We watched it and as soon as the announcers began trying to justify a poor call by questioning when he tucked the ball to imply possession, I knew what the call was going to come back as. I honestly believe that there is a conspiracy for the two teams and until either Florida or Alabama beats a team without question, they will not get the respect.

Both teams are talented but lack any form or resemblance of their offenses of last year. Both teams are terrific on defense but you have to score points to win.

As for LSU who say that the call cost them the game, it very well could have. That pick, at that moment, would have sent the crowd into a frenzy and changed the entire atmosphere of the game. Instead of a frenzied crowd rocking a stadium, you get a team that now believes that no matter what they do, they will lose or be cheated out of the win. That call absolutely demoralized the LSU fans, teams and the coaches. If you don’t believe me, look at the desperation that Miles showed on the punt, he sent everyone at it and didn’t care that a flag was thrown.

The SEC has to make an example of these officials. In years past, they have been the top of the officiating world, but now it really gives the appearance that they are in the pockets of two teams. But I honestly don’t think it starts or stops with the officials, I think that the SEC in general is to blame at this point. Florida had a guy digging in a facemask and he got suspended for one game and the SEC was fine with that. You can tell me that it happens all the time, and that is fine, but Spikes doing it on an open pile of players on national tv and with the video basically going viral at this point, the SEC should have put their foot down and taken care of the problem, and I believe that if it were another player on another team, they would have flexed their muscles.

Looked like the side of his foot was on the white from the angles they showed over and over.

Big whoop, LSU had 17 total yards in the 4th.

If you take all the questionable calls in all the games that affect Alabama and Florida this season, then a pattern does emerge. I could go further, but to do so would make me look like I was claiming to have seen a UFO.

But the Bama player clearly rammed Jordan Jefferson with his helmet lowered, an illegal blow which sent the kid out of the game for a few plays. No penalty on that one.

Both Les Miles and Nick Saban were calling for a timeout in the fourth quarter, when LSU only had one timeout left and Bama had three. The refs charged LSU with the timeout, thus leaving Miles with no more timeouts.

I could go on, but whatever credibility I might have would be lost.

I will say this, however. My joy for the game has been lost this season. A possible loss of credible officiating taints the victories of a few teams, and thus the achievements of the players. It’s not just the unfairness of the BCS polling process. We can’t even escape the bias within our own conference anymore.

And for those who think it is not possible that refs would cheat: remember the NBA refs who were convicted of making calls to affect the outcomes of games. They admitted in court that they were subtle about it, but that the cumulative effect of those “close calls” were enough to affect eventual outcomes.

I really think it is. I was going to write a post on this so thanks for saving me the trouble Jay. The simple fact of the matter is that $17 million dollars are on the line here for the SEC. Regardless of who goes to the national championship, the SEC WANTS two teams in the BCS, and the only way to guarantee that is if two undefeaed teams go to the SEC championship game. When LSU was #4, I believe they got the phantom celebration call on AJ Green against UGA to help give them a chance at staying undefeated. Throw on top all of the other very questionable calls that have been blatantly missed or more importantly DISMISSED and its very hard to believe that there are not ulterior motives at work here. As far as the interception was concerned, not only did he get a foot in HE GOT TWO IN!! That was a blatant. While it in no way guaranteed LSU a win, it did deny them the chance, and thats the while point. If Alabama or Florida loses it will have to be without a doubt because its obvious that if the score is close, a call will be made in their favor to give them the upper hand. Now let me be clear about this, I don’t think this is an Alabama or Florida bias, just for them, I think it would be the same if it was LSU and Tennessee or whoever happened to be at the top of the rankings. The point is the SEC IS corrupt and wants that money, it doesn’t matter who delivers the gold as long as they get it. College football and the SEC in particular are not about amatuer athletics anymore, it is a huge corporate goliath making billions of dollars and there is more emphasis than ever on branding, marketing and high stakes TV deals. There is so much money involved now that it would be more of a surprise if there wasn’t any corruption. The fact that they appear to be letting it impact the outcomes of games now is criminal and action needs to be taken to clean things up. Right now, it makes me want to vomit.

Just bad calls by officials not at the top of the game. Auburn had some bad calls against LSU and I still believe it’s just bad officiating. The large contract that the SEC has makes them easy targets for the conspiracy angle. These are the same officials from years past making the same number of bad calls. Nothing more.

Is the unwillingness of the field judges to make the calls on the field. Thus leaving the judgment calls to the replay booth. I would wager that the public outcry of late has as much to do with this debacle as anything.
Ask yourself. How much do theses ref’s get paid per game? How about per Bowl game?
Now consider that the chance that you blow a call so badly that you could lose your Bowl game income. Would you make the snap call on the field, or let the booth do it so you don’t look foolish?
In the LSU game two different ref’s came to the sideline and conferred before one made a sluggish incomplete pass call. From the angles we were shown, watching on High Def, at slow motion, and stop frame by frame technology it looked to me an easy call to overturn and award LSU with the interception. That’s my opinion anyway.

to be about officiating in the SEC,,,,,,NOT about the Alabama-LSU game. However, it brought out all of the mulltet heads thinking it was all about bama gettting the uppper hand in the game due to officiating.

Bammers,,,read the post again. Learn how to comprehend what a sentence says.

WAR EAGLE

…..been blown calls on the field. What’s DISTURBING, is that the replay officials are getting it wrong! That call in question was CLEARLY an interception! How did the ref not SEE that? You only need one foot down in college!

…..It’s an absolute mess, right now. Slive can try to gag coaches all he wants, but this situation is rotten, any way you slice it. I still don’t think the league is actively trying to protect Bama and Florida. But, these horrible calls stink of reeking incompetence, plain and simple. This league deserves better!

Just was, I watched it a dozen times even after the game stopped showing it. I really am starting to see a conspiracy to protect Bama and Florida. It may lighten up now that they have both clinched spots in the championship, but it has been painfully obvious numerous times this season.

The only real assistance Alabama has gotten were on very close calls in this LSU game, and that’s well within what you’d expect in a season as far as favorable calls.

The overturned Indiana TD against Iowa was much worse than the non-interception in the Bama/LSU game. There they actually overturned a call that appeared to be confirmed by the video, negating an Indian TD. Where are all the sports columnists writing about Big 10 conspiracies?

I will say that that was a horrible call and it is inexcusible, but it’s not the first time and it won’t be the last. If memory serves me correctly a replay official got suspended for making a horrible call in the PAC 10 a year or two ago….and I would have to say that this replay official should be treated likewise. I like others don’t believe that LSU was robbed of victory but they were robbed of the opportunity and that is the shame. I wanted Bammer to win because I always want to beat a good Bammer team in the Ironbowl and it doesn’t help our Tigers in anyway for Bama to lose. But c’mon people stop with the conspiracy talk its pretty weak.

The SEC crew that calls the championship game between Bama and Florida. They aren’t going to know who to screw. I’m thinking like 10-15 off setting penalties? Anyone? Anyone?

link

Let the teeth gnashing begin

It is also a shame for Alabama, that this win is shadowed by a horrible call. In the end, we have no idea how an LSU interception would have impacted the game. And that is the frustrating part.

And I understand the point entirely that you’re trying to get across.

If the play had had been confirmed that the LSU defender was in fact in bounds (which he did appear in bounds), and LSU went on to ultimately win the game, the roles would have been reversed as Alabama fans would be crying foul because a similar play didn’t go our way in the first quarter. Smelley caught a pass right on the border of the playing field, which he appeared in bounds, but they ruled it incomplete. The play was not reviewed because the officials stated the review booth was malfunctioning.

Later in the game, after a fairly impressive punt by LSU’s punter, LSU’s coverage team appeared to have kicked the ball at the 4 yard line. However, the officials spotted it an inch away from the goal line, which ultimately resulted in a safety. Now I’m not saying starting at the four would’ve prevented a safety, but we had been backed up like that a few times throughout the game and we managed to move the ball well, gaining more and more breathing room.

As far as the penalty which led to a safety is concerned, I don’t personally know this for a fact or not, but several people claimed it technically was not intentional grounding because Mark Ingram, the intended target was in the direct path of the ball.

The main differentia, which makes everyone question whether it’s a conspiracy or not, is this could’ve been a game changer because it happened in the waning minutes of the fourth, and Alabama’s blown calls would’ve been irrelevant by that time.

The point is, I am torn between all of this. I personally don’t believe in these “theories” and the main reason being is because I’ve seen a lot of blown calls that could’ve benefited Alabama, but were simply missed. And vise versa.

If Alabama had lost the game because the call was reversed, then Alabama fans would’ve cried foul for the questionable ball spot which resulted in a safety and what might have happened if Smelley was ruled in bounds when he made his catch while straddling the edge of the playing field.

Whether it’s a conspiracy or not, there is in fact a ton of bad officiating going on because I’ve seen it first hand even against us.

This is a prime example of why I think that football players should always wear black cleats – because they stand out from the sidelines.

If you have to expend so much energy defending a win; it’s official, the officiating is not up to the level of play in the SEC. Even you BAMERS should see that…

Someone may have already asked, and someone may have already answered. I was watching this replay over and over and trying to find a possible reason that the upstairs official wouldn’t overturn this. Since Julio had his hand on the ball and he was out of bounds, does that make it a deadball? Thats a possibility right? I am just honestly puzzled.

Auburn was not playing in this game, so I could give a damn…

The LSU int was close maybe even a bad call but thing is it was ruled incomplete on the field.Out of all the replays you’ve ever seen how many made the wrong call?The thing is there has to be INDISPUTABLE evidence to overturn and this call was very disputable as you can see from prior post.

Bama being the more physical team won this game period