SEC Conspiracy

[AUFriction 1,179]

There is clearly a problem in officiating, and the SEC officials are the worst. It could be one of these things:

- Coincidence: Certain teams in the SEC are just unlucky when it comes to officiating

- Unconscious Bias: The officials hold subtle grudges against certain teams, and those grudges are spilling into their officiating such that they are harder on those teams. The grudges are operating at an automatic level of consciousness, so the officials would likely think they are officiating fairly.

Unconscious Favoritism: The officials hold overly positive views of a team, such that they kind of have the mindset that the team can do no wrong. Like the last one, that subtle favoritism subconsciously spills into their officiating. They again would believe that they were doing a good job.

Overt SEC Favoritism: They are being directed by the SEC to go easy on programs that will get teams into the playoff. This suggests a conspiracy by the SEC.

Corruption: The officials are being threatened and/or paid off by people unaffiliated with the NCAA or SEC. Like the last one, this suggests a conspiracy.

To date, I still think it is one of the unconscious explanations, BUT I’m steadily migrating toward one of the conspiracies. The officiating is just getting worse and worse. It’s getting to the point that it is too bad to be unconscious bias or favoritism.

[Mikey 16,565]

I don't think it's a conspiracy of the type where people have to keep their mouths shut. It's simply something where every ref knows how things are "supposed to work out".

[I_M4_AU 7,786]

2 hours ago, AUFriction said:

Unconscious Bias: The officials hold subtle grudges against certain teams, and those grudges are spilling into their officiating such that they are harder on those teams. The grudges are operating at an automatic level of consciousness, so the officials would likely think they are officiating fairly.

Unconscious Favoritism: The officials hold overly positive views of a team, such that they kind of have the mindset that the team can do no wrong. Like the last one, that subtle favoritism subconsciously spills into their officiating. They again would believe that they were doing a good job.

This combination will be deadly in JHS this weekend.  We shall see.

[TigersTalons 10]

We’ve all seen AU get many bad calls but in 10 when AU were the odds on favs for making a run at the title , suddenly AU starts getting calls their way. I do believe that something is going on. I know my example predates the CFP but it is about the money.

[autigeremt 6,589]

Officials shouldn’t be conference specific. It needs to be like basketball. 

[jAUSon 2,836]

20 hours ago, autigeremt said:

Officials shouldn’t be conference specific. It needs to be like basketball. 

^ the best answer. It's hard to imagine there's a conspiracy and it's taboo for sports fans to blame the refs. But the rub is this: Alabama will hold Marlon and Derick all day freely, we'll see it with our eyes, and it will affect the score. So how are we supposed to feel? 

[japantiger 4,051]

If you don't believe there is playoff contender bias, look at the films out there of the Texas A&M vs GA game last weekend.  That was a friggin Greek tragedy.  There were so many missed calls it puts you in only one of two places...Referee active bias or Referee complete incompetence.  That game didn't leave any middle ground.  

And that reveresed call on the pass catch against us...I think we just need to eliminate Instant Replay.  I was so for it; one of the worst decisions in college football history.  Man was I wrong.  The general direction of in-game officiating has declined every year since Replay became part of the game.  Minimally it needs to be dialed way back and done rarely.  Takes too much time, disrupts the game and obviously, if that call on the pass catch is any indication, it is not improving quality of the calls.  

[AUsince72 11,084]

Anybody remember "The Last Boyscout"?

I used to think that premise was so stupid & Hollywood. ....now it's just The SEC...

[musicitytiger 281]

On 11/27/2019 at 10:00 AM, I_M4_AU said:

This combination will be deadly in JHS this weekend.  We shall see.

Maybe to ease the pain we start a drinking game with the missed holds......

[jw 4 au 526]

4 hours ago, japantiger said:

If you don't believe there is playoff contender bias, look at the films out there of the Texas A&M vs GA game last weekend.  That was a friggin Greek tragedy.  There were so many missed calls it puts you in only one of two places...Referee active bias or Referee complete incompetence.  That game didn't leave any middle ground.  

And that reveresed call on the pass catch against us...I think we just need to eliminate Instant Replay.  I was so for it; one of the worst decisions in college football history.  Man was I wrong.  The general direction of in-game officiating has declined every year since Replay became part of the game.  Minimally it needs to be dialed way back and done rarely.  Takes too much time, disrupts the game and obviously, if that call on the pass catch is any indication, it is not improving quality of the calls.  

Agree somewhat, but think of it this way. If it was referee complete incompetence, the law of averages is still in play. So it would balance out. With it so out of whack in favor of the team to garner the league more money in playoffs or higher ranked team or whatever, it cannot be complete incompetence. It has to be active bias through corruption, either by SEC direction or payment from certain teams or boosters (bama anyone?). I truly believe they are corrupt. The evidence is there!!!

[WarTim 3,456]

5 minutes ago, jw 4 au said:

Agree somewhat, but think of it this way. If it was referee complete incompetence, the law of averages is still in play. So it would balance out. With it so out of whack in favor of the team to garner the league more money in playoffs or higher ranked team or whatever, it cannot be complete incompetence. It has to be active bias through corruption, either by SEC direction or payment from certain teams or boosters (bama anyone?). I truly believe they are corrupt. The evidence is there!!!

This 100%

[eagle63 14]

I have noticed this going on for decades.  The higher ranked team always seems to get help.  We have even had the benefit of calls when we were highly ranked.

[AURex 1,990]

Ya know, I've watched a hundred plays this year in which I was CERTAIN the refs made the bad call or the bad no call;. Not just SEC refs. All conferences. It's not just the SEC.

Yes! I do believe the teams in competition for the playoff get some favorable calls.

HOWEVER

If you SCORE MORE POINTS than your opponent, you WIN. The end. Period.

Make the plays.

 

[Mikey 16,565]

11 hours ago, AURex said:

Ya know, I've watched a hundred plays this year in which I was CERTAIN the refs made the bad call or the bad no call;. Not just SEC refs. All conferences. It's not just the SEC.

Yes! I do believe the teams in competition for the playoff get some favorable calls.

HOWEVER

If you SCORE MORE POINTS than your opponent, you WIN. The end. Period.

Make the plays.

 

True, but it's more difficult to score more points when critical calls take points away from you and other calls add points to the opponent. If the underdog can administer a solid whuppin', yes they can win. Example: Auburn had several early sacks and pressures against LSU. LSU then started holding our pass rushers and those holds were never called. That had a huge impact on the game. According to news outlets, Orgeron told his guys to "hold until it starts getting called. If they never call it, keep on holding". The uncalled holding negated Auburn's best chance of scoring more points in that game.

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

8 minutes ago, Mikey said:

True, but it's more difficult to score more points when critical calls take points away from you and other calls add points to the opponent. If the underdog can administer a solid whuppin', yes they can win. Example: Auburn had several early sacks and pressures against LSU. LSU then started holding our pass rushers and those holds were never called. That had a huge impact on the game. According to news outlets, Orgeron told his guys to "hold until it starts getting called. If they never call it, keep on holding". The uncalled holding negated Auburn's best chance of scoring more points in that game.

How many times did AU get called for holding in that game?

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

On 11/25/2019 at 8:18 PM, AUght2win said:

Power 5 Conferences are incentivized to assist their contending teams. Not just for bragging rights. Conferences get 6 million per playoff team. And think of all the money that isn't directly made from a playoff berth - from merchandise sales, to national exposure, to using the CFP as a tool in TV contract negotiations ("We demand $40 million more than the ACC, since we have multiple teams that will be in the playoffs each year.") So what's the most direct way to make sure your team(s) get in?

Think about the job of a referee. It's to be impartial and objective. Yet how can a ref impartial when they are employed by the conferences themselves? The company that writes their checks earns millions of dollars depending on certain teams to winning. That's a huge conflict of interest.

I imagine all conferences have an unwritten rule for the refs and replay crew to favor contenders in match-ups with non-contenders. But the SEC seems to be the most blatant about it. I am going to research the record of CFP contenders (Top 10 teams) against non-contenders in November. Now, obviously, if you're a contender you usually have better talent in the type of match up I'm describing. So you expect contenders to beat non-contenders in November by a high percentage. But you also expect the occasional upset, ala Oregon-ASU. I can't remember the last time that happened in November in the SEC. I just want a fair shot at Alabama, but I know full-well that any close calls, weird flags, and replays will go their way. As Marlon said, "It's hard to overcome the opponent and the refs."

The SEC is throwing games. I don't think it's a conspiracy, I think it's common sense.

Exactly probably happens in every conference. This is big money football unfortunately . So the SEC would like to get two teams in . Could be possible if Uga beats LSU but if uga loses then their only hope is a one loss bama. So they will try to protect them in case they need them. In years when we have been a possible contender lately we may have also got some calls. I I’ll say I have seen a lot more calls against uat this year than before. That said last weeks targeting call was entirely unjustified and held up even though review proved it bogus, so there is no way anyone that can say it was called in favor of the uat game this week.  Whatever happens WarEagle!!!🦅🦅🦅

[kd4au 1,145]

I'll just say if any holding is called against the turds today I will be shocked ! It doesn't count if it's a call like the end of the LSU game were it helps the turds. I do think something is going on with the refs.

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

The refs are really cheating us today....

[weagl1 1,782]

On 11/26/2019 at 7:47 PM, weagl1 said:

Since Oregon lost and Oklahoma has been barely getting by Bammer has become the “insurance policy” for the SEC to get two in the playoff.  If Georgia beats LSU I think they are both in the playoff but if LSU wins then Georgia is out and that is where the “insurance policy” may be needed.  That is why I think there is going to be some bias on Saturday.  Plus you know the Bammer OL is going to be holding Brown and Davidson every play and holding is legal when you are wearing dark pink and white.  

I have to eat my words on this post I thought the officials called the game very fair.   

[Mikey 16,565]

23 hours ago, dyehardfanAU said:

How many times did AU get called for holding in that game?

That's not the question. Allowing holding by LSU negated Auburn's strongest point, our pass rush.

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

23 minutes ago, Mikey said:

That's not the question. Allowing holding by LSU negated Auburn's strongest point, our pass rush.

So AU did not get penalized when doing the same?

[AU64 10,122]

12 hours ago, weagl1 said:

I have to eat my words on this post I thought the officials called the game very fair.   

out of "likes"...I agree....expected us to  lose a couple close calls but we got them....especially the play at the half which they could called the half over and that would have been that.    Otherwise, they mostly ignored holding against #3 and #5 but did not kill us on PI calls. 

[AUApostle 7,651]

12 hours ago, weagl1 said:

I have to eat my words on this post I thought the officials called the game very fair.   

We got cheated out of a catch in the first half on a review, then in the second half we kept getting penalized on pass interference to allow them to get into the red zone and have eleventy billion chances down there...ended up benefiting us tho as McClain turned it into a 14 point swing.

[AUApostle 7,651]

2 minutes ago, AU64 said:

out of "likes"...I agree....expected us to  lose a couple close calls but we got them....especially the play at the half which they could called the half over and that would have been that.    Otherwise, they mostly ignored holding against #3 and #5 but did not kill us on PI calls. 

They blew the whistle late at the end of the half thinking they were helping bama...it backfired when they had no choice but to put a second back.

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

Just now, AUDevil said:

We got cheated out of a catch in the first half on a review, then in the second half we kept getting penalized on pass interference to allow them to get into the red zone and have eleventy billion chances down there...ended up benefiting us tho as McClain turned it into a 14 point swing.

His foot was out of bounds when he caught the ball.  It was pretty obvious on all the replay.  Not once during the game did it appear that the refs were trying to influence the game in UAs direction.