“They tried to rob us.” Guess where this quote came from:
- A damsel in distress in a 1950s Western movie?
- A client of Bernie Madoff?
- A college football coach in 2024?
Yep, all of the above.
Saturday was a surreal day in college football. A record day. For the first time in nearly 30 years, two games drew more than 10 million viewers on one network.
Ten million is also the number of bottles thrown on the field by Texas fans after an official called Texas for defensive pass interference.
After a lengthy delay in the Texas-Georgia game while debris was cleared off the field, the officials — apparently after watching numerous replays of the call on the DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium video board — changed their mind and decided, “Oops, sorry. Disregard that penalty. Never happened.”
It was unprecedented. Officials changing a call after a lengthy delay because fans bombarded the field with trash. Despite the call/non-call, Georgia picked up the win.
Then things really got weird.
After the game, Georgia coach Kirby Smart actually said, “The refs tried to rob us with calls in this place.”
Smart is smart, but spouting off like a message board regular in a postgame interview is insane.
While the SEC has been handing out fines like Halloween candy for teams rushing the field (against league rules; up to $500,000 fine) and for throwing trash on the field (really, really against league rules; $250,000 fine), Smart was not fined for doing the one thing you absolutely cannot do in any sport: criticize the officials.
Despite claiming the refs tried to rob his team, Smart only got the silver medal last week for coach-on-officials crime. The gold medal went to UConn coach Jim Mora.
In UConn’s 23-20 loss to Wake Forest, the Huskies were driving for the winning score when what should have been a blatant interference penalty against Wake Forest on fourth down was not called.
Did I mention ACC officials were working the game between ACC member Wake Forest and independent UConn?
Mora went ballistic after the game.
“We've got to make sure we put ourselves in a position where it doesn't come down to one play where an ACC [officiating] team makes a horses**t call against an Independent,” Mora said. “And that's up to us to play better at the start of the game so it doesn't come down to that call, which was [defensive] holding and PI. And that's what I told them. And we'll come back, and we'll fight.
“Yeah, it was a hold and a PI. Hold and a PI. Here's your explanation: ACC versus Independent.
“There's your explanation. It's pretty f*****g simple.”
The beauty of Mora’s meltdown is he can’t be fined. UConn isn't in a conference, so he can openly criticize the officials without repercussion.
I have no issues with Smart or Mora not being fined. I have more issues with coaches or players not being able to criticize officials after a game.
Players are identified by number when committing penalties. Coaches are shredded for clock mismanagement and other bone-headed decisions. No one’s perfect — especially if you’ve seen my weekly bowl projections — but officials are untouchable.
Despite the fact, they regularly screw up.
The Twitter account @UmpireAuditor reported there were 116 missed ball and strike calls in 11 games of the ALCS and NLCS. There aren’t nearly that many blown calls on an average college football Saturday, but when the officials make mistakes, they should have to own up to it.
Don’t fine the coaches. Improve the officials. Make them accountable. Seems simple, right?
It Just Means (and Costs) More To Beat Bama 💰
To discourage fans from rushing the field or court after big wins, the SEC increased its fines for member schools to $100,000 (first offense), $250,000 (second offense) and $500,000 (for each additional offense). This hasn’t exactly slowed down the masses running onto the field this year.
At the midpoint of the season, there have already been three field-stormings in the SEC at Arkansas (after beating Tennessee), Vanderbilt (after being Alabama) and Tennessee (after beating Alabama).
Since 2013, Alabama has only lost nine SEC road games. And after every loss, the opposing fans rushed the field. Nine road losses and nine storms has to be a record. The opposing teams have been fined a total of $1,205,000.
Alabama still has road games remaining against LSU and Oklahoma, so there could be more fines. Here are Alabama’s last nine SEC road losses and the amount each school was fined. The SEC has increased fine amounts during this span.
| Date | Winning Opponent | SEC Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 19, 2024 | Tennessee | $100,000 |
| Oct. 5, 2024 | Vanderbilt | $100,000 |
| Nov. 5, 2022 | LSU | $250,000 |
| Oct. 15, 2022 | Tennessee | $100,000 |
| Oct. 9, 2021 | Texas A&M | $100,000 |
| Nov. 30, 2019 | Auburn | 250000 |
| 43064 | Auburn | $250,000 |
| Oct. 4, 2014 | Ole Miss | $50,000 |
| Nov. 30, 2013 | Auburn | $5,000 |
| Total: | $1,205,000 |
Dream Bowl Projection of the Week 😋
It’s not technically a bowl, but a first-round playoff matchup between Texas A&M and Texas? Oh yeah!
The Longhorns visit the Aggies in the regular-season finale, but my bowl projections this week feature a rematch in the first round of the College Football Playoff in Austin between No. 7 seed Texas and No. 10 Texas A&M.
They haven’t played in the past 13 years, so why not twice in a few weeks?
Sandwich Spot 🥪
These are the games that fit my non-scientific model of teams that might be in a challenging schedule or motivational situation. Each Sunday, I’ll put my Sandwich Spot plays in early in the Action Network App — download here for free. All lines are from Sunday.
Vanderbilt +21 vs. Texas
Coming off a 3-0 week and having hit 5 of our last 6, I’ll start out with juggernaut Vanderbilt. The Commodores get Texas coming off consecutive games against Oklahoma and Georgia and VU already has wins against Alabama and Kentucky.
Arkansas -8 at Mississippi State
Next, Arkansas is coming off a home loss vs. LSU but gets a Mississippi State team that has played consecutive games against Texas, Georgia and Texas A&M. Will the Bulldogs have anything left in the tank?
UCF +1.5 vs. BYU
Finally, UCF, off an emotional loss at Iowa State, gets BYU off a last-season revenge win vs. Oklahoma State and with hated rival Utah up next. Does BYU’s luck run out in Orlando?
Season Record: 9-6
