Another bomb dropped Tuesday night, but like every other alleged piece of ammunition in the ongoing war against Cam Newton, it's not clear if this one is more than a dud.

The story is suspicious, and the charges it contains could potentially wreck everything Newton and Auburn have accomplished this season, but it's far from conclusive proof.

ESPN reported this: "Two sources who recruit for Mississippi State said that Cecil Newton and his son, quarterback Cam Newton, admitted in separate phone conversations to a pay-for-play plan while Newton was being recruited late last year."

First things first. Only coaches are allowed to recruit. If the sources were Mississippi State coaches, the story should've identified them that way. If someone other than a State coach was recruiting for the school, that's an NCAA violation.

The story says that, before Cam Newton committed to Auburn at the end of December, 2009, Cecil Newton told one of those "sources who recruit for Mississippi State" in a phone conversation that it would take "more than a scholarship" for his son to sign with the Bulldogs.

More than a scholarship? You know what that implies.

The story also says that "Cecil Newton referred the recruiter to a third person that would provide more specifics."

The third person is unidentified, as are the specifics, but the implication is clear in the wake of last week's ESPN story that former Mississippi State player Kenny Rogers was allegedly representing the Newton family and asking for money for him to sign with State.

The implication is that Cecil Newton was working with Kenny Rogers to pimp Cam Newton to the highest bidder. God help the Rev. Newton if that's true.

Oh, as an aside, let's hope the NCAA has asked or will ask Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen this question. Why, after State allegedly received info that Newton was for sale, by his own father, did the Bullies continue to recruit him?

The accusation of Cecil Newton's involvement is bolstered in the story by another allegation from another unnamed source. This source said that, after he committed to Auburn, "an emotional Cam Newton" called one of the Mississippi State recruiters, expressed "regret" and said his dad had picked Auburn for him because "the money was too much."

Cam Newton is a lot of things. Stupid is not one of them.

He's done some unwise things in his life, but signing with one school and then telling a school he turned down that he did it for the money would go down as perhaps the stupidest act by a college football player ever.

It doesn't ring true, but perception doesn't matter here. Facts do. And the fact is, if Cam Newton made that call and said those words, he gave State the rope to hang him.

What does the Newton family have to say about these latest and most damaging allegations? A call to Cecil Newton's cell phone Tuesday night was answered with an automated message that said the person at that number was not accepting calls at that time. A voice mail left at Cecil Newton's home number was not returned.

There's one more key aspect to the story that gives some hope to Auburn that these allegations won't turn the school's dream season into its worst nightmare. The story says this:

"Mississippi State compliance officials relayed the alleged conversations to Southeastern Conference compliance officials in January, according to two other sources close to the football program."

That contradicts what ESPN itself reported in its original story last week raising questions about Newton's recruitment. In that story, SEC compliance boss Greg Sankey said he didn't receive "specific" information on the subject until July of this year.

Did Sankey not receive the information about the alleged phone conversations between the Newtons and Mississippi State recruiters in January? Did he receive the info then and not consider it specific enough?

In any case, the SEC and Auburn knew there were questions about Newton's recruitment no later than this past summer, well in advance of the opener against Arkansas State.

And still the SEC office didn't persuade Auburn to not play Newton in the first game. And still Auburn didn't decide to not play him from the very first snap.

Do Auburn officials, who have passionately defended Cam Newton and his family, publicly and privately, know something that ESPN and its Mississippi State sources don't know? Do ESPN and its Mississippi State sources know something that Auburn officials don't?

What was it that Auburn coach Gene Chizik said Tuesday in his powerful defense of the Newtons? "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."

Looks like the Auburn family is all in with Cam and Cecil Newton. They'll either rise above the smoke swirling around them, or they'll all go down in flames.

Got something to say? Drop a comment below, or write Kevin at kscarbinsky@bhamnews.com.