Cam Newton Investigation: Auburn ‘Aware Of Potential Eligibility Issue’

A crucial turning point has been reached in the Cam Newton investigation, as Charles Robinson reports that there's a reason behind Auburn University's recent run of "no comment" answers and "expect to play" dodges:

The stakes, for the moment, couldn't be much higher for the Tigers: A win against Georgia Saturday would give the SEC's lone remaining undefeated team the West division title for 2010, and send them to Atlanta in December to face whoever staggers out of the lobster-pot East division. A win with a player later ruled ineligible, after being warned off (to some degree) by the NCAA, wouldn't augur well for leniency on the part of the Committee on Infractions should sanctions become part of the discussion. A win with Newton's backup, healthily-consonanted sophomore Barrett Trotter (he of the five pass completions in 2010), against a Todd Grantham defense that appears to have rediscovered the use of their upper bodies in tackling may not be possible.