The SEC Forum at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

... they're having a bad year. or, they just dont care anymore. 

I dont like either Bama or lsu... last night's game in Tuscaloosa was a farce.   Every single time LSU threatened, it was refs to the rescue. I'm sure there will be those who argue this, but I'd like for them to study that evidence and come away defending the zebras with their integrity intact.  I present it cant be done. 

College football is dying faster than the portal or NIL could ever do it with the officiating. 

That was my thoughts at the beginning of the season.  Not any more.  The calls are decidedly... decided.  Sure,  a call could be made on every play- and they are... depending on who's in the program to win.  Watch that game.  Watch is somewhat close.  Its blatant.  Its been blatant elsewhere, too.  

... they're having a bad year. or, they just dont care anymore.

I dont like either Bama or lsu... last night's game in Tuscaloosa was a farce.  Every single time LSU threatened, it was refs to the rescue. I'm sure there will be those who argue this, but I'd like for them to study that evidence and come away defending the zebras with their integrity intact.  I present it cant be done.

College football is dying faster than the portal or NIL could ever do it with the officiating.

What'd we ever do to you?  Don't like you either, I reckon.  

Anyway, the disparity in calls in the LSU/Bama game, while frustrating for an LSU fan, weren't subjective for the most part.  You have to concede that whatever else the refs have done this year--especially the baffling UGA-favorable calls--they weren't flagging LSU for "this is my opinion" stuff.  LSU false started a bunch of times.  That happened, it's easy to see on tape.  We've done it all year.  There's just no way to blame that on ref conspiracy.  We got delay of games.  Everybody saw the clock run down.  That's also something we've done all year.  We simply did it again.  It draws a flag, every time, as it should. 

If you want to say it's about what they didn't call against Alabama, then you're free to make your case, but one thing you can't say is that Alabama committed a bunch of objective penalties like false starts and delay of games as LSU did. 

I realize the penalty count in that game looked and sounded awfully lopsided.  But I challenge you to find me the penalty that was called on LSU that they didn't deserve, and then show me the clear, obvious, objective penalties that Alabama did deserve which they didn't get called for.  The fact is LSU has moved the ball well many times this year, gets to the red zone, and then realizes its immune to scoring.  I've run out of numbers to count the ways we create to not score at the end of decent drives.  This isn't unique to the Bama game.  It's been all year long.  Our coach got fired for it, in part.  

It sucks, but Alabama played a clean game and did what they needed to do:  bide their time, don't screw up, and wait for LSU to inevitably implode.  

c'mon, Mike.  there is no higher ground here... it is what it is.  

LSU, who I really don't have an opinion on was left to their own destruction without calls being required - until they reached the red zone, and then the calls poured... calls that could have been made on either team at any point in the game. A false start was called at one point when the bama d line shifted and while a bama lineman was clearly in the neutral zone.  that's a defensive penalty any day other than Saturday in Tuscaloosa.  False starts, sure, but unpunished until it mattered.  

it's not different than a game i was invested in a couple years back UT at UF... Overthrow Joe at the helm.  the calls were 'mostly' legit, but at absolutely critical points in the game, and after letting the tone of the game be set- letting both sides get by and announcers and fans alike getting the sense "they're letting them play"- then boom- the calls start to pour in when it matters... 

and that's how this is being done... the refs suddenly open their eyes when a team that isn't supposed to win gets in position to score.  Auburn must have really pissed off the SEC office and maybe they've paid the piper with the firing of their coach... UT is in their sights... Oklahoma is the only team really without a chance that still seems to get the calls, while there is no reason to penalize (pun) SUCe I mean USCe as they've been- and that's another team i've no loss of love for. 

vegas used to be the only place a legal bet within the US could be made... Jersey sued, and when it looked like they'd win other states joined... in most states there is now legalized sports betting, and most often ran by the state or controlled by the state under contract... Licenses are issued in some states but that is the exception.  since that happened, things have gone to crap... it beckons to a ruling by SCOTUS folks want to ignore or pretend didn't happen that goes back some years, now, and in response to NBA refs caught tampering with the outcome of a game, it ruled "the NBA is a private entity and can do what they want insofar as fixing contests".  that absolutely bleeds into other organizations.. and here is something most folks don't realize - most AD's if not ALL are corporations often/almost always owned by the school but still apart from the tax payer funded schools.  that's how and why copyrights are so well protected.  if anyone doesn't think for a second there isn't tampering they're fools.  the world isn't what it used to be if it ever was- integrity is a liability. what i think happened is they got by with it over and over and over again, and kept creeping up on the line of 'obvious', and now it is to those who pay close attention... and still not to those who value feels over evidence.