Sports Then and Now

Cam Newton led Auburn back against Alabama and proved his own the field accomplishments are worthy of the Heisman Trophy.

For now, the championship picture in college football seems a bit clearer, but with one week left there is still time for a mess to develop at the top of the standings.

Comebacks Set Contenders Apart

For a team to truly be deserving of being considered the best team in college football they must be able to come back from adversity and also be able to withstand the challenge from opponents who are playing at the top of their game.

Both Auburn and Oregon solidified their positions at the top of the BCS rankings by taking the best shots from Alabama and Arizona, respectively, and still coming out on top.

The rally by Auburn from a 24-7 halftime deficit probably secured the Heisman Trophy for quarterback Cam Newton and potentially will propel the Tigers into the BCS title game regardless of the outcome of their conference championship tussle with South Carolina.

Oregon made some miscues in their opening half against Arizona, but proved in the second half that they have one of the most explosive offenses in the country. They will have a challenge at Oregon State, but if they cannot win that game on the road then they probably don’t belong in the national title conversation.

Conversely, Boise State is no longer in the national title picture because they could not withstand the second half rally by host Nevada. The Broncos nearly remained undefeated, but a missed field goal at the end of regulation and another in overtime proved too much to overcome.

Some are now saying the Broncos were a fraud and never really deserving of consideration for the BCS Championship Game. It is likely that if Boise State played in the SEC or Big Ten they would have a difficult time winning every week, but they would still be a contender for conference titles and BCS bowl bids. Under the current landscape, Boise State has to finish undefeated to have a chance at even making a BCS bowl and that seems highly unfair as they are certainly better than the best teams from either the Big East or ACC and better than anyone in the Pac 10 other than Oregon. Read the rest of this entry →