For SEC Officials to attempt to do or actually do something to influence a game one way or the other? I officiated GHSA football for 25 years, and I can honestly say I never intentionally did anything to influence the outcome of a game, and I have always given other officials the benefit of the doubt. You can be bad but never biased is what I believed until last night.
The difference is simply money. Not for the officials but for the SEC and ESPN. Many have believed for years that Alabama got help. Why? No huge local television market but a national following. Texas has multiple huge television markets and a national following. They are going to get more help than Alabama ever did. Followings equals ratings and ratings equals money.
The way that penalty was waived
off last night was egregious. In the GHSA, the offended team would have rightfully filed a report last night. If a flag is going to be waived off, it must be done immediately after the call was mutually determined to be wrong, and the bottles on the field should have been a delay of game on Texas. PI is not reviewable, but once they saw the big screen replay is when they seized the opportunity. The conference and the network wanted TX undefeated, and the officials tried to help.
Prior to last night I would have laughed at this post, now I’m posting it. The SEC will do nothing of any consequence, because they are partially behind it and fully compromised. The crew should be suspended, but it will never happen.