Auburn Weighs Risk vs. Reward; Cameron Newton Plays, Wins
For much of the last two weeks the Cameron Newton saga/circus has captivated all of SEC country and most of the nation. Did he or didn't he? Who did it and for how much? Will he or won't he?
Well, apparently, the answers to those many more questions were good enough for Auburn because the ultimate answer was yes, he did start the game. And the obvious result was yet another Auburn win to keep their undefeated record intact.
Obviously, a lot was riding on this game, and Auburn went "all-in" as several writers have pointed out.
Over the next few slides, you will see exactly what was/is at stake for Auburn as a result of their decision to play the embattled quarterback.
Risk: Auburn Doesn't Beat Georgia Without Cam Newton
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After Auburn had played the season's first 10 games with Cameron Newton, there's a chance that sitting Newton now would have been a futile attempt to save face with the NCAA. Auburn knew about the pay-for-play allegations from Mississippi State before the season even began, yet they played the quarterback anyway.
So, if the NCAA is going to declare Newton ineligible at some point, Auburn would have to eventually vacate each of its first 10 wins anyway. What's the harm in allowing him to play two more games and vacating 12 instead of 10?
Georgia knows a little bit about eligibility concerns. Star wide receiver, AJ Green was suspended for each of the first four games this season, and the 'Dawgs promptly went 1-3 in those games.
The season has a completely different outcome for Georgia if Green hadn't been suspended for selling his game jersey to an agent for $1,000.
If Auburn sat Cam Newton, chances are the Tigers undefeated season would have gone by the boards.
Risk: Playing Newton Could Mean Harsh Penalties from the NCAA
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Gene Chizik threw caution to the wind when he decided to play Cam Newton after meeting with the NCAA this past week.
Reports indicate that Cecil Newton, Cam's father, did ask for money from Mississippi State. The evidence, as of right now, shows that the senior Newton did it on his own, without Cam's knowledge. Auburn is supposedly completely innocent of any wrongdoing.
Well, not any wrongdoing apparently. It is a serious NCAA rules violation to play an ineligible player.
“The solicitation of cash or benefits by either a potential student-athlete or another person on their behalf is not allowed under NCAA rules,” Stacey Osburn, an NCAA spokeswoman, recently told the New York Times.
So, the issue is not did Auburn pay money to Newton or his family to secure his services. The issue is, Auburn, and now the entire country, knows that Cecil Newton asked for money from Mississippi State for Cam's services, thus making him eligible—yet—Auburn played him anyway.
Auburn has opened its program to all sorts of issues should the NCAA decide to declare Newton ineligible soon.
Reward: Auburn Clinches the SEC West with the Win
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Put yourself in Gene Chizik's position. You are one win away from punching your ticket to Atlanta in just your second season at the helm. You already know you're not winning this game without the potentially ineligible Newton at quarterback. What would you do?
There's no question I would play him.
Barring an NCAA decision making Cam Newton ineligible immediately, one could make the argument that Chizik would have been irresponsible NOT to play him.
Now, after securing the Tigers spot in the SEC title game in just his second season on the job, Chizik has earned job security and a potential raise.
That is, unless the NCAA comes down hard on the program at some point in the near future.
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Reward: Newton's Heisman Hopes Stay Alive
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Cam Newton's Heisman campaign would have been derailed completely had he been benched today. Sure, that's the least of his worries, but if winning the Heisman is not a "reward" then what is?
While it's not a certainty that the voters will even consider Newton with all the extracurriculars going on around him right now, staying in the lineup and continuing to dominate the competition will make it hard on any self-respecting journalist to leave him off their ballot.
Newton is still one of the best college football player's in the country.
Reward: Auburn's Win Gets the Tigers Two Wins Closer to the BCS Title Game
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Auburn stayed undefeated Saturday as a direct result of Cam Newton's participation in the game. The Tigers are now 11-0 with only the Iron Bowl and the SEC Championship game separating them from the BCS National Championship Game in January.
If getting to the SEC Championship Game in his second season means job security for Chizik, getting to the BCS National Championship Game would make him a legend at Auburn. Winning the whole shebang would cement his legacy as a championship-winning SEC head coach, regardless of Cam Newton's eligibility issues.
Becoming a Heisman trophy-winning, national champion-quarterback could also make Newton even more attractive to NFL scouts. Winning it all could add a zero or two to that deal, when/if Newton goes pro.
There's no doubt that Cam and his aspiring-agent father could then rake in the Benjamins...legally.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
