BCS Week 11 Report: Auburn Overcomes Off-the-Field Distractions To Stay Perfect

It is fair to say that Cam Newton and Auburn looked distracted when Georgia raced to a 21-7 first quarter lead. It is also fair to say that Auburn is a great team, and they ran over the Dawgs for the next three quarters, outscoring them 42-10.

The big test is in two weeks when the Tigers go to Tuscaloosa to face their biggest test of the season. Nick Saban has two weeks to form a game plan that will lead his Crimson Tide to a victory over the undefeated Tigers. Mark Ingram can hand Newton a loss as well as the Heisman Trophy. But will the Heisman voters give the Heisman to the best player in the country this year?

That is if Cam Newton is still eligible. The stories out of his past should be terrifying to all of Auburn's fans. As great as their legacy of football is, Auburn has never won the national title outright. They have finished undefeated twice in the last 20 years, but neither of those teams finished first in the final poll of the season.

And everyone says it would never happen to a big-time program. Auburn was on probation one year when their coach was Terry Bowden, and in 2004, the BCS got them. They did share a title with Ohio State back in 1957. 

This is a fluid situation as Auburn is three games away from their first BCS Championship.

Oregon went to Cal, and we all found out that they can win a tight ball game. Cal made a kick that would have given them a 16-15 fourth quarter lead. There was an illegal motion penalty, however. Giorgio Tavecchio, who was the one in illegal motion, missed his second try to give the Golden Bears a lead.

Oregon is also on a two-week break before they host the Arizona Wildcats.

Kellen Moore and Boise State took it right to the Idaho Vandals. They have a tough game next week as they host Fresno State, who lost a tough one to Nevada.

TCU was up on San Diego State, but the Aztecs scored 21 second-half points to make the score close. Andy Dalton and the Horned Frogs have two weeks off before they play one of the worst teams in the nation in the New Mexico Lobos.

TCU was actually outscored in three of the four quarters against San Diego State but did not fall behind Boise State in the BCS poll.

TCU is pulling hard for Alabama in the Iron Bowl.

Wisconsin is again in a firestorm of bad sportsmanship as they scored 83 points on Indiana. Bret Bielema has been here before after he went for two late against Minnesota. Indiana coach Bill Lynch, unlike Minnesota coach Tim Brewster, did not feel that the Badgers ran up the score on his team.

"I've always felt it was our job to stop the team and play the game," Lynch said in an AP article. "We didn't do that very well."

It looks like the score was run up to me, but I will defer here to the Indiana coach.

The BCS top 10 did not change for the first time this season. That has not happened since 2005.

List Time

My Top Two

1. Boise State

2. TCU

Conference Power Rankings

1. SEC

2. Pac-10

3. Big Ten

4. Big 12

5. Mountain West

6. WAC

Week 12 Preview

1. Fresno State at Boise State

2. Wisconsin at Michigan

3. Stanford at Cal

4. Ohio State at Iowa

5. Virginia Tech at Miami