Earlier this week, a number of Auburn season-ticket holders received phone calls thanking them for their support of the 2013 Tiger football team.  Those calls came from Cam Newton.

Sort of.

The former Heisman-winner at Auburn recorded a message that was used in a “robocall” campaign.  Newton’s message to the Auburn faithful:

“War Eagle!  This is Cam Newton.  I was blown away by the strong showing of the Auburn Family at A-Day to celebrate a new day of Auburn football.  Coach (Gus) Malzahn has developed a fast-paced, exciting, hard-nosed team that plays football the Auburn way.  I just wanted to personally thank you for your support of the team.  I know we will be rolling Toomer’s Corner again this fall.  Bring your friends to help us sell out every game and let’s create an atmosphere that propelled us to a national championship.  I look forward to seeing you at Jordan-Hare Stadium on August 31st for our season-opener against Washington State.  War Eagle!”

In case you’re wondering how Auburn fans plan on rolling Toomer’s Corner now that the two majestic oaks felled by Harvey Updyke have been removed, click here.  The school is planning to use strands of wire to catch the tossed toilet paper until new trees grow large enough to handle the weight on their own.

NFL quarterback and former Heisman Trophy-winner Cam Newton stopped by his old stomping grounds yesterday and took in a bit of Gus Malzahn’s practice.  He liked what he saw from his old coach as he spread out to work with the defense.  And he liked what he heard in terms of piped in noise and music:

“It’s always going to be tough for any coach whose heart has been around the offense for so long to have to spread things around.  I use the analogy of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  There’s so much peanut butter on just one side, now you’ve got to spread out to everybody else…

If anything, I wish they were doing things (as Malzahn is now) when I was here.  The music, I love the music.  Third-down situations, it provides an excellent simulation of the game.  It’s going to be very, very intriguing to see this whole process come to fruition.”

Malzahn, of course, was Auburn’s offensive coordinator under Gene Chizik when Newton won the Heisman and led Auburn to the 2010 national championship.

Charges made in a story by ESPN’s Roopstigo.com’s Selena Roberts accusing the Auburn football program of multiple violations are having a ripple effect throughout the SEC today.  Late this afternoon, Auburn A.D. Jay Jacobs issued a statement saying those allegations will be reviewed.

Anytime accusations are made against Auburn, we take them seriously. We have no reason to believe these allegations are either accurate or credible. However, as a matter of procedure, we are reviewing them carefully.

It is important to note that several of the sources in this story have since indicated they were either misquoted, quoted out of context or denied the allegations.

Unfortunately, the reporter who published this story did not fully represent to us what the story was about when requesting an interview. We were only told that the reporter was working on a story about the alleged armed robbery involving four former football players, which occurred over two years ago.

We were never told the story would include allegations about academic fraud or improper benefits. Had we known that, we would have responded immediately with the statement above.

Jacobs is not the only one commenting on the story. Former Auburn coach Gene Chizik also issued a statement today taking issue with the story, calling it “long on accusation and inference, but short on facts and logic. It is noteworthy that the story comes just days before a player mentioned most prominently in the article is set to go to trial for felony armed robbery.” Former Auburn safety McNeil goes on trial Monday for felony armed robbery stemming from an incident in 2011.

Chizik took aim directly at Roberts, saying: “If there is a sad truth here, it is that there are no repercussions for bloggers who blast out widespread, venomous allegations and inferences in such an irresponsible manner.”

Cam Newton declined to answer questions but did say this: “I’m going to let the right people to talk about it.  Of course I’m concerned, but I think the truth will come out.”

NCAA President Mark Emmert called it a “newspaper story,” saying that, ” We haven’t done anything with that case because we don’t know anything about it.”

Part of the story concerned current Florida coach and former Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who was accused of giving an Auburn player nearly $400 in cash.  “Totally deny it,” Muschamp told The Gainesville Sun. “I don’t know where this is coming from.”

Brutal.

That’s all that can be said about a recent radio bit from WNKS-FM in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The station set it up for Carolina Panther and ex-Auburn Tiger quarterback Cam Newton to help Brian — stationed in New Mexico as a member of the Air Force — propose to his Charlotte-resident girlfriend, Kim.

First, Newton surprised Brian.  Then he tried to help Brian pop the question…

Kim:  This is cool!

Cam:  You think this is cool?  I think this is even cooler.  I think Brian has a question that he wants to ask you.

Kim:  What?

Brian:  Kim.

Kim:  Yes?

Brian:  From the moment I met you, I knew I loved you.  And I knew I wanted to love you for the rest of my life.  And I know when you say something over and over again it loses meaning.  (But) everytime I say I love you I mean it and I want you to be my wife.  I want you to marry me.

Kim:  Oh, my… I can’t believe Cam Newton is on the phone.

Radio Host:  Kim, answer the guy!

Kim:  Yeah, of course.

“I can’t believe Cam Newton is on the phone” were probably not the first words Brian wanted to hear.  Of course, maybe that’s what he gets for proposing as part of a bit on “Charlotte’s #1 Hit Music Station.”

Good luck to the happy couple.  Who needs Paris?  They’ll always have Cam Newton.

The NCAA rule book is too thick.

To quote Dan Aykroyd as Bob Dole: “You know it, I know it, and the American people know it.”  NCAA president Mark Emmert knows it, too.

At yesterday’s NCAA convention in Grapevine, Texas, Emmert admitted the following:

“It turns out we know how to write rules.  One of the problems is sometimes we write lots and lots and lost of rules…

Just as the shiny side of the competition has the side that can also bring dysfunction to it, so too can the regulatory side.  And we have to recognize that as we try to balance that coin on its edge.”

Emmert’s comments come as the NCAA is re-working its rule book and trying to make things simpler.  Coaches and fans have been yelping for such action for years.

But there’s a problem that comes with ripping pages from the NCAA manual — less rules will mean more loopholes.  Less black-and-white will mean more gray.

Let’s look back at the Cam Newton situation as an example.  As Auburn was roaring toward the BCS title in 2010, all eyes focused on Newton as it became clear that his father had asked some Mississippi State boosters for cash in exchange for his son’s signature.  But Newton was not punished.  First, he supposedly had no idea of his father’s actions.  Second, Newton signed with Auburn, not MSU.  Third, no smoking gun was ever found tying Auburn to alleged payments.  So Newton played.  Auburn won.  And everything — especially on The Plains — was hunky-dory.

But should a parent be able to ask for cash in exchange for his son’s services on a football field or basketball court?  Obviously the answer is no.  So the NCAA closed the so-called Newton loophole at last year’s convention.  The rule-makers decided to expand the definition of an agent to include third-party influences including parents.  Meaning that if a player’s parent — acting as an agent — has his or her hand out asking for loot, the player will be ruled ineligible just as quickly as if an agent had tried to broker a deal for him.  No cash has to even change hands.  Ask for money, your kid is ineligible.

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Many thanks to the Associated Press today.  Oh, sure they announced that Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was a unanimous choice as their SEC Offensive Player of the Year.  And, yes, the redshirt freshman most certainly deserved the honor after setting a new single season total offense record in a league once rule by dual-threat dynamos Cam Newton and Tim Tebow.

But more importantly, the AP sent out a headline that’s pretty much been used by all: “‘Johnny Football’ Lauded As Mr. SEC.”

Shucks, folks, all of his here at MrSEC.com appreciate the free plug.

In all seriousness, is it any wonder Manziel won the award?  His final stat line for the season:

*  Led the SEC in rushing with 1,181 yards on 184 carries for a 6.42-yard average and 19 touchdowns

*  Third in the SEC passing with 3,419 yards on 400 attempts with a completion percentage of 68.3, 24 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions

*  Accounted for 39 rushing plays of 10 or more yards, 18 of 20 or more yards, and 10 of 30 or more yards

*  Led the SEC in total offense with 4,600 yards thru 12 games for an average per-game performance of 383.3 yards
The AP’s Offensive Player of the Year Award for the SEC isn’t the only honor Manziel is expected to win this week.  He’s also believed to be the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy.

Oddsmaker and self-describe knower of “the bagman” Danny Sheridan was in Tuscaloosa last night and he had a lot more to say about Auburn.  Last year Sheridan caused a stir by claiming to know who acted as an alleged go-between when AU supposedly funneled money to the family of Cam Newton to gain the player’s services.  He revealed no name when asked to do so on a nationally syndicated radio program and was branded a fraud/buffoon by most.

Now he’s back with new claims:

“Based on what I’ve heard, the NCAA is looking at their program.  I’ll say that on the record…

I will quickly say, I hope they are exonerated. But if it’s true that they’ve taken two of their coaches off the road, that generally speaking is not a good sign. Usually when you take a coach off the road, it’s an effort to placate the NCAA.”

The Birmingham News has some videos from Sheridan’s speech here.

Whether Sheridan is correct this time around or not, Auburn could do without the national headlines the oddsmaker’s claims will bring.  Gene Chizik and AD Jay Jacobs must feel as though the walls — if not the NCAA — are closing in on them.

As Texas A&M mushed through its preseason camp in August, no one knew which of four quarterback candidates would land the starting job under first-year coach Kevin Sumlin.  When he selected redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel, it surprised many.

Half a season later and that decision might have been the best Sumlin’s made since arriving in College Station.  And he’s made several good decisions as evidenced by the Aggies’ surprising 5-1 start and #18 BCS ranking.

Manziel’s record-setting ways have been a big reason for A&M’s successes so far.  In fact, he’s been downright Cam Newton-esque.

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At the end of the 2008 season, Auburn AD Jay Jacobs fired Tommy Tuberville and his staff following a 5-7 season.  Jacobs hired former Tuberville assistant Gene Chizik away from Iowa State and much head-scratching ensued on the Plains.  To fill the vacancy left by Chizik in Ames, ISU turned to former Auburn defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads who’d just been let go by the Tigers.

In January of 2010, Jacobs looked like a genius.  Chizik had a BCS championship ring and Cam Newton had a Heisman Trophy.  (Of course, the school also had to deal with all manner of scrutiny and accusations regarding Newton and the NCAA even changed a rule after the fact to close the so-called “Newton loophole.”)  But two years later, it’s fair to ask who really wound up making the better hire back in ’08: Auburn or Iowa State?

In two years in Ames, Chizik posted a 5-19 record, including an 0-8 Big XII record in 2008.  At Auburn, his teams have finished 8-5, 14-0 with Newton, 8-5, and now 1-4 to begin the 2012 campaign.  Tally it up and that’s a 36-33 mark over five-and-a-half seasons as a head coach.  Take out the Newton season and Chizik is just 22-33 overall, 17-14 at Auburn overall, and just 7-12 in the SEC.

Meanwhile, Rhoads took over a team that had gone 5-19 under Chizik and has reached two bowl games, finished with a winning record in his first season, and now has Iowa State at 4-1 this season following a 37-23 win at #15 TCU on Saturday… a win that ended the nation’s longest win streak at 12 games.  Rhoads also has upsets over #22 Texas in 2010, #19 Texas Tech in 2011, and a 37-31 shocker over then #2 Oklahoma State last November under his belt.  He’s currently 22-21 as the Cyclones’ head coach.

You won’t find Rhoads matching up well with Chizik in the recruiting rankings.  Currently, Auburn is #9 in terms of 2013 commitments while Iowa State is #60.  Last year, Auburn’s post-signing day rank was #10 in the nation.  Iowa State was #87.

But ISU’s coach appears to be a guy who can do more with less, while Chizik is a guy who’s looking increasingly like a guy who can do more… with Cam Newton.  Iowa State appears to be getting better.  Auburn appears to be getting worse.

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1. South Carolina as national championship contenders? Dennis Dodd: “Once you get past Alabama, LSU, Arkansas and Georgia in the SEC, Carolina is one hell of a fifth option. Not just for the conference, for the national championship.”

2. South Carolina will use last year’s loss to Auburn as motivation.

3. Maybe it was losses to the Tigers that had Steve Spurrier forgetting Cam Newton.

4. Scott Rabalais:  ”There ought to be a Steve Spurrier channel.”

5. What to expect from South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw this fall: “I’m not going to take my legs away me, but I’m definitely going to rely on my arm more.”

6. James Franklin knows how to sell Vanderbilt football: “We have more things to sell than any other program. If you’re the best and the brightest, where else would you go?”

7. Robbie Andreu on Franklin:” In his one year in Nashville, he’s made Vanderbilt relevant.”

8. Franklin on the Vandy-Tennessee game: ”To be honest with you, I don’t really consider it a rivalry,” Franklin said. “It has to be a lot more competitive before it becomes a rivalry. It’s been onesided.”

9. Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rogers on his coach: “He’s a psycho but we love him.”

10. Bruce Feldman on Texas A&M:  “There is a lot of reason for optimism.”

11. Key for the Aggies? Replacing their quarterback.

12. Players get a lot of questions about SEC competition: Aggies linebacker Sean Porter: “I don’t think it’s going to be overwhelming for us.”

13. Ron Higgins: “If this thing gets any bigger, they may have to move it to a domed stadium.”

14. A thousand media members with a thousand questions.  For A&M and Missouri – welcome to the SEC.

15. Andy Staples: “On the field, the Tigers and their fellow newcomers from Texas A&M have been warned that the league’s teams stock their rosters with fire-breathing, boulder-chewing monsters whose Ess Eee See Speed allows them to outrun Camaros.”

16. The Missouri Tigers want everyone to know their spread offense is different:”We had the ninth-best rushing team in all of college football last year,” wide receiver T.J. Moe said. “We had 3,000 yards running and 3,000 yards passing. 

17. Moe on the Missouri-Georgia game: “If you ask me, it’s probably going to be the most anticipated game in Missouri football history.”

18. And what do the Tigers know about the Bulldogs? “Not a whole lot yet.”

19. Matt Hayes on the Tigers: “It could be a defining moment. Or it could be, meh.”

20. Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel defends Joe Paterno: “Joe Paterno’s a friend that I got to know professionally, and you can’t take away the greatness of this man.”

21. Day One - best and worst moments.