Daily Blog December 9, 2014 Cam Newton Injured

Today I have some disturbing news to tell you, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton suffered two transverse fractures in his lower back in a two-car collision near Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte Tuesday afternoon. The wreck happened when a truck crashed and overturned on the S. Church Street Bridge at Interstate 277 just before 12:30 p.m. 

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said Newton and the driver of the other vehicle were both taken to the hospital with minor injuries. 

"Cam Newton is in fair condition and undergoing tests at Carolinas Medical Center and will remain there overnight for observation," the Panthers said in a statement released around 2:30 p.m.

Just before 3:30 p.m. officials delivered the news that Cam had suffered two transverse fractures in his lower back. A transverse fracture consists of a bone being broken perpendicular to the direction the bone runs.

Another car with damage to its front was loaded onto a flatbed tow truck, and a pickup truck reportedly belonging to the quarterback was seen on its side surrounded by debris.

The driver of the second vehicle is expected to be okay, according to police. No word on what led to the accident. 

Newton, 25, was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Panthers. In his first year, he became the only rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a season and the first to rush for more than 700.

His best season with Carolina came in 2013, when he led the team to a 12-4 record and a first round bye in the playoffs. He has started every game since becoming the Panthers' QB, compiling a record of 29-31-1.

In 2010, the Atlanta native led the Auburn Tigers to a 14-0 record in his lone season with the team. The year culminated in Auburn defeating Oregon 22-19 to win the BCS Championship. He also led Blinn College to the junior college national championship in 2009.

A truck reportedly belonging to Cam Newton was seen flipped on its side at the scene. (Source: WBTV SKY 3)

First responders load Cam Newton onto a stretcher and into an ambulance. (Source: WBTV SKY 3)

Emergency officials said Newton was taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Newton is listed in fair condition, and is undergoing tests at CMC, according to the Panthers; he will stay at CMC overnight for observation.

In a press conference late Tuesday afternoon, a Panthers spokesperson said Newton suffered two lower transverse process fractures in his lower back, a similar injury that Dallas Cowboy's quarterback Tony Romo has been playing with this season. Further, Newton suffered no internal injuries in the crash.

If Newton is ruled unable to play, veteran Derek Anderson would be expected to take over as Carolina's starting quarterback. Anderson led the Panthers to a 20-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 while Newton sat out with fractured ribs.

The Panthers play the Bucs this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC1HU5F8-9g

Related Links:  http://www.wbtv.com/story/27585580/carolina-panthers-quarterback-cam-newton-taken-to-hospital-after-car-crash

http://www.wcnc.com/story/news/2014/12/09/cam-newton-involved-in-uptown-wreck/20142873/

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12004613/cam-newton-carolina-panthers-involved-car-accident

Ohio State blows out Wisconsin for statement win in Big Ten title game

INDIANAPOLIS -- Ohio State's No. 3 quarterback looked every bit as good as the other two.

Cardale Jones even did something his two all-conference predecessors could not. He led the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title.

Jones threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns and was named the game's MVP in his first career start, leading No. 5 Ohio State to a 59-0 rout of No. 13 Wisconsin in Saturday night's conference championship game -- one of the most lopsided title games in Big Ten history and an emphatic statement to the College Football Playoff selection committee.

More from ESPN.com

As far as closing arguments go, the Buckeyes couldn't have made a stronger case for the College Football Playoff. Story

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No. 5 Ohio State left little doubt Saturday night about who the Big Ten's best team is, routing No. 13 and favored Wisconsin, 59-0.Story

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Saturday's results did nothing to make the selection committee's job any easier. It has a tough task on its hands in determining the fourth team to be selected for the College Football Playoff. Story

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• Top stats to know
• Who's in? Playoff predictions
• Playoff breakdown: What we think will happen
• Eliminator -- College football's Week 15 victims and survivors

"I don't think there's any doubt we're one of the top four teams in America," said Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer, who secured an extra year on his contract worth a total of about $4.58 million and a $100,000 bonus with the Big Ten title game win, according to ESPN's Darren Rovell.

Heading into championship weekend, it looked like the Buckeyes would be the first team out. They still might, but Ohio State hopes Saturday's impressive blowout at least keeps them in the conversation as the final deliberations take place Sunday.

Ohio State (12-1, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 6 AP) has won 11 straight since losing at home to Virginia Tech and has beaten nine bowl-eligible teams, all but two by double digits. Still, some wondered whether losing record-setting quarterback J.T. Barrett with a broken right ankle in the regular-season finale after losing Heisman Trophy candidate Braxton Millerwith a right shoulder injury in August, would be too much to overcome.

Not a chance.

Jones was efficient and effective Saturday, going 12-of-17.

Ezekiel Elliott carried 12 times for 150 yards and two scores in the first half and finished with 20 carries for a career-high 220 yards.

Devin Smith caught four passes for 137 yards and three scores.

The defense completely shut down Wisconsin (10-3, 7-1, No. 11 AP) and kept Melvin Gordon, the nation's leading rusher, under control. Gordon ran 26 times for 76 yards, his second-worst game of the season.

Ohio State handed the Badgers their first shutout since August 1997 and their worst loss since a 59-0 rout, also to the Buckeyes, in 1979.

All of it came after an emotional week for the Buckeyes, who learned of the death of defensive lineman Kosta Karageorge one day after Barrett's season-ending injury.

Ohio State honored Karageorge by wearing a decal with his jersey number, 53, on the back of its helmets. Defensive tackle Michael Bennett changed his jersey number from 63 to 53, and before the national anthem, there was a moment of silence to honor Karageorge, who was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

OSU's Biggest Shutouts vs. Ranked Teams

Ohio State's 59-0 shellacking of Wisconsin is tied for the fourth-largest shutout ever against a ranked team, and by far the largest for Ohio State. This is the first time the Buckeyes have shut out an AP-ranked opponent since 1975.

Largest Ohio State Shutouts --
All-Time vs. AP-Ranked Teams

Date	Opponent	Score
Sat.	*No. 11 Wisconsin	59-0
1964	No. 2 Illinois	26-0
1954	No. 20 Pittsburgh	26-0
1975	No. 11 Michigan State	21-0
*Ranked 13th by CFB Playoff Committee
-- ESPN Stats & Information

Have the Buckeyes done enough on the field to make college football's inaugural final four?

They beat a team that had won seven straight overall, had rushed for 435.8 yards in its previous five games in the Hoosier State and was a four-point favorite coming into the game.

But against a quarterback and the motivated Buckeyes, Wisconsin never had a chance.

"We can play with anybody, and we're going to work extremely hard whoever we play against," Smith said.

They were outgained 364-91 in first-half yards when Ohio State scored on five of its first six possessions against the nation's No. 4 scoring defense. Ohio State had a 558-258 advantage overall.

And the Buckeyes made it look easy.

Just six plays into the game, Jones hooked up with Smith on a pretty 39-yard floater for a 7-0 lead. Elliott then found a whole in the middle and sprinted 81 yards for a score. After Wisconsin finally held the Buckeyes to a field goal, Jones hooked up again with Smith on a 44-yard TD pass to make it 24-0 with 11:09 left in the second quarter, then capped the half with Elliott's 14-yard TD run and Joey Bosa's 4-yard fumble return for a score to make it 38-0.

Not much changed in the second half.

Smith made a nifty two-handed, off-balance catch as he was going backward into the end zone for a 42-yard score early in the third quarter, and the Buckeyes closed it out with two Curtis Samuel touchdown runs in the fourth.

Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhzHYEaXYjU

Brady Hoke ousted at Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Brady Hoke had enough time at Michigan, but not enough wins, interim athletic director Jim Hackett said Tuesday night. Hackett formally announced his decision to fire the Wolverines' head coach shortly after Hoke shared the news with his team Tuesday afternoon. Hoke ends his four-year tenure in Ann Arbor with a 31-20 record. Hackett said the universal respect players and peers held for Hoke made his choice a difficult one.

"This was not an easy decision," Hackett said. "Everywhere I go there is zero question about Brady's values."

Hoke did not leave through the front doors of Schembechler Hall, the team's practice facility, but released a statement about his departure.

It said, in part: "I want to thank all of the sons that played for our teams and appreciate the commitment that our coaches and support staff made to the program every day. I will miss the relationships that I've been fortunate enough to make within this university and community."

Players left the team's practice facility teary-eyed after meeting with Hoke. Hackett said he spoke briefly with the team this afternoon, but didn't want to interfere with Hoke's final meeting with his players. He said he intends to talk more with the players about what criteria they feel are important in a new coach at a later date.

The search for Hoke's replacement will begin immediately, according to Hackett. He defined the criteria for candidates as "winning with the shared values of the University of Michigan."

Hackett said he has a specific deadline in mind for when he wants to have a new coach in place, but did not share that date publicly. He plans to use an executive search firm that is familiar with Michigan and its athletic department to help make the process run smoothly.

He was explicit in saying that having a history at Michigan and being a "Michigan man" was not a prerequisite for getting the job.

Dazed And Blue

Michigan will start 2015 with its third coach since 2008. Quite a difference from the stability the program once enjoyed.

	1969-07	2008-15
Coaches	3	3
Win pct	.776	.523
Conf titles	21	0
Losing years	0	3
-- ESPN Stats & Information

    

"I want to get rid of the word 'Michigan Man,' " said Hackett, who stepped into temporarily run the athletic department one month ago. A former center at Michigan under Bo Schembechler and CEO of office furniture company Steelcase, Hackett plans to be the man who will hire Hoke's replacement.

Hoke, who is owed a $3 million buyout, earned the title of a Michigan Man when he told reporters he would've walked to Ann Arbor to accept the Wolverines' job when he was introduced as the head coach four years ago. He served as an assistant at Michigan from 1995 until 2002, when he left to take the head coaching job at Ball State.

With his Michigan tie, Hoke was hired to stabilize the program following the tumultuous tenure of Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez, now the head coach at Arizona, was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year on Tuesday.

The Wolverines' underwhelming performance also led to the resignation of former athletic director Dave Brandon, the man who had hired Hoke.

Hoke won 11 games and the Sugar Bowl in his first season as Michigan's head coach, but his team's trended steadily downward in the three years that followed. The Wolverines' loss to rival Ohio State last weekend dropped their record to 5-7 and ended their first losing season since 2009. Michigan is just 1-10 in their last 11 games against the Buckeyes and have not won a Big Ten title since 2004.

Information from The Associated Press and ESPN.com's Darren Rovell contributed to this report.