College football 2010: The good and the bad
The SEC has won its fifth straight BCS national championship. Auburn has won its first national title since 1957. And the argument continues: What if No. 1 Auburn (14-0) played No. 2 TCU (13-0) on Saturday to settle the national title? We’ll never know.
The incredible thing about a college football season is that in July and August, it just feels like it will never start. Then, once it does, it seems to be over in a couple of heartbeats.
I will always remember the 2010 season because it gave us both the good and the bad that is the game of college football in the 21st century.
You know the good. The game, as it is played on the field, has never been better. Every week there was a new, dramatic story line. Every Saturday there was something that made us go “Wow!”:
**–Oct. 2: For about 90 seconds in Baton Rouge, Tennessee had apparently pulled a stunning upset at LSU. But on what appeared to be the last play of the game, Tennessee’s defense had 13 men on the field. LSU got one more snap and won.
**–Oct. 9: South Carolina upsets Alabama, the defending national champions, to beat the No. 1 team for the first time in school history.
**–Nov. 26: It was a Friday that we will never forget. Auburn rallies from a 24-0 deficit at Alabama and wins a game for the ages, 28-27. Then, in the wee hours of Nov. 27, Nevada ends Boise State’s dreams of playing for the national championship with a field goal in overtime.
I could go on and on. College football is so good now that we EXPECT to have these unforgettable moments week after week. The game rarely disappoints.
But we also had a chance to see college football’s dark side. This is the side that threatens to undermine the long-term credibility of the game with the public that loves it so:
**–The academic scandal at North Carolina that forced the school to suspend as many as 13 players. It turned an ACC championship caliber team into one which was lucky to finish 7-5.
**–Agent gate: One bad decision by one of the game’s premier players (A.J. Green), basically wrecked Georgia’s season. An agent throws a South Florida party for underclassmen because the benefit far outweighs the risk. This problem is not going away. It is only going to get worse if something doesn’t change–and quickly. Unfortunately, the NCAA doesn’t do much of anything quickly. They need to open up the proccess and get these kids talking to agents much earlier in their careers.
**–In June there was the money and power grab that was known as conference expansion and realignment. When it was over the Big Ten had 12 teams, the Big 12 had 10 teams, and the Mountain West had lost its three most high-profile programs: TCU (Big East), Utah (Pac-10), and BYU (Independent). The Pac-10 almost talked Texas into leaving and destroying the Big 12. It was an ugly thing to watch.
**–USC got hammered by the NCAA in the summer and Reggie Bush eventually gave back his Heisman Trophy.
**–While Cameron Newton’s play on the field was magnificent and deserving of the Heisman Trophy, the entire case involving his father was bad for college football. Legally, the NCAA had no choice but to let Newton play based on the facts (or lack of them) in evidence. But this loophole needs to be closed before another season comes around. The guardians of the sport had better hope that no more damning information comes out about this case. We watched USC vacate a national championship and its star player give back a Heisman Trophy. College football does not need another body blow like that.
**–And then there was the Ohio State ruling, which suspended five players for selling stuff given to them by the school. But the NCAA allowed the suspensions to start after they played in the Sugar Bowl. Critics jumped on the NCAA and college football because it appears both are making these rules up as they go along. The ruling made no sense unless you believe Ohio State’s claim that their players had not been instructed on the rules. I don’t.
There was also tragedy:
**–Student photographer Declan Sullivan was killed when the scissor tower where he was filming Notre Dame’s practice collapsed.
**–Eric LeGrand of Rutgers suffered paralysis in a terrbile injury against Army.
**–Mississippi State defensive end Nick Bell lost his battle with cancer. He was only 20 years old.
So again, it was a good season and it was a bad season. Mostly it was a tough season.
The hard edge to the Cameron Newton debate was disturbing. The kid almost lost everything because the father. The Newtons got lucky. The next kid whose father gets caught doing this won’t be so lucky. Parents who act like agents in the future (and get caught) will not be happy with the result.
The nastiness of the BCS debate is disquieting. I want a four-team playoff or a true plus-one, where two teams are picked after the bowls. I believe college football will need to made a change in the post-season format when the current BCS contract expires after the 2013 regular season. The debate has always kept interest high in college football. But I think we are reaching a tipping point where the debate is so destructive that it hurts the game.
In many ways it was another great season but in many I’m glad the season is over. I don’t remember feeling that way too many times.
Please follow me on Twitter:
“Barnhart and Durham:” Among our guests will be Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com. We’ll look at his early Top 25 for 2011. Join us at 10 a.m. www.790thezone.com
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572 comments Add your comment
TT
January 14th, 2011
2:47 pm
Tony, we already have a playoff system. It’s called the SEC Conference.
AFDawg
January 14th, 2011
2:55 pm
My Auburn friends tell me Cam was spotted on campus yesterday driving around in his new 2011 Cadillac. I don’t think his signing bonus would kick-in that quick — would it? I guess Daddy Newton finally gave his son some of the cash he got for selling his services to Auburn (the highest bidder). I think you touched on something important here when you talked about the bad in college football now-a-days. For me, the bad is far outweighing the good. It isn’t fun watching a school go out and buy a national championship and Heisman Trophy with a one-year wonder. It would have been different if Cam had been cultivated at Auburn. I’m sure Cam Newton feels very little allegiance to Auburn, they just served his purpose is all. The whole thing reminds me of Steinbrenner going out and buying the best team in baseball — what’s fun or exciting to watch about that? The fun part of baseball is seeing your rookies out of the farm system develop into stars. All of the other Heisman winners played for multiple years at their schools. The whole Newton thing is tainted and smells of corruption. It has definitely turned me off from college football as well as the inconsistency of the NCAA.
F the Big 10
January 14th, 2011
2:58 pm
With the overly biased, Big 10 saturated homers in the media, I supposed we’re going to have to endure even more than usual Ohio St. love for the next 5 years all because they barely beat an Arkansas team with their suspended players, the same Arkansas team that barely escaped the worst UGA team in 15 seasons. Just like how they still to this day reflect back on West Va.’s Sugar Bowl victory over UGA from 5 years ago, they will do the same with the Suckeyes for squeaking out a win against the pigs.
War Eagle
January 14th, 2011
2:59 pm
Bama and dawgs you can bitch, moan, complain and envy Auburn. They won National Championsship, SEC, Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Awards, Lombari Award, Coach of Year Award and 3 consenous All Americans.
UGA got beat by Central Florida ending with 6-7 season NO All-Americans
Bama you got beat by South Carolina 14 points who Auburn beat by 45 points in two games. YOU LOST TO AUBURN AFTER LEADING 24-0, 28-27 AT TUSALOOSA.
Bama played a good game at Capital One Bowl and represented SEC very good, but still 9-3 NO All Americans
Auburn won every major award in college football 2010, if you want to say Cam this and Cam that JUST DON`T FORGET HE BEAT BOTH YOUR A**
SO PLEASE DON`T COME BACK AND SAY WHAT ABOUT LAST YEAR AND 5 YEARS AGO and all that adventure,, I am talking 2010.Your TEAMS SUCKED THIS YEAR ESPECIALLY DAWGS.
James
January 14th, 2011
3:01 pm
AFDawg,
Stafford and Moreno are like Buck Belue compared to Cam’s allegiances to Auburn. And everyone knows how Stafford didn’t care to play college football, and Knowshon essentially picked UGA out of a hat. But they are considerably far more loyal to the Dawgs than $cam will ever be to his former employer.
DC
January 14th, 2011
3:01 pm
AFDawg,
Think before you post. You can’t be serious.
For the Bulldog Whiners
January 14th, 2011
3:03 pm
You Thuga fans still haven’t stopped whining about the beatdown in Auburn and your 6 and 7 team still stinks. Deal with it.
BAMA dude
January 14th, 2011
3:04 pm
gdawg, I’m sure Cecil could ’splain it to me so I can understand.
micha
January 14th, 2011
3:06 pm
You gotta admit, Cam was a very wise investment!!!
BAMA dude
January 14th, 2011
3:06 pm
War Eagle
January 14th, 2011
2:59 pm
Bama and dawgs you can bitch, moan, complain and envy Auburn.
The day I envy ANYTHING about, in, around, or from Lee County will be the day it’s time for me to go.
Lindsey
January 14th, 2011
3:07 pm
I enjoyed reading this article Tony, it has definatly been a memorable 2010 football season on and off the field!! GO DAWGS!!
gdawginkalamazoo
January 14th, 2011
3:10 pm
AFdawg, Did you ever hear the story of how Cam Newton met Rich Rodriguez? One day Rich Rod got fired from Michigan and decided to donate ALL of his Michigan gear to the Salvation Army. Lo and behold while he was there he ran to one Cam Newton who was donating his Auburn gear since he just declared for the draft. Said he didn’t need that anymore.
gdawginkalamazoo
January 14th, 2011
3:13 pm
Oh and when Cam introduces himself on Monday Night Football it will go like this:
“Cam Newton, tight end, THE Blinn Community College”
Jealous? of Auburn?
January 14th, 2011
3:16 pm
Heck, Mike Tyson won a championship too, but I’ve never been jealous of him.
Taint* nothing to be jealous of in Auburn.
AFDawg
January 14th, 2011
3:17 pm
Jakeau24, Typical Auburn fan defending dirty play. There were many other dirty plays committed by Fairly that he got away with. A lot of them are chronicled on YouTube — go watch for yourself. What did you think of Fairly wrenching an opposing players neck using the face mask for leverage while he’s got him pinned to the ground during the BCS championship game? I guess you didn’t see anything wrong with that. What if he had broken that player’s neck? In case you’ve never been told — trying to “take out” opposing players with dirty plays is called cheating. Auburn, from the administration, to the coaches, to the alumni, to the boosters, to the players are all about cheating. Anything to win. I guess you thought Brandon Spikes trying to gouge Moreno’s eyes was okay too. Fairly is a disgrace to the game — personally I think he’ll end up in jail someday — that’s his mentality.
MikeP
January 14th, 2011
3:19 pm
BAMA dude
January 14th, 2011
2:22 pm
“Good luck to Cam in the NFL don’t blow all that bonus money in one church.”
———————————————————
In your spare time, check the minutes of the Newnan, Georgia city council meetings. Unlike FBI investigations, those are a matter of public record. Cecil had the money to fix the church in July, 2009. That’s six months before Cam signed with Auburn. Sorry to spoil your fun.
AFDawg
January 14th, 2011
3:26 pm
DC, I’m dead serious about the Cadillac and everything else. Call some folks at Auburn and ask about it — they’ll verify the story for you.
Jerome
January 14th, 2011
3:27 pm
I wonder if Cam will have to take a pay cut as a pro?
Tiger for life
January 14th, 2011
3:29 pm
As the only honest Auburn fan on this blog, I for one am glad we paid Cam. Look what it got us? If we have to vacate the title on down the road, so be it, but I suspect Mike Slive and Mr. Lowder did a very good job of sweeping up all the bread crumbs.
give me a break
January 14th, 2011
3:31 pm
so daddy Cam had the money all along? Just for fun he waited to repair the church days before it was going to be condemned? Now I’ve heard everything!!!
Thuga
January 14th, 2011
3:32 pm
Will thuga’s chop blocking, punching center return for the 2011 season? You know, the one forced to sit out of the first half against Colorado because of illegal blocks in the prior game. He could have ended a players career with those chop blocks.
DawginLex
January 14th, 2011
3:33 pm
Thuga,
Too bad Ben Jones missed in his attempt to get Fairley.
give me a break
January 14th, 2011
3:34 pm
Is an Auburn fan really talking about dirty hits??!?!!? LOL!!!!!!
greg
January 14th, 2011
3:35 pm
@ Tiger for life,
Well thanks for honesty. Enjoy your title while you can. If I had to guess, you have about another 6 months to brag about it.
how2fish
January 14th, 2011
3:36 pm
MikeP got a question if there are 4 sources that debunked the rumor that Cam cheated at UF, wouldn’t those sources be just as guilty of breaking the law as whoever started the rumor..they would have to have access to sealed records and then go public with said records correct? Don’t get me wrong I don’t care one way or the other but did 4 public sources really put up their hands and go “Look we can debunk the rumors, but we had to break the law to do it” ….
BAMA dude
January 14th, 2011
3:38 pm
MikeP
January 14th, 2011
3:19 pm
BAMA dude
January 14th, 2011
2:22 pm
“Good luck to Cam in the NFL don’t blow all that bonus money in one church.”
———————————————————
In your spare time, check the minutes of the Newnan, Georgia city council meetings. Unlike FBI investigations, those are a matter of public record. Cecil had the money to fix the church in July, 2009. That’s six months before Cam signed with Auburn. Sorry to spoil your fun.
HaHa. Where to begin:
1) It was a joke
2) gdawginkalamazoo said it, I just quoted it (thus them there italics)
3) Cecil’s found out in the preachin’ bidness that you gotta get money down.
gdawginkalamazoo
January 14th, 2011
3:39 pm
give me a break, don’t you know that the Lord works in mysterious ways?
Mindy
January 14th, 2011
3:40 pm
The nastiness of the BCS debate is disquieting. I want a four-team playoff or a true plus-one, where two teams are picked after the bowls. I believe college football will need to made a change in the post-season format when the current BCS contract expires
The college presidents don’t want it — they’ll miss out on a lot of money for their schools if we delete the power of the bowls in any manner. BCS is probably here to stay.
Dave
January 14th, 2011
3:40 pm
Auburn’s still going to have to return the hardware, as will Newton. Once the FBI got involved, it became a matter of time. The FBI’s top priority remains convictions on the vote-buying corruption — but the Auburn stuff can’t be ignored. And given the political theater value, it won’t be.
Between Cecil’s shenanigans and Fairley’s antics, Auburn becomes a popular target. I give it 12 months.
BAMA dude
January 14th, 2011
3:40 pm
AFDawg
January 14th, 2011
3:26 pm
DC, I’m dead serious about the Cadillac and everything else. Call some folks at Auburn and ask about it — they’ll verify the story for you.
It is highly likely that the Cadillac (or at least the money used to buy it), IF it even exists, came from an agent since he declared. Mark Ingram already inked a seven-figure autograph deal.
Gen Neyland
January 14th, 2011
3:40 pm
zoo: When that scenerio plays out we’ll have to consider Pryor an honest man that flunk out for undisclosed reasons…
BAMA dude
January 14th, 2011
3:43 pm
gdawginkalamazoo
January 14th, 2011
3:13 pm
Oh and when Cam introduces himself on Monday Night Football it will go like this:
“Cam Newton, tight end, THE Blinn Community College”
He should say “Holy Zion Center for Deliverance.” That’s where he learned to deny.
Tide Rising
January 14th, 2011
3:47 pm
2011 preseason rankings are already out. OU is no. 1 with 18 returning starters off an 11-2 team. Bama is no. 2 with 16 returning starters off a 10-3 no. 10 team. We’re also poised to finish with the nation’s #1 ranked recruiting class for the 3rd time in the past 4 years.
LSU was 5th I think and Ark was 8th. LSU looks to be loaded and with Zach Mettenberger being the good qb they’ve been missing for the last 3 years they will be right back in the mix. Miss State has 16 returning starters also including their qb and should also be really good.
The west looks especially strong again in 2011. AU was ranked 17th and will take a pretty good dip with loosing Cam, Fairly, 4 of 5 starting O-lineman and 24 seniors. Great year in 2010 AU but its back to 8-4 for you in 2011. On the bright side you have the next 8 1/2 months to party and celebrate until the 2011 season starts.
Gen Neyland
January 14th, 2011
3:47 pm
Tiger for life : The price Auburn may have to pay the devil (Slive) down the road might make you weep. As one much wiser than I has noted : Slive is the SEC’s judge, jury and executioner. No telling what’ll be asked of AU when the chit comes due…Anyway, congrats on your title…
Whiskeydawg
January 14th, 2011
3:49 pm
Thanks Tony for a lot of good reporting this year. I think what we’ll never know about a Auburn and TCU matchup is the margin of victory by Auburn. I just don’t see them beating them.
Tyrone Biggums
January 14th, 2011
3:51 pm
SEC fans amuse me. At times, you show huge solidarity with those SEC chants. Then other times, like this message board, you rip each other to shreds. Well, which one is it?
BARNERGEDDON
January 14th, 2011
3:52 pm
http://auburngate.com/
gdawginkalamazoo
January 14th, 2011
3:53 pm
Gen Neyland, we can guess that he is no Greg McELroy when it comes to academics.
BAMA dude, LMAO! He might even say that instead.
BAMA dude
January 14th, 2011
3:53 pm
Tyrone Biggums
January 14th, 2011
3:51 pm
SEC fans amuse me. At times, you show huge solidarity with those SEC chants. Then other times, like this message board, you rip each other to shreds. Well, which one is it?
Anyone? I’m sure someone here can answer this intelligent man’s question since we’re all the same.
Okie From Muskogee
January 14th, 2011
3:53 pm
We’re Number 1 !!!
We’re Number 1 !!!
We’re Number 1 !!!
how2fish
January 14th, 2011
3:54 pm
Tyrone Biggums its both we are like brothers fighting we maybe in the process of beating each other senseless but if you get in the middle BOTH will turn on you.
how2fish
January 14th, 2011
3:55 pm
Okie From Muskogee as a UGA fan…be careful what you wish for…….
BAMA dude
January 14th, 2011
3:56 pm
how2fish
January 14th, 2011
3:54 pm
Tyrone Biggums its both we are like brothers fighting we maybe in the process of beating each other senseless but if you get in the middle BOTH will turn on you.
Like hell. I’d watch a Barner take an asswhuppin and laugh while I did.
b0bBiE jOe in AuBurn, AlaBama
January 14th, 2011
3:57 pm
aLL yOUs GeOrga fAnS crakE mE up!! h0w mAny of yOUs eVaN attanDed thAt sKooL any wAys??? ProbleMy n0ne!!!
war beagle
January 14th, 2011
3:57 pm
DC
January 14th, 2011
2:44 pm
bama dude,
No. It was extremely evident that Cam was trying too hard with his passes and over threw several times when he had wide open teammates.
Yeah, especially the one from the 5 yard line that he threw at the receivers feet.
nate
January 14th, 2011
3:58 pm
Its every SEC fans right to ridicule, question and mock each other. Even Vandy has a voice. But no outsiders are allowed.
how2fish
January 14th, 2011
4:00 pm
BAMA dude yeah you would but if they were spouting off about the SEC in general…I think you’d stand tall…actually I think I remember you doing that in the past correct?
Jacket Nation
January 14th, 2011
4:02 pm
Keeping thumping your bird chests SECers. The ACC dominated you yet again in yet another bowl season. If the ACC was able to play the SEC straight up, 1 seed vs. 1 seed, 2 seed vs. 2 seed, etc., the ACC would take 10 of 12 every time, every year.
how2fish
January 14th, 2011
4:03 pm
Jacket Nation thanks for that I’ve needed a good laugh all day and you’ve supplied me with chuckles for the entire weekend!!!
Jacket Nation
January 14th, 2011
4:04 pm
*Keep