In a season plagued by cheating scandals and rules violations, it seems only fitting that the BCS National Championship should feature two teams on opposite sides of that moral divide.
Representing the USCs of the world is Auburn, led by their $200,000 star quarterback Cameron Newton. Fans in Tiger Country will inevitably protest his innocence, but as Tiger Woods, the University of North Carolina and a host of others can tell you, where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. Are we really to believe that Newton decommitted from Mississippi State for free after his father sought $180,000 for Cameron’s services? No, I think not.
But Auburn is not alone in its misconduct. Ohio State players sold football memorabilia for profit, North Carolina players received free trips and had papers written by a tutor, and the Trojans were busted for widespread violations by both their basketball and football programs.
The slew of scandals this season could easily breed cynicism and contribute to a perception that cheating is the only way to stay relevant in today’s ultra-competitive world of college football. How easy it must be for schools like Auburn to justify their transgressions on the grounds that everyone else is cheating too. Because they are, aren’t they?
Gene Chizik and the Auburn Tigers will have to look no further than the opposing sideline on Monday to get the answer to that question.
Amid the madness, Chip Kelly will lead a program into action that has done things the right way. Seven months ago when star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli broke the rules, Kelly stuck by his word and sent him packing, seemingly choosing integrity over a chance to compete for a national championship.
Now his program has both. In a sports landscape where many believe winning is everything, my guess is that dishonesty and violations would have done little to curb Oregon fans’ enthusiasm, but I urge the Duck faithful to enjoy more than the touchdowns and tackles on Monday. In front of the greatest fans on Earth, Kelly will lead a team into battle that we can all be proud of, not just for making it to Glendale, but for how they made it.
In a season of scandal, there is still hope for the good guys. Let’s go Ducks!
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