Auburn is going to enjoy this. Big Time
Glendale, Ariz.—There was joy. There was relief. There were smiles of happiness. There were tears. There was incredible exhilaration. There was utter exhaustion.
You could see it all on the floor of University of Phoenix Stadium in the aftermath of Auburn’s 22-19 victory Oregon which gave the Tigers their first national championship since 1957.
Ted Roof, who took more than his fair share of criticism as Auburn’s defensive coordinator the past two seasons, had his arms around his two sons as confetti rained down around him. The former Georgia Tech captain could not be happier. For it was his defense that held the mighty Oregon offense to only 19 points, 30 points below its average.
Oregon’s offense had 12 possessions in the game and Auburn’s defense got nine stops: five punts, two interceptions, and what will become two very big plays in Auburn football history: In the second quarter Mike Blanc stuffed Oregon’s LaMichael James in the end zone for a safety. In the third quarter Auburn stopped Oregon on fourth and goal at the Tigers’ one-yard line.
Oregon came into this game averaging almost 245 rushing yards per game. Auburn held the Ducks to only 75.
“I am so proud of our guys. They stepped up and played the best when we needed it the most,” said Roof. “We didn’t do anything fancy. It was all about effort. All I know is that we’re the national champions. Nothing else matters.”
A lot of people wondered if Cameron Newton had one more great game left in him. He did. Yes, he had a late turnover that allowed Oregon to tie the score make a game-winning drive necessary. Still, it has been an extraordinary season for the Heisman Trophy winner in every sense of the word. He became the flash point of a great debate in college football and it was not pretty. There was a significant portion of the populace that believed that Newton should not be on the field but there were also those who believed in the presumption of innocence. The debate will never be resolved unless more facts in the case emerge down the road. That is another discussion for another day.
Regardless of where you came down on the Newton issue, there was no denying that he was one of the greatest college football players we have seen at the quarterback position. I say WAS because Newton will soon close the door on this controversial chapter of his life and declare for the NFL Draft. We may disagree about Newton’s legacy, but we will certainly never forget him.
“I have never seen a football player go what he went through and continue to perform so well on the field,” said former coach Pat Dye, who beamed during the post-game awards ceremony. “People said a lot of bad things about that kid but it never affected the way he played. He is something special.”
Then there was Gene Chizik, whose hiring in 2009 brought rounds of criticism from those who thought he was not dynamic enough or tough enough to stand up to what Nick Saban was building at Alabama. But when the sun rose this morning in the state of Alabama, the schools had the same number of national championships since Saban arrived in 2007. Chizik has proven to be a rock solid manager of the program who surrounds himself with very talented people.
“It was never about me and proving anybody wrong,” said Chizik, who was the defensive coordinator when Auburn went 13-0 in 2004 and did not get a chance to play for the national championship. “That’s not the way I live my life. From the day we arrived it was about doing what was best for Auburn. I am so proud to be a part of the Auburn family.”
It’s been a great season at Auburn but has also been a draining season for all concerned. The weekly scrutiny which came with the Newton case was not an easy burden to bear. The SEC has won its fifth straight national championship. But the conference had to routinely defend itself against the criticism that it did not exercise due diligence in the Newton case. Now that the SEC has won another championship, that criticism is not going to go away. Such is the nature of success. Off the field, it has been a tough season for college football as a whole.
And what about Auburn for 2011? As is our nature, we will quickly move on to next season. Auburn loses 24 seniors including Wes Byrum, who kicked the winning field goal at the buzzer. Newton will leave as will defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who is more than ready to play at the next level. If you had to guess you would say that Auburn will take a dip next season but such dips are easier to take when you have a crystal football in the trophy case.
Both those issues can wait at least a day or two. Auburn fans will celebrate and know that for the next year they are the national champions while Alabama is not. And if you don’t think that’s important, you do not know the state of Alabama. Auburn is going to enjoy this. Big time.
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811 comments Add your comment
Just Saying
January 11th, 2011
11:21 am
If the Oregon defense would have been slamming players to the ground and giving them the extra pushes, shoves and kicks to the head gear like Smith & Fairley do then that run by Dyer would not have occurred.
Dawg with limited credibility left
January 11th, 2011
11:22 am
Wait till next year!
gadawgs
January 11th, 2011
11:22 am
Crime does pay….Well said on all posts. People say Cam did not know about the pay for play? hmmm….Just like he “did not know” that he possessed a stolen laptop that he threw out the window of his dorm room when the police showed up to speak to him about it. Yeah right he just wanted to see if his laptop could fly or something. I do not believe anything that comes out of that hypocrits mouth. Heckuva player sorry human being.
wonder
January 11th, 2011
11:22 am
good call..silent dawg
Yuck
January 11th, 2011
11:23 am
TCU is the real National Champion…come on Auburn fans, you know you would get trashed by the Horned Frogs…also Dyer was down…I would tell Auburn fans to check the rulebook, but following rules doesn’t seem to be a concern…So in conclusion, Auburn needs refs to give them a win….TCU is REAL national champion.
bitch slapped dawg
January 11th, 2011
11:24 am
Has Auburn passed us too?
Pay the man
January 11th, 2011
11:24 am
The Scamster gives new meaning to the phrase Pay-Go……Nancy Pelosi is so proud…
Title Will Always Be In Question
January 11th, 2011
11:24 am
AU fans…you’ll have to defend this championship forever and you know it. It makes you mad and in your in denial (”we are lilly white clean and did nothing wrong”). Just know that 1 / 5 / 10 / … / 100 years from now, you’re blood pressure will roil when someone mentions it to you. HAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAA!
You bunch of Jackwagons!
HE WAS NOT DOWN!!
January 11th, 2011
11:25 am
To the idiots on here saying Dyer was down, you have no idea what you are talking about. Neither his knee nor his wrist ever touched the turf. According to the rules, if you plant your hand and your knee isn’t down, you are still not down. Thought the announcers made it pretty clear on the telecast, but what’s the point arguing with a bunch of jealous losers anyway
Corninmypooh
January 11th, 2011
11:26 am
Is it just me or does Auburn set the record for the most dirty thuggish team in National Championship history?
bitch slapped dawg
January 11th, 2011
11:27 am
some one please tell me what all this means
BAMA dude
January 11th, 2011
11:27 am
gdawginkalamazoo
January 11th, 2011
11:11 am
BAMA dude, LMOA! They must recruit their linemen to fit the socks? They don’t come in men’s sizes?
I guess that’s a possibility. Their O-line was pathetic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team line up in that formation from their own half-yard line. Guess they felt like they couldn’t block them at all.
BAMA dude
January 11th, 2011
11:28 am
Not sure why that went all italics, but whatever.
gadawgs
January 11th, 2011
11:28 am
Dyer was not down I have to agree even though he acted like he was and he admitted as such to a reporter after the game. Shame on Oregon’s D for not finishing the play. That was a good football play.
Driving Ms Dooley
January 11th, 2011
11:28 am
There are some really sad fans on here. Mostly dawgs it would appear. Living in denial. Don’t worry Dawg fans, Mark Richt is going to be “more emotional” I think is the plan. And he is going to run out onto the field in front of his players now.
Yeah, that should fix things. And if that doesn’t work, just keep playing the “we got cheated card”. And the NCAA doesn’t love us. Complaining that Oregon got cheated takes the cake.
Sad
wonder
January 11th, 2011
11:28 am
@ 11;22 ….sorry human being………had to be a “gadawg” making judgement. What about the 15 that had police run-in at uga. …sorry human being? Get a life uga fans
say what?
January 11th, 2011
11:29 am
Did I just read where a dawg fan called an Auburn player a thug?
Ahahahahahahahhahhhahahahahahahahahahahah!
Jack Wagon
January 11th, 2011
11:30 am
Auburn’s NC will have a * next to it following the completion of both the NCAA and FBI investigations. Now that Mike Slive can say the SEC has one another National Championship, he’ll follow his own rules of eligibility and declare Cam Newton ineligible to play in 2011. He’ll wash his hands like Pontius Pilot.
gadawgs
January 11th, 2011
11:32 am
Wonder..I am not making judgement I am stating facts. He was arrested for possessing the stolen laptop. He was caught cheating three times at FL and was close to being expelled not to mention the 15 traffic citations HE got all by himself while in Gainesville. Throw in the pay for play that yes he knew about and in my opionion makes him a cheater. So you have a thief & a cheater sounds like a good human being to me.
Corninmypooh
January 11th, 2011
11:33 am
say what?
Yes that’s exactly what you read. Prove me wrong. Auburn is dirty, there’s no question about it. Don’t waste your time trying to justify that other teams play the same way. Nobody plays as dirty as AU… that’s just a FACT you can’t deny!
uga so holy
January 11th, 2011
11:33 am
Maybe Richt needs to preach to the 80,000 drunks at his games…….
Dawg Tired
January 11th, 2011
11:34 am
Give it up Dawg fans. The Auburn folks on here are right. Both the NCAA and SEC have investigated. Both have told us that they know Cecil asked for money in return for Cam’s playing. Both the NCAA and the SEC have said it is ok that Cecil asked for money. Someone at Auburn read the SEC and the NCAA rules and correctly determined that Cam was ineligible (anyone who can read would reach that conclusion, especially as to the SEC rule in question). Then both the NCAA and SEC decided it is ok that Cecil asked for money as long as Cam did not know Cecil asked for money. Now you can argue all day long that his knowledge , or lack of knowledge, is irrelevant under the rules, but you will lose because both the NCAA and SEC are going to continue to ignore the technical wording of the rules, especially the SEC rule. Therefore, even-though someone at Auburn correctly read and interpreted the rule, both the NCAA and SEC decided not to enforce the rule. And that’s the end of the deal. Auburn will not, and should not, be required to forfeit this National Championship because their player was allowed to play by both the NCAA and SEC.
Jake
January 11th, 2011
11:35 am
What is this nonsense about Auburn winning the national champship in 1957? I am pretty certain Ohio State was the champ according to the rules in place at that time.
War Cam Eagle
January 11th, 2011
11:35 am
bitch slapped dawg:
What this all means is this. Dawg fans (you included) no longer have a constitutional right to speak down to any college football fans with the follwing exceptions:
Alabama A & M
Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Martin
West Georgia
South Carolina State
Western Kentucky
Central Florida (wait. Scratch this one)
Driving Ms Dooley
January 11th, 2011
11:35 am
Casey Mathews. Another guy who no one else wanted coming from a football family. What is the value in that you ask? What a play he made to keep his team in the game. You can’t coach things like that. The guy came across the field like a missle aimed at the football and caused the Cam fumble. Good stuff. You hate to see guys like that lose.
And I for one, will stay up late nights watching Oregon games in the future. Chip Kelly is fun to watch.
People are saying the Les is headed to Michigan. Stupid move I know but at least he won’t have to face an SEC schedule.
So who does LSU get?? Kirby? How bout Gus? Why not get Chip?
shankit
January 11th, 2011
11:36 am
Classic statement, preseason
Tide fan states “hell will freeze over
before Auburn wins a national championship.”
Heard there was 4 inches of ice and snow
in Tuscaloosa yesterday.
Blackberry Cobbler
January 11th, 2011
11:36 am
Congrats to Auburn.
Congrats for continuing the run of now 5 straight SEC champs as NC.
FL, LSU, AL, AU… the real powers of the SEC. Even SC and ARK have improved and had very good seasons.
All the while, UGA is trending downward and wallows in mediocrity at the hands of CMR.
Congrats again to Auburn. Sadly, UGA is a non-factor in the SEC and apparently the AD and University administration don’t have the cahonies to do anything about it expect keep giving CMR another chance.
fred
January 11th, 2011
11:38 am
maybe LSU will call Richt…
Jack Schitt
January 11th, 2011
11:38 am
War Cam Eagle
January 11th, 2011
11:35 am
bitch slapped dawg:
What this all means is this. Dawg fans (you included) no longer have a constitutional right to speak down to any college football fans with the follwing exceptions:
Alabama A & M
Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Martin
West Georgia
South Carolina State
Western Kentucky
Central Florida (wait. Scratch this one)
War Cam Eagle, good call!
BAMA dude
January 11th, 2011
11:39 am
Jake
January 11th, 2011
11:35 am
What is this nonsense about Auburn winning the national champship in 1957? I am pretty certain Ohio State was the champ according to the rules in place at that time.
Whose rules are you referring to?
shankit
January 11th, 2011
11:40 am
Jake – What is all this nonsense about Auburn winning in
1957, Ohio STate was the champion.
Well, Jake it was kinda like in 1942, when the AP awarded
Ohio STate the NC (AP awarded after season end and not
bowl win.) OSU was invited to play Georgia in the Rose
Bowl for the NC, and OSU declined. Georgia beat UCLA
and was awarded the NC by the Harris poll which awarded
after bowl game. Depends on which bowl you want to consider.
GoDownDawg
January 11th, 2011
11:41 am
EVERYONE needs to just pull out and give the Dawg Nation a break!
GeneralNeyland96
January 11th, 2011
11:42 am
Godowndog – wouldn’t that result in more of a splatter?
Denver Dog
January 11th, 2011
11:43 am
The longest yard comes to life!
RxDawg
January 11th, 2011
11:44 am
“Auburn deserved the National Championship. Period.”
On the field, your right.
Off the field, your wrong.
1785
January 11th, 2011
11:44 am
Tony:
Technically speaking, your statement, “Tigers their first national championship since 1957″ is not true, as that championship was stripped away for cheating.
There is also a possibility the championship of last night will also be removed.
http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/cam-newton-cecil-newton-auburn-tigers-questions-remain-after-championship-011011
Let us keep the record accurate.
Driving Ms Dooley
January 11th, 2011
11:46 am
Bama Dude. Referring to the 1957 Auburn team: All NC are mythical until we have a playoff. The system is run by money yet they can’t pay the players. It’s like slavery.
Texas had football revenue of $98 million or so and roughly $63 million was profit. It’s a slave industry driven by money with a political beauty pageant at the end. We have to vote for NC. Anytime you use the word vote you imply politics. Long answer I know but this BCS crap stinks.
The NFL complains that two weeks is too much time to wait to play the Super Bowl and the BCS waits 5 weeks so it can run its stupid little scam against the fans.
Sorry. Had to rail on the system again. Gimme a playoff anyday.
O-me
January 11th, 2011
11:47 am
Get real dawg fans. Right now UGA is not in a position to talk. Clean up our own back yard and put a winner on the field and everyone will respect us again. Get it done. I love UGA but I hate this BS uga fans put on other teams. Time to Man-up and do out talking on the field.
Denver Dog
January 11th, 2011
11:48 am
Dawg Tired, they will have to though! All of the statements from the NCAA, and SEC, said based on the information available now! That is the exact same statement the NCAA made about Liehnart and Bush. However, that is for others to decide and not me. Congratualtions to Auburn for being the best team in the BCS. TCU still has some claim, and they too should be boasting. Kind of like Auburn in 2004
Corninmypooh
January 11th, 2011
11:48 am
I’m sensing a large chip on the shoulder of AU fans. I think they realize their NC will be followed by a large *, which will state something like this:
2010 National Champions – Auburn* (*note: Their QB was involved in what should have been a disqualifying penalty rendering Auburn a below average team. ** Part II section One: The NCAA has ruled Auburn players to be Thugs. *** Part III Section Two: TCU should have been the real National Champions)
dawg 777
January 11th, 2011
11:49 am
I BET CECIL NEWTON WAS SITTING IN HIS MOTEL 6 ROOM SURROUNDED BY AUBURN BOOSTERS THROWING BAGS OF MONEY AT HIM, AFTER THE GAME. CECIL YOU ARE A RICH MAN NOW!!!!!!!!!
Pay the man
January 11th, 2011
11:49 am
That’s right…Do like the War Iggles….do the talkin’ on the field and the payin’ behind closed doors…
O-me
January 11th, 2011
11:49 am
our, not out, sorry
Tracey
January 11th, 2011
11:50 am
War Jacket:
I’m not a Georgia fan, but they did win the National Title in 1980 so I do think they know what it feels like!
suwanee dawg
January 11th, 2011
11:50 am
Congrats to Auburn you should be proud. Fairley continued to represent your school well. Unfortunately most successful schools have thugs playing for them, but the lack of discipline against Fairley for repeated inappropriate actions on film should be embarrassing. It is unfortunate we do not celebrate more kids like the Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs and the SEC has turned into thugville similar to Miami back in the day.
Dawg Tired
January 11th, 2011
11:50 am
No doubt a playoff is the way to really determine the NC. Unfortunately, such a system will in no way us.
BAMA dude
January 11th, 2011
11:51 am
1785
January 11th, 2011
11:44 am
Tony:
Technically speaking, your statement, “Tigers their first national championship since 1957″ is not true, as that championship was stripped away for cheating.
No it wasn’t. Their punishment for cheating was no Bowl game. The AP put out their final poll before bowl games at that time.
Georgia Tech Fan
January 11th, 2011
11:52 am
Georgia just scored again…. (42-34).
I’m a complete nerd!
TMZ on at 7:30 comcast channel 804
January 11th, 2011
11:52 am
A Crown? A tarnished crown…Au has blood on its hands.
Tell the truth
January 11th, 2011
11:52 am
SEC didn’t win dip last night Tony- Auburn did. The SEC went 5-5 in the bowls- beating the crap out of teams all over America- err wait beating 5 out of 10 teams that they played. never mind