My SEC/Iron Bowl Conspiracy Theory

[tiger88 934]

I don't think they'll need to worry. the refs probably won't need to step in to effect the outcome of that game. I'm already trying to put it behind me. I'm getting real sick of trying to put these games behind me before they're even played. This is 3 of the last 4 years this has happened. Do we really have to put up with this crap forever?

You could always switch teams and not post here anymore

No need for a troll to switch teams, not posting here anymore would be nice though.

[AU64 10,122]

I submit that SEC officials are, as a lot, probably the most incompetent of the major conferences but if you watch many games, overall, they screw just about everyone to about the same extent. JMO

[tiger88 934]

Yeah, it'd be crazy to believe that stuff...

although it looks highly suspicious, it also looks like the spot was correct. It looked like the guy went down right around the down marker.

[WarTim 3,456]

Roswell happened I tell you...

[FatherUppercut 48]

As the years go on, I'm getting less and less interested in the national championship debate.

It has come to a point where it's better NOT to play for the SEC championship because it's an extra conference game you might potentially lose. Ridiculous. The playoff has seemed to make it worse because the comittee that chooses the top 25 always make sure to put in 2 SEC teams for some reason.

That said, I'd love to whip bammie and dash all of their hopes and dreams, lol. War Eagle! #BeatBama

[Guest jojo1515]

The disgusting part here is that this clearly happens to some extent. Refs aren't so incompetent that they blatently miss multiple calls against one team and blatently make them up for another multiple times a game in critical situations. Incompetence does not choose a team to be more incompetent towards, it is across the board. I'm not sure the rhyme or reason to say which team they favor at what times and why, but if you play one attention to the calls made, it is quite impossible to justify. The problem is that this happens so often that it just looks like normal refereeing now. I can't say they will favor bama or us, but there will be a side chosen by at least 1 referee if not many. There is a reason there have been multiple national articles written about SEC refs this year. Being naive to this doesn't mean when people see very strong evidence of this happening that it is a conspiracy-black helicopter deal. Sometime people are just plain crooked and the SEC refs are prime examples.

[AU64 10,122]

adjust your tinfoil hat jojo...you are obviously getting poor reception....

[keesler 5,924]

Auburn had every opportunity to be sitting in the drivers seat at #1 right now.....then Slive and the refs would be tasked with propelling us to the playoff. Sux when you shoot yourself in the foot.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

One small problem I see with your theory....

[Tivo48 31]

If this was the case, why weren't there more calls against us at the end of the Iron Bowl last year (would've been no problem to call back Nick's last TD pass to Coates or a phantom block in the back on Davis' return)?

Bama would've for sure been a part of the title game had they beat us and won the SEC. AU likely only made it in thanks to Mich State beating Ohio State

[WDE427 72]

Auburn had every opportunity to be sitting in the drivers seat at #1 right now.....then Slive and the refs would be tasked with propelling us to the playoff. Sux when you shoot yourself in the foot.

+1

[IronMan70 3,277]

I'm not sure which is worse, those that think there is always a conspiracy, or those that think there is never one. I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. There have been some very shady and unexplainable calls over the years, more so in recent years, but, I don't think there is an organized agenda. However, I do believe a situation can exist with an individual referee and all it takes is an agenda of one.

Here are two examples. In one, Coates gets a phantom PI call on a 60 yard reception down to the 3 yard line against MSU. In the other, 2 bama defenders get no PI call after they rough up a LSU defender in the end zone in OT. The problem with differentiating a single ref with an agenda vs other refs with pure incompetency is difficult because there is a lot of the latter going on out there too.

[cooltigger21 0]

I'm not sure which is worse, those that think there is always a conspiracy, or those that think there is never one. I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. There have been some very shady and unexplainable calls over the years, more so in recent years. I don't think there is an organized agenda at all but more of an individual referee situation. All it takes is an agenda of one and I think that does happen on occasion.

Here are 2 examples. Coates gets a phantom PI call on a 60 yard reception to the 3 yard line against MSU. Two bama defenders get no PI call after they rough up an LSU defender in the end zone in OT. The problem with differentiating a single ref with an agenda vs other refs with pure incompetency is difficult because there is a lot of the latter going on out there too.

Sure refs have their bias and they are human so they know where things stand. All the more reason to remove the officials from the conferences and have them under the NCAA umbrella.

[JWShewmake 78]

I believe the refs will inject themselves in the Iron Bowl regardless of how AU plays just to make sure Bama wins. While I agree with the idea that millions of dollars are at stake and that could be the justifications for some "bad" calls against Auburn, I think the situation goes deeper than that. Just look at the calls that have benefited Alabama during this entire season that were very obviously meant to help Alabama win. Two examples of calls that were made to assist Alabama were the non-called face mask penalty at the end of the first half of the AL - Ole Miss game that gave Alabama a touchdown. Keep in mind that this was the crew with an additional ref (total of 8) calling the game as an experiment the SEC is running. There were two officials looking right at the play and you could clearly see the Ole Miss player's head being pulled around yet no penalty was called. Pulling the head around allowed the Alabama player to hold the Ole Miss player's progress so that he could get a clear swipe at the football which he knocked from the Ole Miss player's arms. The Alabama player scooped up the ball and scored on about a ten yard run. There is no way this call could have been missed by both refs unless they were trying to miss it. The second occurrence came at the end of the game when the Ole Miss defensive back intercepted the ball in the end zone. The ref who made the call had a clear view of the play and immediately ruled that it was caught out of bounds. I can understand there being a question if the player is juggling the ball and maybe he is close to the outline with the possibility of only one foot being in bounds. The replay clearly showed that the Ole Miss player had two full steps with both feet well in bounds and no juggling of the football and thankfully it was overturned. It was not even close and yet the ref who called the play quickly signaled that it was caught out of bounds which would have given Alabama another chance to tie the game.

If you look at the calls that Auburn has received this year, you can find just the opposite. These calls against Auburn or in favor of the other team have occurred at the most inopportune times. There were the pass interference penalties in the Miss State game. In the Ole Miss game, we had another situation where two refs had a clear view of the play. It was the play on the first drive where Duke Williams caught the ball and it bounced off of his chest and he pulled it back in and fell out of bounds. One ref, the one with the best position to actually see the play, started signaling a catch. The second ref who was behind the play and shielded by Duke Williams, immediately begin signalling that he did not have possession and that it was an incomplete pass. As the ref who had the best position was running toward where Williams went out of bounds, he saw the other ref signaling no catch and he immediately changed his catch signals to an incomplete pass. There was no discussion between these two officials at all concerning the call. Thankfully on the replay, the call on the field was overruled and again it was not a close call at all. The replay showed Williams having two full steps in bounds with clear possession of the football. It should be pointed out too that the head official for the crew who called the AU - Ole Miss game has ties to Alabama. You don't think he had an incentive to see AU lose after he had just seen Ole Miss beat Alabama? Whether incompetence or an attempt to change the outcome of the game, all of these calls were shown by replay not to be close calls at all.

Like many of you I predict that we will see many calls go against Auburn in the Iron Bowl. There will be penalties that will stop Auburn drives and there will be penalties on defense that allow Alabama to continue drives. If the game is close, the calls will be obviously unjustifiable. You will see a lot of pass interference penalties and if the ball is not catch-able, holding will be called against us. There will be lots of holding calls on Auburn when we run our speed sweep and Alabama will hold all day long and get flagged very few times.

[Mikey 16,587]

Anyone convinced that the refs are cheating to favor one team over another should immediately stop following football. Why invest time and effort into something that is rigged? If I thought refs were deliberately favoring Auburn or against Auburn, I'd become an avid fisherman and forget football.

[aubaseball 2,602]

Right on mikey! Are some calls missed and some not called sure, but to say that its a conspiracy against AU sounds pathetic. That is borderline Updyke why of thinking. Remember coleman was mugging the defensive end of aTm all day long, he was only called for holding once. If you watch the game, he holds almost every play.

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

I'm not sure which is worse, those that think there is always a conspiracy, or those that think there is never one. I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. There have been some very shady and unexplainable calls over the years, more so in recent years. I don't think there is an organized agenda at all but more of an individual referee situation. All it takes is an agenda of one and I think that does happen on occasion.

Here are 2 examples. Coates gets a phantom PI call on a 60 yard reception to the 3 yard line against MSU. Two bama defenders get no PI call after they rough up an LSU defender in the end zone in OT. The problem with differentiating a single ref with an agenda vs other refs with pure incompetency is difficult because there is a lot of the latter going on out there too.

I agree with you.

[Dixie1860 27]

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c254/shes_gone_gilligan/GIFs/Paranoid.gif

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

Yeah, it'd be crazy to believe that stuff...

I remember that one. In the past, I think it did happen. And yes, we were the beneficiary of some calls in 2010. I think the SEC office got enough complaints from SEC schools that the practice has stopped.

There are a lot of posters who don't know the history of bammer, and the SEC officials and why someone might have suspicions.

[GBAU83 212]

If a conspiracy, then there must be one crew that is "trusted" to be the ones to call in favor of Bama and they would be assigned to the Iron Bowl. If so, name the crew now and if they show up, then maybe there is something to consider. Would it be the same crew that call the Ole Miss game?

I call high school and we don't have any conspiracy to call in favor of any certain team (but we don't have millions of dollars at stake either). But I will tell you that there have been times I missed a call, had a call right in front of me I did not make (saw it on a film review). I will admit that the conspiracy theory should helps give an excuse for our poor play - but our poor play cost us games, not the officials. At the TA&M game, I told the folks sitting behind me if you wanted to believe in conspiracy theory, then if they overturn the call on the field that CAP fumbled (1st of the last 2 fumbles), then they conspiracy was on for AU to win. They did not overturn (it was the correct call as CAP did not control and therefore possess the ball) it and our poor play cost us the game.

[war eagle6 0]

I'm not sure which is worse, those that think there is always a conspiracy, or those that think there is never one. I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. There have been some very shady and unexplainable calls over the years, more so in recent years. I don't think there is an organized agenda at all but more of an individual referee situation. All it takes is an agenda of one and I think that does happen on occasion.

Here are 2 examples. Coates gets a phantom PI call on a 60 yard reception to the 3 yard line against MSU. Two bama defenders get no PI call after they rough up an LSU defender in the end zone in OT. The problem with differentiating a single ref with an agenda vs other refs with pure incompetency is difficult because there is a lot of the latter going on out there too.

Or tackling a msu receiver before halftime when the ball is in the air in the end zone, no flag. I'm glad dan Mullen pointed that out to all that was watching last wkend when he was being interviewed heading towards the locker room

[jmcrosson 203]

The OP must be surrounded with black helicopters outside his house as we speak. rampant speculation, assumptions and totally void of any facts at all.

Should have known you would show up, Negativo. Hence the reason it's called a "conspiracy theory." By nature of the phrase itself, it assumes a position of "rampant speculation" and "assumptions." Otherwise, it would be a fact. Way to keep your streak up of being "that guy."

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

All about the money:

[IronMan70 3,277]

I'm not sure which is worse, those that think there is always a conspiracy, or those that think there is never one. I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. There have been some very shady and unexplainable calls over the years, more so in recent years, but, I don't think there is an organized agenda. However, I do believe a situation can exist with an individual referee and all it takes is an agenda of one.

Here are two examples. In one, Coates gets a phantom PI call on a 60 yard reception down to the 3 yard line against MSU. In the other, 2 bama defenders get no PI call after they rough up a LSU defender in the end zone in OT. The problem with differentiating a single ref with an agenda vs other refs with pure incompetency is difficult because there is a lot of the latter going on out there too.

Sure refs have their bias and they are human so they know where things stand. All the more reason to remove the officials from the conferences and have them under the NCAA umbrella.

I think that is a very good idea.

[watsontiger98 9]

Loving the advertisements for Crimson Tide watches.