SEC Bans Longtime Ref: What Does This Mean Going Forward?
Earlier this week, the SEC banned referee Ken Williamson, who was responsible for making two controversial calls in the Auburn-Georgia game a few weeks ago. The calls that were made were completely egregious. At the end of the first half, Auburn had the chance to go up three scores, as they had a goal-line run that from all angles looked like a Jackson Arnold touchdown; however, upon review, the officials concluded that he had lost possession before crossing the line to gain. This clearly upset everyone in that stadium and Auburn fans everywhere who thought they had a significant chance to take down the mighty Georgia Bulldogs. Unfortunately for the Auburn faithful, this wouldn’t be the only officiating gaffe that night.
Early in the fourth quarter, up 13-10 and having control of the ball with the play clock getting close to zero, Kirby Smart called a timeout. After they had awarded Georgia the timeout, Smart went right up to an official, pleading that he was just letting the officials know that Auburn players were clapping to mimic the snap count. Yet again, something so easily reviewable was not properly reviewed, which obviously showed Smart calling a timeout. Georgia ended up keeping the ball at the same field position and retained their timeouts, which eventually led them to win 20-10. Many have since called it one of the worst officiated games of all time, and rightfully so, considering how this is something so laughable that the entire officiating crew of that game should be placed on leave.
What This Means Moving Forward
The SEC has to do a better job of preparing officials for hazy situations like these. It should not have to come down to a simple chat or a coach pleading his case for a call to be made. With some very important matchups in the next few weeks, SEC officials will be on high alert for anything resembling what that game was like, and considering what has happened with other leagues this week, it may be best to do some reviewing and possibly some investigating about past games or certain refs and their true ambitions. The NCAA may also require conferences to do even more of a thorough background check into some of these referees and see if they are hiding or colluding with anyone else. With all the information coming out this week, we may see something even bigger or threatening to college football and the NCAA.
