Player of the Year in college football can't pick his favorite play --Yet

[Saniflush]

AUBURN -- Cam Newton has lifted Auburn from the back of the Top 25 to No. 1, leading the Tigers to the Jan. 10 national title game against No. 2 Oregon with a mix of flair, poise and highlight-reel plays.

Newton already has raked in the Heisman Trophy and Davey O'Brien, Walter Camp and Maxwell awards for his spectacular season. He added The Associated Press Player of the Year honor to his collection on Wednesday.

An NCAA investigation into Newton's recruitment, which threw his eligibility into doubt during November, had no effect on how he played down the stretch -- or the voting for the AP award. It was about as lopsided as the Heisman vote.

Newton received 51 votes from the 60-member AP football poll panel. Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore received three, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck got two, and four ballots were not returned.

In less than a year, Newton has gone from the obscurity of junior college to helping transform a team that went 8-5 last season and started this one ranked No. 22 to an undefeated SEC championship squad.

It wasn't all about the big plays, though. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn said he was more impressed by Newton's leadership in repeatedly bringing the team from behind, including a 24-0 deficit at Alabama in the final regular-season game.

"The sign of a special quarterback is one that has the abilities to make his teammates better and make his teammates believe in things that maybe they wouldn't believe without him," Malzahn said. "We've faced some major adversity earlier in the year when we didn't know each other that well.

"We were down to Clemson 17-0 at home, and it was ugly as all get out. But he didn't change then. He's a rock, as far as all that's concerned. Doesn't panic."

As the season wore on, Newton's skills bloomed and not even a scandal could slow him.

He deftly played through an NCAA investigation into a pay-for-play recruiting attempt involving his father, Cecil, at Mississippi State. The NCAA said Cecil Newton sought payment from the Bulldogs, but there was no evidence that his son or Auburn knew about it.

The week before the SEC title game, the NCAA said Newton could play, and he accounted for six touchdowns in a 56-17 victory against South Carolina. That locked up a spot in the BCS title game on Jan. 10 in Glendale, Ariz.

It's the second straight season Newton has led his team to the national championship game. He guided Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, to the JUCO championship last year, but only a few noticed.

"We probably have more people in this room here alone than the whole junior college national championship game," Newton said.

A snapshot view Newton's on-the-field exploits includes a handful of plays that helped a player whose bio consumes a scant quarter of a page in Auburn's media guide become the biggest thing on the Plains since Bo Jackson.

Newton's choice for his top play is TBA.

"I hope my favorite play comes during this BCS championship game," he said. "I still have one more game to play, and I probably could tell you after this game."

Other players have already picked favorites.

Against Kentucky, Newton leaped in the air and, falling backward out of bounds, managed to flick the ball downfield for a 33-yard completion to Kodi Burns.

"He scrambled out of the pocket and had guys all over him, fell out of bounds and threw it sideways about 45 yards on a scramble play," Malzahn said. "It's one of those plays when it happens right in front of you, you say, 'Did that really just happen?'"

A 71-yard touchdown run in the opener against Arkansas State before Malzahn really turned Newton loose.

"It was a long, long run," recalled backup quarterback Barrett Trotter. "That being the first game of the year, I think that was one of the most impressive plays I can think of."

Guard Byron Isom chose a shorter run when Newton steamrolled Arkansas linebacker Jerico Nelson for a touchdown.

"It was a counter play, and I had pulled, and he ran over the linebacker into the end zone," Isom said. "I think it just showed the all-around physicalness of him."

Other notable plays included:

A juking, power-punctuated 49-yard run against LSU when he dragged LSU All-American Patrick Peterson into the end zone.

A 54-yard run in the first game with the Gamecocks, when he changed direction to leave two safeties grasping for air.

And outjumping a defensive back for a 20-yard TD catch from Burns against Mississippi.

"The Ole Miss catch was pretty good," guard Mike Berry said, waffling. "The LSU run was pretty good. Oh yeah, and the South Carolina run. It's between those three."