Cam Newton Investigation: What It Means for the College Landscape
Cam Newton Investigation: College football star Cam Newton has gotten himself into some hot water with the NCAA.
A man who said he represented the Auburn quarterback claims that he solicited a six-figure payment from a number of schools in exchange for Newton's signature on a national letter of intent, according to ESPN.com.
Former Mississippi State quarterback John Bond, who played for the Bulldogs in the early 1980s, told ESPN.com that a former teammate—later found out to be Kenny Rogerswas shopping Newton to schools around the SEC.
The price for Newton was reportedly $200,000, although Rogers told Mississippi State that they could have Newton for $180,000 because Newton had a good relationship with head coach Dan Mullen dating back to their time together at Florida.
Cecil Newton, Cam's father, said that he was unaware of the situation and his son had no part in the process.
"If Rogers tried to solicit money from Mississippi State, he did it on his own, without our knowledge," Newton said.
But even if these allegations turn out to be false (which could take a while), they have certainly rocked the college football landscape.
So what does the Cam Newton investigation mean not just for Newton or Auburn but for college football in general?
Let's take a look.
10. Who Benefits?
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You have to think that there are at least five schools whose days got a little bit brighter when news broke about the Cam Newton investigation.
Auburn is currently No. 2 in the BCS standings, just behind Oregon and just ahead of TCU, Boise State, Utah and Alabama.
And those schools are probably quietly smiling as Auburn's miraculous season begins to unravel.
The fact that this investigation is hanging over Newton's head and shedding a negative light on Auburn has the teams at the top of the BCS rankings hoping that they can take advantage.
9. What It Means For SEC
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Obviously a scandal of this magnitude doesn't reflect very well on the Southeastern Conference
It's one thing to have Cam Newton involved with Mississippi State, but there's another can of worms that hasn't even been opened yet: how it relates to the entire SEC.
Mississippi State is at the center of the controversy, but Newton eventually chose to go to Auburn instead.
Was Dan Mullen involved in the process given the history between he and Newton?
Did other schools offer money to Rogers so Newton would sign there?
It's something we just don't know yet, and it can certainly cast a shadow over the entire SEC as the NCAA determines the scope of its investigation.
8. What It Means For Auburn
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Auburn is not directly accused of a pay-for-play scheme with Cam Newton, but Bond said that other schools offered to pay the $200,000 price tag for his services.
If this is indeed true, what are the chances that Newton just signed with Auburn because that's where he wanted to play?
It'd be hard to imagine that Auburn did not pay or at least offer to pay Newton if he signed with the school.
As the saying goes, if Auburn did indeed pay for Newton's signature on a letter of intent, the s**t will hit the fan.
And Auburn will have to worry about more than just losing Newton. The entire football program would be screwed.
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7. Who'll Likely Play in SEC Title Game
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Despite the controversy, Auburn will go into the season-ending showdown with Alabama undefeated unless the Tigers fall completely apart.
And that matchup will be a de facto playoff game for both teams (assuming the Crimson Tide beats LSU this week), with the winner advancing to the SEC Championship game.
Though Auburn's offense has been nearly unstoppable all season, it's hard to see a Tiger team mired in controversy pull off the win on the road in Tuscaloosa.
And if Auburn can't win that game, they won't be playing for a SEC title.
Alabama will.
6. How Long Could a Suspension Last?
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Cam Newton's father denied the allegations against his son, which was not surprising to say the least.
And this is what Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said on his Tiger Talk radio show: "Unfortunately, I can't comment on it. But here's what I can and I will this say very loud and very clear: Cameron Newton is eligible at Auburn University, period. End of story.''
Well, Newton is eligible right now, but as we've seen with Marvin Austin and the North Carolina debacle, an investigation like this could not only result in a suspension but a dismissal from the team as well.
I'm fairly certain that under pretty much any circumstances Newton will not be kicked off the team, but you have to think that a minimum three or four-game suspension could be in the makings.
After all, Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green was suspended four games for selling a jersey for $1,000, and Newton's situation is a lot more serious.
5. Can Another Auburn QB Run the Spread As Effectively As Newton?
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Well, I think the answer to this question is pretty simple: no.
Cam Newton's backup is sophomore Barrett Trotter while the third-string quarterback is senior Neil Caudle.
Trotter's never started for Auburn, and Caudle has seen only limited action throughout his career. The two have combined for 82 total yards this season.
Needless to say, no one else on Auburn's roster can run the spread offense like Newton can.
Then again, can anyone?
4. Can Auburn Run the Ball Without Cam Newton?
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Cam Newton has been a beast on the ground all season, already crossing the 1,000-yard mark on the season and leading the team in rushing.
But if Newton's out, who will run the ball for Auburn?
Newton is followed by freshman running back Michael Dyer, who has 723 yards and four touchdowns, and sophomore Onterio McCalebb, who has 557 yards and five touchdowns on the season.
Those are solid numbers, but that doesn't take into account the fact that teams can't key on those guys because they're so worried about Newton.
With Newton gone, how will those guys fare?
I'd guess that they struggle mightily with the team's biggest threat in the running game sitting on the sidelines.
3. The Reggie Bush Effect
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As evidenced by former USC running back Reggie Bush basically being forced to give up his Heisman Trophy earlier this year, the Heisman Trophy Trust isn't afraid to strip someone of the award.
Bush lost his trophy after being retroactively considered ineligible by the NCAA, and despite what Gene Chizik says, there's a possibility the same thing could happen to Cam Newton.
Obviously, all of the details have yet to be released, and Newton could very well be found to have done nothing wrong.
But I still think he'll lose votes in the Heisman race this year just because his name was even brought up in an investigation.
Enough votes to lose it though? I guess we'll see.
2. Who Benefits in the Heisman Race?
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In my opinion, Cam Newton basically had the Heisman Trophy won before the scandal came to light.
Barring horrific showings in his last three games, I think Newton was a virtual lock to win the award.
But now the door has opened for four guys to step up and steal the Heisman from Newton.
Who are they? In order: LaMichael James, Kellen Moore, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.
1. Who'll Play For the BCS National Championship?
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With the situation for Cam Newton and Auburn looking far from great, the national championship picture might look different at the end of the season than the experts have predicted in recent weeks.
An Auburn-Oregon BCS National Championship has been on the menu for quite some time, but we may not get to see that offensive showdown.
So picture this: Auburn loses to Alabama in the regular season finale, Alabama loses in the SEC Championship game and Boise State and TCU finish the season undefeated alongside Oregon.
An Oregon-TCU or Oregon-Boise State national title game? That would shock the world.
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