B$C$: The government might be forced to step in -- this year. Newton saga not about Newton, but TARP fraud?

Oh boy.

I don't even know how much longer ESPN can keep this quiet.

I've been basically following the Cam Newton situation, and came across LSU message board Tigerdroppings.com and this thread in the "SEC Rant" section entitled "As the Plains Burn...".

In absolutely no uncertain terms:

If even a small portion of the alleged material which the original several posts in this thread come out to pass on the part of a purported multidimensional FBI investigation, the Federal government is going to take over college football in very short order. Perhaps as early as this year.

Basically, this is the latest part of the Newton investigation to "go viral". It purports a massive amount of research into long-standing and pervasive violations in the Auburn program which, if exposed, might not only fell the Auburn football team nor just the athletic program...

These allegations, if being investigated and found true, might end Auburn University itself. There is one claim that previous misconduct had already put Auburn on probation with a group called the SACS, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

This is the sanctioning body which allows a Southern-US institution to actually be accredited, and the probation would be the largest sanction they could give before disqualifying a school from, frankly, being a school!

This actually did occur in December of 2003.

The first several posts in the thread indicate accusations of a pattern of behavior going back to 1992 (!!), and that Cam Newton is the least of Auburn's problems (and, in fact, the State of Alabama's).

• This apparently has roots in the government takeover of Alabama's Colonial Bank, and what the Feds found when they seized the bank. Four members of the Board of Directors of Colonial BancGroup at the end of the last full year of it's business (2007) are rumored to have also been on the Board of Trustees of Auburn University while much of this was going down. Much of the misconducts alleged are from wiretaps of Colonial Bank and it's Board of Directors, and the Auburn stuff is actually peripheral to it.
  
• The misconducts alleged go far beyond pay-for-play. They include:

1. Improper benefits in allowing Auburn players into casinos (and rigging the games that the boys would actually win them all the time!),
   
2. Unmarked (and, hence, untraceable) ATM cards (which probably indicate slush accounts) for Auburn players,
3. Improper loans to players and their families over the last two years, at least.

• The rumor is that the NCAA actually wanted Auburn to sit Newton, on the basis of these allegations, for the recent win over Georgia. (This is patently asinine, for Auburn is already in it far too deep to get out now. Sitting Newton now is an admission of guilt, and that Newton was never eligible in the first place -- at Auburn or anywhere else.)
• The belief, according to several "sources", is that Auburn boosters know their school is materially finished as a relevant program, so it's going to steal the National Championship and the Heisman, even if it is taken away later.
• The overhanging situation may also have already resulted in charges against four Alabama state legislators.

One "source" said that we would find out more "by the end of the week". Well, today is Friday -- I'd say that qualifies.

Now, let's get to brass tacks on this.

If the FBI has even a remote FRACTION of the material that this thread claims it has, the FBI must step in and seize control of the present BC$, at least vis-a-vis the 2010-11 season.

Auburn has only one regular-season game left, against Alabama in the "Iron Bowl". It has already clinched a berth (as long as they remain eligible for it) to represent the SEC West in the SEC Championship Game, the winner of which gets a BCS berth, and a berth in the National Championship Game if it's Auburn (as long as it beats Alabama).

LSU's only loss is to Auburn, and having it nullified would result, probably, in LSU (once everything is reexamined) jumping the two non-AQ schools to take Auburn's spot. LSU's one meaningful remaining contest is at Arkansas.

Then you've got the two non-AQ schools themselves. TCU is almost a lock for 12-0, while Boise has three games left, including showdowns against Fresno State this week and at Nevada next week.

So basically, I've been calling for the NCAA (or whatever authorities have the information) to declare Newton ineligible if it can be proven so -- BEFORE THE SEC TITLE GAME.

A Newton ineligibility puts LSU against South Carolina. A victory by a then-declared-undefeated LSU probably gives them a National Title berth. That's one lawsuit if this goes past the naming of the BC$ pairings.

Then you have TCU, who might declare direct succession. That's two.

Then you have Boise State, who might (correctly) claim a conspiracy all along to ensure they never got the chance. That's three.

Then you have the real wild card. Say, as an example, the FBI doesn't come out with this until after the BC$ names who plays for their National Title. Newton is then declared ineligible, and then the FBI pretty much has to step in and order the BC$ to redo the rankings and find who actually WILL play for the title.

Auburn's in too deep, the NCAA is probably stuck, the BC$ is probably hanging by a slimmer thread every day... It's clear there is help in VERY HIGH PLACES in this situation for Cam Newton and the other Auburn players. Can they get Auburn through at least Christmas before this explodes the entire university?