Posted on 10/22/2023 8:46:03 PM PDT by lasereye
The Tennessee Vols played about as badly as they ever have under Josh Heupel in the second half against Alabama on Saturday.
And the coaching/playcalling decisions were probably the worst we've seen from Heupel since he arrived at UT in early 2021.
But that shouldn't be the narrative after Tennessee's 34-20 loss in Tuscaloosa.
The officiating on Saturday wasn't just bad, it was almost blatantly obvious that the officials were doing everything they could to make sure Alabama didn't lose.
And look, I'm sure Bama fans are already rolling their eyes and yelling "excuses" to the top of their lungs.
But I'm not accepting that. Not after that debacle.
You can't win in Tuscaloosa when the officials are that one-sided.
I mean, it's bad when even Dan Wolken, who never hesitates to take a shot at Tennessee, is pointing out the terrible officiating.
The terrible officiating started early. In the first quarter, the Vols had to settle for a field goal after a blatant hold on tight end McCallan Castles was missed (the hold happened before Joe Milton's passed was tipped). Tennessee should've had a first down there. Instead, it was fourth down and they kicked a field goal.
On Alabama's first series in the second half, an obvious hold on Vols defensive lineman Tyler Baron wasn't called on the Crimson Tide's 46 yard touchdown. The penalty should've negated the touchdown. It was a game-changing no call.
If you're wondering if the official's whistles worked, they did. They had no problem calling a ticky-tack hold on Vols tight end Jacob Warren in the second half that set the Vols' offense back. And they quickly blew the whistle for a barely noticeable hold on Tennessee cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally when the Vols had stopped Alabama on third down.
Even on one of the Vols' final efforts in the fourth quarter, Bama defensive back Malachi Moore was draped all over Squirrel White. Crickets from the officials.
There were plenty of other blatantly awful calls that I'm sure you'll see floating around on social media.
The only penalty called on Alabama was a five yard penalty for an illegal snap that actually saved the Crimson Tide from a potential turnover/negative play.
By the way, if Bama fans want to mention the play where Elijah Herring tried to punch the ball out but missed, maybe they should look at the clip of Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton donkey kicking Vols defensive back Doneiko Slaughter right in front of an official.
Tennessee could've played better. The offense was atrocious in the second half. The playcalling was unimaginative. But even then, the Vols still had a chance in the second half to win the game. And if the officials call the game even close to fairly, Tennessee has a great chance to win.
Nick Saban and Alabama stole that win. The officials made sure they didn't lose. That should be the narrative. And the NCAA should open a full investigation into this game. It's all there on film, you can see for yourself. It's beyond time for SEC officiating to be held accountable.
It’s a pandemic. In the pros it’s even worse. The last two weeks, refs are deciding games right and left. The winner of MVP for the 2023 season should be the refs.
Taking away the TN turnover for a TD was kinda blatant.
Follow the moolah.
Bkmrk
Does the expansion of legalized sports gambling feed into this problem?
The refs were calling stuff that CBS could not even show because it didn’t exist.
Oh well, that is “Home field” in Tuscaloosa.
Congratulations. This is the dumbest take ever posted on Free Republic. Any imbecile who believes that Alabama gets the calls is a drooling moron. It’s the opposite.
Last year’s Bama-Viles game was a blatant example of the Viles getting ALL OF THE CALLS. The officials blatantly handed Tennessee that game on a silver platter.
It would behoove you to research the most penalized team in the sec for the last few years. But you won’t, because that would destroy your childish little narrative.
Tennessee, Auburn and LSU OWN the sec office and always have. They get ALL of the calls. FACT.
It’s this example of jealousy and stupidity that encourages me to cheer loudly against every sec team.
Cry harder; The Viles lost.
Unfortunately I couldn’t watch most of the game. But I did see several reviews and thought those were correct.
That said, Bama only got 1 penalty??????? This from the same team that has about 5 negated TD’s due to penalties? RTR, Bama just got their act together (he he he).
Or what was that famous Giants playoff game quote when pass interference wasn’t called?? BUMMER!
Hey, if the Biden Crime Family can get away with being crooked to make a bit of coin then why not the rest of the world?
Wow I didn’t even watch the game so all I can say is RTR!
That's why I thought the NFL putting a team in Las Vegas was a terrible idea. Remember the The Black Sox Scandal? That was back in 1921? Or Pete Rose back in the '80s?
Anyway, I think there's going to be a huge scandal in the NFL. It's only a matter of time. You already see a lot of talk on social media that the NFL is following a "script". All the fans are noticing that the games are "fixed". You didn't see this kind of chatter 20 years ago.
100%
It’s just a game. People treat it like it’s some sort of war games going on.
Yes. I think they're going to crack down on legalized sports gambling soon because there's going to be a major sports scandal so the integrity of the sports industry will have been compromised.
The NFL used to have the best refs of any sport. Then Goodell became commissioner.
“Oh well, that is “Home field” in Tuscaloosa.”
I still would rather play Alabama in Tuscaloosa than to play Florida in the Swamp. And Tennessee lost in both places. I wonder how bad Tennessee and the refs will beat Georgia when they the Dawgs got to Rocky Top.
ps: Wonder why Georgia plays Florida in Jacksonville?
Goodell is good for business. But at what cost?
It was an old steel and wood plank bleacher seating stadium, but served the National League games for years. The stadium was named after a guy who built cars. A neighbor owned one of those cars.
We saw one game, watching from a nearby ridge of earth, easily looking over the baseball field. In a time when we were most fortunate, as Americans.
I watched the Texas - Houston game. The announcers were so blatantly biased for Houston it was obvious.
They even said, tongue-in-cheek, that they were objective {snicker} {snicker}.
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As for biased ref calls, I figure the check cleared.
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