Now that bama is back in the title hunt, saban has a secret offering big $$$ to officals during the game via headset. i mean what else does saban do with his millions? he could use it for good and help poor folk and donate to charity, but i bet he spends it on little gnomes that look just like him and kiffin for his garden.
Couple things:
I really think this comes down to money. Slive knows if we're not careful the SEC will eat itself because of the level of competition. Any team with 2 losses will not make the playoff and that could easily happen in the SEC. There are millions of $$$ to be lost. While it is very conspiratorial, I think it's very easy to see why some teams could be "protected" by the SEC refs. And, it's obvious that it's happening.
I was at the game Saturday night. Everyone in the stands knew something was up. There is no way it takes that long to call a late hit on UT. Even in the upper deck we could see they were talking with someone on a headset.
The ball placement vs. bama was horrible. We easily lost 3 first downs because of bad ball placement by the refs. I think this may be the sneakiest way the refs have to screw a team. You kill a couple critical drives in a game and you don't have to make bad calls, the team doesn't have a chance.
While Butch is really good about not dissing the refs in press conferences, etc., I'm betting by this point they're probably sick of him. Why? Because every time he chews them out in a game, he's freakin right. He really does make them look inept. He had to remind them of the clock runoff rule at the end of the 1st half of the uf game.
I think everyone agrees we were probably overmatched and had little chance of winning Saturday night, but the reffing problems were glaring and obvious. And, it appears, things are getting worse as the season progresses. I think everyone agrees if we had a decent reffing crew we win the uf game. Which changes the entire complexion of our season and uf's. At this point, I think it is not out of the realm of possibility that the SEC refs would protect a team like bama, who could go to the playoffs and make millions for the SEC, over an unranked opponent like us.
Or, the refs could just be that bad. I'm not sure which scenario is worse.
The thing that gave Alabama the start was the first play. Butch said post game that they ran in the late substitution and Tennessee should have been given time to adjust but the officials did not give it to them. He said it left the nickel back on the opposite side of the field which is why Cooper was wide open down the sideline. If you watch the replay, watch Kiffin's s--t eating grin after that touchdown.
This has been explained A MILLION FREAKING TIMES..
The official in change of the play clock is looking at the clock and at zero he looks at the snap. If the snap has not occurred it is delay of game. If the snap is in process or has already been snapped obviously no penalty. That is how it is done...
The thing that gave Alabama the start was the first play. Butch said post game that they ran in the late substitution and Tennessee should have been given time to adjust but the officials did not give it to them. He said it left the nickel back on the opposite side of the field which is why Cooper was wide open down the sideline. If you watch the replay, watch Kiffin's s--t eating grin after that touchdown.
He knew what he was doing. 100%. Disgusting.
That's never going to happen.
The thing that gave Alabama the start was the first play. Butch said post game that they ran in the late substitution and Tennessee should have been given time to adjust but the officials did not give it to them. He said it left the nickel back on the opposite side of the field which is why Cooper was wide open down the sideline. If you watch the replay, watch Kiffin's s--t eating grin after that touchdown.
Why not? Does Bama have exclusive rights to where the SEC is headquartered? It wouldn't surprise me.
What about a new headquarters in Branson, MO, Sevierville, TN, or Orlando, FL?
You see. Some of us on the outside looking in are beginning to suspect that the University of Alabama does believe it owns this conference and has exclusive rights the rest of us don't share.
Why not? Does Bama have exclusive rights to where the SEC is headquartered? It wouldn't surprise me.
What about a new headquarters in Branson, MO, Sevierville, TN, or Orlando, FL?
You see. Some of us on the outside looking in are beginning to suspect that the University of Alabama does believe it owns this conference and has exclusive rights the rest of us don't share.
Bama didn't run in a late sub on the first play. They only sent ten men out to start with. The 11th player came off the sidelines, got inside the numbers, and got set. So there was no foul to be had on that play. Also, Cooper was not "wide open down the sideline" as his route took him across the middle of the formation. While the late entry may well have caused Tennessee to become confused, surely there was no situation in which someone would not be covering Amari Cooper. It's not like he was the late man on.
There was a point when Bama pulled this trick and the late player didn't get inside the numbers before getting set. Butch had a legit gripe on that play. Aside from that, it's much ado about nothing.
Did they huddle? I'm pretty certain you can't run a man onto the field after you break huddle, regardless of how many you have in the huddle.Bama didn't run in a late sub on the first play. They only sent ten men out to start with. The 11th player came off the sidelines, got inside the numbers, and got set. So there was no foul to be had on that play. Also, Cooper was not "wide open down the sideline" as his route took him across the middle of the formation. While the late entry may well have caused Tennessee to become confused, surely there was no situation in which someone would not be covering Amari Cooper. It's not like he was the late man on.
There was a point when Bama pulled this trick and the late player didn't get inside the numbers before getting set. Butch had a legit gripe on that play. Aside from that, it's much ado about nothing.
Bama didn't run in a late sub on the first play. They only sent ten men out to start with. The 11th player came off the sidelines, got inside the numbers, and got set. So there was no foul to be had on that play. Also, Cooper was not "wide open down the sideline" as his route took him across the middle of the formation. While the late entry may well have caused Tennessee to become confused, surely there was no situation in which someone would not be covering Amari Cooper. It's not like he was the late man on.
There was a point when Bama pulled this trick and the late player didn't get inside the numbers before getting set. Butch had a legit gripe on that play. Aside from that, it's much ado about nothing.
If what bama did on the first play was legal, and I believe it was, AND the behavior of the refs (not stepping over the ball to delay the snap for defensive adjustments) was also according to the rules, THEN:
the rule needs to be changed. BTW, if I recall correctly, bama had very little time left on the play clock, so it would pretty much have been instant delay of game had the Vols been granted time to sub/adjust.
AV
You know you can sugarcoat it all you want but it was "intentional" to run that player in after the defense was set to confuse that defense. It was planned before the game ever started, Saban probably put his blessing on it, and it was "dirty pool", Alabama style. Quite disgusting playing against a team that has been down so long. Borders on cheating!:thud:On their first offensive play? No, they didn't huddle.
