I put together a video from tonight's interviews. Some TV folks had bright lights that kind of screwed up my camera (the only camera on earth that reacts poorly to better lighting), so forgive me for the quality. The video has wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor, center Ryan Pugh and defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker. Enjoy.

And join tomorrow's live chat at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT. Hopefully we won't be interrupted by breaking Cam Newton news, but I make no guarantees.

Auburn defensive lineman Jeffrey Whitaker was watching ESPN’s SportsNation when he saw something about fellow tackle Nick Fairley being a dirty player.

He begs to differ.

“Nick is like one of the most cool, calm, collect dudes you could meet,” Whitaker said. “That’s why it’s funny. It’s like, dirty? No. That’s not right the right word to describe Nick.

“Sometimes you’ve just got to block out what they say and keep playing.”

Fairley, a Lombardi and Nagurski finalist, in addition to being one of 15 players in contention for Walter Camp player of the year honors, leads the SEC with 18 tackles for a loss and is second with 7.5 sacks.

But he’s come under scrutiny lately for a number of questionable hits against Georgia that led the Bulldogs to speak to the SEC office.

On one play, Fairley speared quarterback Aaron Murray in the back with the crown of his helmet well after he released the ball. Fairley was flagged for roughing the passer.

In the final minutes, Fairley was partially blocked into the knee of Murray, knocking him out of the game. Georgia’s players took exception to the hit and went after Fairley on the next play, causing several scuffles.

Georgia raised concerns to the SEC, which said the matter is being handled internally between the conference and Auburn. No suspension has been handed down.

Fairley was not made available for comment Wednesday.

Asked about Fairley’s reputation for questionable hits during Wednesday’s teleconference, head coach Gene Chizik said he didn’t know how people refer to the lineman.

“I know that certainly no one teaches that,” Chizik said. “He’s a very try-hard guy. He plays with great effort and great passion for the game. And certainly nobody would have any intent to do anything other than the right things in any game.”

Asked about Fairley, Whitaker had a strong opinion about what type of player his teammate is: “He’s a beast.”

Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook. And join tomorrow's afternoon live chat at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT. I plan to do it as normal to make up for cutting things short last week.

Here are some other notes and quotes from Wednesday's interviews:

• Reserve defensive linemen Michael Goggans and Mike Blanc were both ejected for throwing punches during skirmishes at the end of the Georgia game. NCAA rules say they must sit out the first half of the Iron Bowl as well. That could put Auburn in a bind against Alabama, which averages 177.2 rushing yards per game thanks to the running back duo of reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. “Anytime you play such a physical football team like we’re getting ready to play, you need all hands on deck,” Chizik said. "But our young guys have got to step in there. They’ve played in a lot of games, played a lot of snaps. They’ve played in a lot of physical games in this league, so I don’t think it’s going to be a lot of difference in that regard, but it’s still going to be an extremely physical game as we know. Like I said, the young guys will have to step up.”

• It could mean a bigger role for reserves like Whitaker, fellow freshmen Kenneth Carter and Corey Lemonier and sophomore Dee Ford, who have worked into the rotation. “I just feel, hey, this is what I was recruited for,” Whitaker said. “I talked to Blanc after the game and he was just telling me how important it was to step it up. And he felt like he shouldn’t make the move like that and regretted it, but at the same time it’s time to step it up.”

• Pretty cutting words from CB T'Sharvan Bell about the fights near the end. "I was trying to be smart. I knew what was at stake," he said. "I knew what they were trying to get us to do at that point in the game. It's being smart. Goggans has to be a better teammate, a better player at that point."

• T-Bell is a former high school quarterback. He said he doesn't know what the big deal is about quarterbacks getting hit. "I got hit after the play, handing the ball," he said. "It's part of the game. When you get back there at quarterback, that's what you sign up for."

• Auburn got back on the field Wednesday with a full-padded practice after three full days away form the complex. It was a welcome break for a team that had gone for 15 straight weeks, including August practice. “We needed it bad,” cornerback Demond Washington said. “Just having a week off to get our bodies back together.”

• Auburn’s coaches realize the break can be a mixed bag, especially for a team that’s been on a hot streak like the Tigers. “Sometimes you have a week off and you play great and you say, ‘Boy that was great,’” Chizik said. “And sometimes you come back and have a week off and you play terrible and you say, ‘Boy that really hurt us.’ I don’t know. I think it came at the right time for us. We came off a very physical game with Georgia, and having gone that many weeks in a row, the time was right.”

• Chizik thinks Auburn's slow start against Georgia can be contributed to being too hyped. "I think that was a little bit of a lesson learned," he said. "We haven’t quite been that way all year. I think we’ve been focused and we’ve been ready to play. I think we’ll take those lessons and hopefully be excited to play, have energy and passion for the game but also play smarter and with a little more self control.”

• If the Tigers were that hyped for the Georgia, how can they expect to settle down for Alabama. "There's a learning process, too," Bell said. "If we go into Georgia and we see on film and coaches tell us: Hey, you were too high. You were playing with great energy, but you weren't focused. Now going into Alabama, it's going to be a completely different environment. We'll be able to come down from it and play within."

• Does that mean they'll ask WR coach Trooper Taylor to stop waving a towel? "We'll let Trooper do what he do," Bell said. "But we know in our heads that we've got to be on a certain level to be able to play where we need to play."

• Quick take from Trooper on offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn: "It's like working with Harry Potter. You never know what you're going to get. The guy will take the salt and the pepper and we're eating lunch and he's drawing up plays with it. And I'm like, 'Coach, I just want to eat my sandwich.' But he's really particular on details. He understands the game and he has an answer for what he sees on tape. For me, just being around the guy, the way he approaches game day, the way that he goes about a game plan, has been really remarkable to watch. He'll call a play based on what's happening with the defense before they're even really lined up, because in that certain area of the field, 90 percent of the time they're lined up that way. And that's impressive to me. To memorize that and be able to have on the top of his head is really impressive.

• Taylor said Gus' sharpness comes through preparation: "We do more walkthroughs than anybody in America, I promise you that, to the point where the guys will say they're probably get a little burned out on it. But we know what to do."

• Chizik doesn't think he'll bring up the last two Iron Bowls much as motivation. "The history is certainly going to be there, but we’re focused on the here and now and the players they have now and what they are doing now," he said.

• T-Bell confirmed he had a partially torn hamstring that kept him out for three games. He he'll still get treatment three times a day until the season is over.

• He said he and Auburn's other cornerbacks worked in and out against Georgia WR A.J. Green, who torched the Tigers in the first quarter. "They just came to us and said somebody has to step up and make plays," Bell said. Auburn eventually figured something out about Green. He only had one catch in the fourth quarter.

• Bell compared and contrasted Green and Alabama WR Julio Jones. He said Jones is more physical, especially at the line of scrimmage. He said Green is shiftier. "He goes along with you, but when it gets to the time to go get the ball he's a different animal," Bell said.

• The punting battle between Ryan Shoemaker and Steven Clark will continue this week. Shoemaker got the nod against Georgia after Clark held the job for several weeks. "Both of them have been better in practice," Chizik said. "Both had some good punts."

• Center Ryan Pugh thinks Auburn's different running styles make it hard to defend. "We try to stretch the field and then we try to pound it inside a lot," he said. "I think you've seen over the past couple of games that there's teams that are trying to figure it out and there's some teams that have caught on to it more than others. But it's not something that you're going to start defending in one week. The misdirection, that's who we are as an offense."

• Pugh doesn't think Auburn's misdirection running game is gimmicky. "Whether people want to say it's gimmicky or not, that's who we are," he said. "I don't think the people we play against would say we're gimmicky. They might want to, but I don't think they would."

• Pugh said it didn't hit him immediately that he had played his last snap at Jordan-Hare Stadium. "They were reviewing it and we were standing out there on the field about to kick the extra point and Neil (Caudle) came up to me and said, 'Hey, you know this is going to be the last play you ever play on this field,'" Pugh said. "The last play score a touchdown, go out like that, that's got to be something you remember forever."

• Pugh on the Iron Bowl: "It's the biggest game of the year every year whether you're 11-0 or 0-11."

• He said it's hard to describe the rivalry to someone. You have to experience it. "It's something that it becomes a part of you after you play in the game one time or you pull up to Tuscaloosa and they get off the bus in Auburn," he said. "People don't understand it until you're on the way to the game on Friday and traffic's backed up all the way down 59 to 459."

• Whitaker said he got a good idea of the Iron Bowl's intensity last year during a recruiting visit. "As I saw it, it was just a game against Alabama. And they called it the Iron Bowl," he said. "I didn't know why, so this was my first time knowing it was the Iron Bowl. I knew all that week just being a recruit it was just, 'Beat 'Bama. Go Auburn.' It was just constantly. Because it's not like that at Georgia and Georgia Tech. It was like, Georgia's going to win it every year. That's how it is in Georgia. But from what I've been hearing and what I know is that it is a personal game. It's one of those games where if you win, you can carry it on your back the whole year. So you're either going to be like, man, I'm going to be talked to the whole year."

After being shut out for a week, Auburn got back in the SEC award mix Monday.

Continuing his position from the latter part of the week, Auburn coach Gene Chizik would not comment on the ongoing Cam Newton situation.

"I'll take questions today based on any question that has to do with Cameron and the game last night," Chizik said. "Otherwise I have the same stance."

Newton has been in the spotlight for the last week and a half after reports surfaced that his father engaged in talks with Mississippi State about a possible pay-for-play plan during the quarterback's recruitment last year.

Chizik didn't go near the situation Sunday. When asked when the school decided it would be OK to play Cam in the game, Chizik said, "Like I said, I'll take questions about him in the game," stressing the word "in."

He had no hesitation about answering questions about Newton's performance, which continues to be Heisman Trophy worthy.

Newton had 299 combined rushing and passing yards and accounted for four touchdowns. Auburn converted 10 of 14 third downs in the game. All were accomplished by a Newton run.

“Let me tell you something: when the game’s on the line, he wants the ball in his hands," Chizik said.

The Tigers have scored 60 touchdowns this year. Newton has had a hand in 39 of them.

"Whether it’s third-down conversions, what he means in the red zone, what he does in the red zone — he’s just a big part of our offense," Chizik said.

Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.

Here are some other notes. We'll keep them quick tonight since we only spoke to Chizik:

• After 11 straight weeks of action (15 if you count August practice), Auburn finally has its bye. But that doesn’t mean time off. “This is Iron Bowl week, so we’re not going to have a whole lot of time to rest,” Chizik said.

• Like last year, the Tigers’ bye week comes late in the season. It gives them 12 days to heal up and prepare for the Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 26. “In terms of how many days you practice, how much time are you giving these guys to let their bodies heal up mentally and physically, I think there’s a line in there somewhere,”Chizik said. “And we’re going to try to find that great balance. We’re going to make sure when we come back, we’ve really got the energy we need to go.”

• Auburn hasn't been in an SEC championship game since 2004. Its opponent, South Carolina, had an even longer wait. The Gamecocks qualified for their first title game since its creation in 1992, winning at Florida 36-14 Saturday night to take the SEC East.
  

• "They’re a great football team," Chziik said. "And there’s no question last night they played really, really well. A lot of passion, a lot of intensity. You can tell they went into Gainesville to win that game."Auburn won the teams' meeting this year at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 25, rallying from a 13-point first-half deficit to win 35-27. The title game takes place Dec. 4 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Kickoff is 4 p.m. ET.

• Chizik liked what he saw out of sophomore DE Dee Ford in limited time. Ford got a sack late in the game against Georgia. "He's been an undersized guy who's really tried to work to put on some weight and get stronger," Chizik said. "He works hard in the weight room. He's getting a little but more experience that's helping him become a better player. The experience he got (last year) isn't the same as what he got last year in terms of time."

• Luck always comes into play during runs like the Tigers have had. "There's always times when you look back and you say: A little luck didn't hurt us," Chizik said. "Particularly this year. I don't know that there's a game of any sort that just pops out. When you get to this point and you are 11-0, you look back on some things. You know you played really well at times. You probably played poorly at times. There's a little luck in there for you as well."

• Chizik talked some about being a defensive-minded guy but having a group that gives up quite a bit of yards and points. "When you're not playing well, the worst thing you can do is look back and say: We never got better in the game, we never adjusted in the game," he said. "I don't think that's necessarily the case. Surely on the paper, we'd look at the stats that some people want to look at closely and wish we were in a better place. There's also some stats where we think we've done some things well, too. There's some give and take in there."

• Chizik said he was pleased with how Auburn stopped the run against Georgia (81 yards) and got better about giving up big plays. "Did we have them under control early in the game? No, we did not,'" he said. "We got better as time went on."

• He credited defensive coordinator Ted Roof at being good at adjusting on the fly. “Ted does a really good job of seeing what the team’s idea is in the first quarter, quarter and a half and being able to respond defensively with what it is we need to have an answer for it," Chizik said. "So I think you’ve seen that happen several times over the year.”

• Newton's passing seems to be overlooked most of the time. He was 12-for-15 with two touchdowns Saturday. Two of his incompletions were drops. He made a number of different throws too. “You can really go through the gamut," Chizik said. "He’s really done it all this year. He’s thrown off his back foot, and arguably that shouldn’t be the way you throw, but the ball gets in there. He’s thrown it flat-footed, he’s thrown it on the run. He’s really done it about every way you can do it, and again, I think it points back to his athleticism. You don’t coach that stuff.”

• Running back Onterio McCalebb had one of his best games to date, rushing for 71 yards and three touchdowns. Most of his 12 runs were to the outside. "Not that we won’t give it to him on the inside as well, but the perimeter run game is where we feel he’s a real threat," Chizik said.

• McCalebb has avoided the injury bug that bothered him last year. Chizik has also been impressed by his decisiveness. “I think he’s learned how to finish runs a little bit better," Chizik said. "I think that was a confidence issue. And I think he’s learned over the last month or so to really learn to stick his foot in the ground and try to finish some runs. Which I don’t think a year ago – or even earlier this season – he was doing. He’s doing that much better now.”

Auburn coach Gene Chizik was in a no commenting mood Sunday, and it wasn't just about Cam Newton's situation.

Chizik said he would not comment about the status of senior defensive linemen Michael Goggans and Mike Blanc until after speaking with the SEC tomorrow.

Both players were ejected in the final minute of the Tigers' 49-31 win against Georgia on Saturday for taking swings at Bulldogs players.

"The SEC reviews every situation, penalty-wise, that is reviewable or brought to their attention," Chizik said. "We haven't talked with anybody.

"We know what happened last night. We're just going to reserve all comment until we really get some clarification on exactly what the status of those guys will be. I haven't had that opportunity yet."

Players who are ejected in the second half of games must sit out the first half of the next game, according to NCAA rules. For Goggans and Blanc, that would be the Iron Bowl the day after Thanksgiving.

Things got chippy near the end of the Georgia game. Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley appeared to be partially blocked into the knee of Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray in the final minute. Murray had to leave the game.

After the end of the next play, Bulldogs center Ben Jones went after Fairley on the ground. It set off a scrum, which concluded with Goggans throwing a punch at Georgia tackle Clint Boling. He was ejected.

Two plays later, Bulldogs tackle Josh Davis blocked Blanc in the back at the end of a play near the Georgia sideline. Blanc turned around and took a swing that did not connect, earning an ejection.

Georgia coach Mark Richt took a knee after that too end the game before things got uglier.

Chizik expressed embarrassment after the game for what happened. Richt said he didn't require an apology.

"I know our guys were highly emotionally charged also,” Richt told the Macon Telegraph. “I’m not going to sit here and try to say their guys were doing one thing and our guys were doing another. I know that I had enough concern with what was going on that we took a knee to try to diffuse that situation.”

Although he wouldn't comment on the ejections, Chizik did comment on the growing perception that some of Fairley's hits are questionable. The junior was flagged for roughing the passer after hitting Murray in the back well after a play during the third quarter.

"That's not what we do here," Chizik said. "Everything we do here is going to be great effort. Are we going to make a mistake here or there with intensive effort? Yes. But I can assure you nothing is ever done intentional to harm another player."

Gene Chizik has arrived (21 minutes late). Here's what he's had to say:

• "This week is obviously going to be imperative that we practice the right amount, rest the right amount because it's going to be a tough one in Tuscaloosa."

• On Michael Goggans/Mike Blanc, not commenting on their status. Will talk to SEC about the situation tomorrow.
  

• Still not commenting on Cam Newton situation unless it pertains to the game.
  

• Hasn't had opportunity to get status update on two defensive linemen.

• Pleased with efforts of second-year DE Nosa Eguae and Dee Ford. "Hopefully those guys will continue on that path."

• On if he looks back at any game and feels fortunate Auburn won it. "More than one, probably. There's always times when you look back and say a little luck didn't hurt us."

• On his defense and trying to slow offenses down: "Offenses are very explosive these days. All of us would like to have better numbers here as far as the result on paper. But we're like everybody: we're a work in progress all the time. We're trying to control these high-powered players and high-powered offenses."

• On giving up yards to Georgia: "We knew they were going to make some of their plays. We knew we had to stop the run and we had to get the big plays under control. Did we have them under control early in the game? No. But we got better as the game went on."

• Said DC Ted Roof does a good job of adjusting to what teams do in the first quarter and respond.

• Auburn had 10 third-down conversions Saturday. All 10 were on Newton runs. "He's just a big part of our offense."

• Can Chizik trust a player more? "When the game is on the line, he wants the ball in his hands."

• On Newton's arm strength: "He makes some really incredible throws." Said the first Philip Lutzenkirchen touchdown was threaded into tight coverage.

• Some throws are off his back foot. "You can really go through the gamut. He's really done it all at this point. He's thrown it flat-footed. He's throw it on the run. It goes back to his athleticism."

• On Onterio McCalebb: "We feel good about giving him the ball that much. It just seems like every game, certainly in the last month, he's been able to break a big run somewhere in there." Said his perimeter running gives Auburn's running game another dimension.

• On the bye week: "This is Iron Bowl week, so there's not a whole lot of time to rest."

• Chizik on the strong connection between the team and the fans this year: "I just think it needs to have gone to another level."

• On the fans sticking around last night after the game: "Unbelievable."

• On Nick Fairley's hits against Georgia, some of which were seen as dirty: "That's not what we do here. Everything we do here is going to be great effort. Are we going to make a mistake here or there with intensive effort? Yes. But I can assure you nothing is ever done intentional to harm another player."

• On getting Daren Bates and T'Sharvan Bell back on defense, said it was big from a depth standpoint. Got guys 20 plays less in the game. Helped them stay fresh.

• On the onside kick that Wes Byrum recovered. "That's a hard kick and a hard recover."

• On South Carolina winning the East. "They're a great football team. Last night they played really, really well. You can tell they went into Gainesville to win that game. They deserved to be the SEC East champs."

And that's a wrap.

Late night. Lots of storylines broken out into many sidebars that you can read in tomorrow's paper. But here's my lead story on the game:

AUBURN, Ala. — The Jordan-Hare Stadium crowd didn't budge following No. 2 Auburn's 49-31 win against Georgia, saluting the new SEC West champions in an elaborate post-game celebration that included video highlights, sing-a-longs and a lap around the field by the seniors.

For a moment, it was as though the Cam Newton cloud didn't hover over the program.

The Tigers (11-0, 7-0 SEC) clinched their first berth in the SEC title game since 2004 in typical fashion, roaring back from an early deficit with a defense that made just enough plays and an overwhelming rushing attack that topped 300 yards for the sixth straight SEC game.

"We have goals at the beginning of the year," said Auburn coach Gene Chizik, who is 19-5 in two years on the Plains after going 5-19 at Iowa State. "And this was the first one."

South Carolina, which beat Florida Saturday to clinch its first SEC title game berth ever, will be Auburn's opponent in Atlanta on Dec. 4.

But the Tigers took Saturday's post-game to cherish what they had just accomplished. The seniors lingered on the field afterward, knowing it was their last game in the stadium. They eventually took a victory lap, cheered on by their adoring fans.

The celebration was partly for winning the West — a long road back from the disappointing 5-7 season two years ago that ended Tommy Tuberville's tenure.

But the Tigers' veterans were well aware they vanquished rival Georgia (5-6, 3-5 SEC) for the first time since 2006, snapping a four-game losing streak.

"It's a great feeling," Auburn linebacker Josh Bynes said. "It really ain't even set in on me yet. It hit me, but it ain't like slapped the crap out of me yet. I'm just taking it in."

Newton, whose eligibility has come into question after reports that his father, Cecil, discussed a pay-for-play plan with Mississippi State during the recruiting process last year, suited up and started. He showed exactly why his status was such a hot topic all week.

The quarterback had a career-high 30 carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns, headlining an Auburn rushing attack that finished with 315 yards against the SEC's second-best rushing defense.

Newton was efficient in the air too, completing 12 of 15 passes for 148 yards and two more scores.

"He had a great game," said Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green, no stranger to NCAA investigations. "It's hard to focus when you're a quarterback and you've got all that stuff surrounding you. He's a great guy and I feel like he handled the show in a professional way."

Newton became the first SEC player and the eighth in NCAA history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season.

With three more touchdown runs, he'll join Florida's Tim Tebow as the only other player in NCAA history to have 20 rushing and 20 passing touchdowns in the same season.

"I'm a blessed individual on a blessed team," said Newton, who was off limits to the media but provided quotes in a release from the school. "Everybody is doing their job in the system and it is a great feeling when it all comes together."

The win wasn't easy by any means. Georgia, which needs to beat rival Georgia Tech to be bowl eligible for a 14th straight season, stormed to a 21-7 lead in the first quarter thanks to three touchdown passes by freshman Aaron Murray, who finished with 273 passing yards.

Showing a poise beyond his years, Murray picked on Auburn's 95th nationally-ranked pass defense, twice hooking up with Green on first quarter touchdowns passes, one for 31 yards and one for 40. Green had nine catches for 164 yards.

But Auburn stormed back to tie the game at 21 before halftime on Onterio McCalebb's 4-yard touchdown run and Philip Lutzenkirchen's 18-yard touchdown catch.

The Tigers seized momentum with an onside kick to start the second half and never relented. Auburn had four second-half possessions and scored four touchdowns, finishing with 463 yards and converting 10 of 14 third downs.

"We just couldn't stop them," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "That was the biggest difference."

The teams traded blows until the end of the third quarter. McCalebb scored his third touchdown to put the Tigers up seven but Georgia couldn't answer, settling for a 28-yard Blair Walsh field goal that only trimmed Auburn's lead to 35-31.

The Tigers' offense kept churning out points, adding 14 more in the fourth quarter on Luzenkirchen's second touchdown catch and another Newton scoring plunge.

The defense that looked so inept early on finally stiffened, holding Georgia to 19 yards in the fourth quarter. Auburn's pass rush took its toll, finishing with four sacks and 12 pressures and knocking Murray out of the game late.

Although the Tigers allowed themselves to celebrate afterward, they knew their focus would soon be on their remaining games. They play at Alabama the day after Thanksgiving before heading to Atlanta the following week.

"Our goal when we came here was to win a championship," Chizik said. "And we haven't done that yet."

AUBURN, Ala. — Despite swirling allegations about his recruitment last year, Auburn quarterback Cam Newton started Saturday against Georgia. From the looks of it, the Tigers need him.

Auburn and Georgia are tied at 21 after one half at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn reached its decision to play Newton after speaking to the NCAA recently. Newton seemed unfazed. He has 201 combined yards and has accounted for two touchdowns at the break. He got 31 of his 90 rushing yards on a touchdown drive on the opening drive.

But Georgia answered with 21 straight points, getting three first-quarter touchdown passes from Aaron Murray, who had 137 passing yards.

Two of those scores went to receiver A.J. Green, who had five catches for 114 yards.

The other went to fullback Shaun Capas after Bacarri Rambo intercepted a Newton pass that slipped through Emory Blake's hands and returned it to the Auburn 9.

The Tigers pulled within 21-14 early in the second quarter on Onterio McCalebb's 4-yard touchdown run to the edge.

Newton zipped an 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen just before halftime to tie the game.

With the pass, Newton became the first player in SEC history to throw for 2,000 and run for 1,000 in the same year.

Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley has played through a shoulder injury suffered early. After a brief trip to the locker room, he played the rest of the half.

You're looking LIVE at Jordan-Hare Stadium on a gorgeous day here in Auburn, where unnamed sources have confirmed to me that there's a varsity tackle football game taking place. I've arrived just to see if this report is true.

Of course, Cam Newton is in the spotlight today. Here's the latest in the story.

Will he play today? Barring some unforeseen circumstance, yes. Will the constant allegations affect him? Who knows? Some athletes thrive on this stuff. Others wilt. We'll see.

The stadium is very serene right now, with hardly a soul inside it. And it's a beautiful day for football (and tailgating), with a current temperature of 65 degrees and barely any wind. Weather.com says it'll be 70 degrees for kickoff.

As for football stuff, the Macon Telegraph Georgia beat writer Seth Emerson and I combined to do matchup breakdown for today's newspaper. Check it out here. (Also, take a gander at Seth's blog here, with an interesting post about Mark Richt possibly having an interest in the opening at Colorado as a way to get away from the SEC pressure cooker.)

Check back on this post for running updates leading up to the game. And follow the blog on Twitter for instant updates and commentary during the game. Tweet at me and I'll try to respond.

Pre-game minutia? Yep. We've got it:

• Auburn leads the all-time series with Georgia 53-52-8. The Deep South's oldest rivalry is the seventh-most played series in college football history.
• In 113 meetings, the teams are separated by 56 points (Georgia 1,778, Auburn 1,722).
• Road teams have won more often than home ones in this series. Georgia is 14-9-2 in game played in Auburn.
• In fact, the road team has won nine of the last 15 games in the series.
• Auburn's need-to-know offensive numbers: it's fourth nationally in rushing offense (307.2 ypg), sixth in total offense (509.4 ypg) and scoring offense (42.4 ypg).
• The Tigers have rushed for over 300 yards in their last five league games, a school record. They've averaged 324.7 yards per game against SEC competition this year.
• Newton leads the SEC and is 10th nationally in rushing (114.6 yards per game). Nobody else in the country has five 170-yard games this year.
• Newton has accounted for 35 touchdowns this season (19 passing, 15 rushing, 1 receiving). Florida's Tim Tebow is the only player in NCAA history to pass for 20 touchdowns and run for 20 in the same season (2007).
• Record watch: RB Mike Dyer needs 31 yards to break Bo Jackson's Auburn freshman rushing record of 829 yards.'
• RB Onterio McCalebb is averaging 9.27 yards per carry. That's best in the nation among rushers ranked in the top 100.
• DT Nick Fairley's 18 tackles for a loss are tops in the SEC and third nationally.
• On the Georgia side, coach Mark Richt is 4-2 with the Bulldogs against teams ranked in the top 10. The last was a 30-24 win against No. 7 Georgia Tech last year.
• Georgia is 4-13-1 when unranked and facing a ranked Auburn squad. But the Bulldogs pulled off the upset last time this situation came up, winning 37-15 while unranked against No. 5 Auburn in 2006.
• KR Brandon Boykin needs 22 kick return yards to set Georgia's career record. He has 1,616 yards on 60 returns for his career. Gene Washington (1973-76) has the record with 1,637 yards. Boykin has an SEC-record there 100-yard returns.
• WR A.J. Green was suspended for the first four games of the season for selling one of his jerseys last spring (how ridiculous does that sounds in hindsight, by the way?). He has 32 receptions for 510 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games since coming back.
• QB Aaron Murray has the highest passing efficiency (155.3) of any freshman nationally. He's thrown for 2,307 yards and 17 touchdowns to six interceptions.
• LB Justin Houston is keeping pace with Fairley. The junior leads the SEC with nine sacks and has 16.5 tackles for a loss.
• The line? The places that haven't taken this game off the board because of the unknowns surrounding Newton have Auburn as a 6.5- to 7-point favorite.

UPDATE, 12:48 p.m.: Newton was seen bouncing through the Tiger Walk. The stadium crowd watching on the video board erupted in cheers when they saw him. Looks like he's going to play today.

In other news, LB Daren Bates is also here. Hasn't played the last two games because of a shoulder injury.

UPDATE, 1:19 p.m.: The Cam Watch continues. He's on the field with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and the other three quarterbacks as usual for the pre-game walkthrough.

UPDATE, 1:47 p.m.: More Cam Watch. He's dressed out and taking snaps from first-team center Ryan Pugh. Everything points to him starting today. (Unless this is the greatest ruse of all-time.)

UPDATE, 1:57 p.m.: LB Daren Bates (shoulder), CB T'Sharvan Bell (hamstring) and TE Philip Lutzenkirchen (unknown) are all dressed out.

In other news, the Birmingham News reports that Newton spoke with the NCAA on Thursday. That means Auburn decided it was OK for him to play after having those discussions.

Updated at 10:00 p.m. with new TV report out of Atlanta:

AUBURN, Ala. — As rumors swirled about his eligibility, Auburn’s Cam Newton boarded the team bus on his way to Montgomery for an overnight stay Friday, a sign the Tigers quarterback is expected to play today against Georgia.

Meanwhile, according to an TV report out of Atlanta by Mark Winne, an unnamed source said Cam's father, Cecil, admitted to having conversations with an ex-Mississippi State player about the possibility of under-the-table payments last year, although he maintained his son, wife and Auburn knew nothing about it.

The news comes a little more than a week after an ESPN.com report said former Mississippi State quarterback John Bond said he was approached by a former teammate asking for $180,000 from the Bulldogs to secure the quarterback's signature during the recruiting process last year.

ESPN.com identified the former teammate as Kenny Rogers. Rogers said on the radio Thursday that he knew of Cecil's request but merely relayed the information to a booster, Bill Bell, who acknowledged to ESPN that Cecil solicited money.

When interviewed last week after initial reports emerged, Cecil denied any wrongdoing. He has since not taken phone calls.

Winne's source, who admitted being sympathetic for the Newtons, said Cecil said no money ever changed hands and no Mississippi State official ever made such an offer. The source also said the family has shown a willingness to cooperate with the NCAA.

According to the NCAA, a violation is committed the moment an athlete or athlete’s family solicits extra benefits. Potential penalties are based on the type and scope of the violation. The athlete’s responsibility is also considered.

Mississippi State athletics director Scott Stricklin released a statement Friday night confirming for the first time that the school was approached with an offer to provide an extra benefit during the recruitment of an unidentified student-athlete, presumably Newton.

"This offer was refused," Stricklin wrote. "MSU alerted the Southeastern Conference about the offer. MSU did not have any specific incriminating information about any other school, and thus could not provide any."

Mississippi State turned the information over to the SEC last January, leading to an NCAA investigation that is ongoing. Auburn, which looked into the matter this summer after being made aware of MSU’s report to the conference, has not specifically been accused of wrongdoing.

Cam seemed unaffected by the rumors Friday, wearing formal attire and a wide smile while boarding the team bus amidst a large gathering of Auburn fans at the school's athletic complex. Players aren’t allowed to travel with the team for the out-of-town hotel stay the night before games if they are ineligible.

Earlier in the day, the Birmingham News and AuburnUndercover.com cited unnamed sources who said Newton will start for the Tigers today.

Auburn did not officially comment on Newton’s status Friday. Asked if Newton is still eligible, school spokesman Kirk Sampson replied, “No comment.”

The school has not commented publicly on Newton’s status since Wednesday, when head coach Gene Chizik said during the SEC teleconference that the quarterback is eligible and would play against Georgia.

The NCAA can recommend to a school what it should about an athlete’s eligibility, but the rules say a school makes the ultimate decision.

SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who had been mum on the issue until Friday, told the Birmingham News that the conference has not made a recommendation to Auburn about whether or not to sit Newton today.

He urged the public not to draw any conclusions until all the facts are known.

“I hope that people will reserve judgment in fairness to the SEC, in fairness to the institutions and most importantly in fairness to the young man,” Slive said. “I hope people will exercise thought and patience before making those decisions. I’m concerned about fairness. This has to do with fairness.”

Slive said the only group that has all the facts is the NCAA.

“There’s been a lot of things said,” he said. “There’s been some inconsistencies. There’s been some credibility issues. But we’re not in the place where we judge those.”

Auburn expects quarterback Cam Newton to start Saturday against Georgia, the Birmingham News and AuburnUndercover.com reported this afternoon. No sources were named in the stories.

Newton's eligibility has come into question in the last week, when reports emerged that Cam's father, Cecil, allegedly sought $100,000 to $180,000 in order for his son to sign with Mississippi State during the recruiting process last year.

Auburn has not specifically been accused of wrongdoing. The NCAA is investigating the matter.

Auburn did not officially comment on Newton's status Friday. Asked if Newton is still eligible, school spokesman Kirk Sampson replied, "No comment."

The school has not commented publicly on Newton's status since Wednesday, when head coach Gene Chizik said during the SEC teleconference that the quarterback is eligible and would play against Georgia.

Georgia at No. 2 Auburn

We can discuss whatever you want. I have a feeling there might be some Cam Newton questions.

Here's a new video from tonight's interviews. Just a heads up: it's light on Cam Newton stuff. Auburn wasn't commenting on it Wednesday night.

The video has head coach Gene Chizik, wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor, cornerbacks coach Phillip Lolley and offensive line coach Jeff Grimes. Enjoy.

And don't forget tomorrow's live chat at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT. It's sure to be a lively one.

Nick Fairley’s monster season isn’t going unnoticed.

The Auburn defensive tackle was one of four players selected as finalists for the Rotary Lombardi Award, which is given annually to college football’s top offensive or defensive linemen.

Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers, Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn and TCU center Jake Kirkpatrick were the other finalists.

Fairley, a 6-foot-5, 298-pound junior from Mobile, Ala., leads the SEC with 18 tackles for a loss and is second with 7.5 sacks.

Auburn coach said Fairley is deserving of the recognition.

“Absolutely,” he said. “But he’s got to go out there and play better than he has in all the others. Game by game, getting better and better.”

The winner will be announced Dec. 8. Auburn’s only other Lombardi Award winner is current defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, who won in 1988.

Georgia coach Mark Richt compared Fairley to another great defensive tackle.

“Nick is the closest thing I’ve seen to Warren Sapp in all the years I’ve been coaching,” he said. “He’s that big of a load, and you have to have some plan for the guy, and even that doesn’t always work.”

Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook. And don't forget to join tomorrow's live chat at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT. I can't imagine what we'll talk about.

Here are some more notes and quotes from Wednesday's interviews:

• Chizik didn’t entertain questions about quarterback Cam Newton’s ongoing saga during the SEC teleconference in the afternoon, and he didn’t change his stance at night. Asked if he’s spoken with Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen at all throughout the ordeal, he changed the subject. “I know you guys have a job to do. I respect that,” he said. “But my job right now is Georgia this weekend. So really and truly, as I’ve said before, I’ll entertain questions that have to deal with that, because that’s really where my focus is.”

• Wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor said the never-ending breaking news on Newton isn’t a distraction. “I can’t tell a difference,” he said. “A distraction? If it is, it hasn’t showed up out there.”

• Chizik sounded optimistic that cornerback T’Sharvan Bell (hamstring), linebacker Daren Bates (shoulder) and tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen (undisclosed injury) would play this week after missing time with injuries. Bell has missed the last three games, Bates two and Lutzenkirchen one. “Just kind of lump them into one boat, because that’s kind of where they’re all at,” Chizik said, noting they’ve all progressed this week.

• Cornerbacks coach Phillip Lolley was more definitive about if Bell would play. “Absolutely,” he said. “He’s had a good week of practice and that’s a good deal, a good sign.”

• Lolley has frequently used Georgia’s A.J. Green as the standard for SEC receivers in his comparisons this year. Now he’s facing the real thing. “I’ve said all year, this guy is different,” Lolley said. “He’s the best we’ve played against. No bones about it.”

• Green had to sit out the first four games for selling one of his jerseys for extra cash last spring, but he’s made up for lost time, making 32 catches for 510 yards and seven touchdowns in six games since. Chizik said the receiver’s return presents problems from a preparation standpoint.

• “When they didn’t have him out there, defenses didn’t have to find ways to double him or find ways to pay more attention to him,” he said. “It let them play more on the run. When you have one guy that commands so much attention, you spend hours trying to figure out how you’re going to cope with him.”

• Lolley said the entire passing game is a concern, identifying out Georgia's other receivers -- Kris Durham and Tavarres King -- by number (that's how he does things). "You look throughout their lineup, they've got tremendous speed, tremendous receivers," Lolley said. "No. 16, over there about 6-5, you know? No. 12 got deep on us last year a couple times, the King kid. Very fast. Very good football player."

• Lolley knows Georgia will test the Tigers deep. “I look for no less than 10 or 12 deep balls,” he said. “No less.”

• Ryan White, a freshman who moonlighted as a scout team quarterback for much of the year, got his first extended look at cornerback against Chattanooga on Saturday. He had mixed results. "He made some mistakes like they all do," Lolley said. "And thank goodness it was a game we could play through some of it, you know. But he made a lot of mistakes, but he also did some good things. And a lot of those deals that he was doing in practice that looked really good, in front of 80 some thousand people wasn't quite as good. And we expected some of that, and we hope the second go-around is better."

• Georgia's base defense is a 3-4, but the Bulldogs have used plenty of even-man fronts lately. "They have the potential to do both on any given down," offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said. "It causes a little bit more in terms of headaches and preparation time in order to prepare for both, particularly in protection, because they can give you so many different types of blitzes from a 3-4 alignment."

• One guy to be aware of on Georgia's defense: Justin Houston. The 6-foot-3, 258-pound outside linebacker leads the SEC with nine sacks and is second with 16.5 tackles for loss. “Any guy that’s got that many sacks and that many hits on the quarterback, you’ve certainly got to address that on any play you’re passing the football," Grimes said. "Whether you address it through your base system, or whether you do something to account for that, that’s a decision everybody’s got to make every week. But you’re certainly aware of a guy that.”

• Grimes got on the Nick Fairley-is-good topic tonight, recalling a time when he was coaching at Arizona State. "I had Levi Jones who played left tackle for me who was the 10th overall pick, and Terrell Suggs was the defensive end across from him," Grimes said. "He was also a first-round pick and led the nation in sacks that year. Both of those guys got better because they had to go against each other. I think there’s certainly been some of that with our group having to go against a guy like Nick. The thing with Nick is he’s so big, but, kind of like I was saying with the guys from Georgia, he’s just athletic. Most guys that big can’t change direction and run like he can. That’s been good for us.”

• Lots of praise tonight for wide receiver Terrell Zachery, and with good cause, considering the senior had career highs with seven catches and 148 yards against Chattanooga. Taylor compared him to former Tennessee Volunteers and current New Orleans Saints receiver Robert Meachem with his physical style. "I tease him all the time and tell him that he's a running back playing wide receiver," Taylor said. "I'm not sure you couldn't put T-Zach in the backfield and toss it to him and he's have the same vision and moves he could make out there."

• Trooper likes the way Zachery finishes off runs, too. "Very seldom do you see him run out of bounds or try to get down," he said. "He's going to lower his head -- sometimes to his detriment. In the bowl game, he tried and he fumbled the ball. It happened earlier this year; he was trying to truck a guy and the guy got his helmet on the ball. I'd like to make those guys miss if we could. T-Zach is not going to do that. He's smart enough to know when to cut his losses. Some receivers will stay up and get stripped or keep running backward and lose yards. He's really intelligent on those kinds of decisions."

• Taylor said Zachery is a quiet leader. "If you didn't call his name, you probably wouldn't hear him," he said. "He doesn't talk much, but when he does it carries a lot of weight. He started practice this week and he told the receivers: Not one drop. Enough was said. That's the way they've been practicing."

• Trooper said the team is close, which means it doesn't mind ragging on each other. "They don't pull any punches when it comes to teaching each other," he said. "Whether it's Emory Blake wearing a shirt that's too small. Corey (Lemonier) walking around with jeans that are high waters. They're on each other all the time -- just like you would in a family. I think that's what makes it fun. They'll let us know if we're not dressed properly. There's not a time when we say: Practice is over now, we can be friends. It's family all the time."

The Cam Newton story is not losing steam.

ESPN reported late Tuesday night that two sources who recruit for Mississippi State said Cecil Newton and his son asked for a pay-for-play plan from the school in separate phone conversations during the quarterback's recruitment last year.

Mississippi State compliance officials relayed the alleged conversations to the SEC offices in January, according to the report. What is not clear is how this would not have affected Newton's eligibility prior to the season.

The SEC and, presumably NCAA, have known about the matter for 10 months. Neither ruled Newton ineligible.

Auburn has not received a letter of inquiry from the NCAA and has said it did its due diligence in investigating claims about Newton's recruitment this summer. The school found no reason to hold Newton out of games.

According to the report, one of MSU's recruiters said Cecil told him it would take "more than a scholarship" to bring his son to Starkville. The source said the school refused.

After the quarterback committed to Auburn, a different source said an emotional Cam phoned the recruiter to say he was sorry about changing his commitment from Mississippi State. Cam allegedly said Cecil had chosen Auburn for him because "the money was too much."

Of the allegations thrown at Newton in the last week, this is the first directly linked to the quarterback's family and to specifically mention Auburn.

It's been widely reported that Newton's preference during the recruiting process was to go to Mississippi State, while his father chose Auburn for him.

"I’m not going to confirm nor deny nothing that has been taking place,” Cecil Newton said.

Asked if he had seen the report, the elder Newton said that he knew “nothing about this whole thing.”

“I’ve answered what I need to answer,” Cecil Newton said. “If they’re out there, go with it and make the decision or determination based on whatever you’ve got to say.”

He described all of the recent allegations involving his son as “a witch hunt.”

“They can continue doing whatever they’re doing, sir,” said Cecil Newton, who added, “I’m just in support of my son.”

Cam Newton might be in the middle of a media maelstrom in light of allegations this past week, but Auburn coaches and teammates haven’t noticed a change in their star quarterback’s demeanor.

“As a matter of fact, he’s extremely motivated,” offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn said Tuesday. “He had a good practice tonight and he had a good practice last week. He’s very focused.”

Newton has twice been in the news lately, first with questions surrounding his recruitment last year and most recently with allegations of academic misconduct while at Florida.

“We know Cam and that situation, we’re not worried about it,” linebacker Josh Bynes said. “It’s not a distraction.

“I don’t really care nothing about it. Because whatever it is, I know for a fact, just like everybody out here, that it’s bogus.”

Malzahn thinks the team has rallied around him.

“I think that is fair to say,” he said. “Our guys, they know what is on the line and they have worked extremely hard to get to this point. Off the field stuff, I really don’t think will be a factor.”

"I believe it all starts with him, and he hasn’t let it affect him, so the fact it hasn’t affect him, I think it has rubbed off on the team," linebacker Craig Stevens said. "We’ve let it fly by. We feel like if he doesn’t let it affect him, there’s no reason it should affect us."

In the meantime, Newton is going about his business as usual in preparing for Georgia.

“Cam is the same person to me,” wide receiver Emory Blake said.

Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.

Here are some other notes and quotes from Tuesday's interviews:

• Outside linebacker Daren Bates was back at practice and going full speed after missing the last two and a half games with a right shoulder injury suffered against LSU. Jonathan Evans and Eltoro Freeman have filled in for Bates in the interim. Evans had five tackles against Ole Miss and Freeman a team-high eight against Chattanooga. That role could decrease with Bates back in the fold. The sophomore is tied for fifth on the team with 40 tackles. “With Daren out my role increased a little bit, but this week Daren is back,” Evans said. “So we’re just going out there and working hard, and whoever gets out there will play the best he can.”

• Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green fired off a salvo early this week, saying the Bulldogs were going to “shock” a lot of people this weekend. “I know we’ve got a chance to win,” Green told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I feel like they haven’t faced anybody else like me and (quarterback) Aaron (Murray) with our offense. We’re really going to show them. We’re going to shock a lot of people.” Safety Zac Etheridge wasn’t going to start a war of words. “We don’t get into that,” Etheridge said. “You’ve got to line up and play football, and then we’ll let our pads do the talking.”

• Georgia's passing game gets plenty of recognition -- and rightfully so -- but Bynes thinks when push comes to shove, the Bulldogs will run the ball. "This game is just like LSU, downhill running," he said. "They'll camouflage it with all that other stuff and try to get deep shots and try to put in different formations, but their main formation is what they want to do and run the ball out of the I formation. Run the ball downhill if they can. That's what they want to do and that's what Georgia's all about, so as a linebacker this is the kind of game you really want to look forward to to make plays, but we all know what Georgia wants to do. They want to run the ball and if we give them an opportunity, they'll take advantage of it like they did last year down the stretch to win the game."

• Bynes' description of the Georgia rivalry: "It's always been such a hard, tough games when it's Georgia against Auburn. It's physical. It's tough. It's hard. It's dirty. It's nasty. It's how the game ends up being. It's always a tough game."

• Count Bynes as one of the players saying this kind of season was possible this summer. "I don’t think people believed us, especially when I said it in the spring and when I said it at Media Day," he said. "Ain’t nobody think, ‘OK, Josh is probably just talking noise, and Auburn might be this, might be that.’ But obviously we’re in the position where all of us felt like we were going to be at. We’re 10-0, and we just have more to go."

• Georgia runs a 3-4 defense, although Malzahn said the Bulldogs go with multiple fronts. "They do a little bit of odd, a little bit of even and they’ll come after you from different angles," he said. "They’ve got some very talented people to do it with." Malzahn said he's seen Georgia's defense improve from week to week. "“They’re very fast. They fly around. They’ve got great pass rushers," he said. "You can tell they’re starting to get a feel for their defensive coordinator and they’re playing extremely fast. You can tell they have improved each game.”

• Malzahn reiterated that Auburn wanted to bring RB Mike Dyer along slowly. "That was the plan early," he said. "We didn’t want to throw him to the wolves early until he had a good feel for everything. I think he’s fresh right now, and that’s a good thing. He’s very comfortable with the offense and I think he has fresh legs and a fresh body and a lot of times the backs are beat up this time of year. That was our plan and I really feel like he’s got a better grip on that stuff."

• Dyer thinks his yards are a function of the offense. "In this offense, holding on to the ball and running is the easiest thing you do," he said.

• Left tackle Lee Ziemba on Dyer: "He's definitely grown a lot. The place you see it best is with his toughness and his ability to hit the hole and not dance around. That's tough for a freshman coming in because in high school, you can get away from out-running some folks. When you get to college, guys are a little bit faster and you've got to hit the hole. Mike has done a great job with that."

• Want a feelgood story? How about this? Bynes’ father, Herbert, made the trek from Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time in his son’s career last week on Senior Day. Neither of Bynes’ parents had been able to make the trip before for financial reasons. “I don’t want people to think that my family didn’t come just because they didn’t come,” Bynes said. “Everybody’s not able to have their family come 13 hours away to come to every game.” It was worth the trip. “My dad’s never seen a crowd like this ever,” Bynes said. “He’s a high school coach, so he’d never seen more than 20,000 at the most, maybe. But 90,000 people in the stadium roaring, and especially when he sees my name out there, I know it’s a great feeling for him. He enjoyed himself, had fun, and he’s trying to see if he can come back again.”

Barring any late developments, this will be my story for tomorrow's newspaper:

AUBURN, Ala. — As it set about preparing for Georgia with a chance to clinch an SEC title game berth, Auburn had to come to the defense of Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Cam Newton for the second time in five days following reports of academic misconduct during his two years at Florida.

The latest twist in the Newton imbroglio prompted an angry response from Auburn coach Gene Chizik, who called the reports “pure garbage” at his weekly press conference and openly wondered who was behind them.

“I’m standing up here on a very important week trying to defend something that, quite frankly, is garbage,” Chizik said during a 4½-minute opening statement. “Is there a wizard behind the curtain? I don’t know and I don’t care.

“But what I do care about is coming to the defense of not only a great football player, but a great human being who comes from a great family.”

Four days after reports that a man claiming to represent Newton’s interests asked Mississippi State for a six-figure payment during the quarterback’s recruitment last year came a Fox Sports report that said Newton faced possible expulsion from the University of Florida for three instances of academic cheating.

The report, citing a single unnamed source, said Newton violated Florida’s honor code by cheating in class his freshman year.

It alleged a second violation in 2008 when he put his name on another student’s paper and turned it in. Newton then turned in a second paper that had been purchased off the Internet.

According to the source in the report, Newton was set to appear in front of Florida’s Student Conduct Committee during the spring semester of 2009. He transferred to Blinn College in Texas in January of that year.

Newton did not confirm or deny the reports of cheating Tuesday.

“I’m not going to entertain something that took place not three months, not six months, not even a year, (but) two years ago,” he said. “I’m not going to sit up here and say anything about it, whether I did or did not do it, because I think I don’t want to beat a dead horse talking about it. It’s not going to affect me in any way, shape, or form.”

Newton, who signed with Auburn last December, has said repeatedly that he chose to leave Florida on his own accord, needing a fresh start following his arrest for theft of a laptop in November 2008. Newton maintains he purchased the stolen item unwittingly. The charges were dropped after he completed a pre-trial intervention program for first-time offenders.

Newton also said future playing time was a factor, with Tim Tebow choosing to return for his senior season and John Brantley as a future competitor at quarterback. Although Tebow announced he was returning for his senior season Jan. 11, 2009, while reports of Newton’s decision to transfer began as early as Jan. 5 of that year.

The Fox Sports report said Newton was not enrolled at Florida for the spring semester when he decided to transfer.

The accusations come on the heels of last week’s ESPN.com report that former Mississippi State player Kenny Rogers claimed to represent the Newton’s family’s interests when he asked for $180,000 from his alma mater to secure the quarterback’s signature last fall.

Newton and his family have denied any wrongdoing and have turned over bank and financial documents to the NCAA.

Auburn has stood by the quarterback’s eligibility throughout the matter, with school sources saying the issue was investigated thoroughly this summer. An NCAA investigation is ongoing.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who joined Auburn and Mississippi State in recruiting Newton last fall, told the Associated Press that the Sooners didn’t encounter anything irregular during the process.

TMZ Sports reported Tuesday that the FBI has requested a meeting with former Mississippi State quarterback John Bond, who was the person Rogers allegedly came to with the request for money. Bond said he turned the information over to school officials, who relayed it to the SEC offices.

The timing and sourcing of the latest reports have raised eyebrows, considering the Tigers are 10-0 and ranked No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings.

Contacted by the Ledger-Enquirer, Newton’s father, Cecil, said he could not comment, a more restrained stance than what he took during interviews earlier in the day.

“Any logical thinking individual should stand back and say, ‘What is really going on here?’” he told AuburnUndercover.com.

He told the Paul Finebaum radio show that “this is a character assassination attempt.”

“Am I hurt? No. Am I curious? A little bit,” Cam said. “But it really doesn’t bother me that much. I’m a blessed individual.”

Multiple reports linked Florida coach Urban Meyer to leaking the first story about Newton, leading to rumors that he was behind Tuesday’s story as well. Meyer has denied any connection to either story.

“For anyone to think that I or anyone on our staff may have leaked information about private student records to the media doesn’t know us very well,” Meyer said in a statement. “It’s a ridiculous claim and simply not true.”

Asked specifically if he believed Meyer’s statement, Newton stood behind his former coach.

“Absolutely,” Newton said. “The coach that I knew, the one I once committed to, a man of integrity, I would hope he wouldn’t say anything like that.”

Chizik didn’t speculate on who might be behind the story but might have insinuated enough with his omission of Florida’s coaches when speaking about Newton’s character history.

“If you really want to do your homework, go and start with his Little League coach, then go to his junior high coach, then go to his high school coach, then go to his junior college coach and then come talk to any coach at Auburn,” Chizik said. “And you’re all going to hear the same thing.

“So this is a waste of my time, but I’m going to address it because I’m defending a young man who deserves it.”

In the meantime, Auburn officials lined up in support behind Newton. Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs went to the drastic measure of releasing a statement regarding the latest reports.

“These allegations and rumors about Cam Newton are unfortunate and sad because they seem intent on tearing down the reputation of a young man who has done everything we’ve asked him to do,” Jacobs said. “Cam has been and continues to be completely honest with us.”

Jacobs said he could not comment specifically on Newton’s academic records because it violates federal privacy laws.

“We will not go down that path or stoop to that level as others have apparently done,” he said. “We will, however, emphatically say that Cam is eligible to play football at Auburn University both academically and athletically.”

Chizik stood by Newton’s Heisman Trophy candidacy, despite concerns the latest reports could sway voters against him.

“He’s one of the leaders in the Heisman race because he deserves it. That’s fact,” Chizik said. “Distractions and whatever is out there, whatever people want to drum up and dream up and try to distract — it is what it is and it’s not changing.

“Cameron is going to be focused on playing Georgia this week. Nothing has changed in terms of who he is and what he is, but he is like our son here, and I have a problem with it.”