bulldogs take on Auburn in a couple of weeks, and with all of this going on around Cam Newton, distractions like these can hurt a team.
When you're competing for a national championship, you need to have laser-like focus in order to stay on pace to make it to the big game. You can't be trying to prepare for game day and worrying about an NCAA investigation at the same time.
Maybe the Bulldogs can sneak up on the Tigers.
No. 7 Loser: Sports Agents
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Sports agents have been under intense fire after the Reggie Bush scandal, and this won't help either, as Kenny Rogers is listed as an agent on his company's website.
Agents have caused plenty of trouble in collegiate sports, and this could be the case of another one causing big trouble. At the very least he tried to, and that shows you how bad it can be at times when trying to run a college program.
Not all agents are this bad, but they all get the same reputation.
No. 6 Winner: Utah
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If Utah can upset TCU this weekend, it could put the Utes on course to possibly get to the national title game.
If Auburn loses or Newton is ruled ineligible by the NCAA, it will open up a big gap for someone to sneak into that national championship game, and the Utes would have a good chance of being that team and hopping Boise State to get in.
I do think the Broncos are a better team, but that's not how the BCS works.
No. 6 Loser: Kenny Rogers
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Kenny Rogers is the man accused of trying to solicit money from Mississippi State in order to get Cam Newton to come to the school.
He's going to be in a world of trouble if this is even remotely true, and so will his company. After what happened with Reggie Bush, there needs to be zero tolerance on something like this, and Rogers will be made an example of.
It's about to get ugly in this investigation.
No. 5 Winner: Oregon
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The Ducks are the top team in the BCS standings right now, and Oregon would be in great shape with an Auburn loss or Newton being ruled ineligible.
Oregon is steamrolling teams and has a semi-difficult schedule ahead, and if the Ducks get through that, there are a number of teams they may see in the BCS title game. But you know they don't want to see Cam Newton in a million years.
There may not be a way to stop him under center.
No. 5 Loser: Jay Jacobs
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Jay Jacobs is the athletic director at Auburn, and if it turns out that the Tigers committed any wrongdoing, Jacobs could be out of a job.
Auburn isn't going to let someone who ruined a national championship season and a Heisman Trophy candidate hang around for much longer, especially in the hyper-competitive SEC.
If Jacobs used school money or any money to bring an athlete to the school, he's cooked.
He better hope this was an isolated incident.
No. 4 Winner: Barrett Trotter
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Barrett Trotter is listed as the backup quarterback to Cam Newton, and if Newton is ineligible, it's Trotter's time to shine.
With Newton in the fold, Trotter saw nothing more than mop-up time against scrub opponents. Every player wants the chance to be the star, and for Trotter, that would be as good of a shot as it gets. It wouldn't be the best circumstances, but beggars can't be choosers.
I'm not sure Tigers fans would be happy with it, but he could surprise.
No. 4 Loser: Barrett Trotter
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At the same time, Barrett Trotter is no Cam Newton.
With the way the season has been going for the Tigers and all of the amazing plays that Newton has made for the Tigers, there would be way too much pressure on Trotter to succeed and keep the dream season alive for Auburn.
No quarterback should have to take over under those circumstances.
No. 3 Winner: Boise State
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The Broncos are scrapping to try to get to the national title game, and right now it looks bleak for the Broncos.
Boise State needs TCU to lose on Sunday, and if Auburn for some reason either loses or isn't eligible to compete in the national title game, the Broncos look like a team that could possibly make it to the big game.
The Broncos deserve it, and right now it doesn't seem like it's going to happen.
No. 3 Loser: Auburn
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The Tigers have a national championship season in front of them, and this controversy is threatening to ruin it all in an instant.
Without Newton, the Tigers are nowhere near as good of a team. Losing him this season would just be a colossal blow to the program. Newton needs to be on the field for Auburn to have any chance of success.
You know Tigers fans have to be at least a little worried.
No. 2 Winner: TCU
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TCU is the BCS buster with the most to gain from Auburn losing or Cam Newton being taken out of the picture.
The Horned Frogs are third in the BCS and could pull further away with a win over Utah this weekend. TCU is in prime position to take advantage of a major mistake by one of the top two teams, and this could be the opening.
You know that the Horned Frogs would love to earn it the old-fashioned way, but the BCS would never allow it.
No. 2 Loser: Gene Chizik
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Gene Chizik is the coach of Auburn, and you know that he has to be worried about this investigation.
He's said publicly that Newton is eligible to play for the Tigers, but how many times have we seen a sports figure say something with conviction only to be proven to be lying the entire time? I won't be sold until the NCAA clears Newton of any wrongdoing.
It's just the world we live in today.
No. 1 Winner: Alabama
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You know that Alabama would love to avoid Cam Newton at all costs at the end of the season.
The Crimson Tide could beat Auburn with Newton in the lineup, but things get a lot easier without the star quarterback in the lineup.
It's going to be a huge matchup at the end of the year, and if Newton isn't fully focused, it could doom the Tigers.
Alabama is a team that will destroy you if you don't execute at a high level.
No. 1 Loser: Cam Newton
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Of course it's Cam Newton who has the most to lose here.
Newton left Florida after some unfortunate circumstances and a lot of controversy, and now it has followed him to Auburn. He has a Heisman Trophy in his sights and a national championship and a lot of money once he heads to the NFL.
He doesn't need more questions about his character.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
