Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton knocked off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with ease on Sunday, 27-6, but the Panthers' win wasn't the victory he was interested in talking about.
Auburn's stunning 34-28 win over defending national champion Alabama was, instead, at the front of his mind.
"Did I say War Eagle? War Eagle," Newton said, jokingly saying later, "Did I say War Eagle? War Eagle."
In fact, the former Auburn quarterback suggested that he had been saying the Tigers would find a way to win the Iron Bowl all week:
"I'm not surprised, and you guys shouldn't be surprised either," Newton added. "Because if you following me throughout this whole week, you know that I was trying to tell you guys, don't be surprised with what circumstance may come Saturday night."
Newton led the Tigers to a BCS National Championship in 2010, his only season on the Plains, for which he won the Heisman Trophy and parlayed the success into being the top overall draft pick in 2011.
And you can bet the only former Alabama player on the Panthers roster -- rookie safety Robert Lester -- took plenty of ribbing Sunday from the quarterback. Lester won two national championships as a starter with the Crimson Tide.
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