LSU/Georgia

[rastajenk]

Worst officiating in the final two minutes of a game in a long, long time.

Two, count 'em, TWO, 'excessive celebration' penalites after huge touchdowns that changed the game. Neither celebration was even close to being excessive, given the situations and the hard-fought nature of the game. The penalty itself is excessive...15 yards on the kickoff. Fifteen yards? It's not a safety issue, nobody gets hurt; it's not a fairness issue, giving one team any more of an advantage other than that it just scored; I've seen way more jumping around after sacks or interceptions. It places way too much subjectivity into the officials' hands.

In this case, it affected field position, play calling, timeouts, everything.

And then to top it off, they couldn't even call the game-ending interception without a booth review overturning the non-call on the field. Shameful episode in the SEC.

Game was a defensive snoozer in the first half, but turned into a frog-strangler in the second despite the zebras' ineptitude.

[rrbauer]

The only thing that came out of that game was a bad smell. A J Green is the only bright spot for Georgia and I can't think of any reason (other than 5-0) that LSU is in the top 10. They get to show their "stuff" at home next week against Florida.

[rastajenk]

Refs just handed Florida a win, too. I guess the conference feels having an undefeated top-ranked team is more important than letting the players decide it on the field.

[Pace Cap'n]

Hogs got robbed big time. Two terrible calls and two non-calls.

[cj]

That was pretty awful. The pass interference was questionable at best, but the second call was as bad as I have ever seen. Why not just give Florida walkovers?

What awful time management by Notre Dame against USC. They cost themselves minimum two more plays at the end by holding the time out for no reason.

At the least, today should end the Heisman talk for McCoy and Tebow until they actually play one great game. It is an individual award, not a team award.

[Marshall Bennett]

Arkansas beat Florida but lost the game . :ThmbDown:

[DanG]

Inexcusable calls against Arkansas in the 4th qtr. :ThmbDown: :ThmbDown:

What is left out of the cliff notes version however is without Spikes and losing 4 fumbles the Gator’s held a VERY motivated squad to 13 pts entering the 4th qtr.

Florida is not as strong as last year for several reasons. Spikes health, lack of a 2nd & 3rd receiver, special teams are down 2 notches, a freshmen who is the 2nd coming of Percy Harvin (Andre Debose) was hurt in spring ball and there pass protection at tackle is weak. With all that; they try their guts out and while the blinkers on / stat obsessed point to the QB’s numbers, ask those who play against him how much he’s respected. You have to kill him in the 4th qtr or he eventually imposes his will on you. That is always lost on the stat sheet unless you’re on the opposing side line.

BTW: DT for Arkansas #96 Malcolm Sheppard (who was SCREWED on that personal foul call) is truly a GREAT player. He played the Pouncey twins as well as anyone has in two years.

[Quagmire]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- The Southeastern Conference has suspended officials from last weekend's Arkansas-Florida game after the crew was involved in its second controversial call of the year.

Referee Marc Curles' crew called a personal foul on Arkansas defensive lineman Malcolm Sheppard in the fourth quarter as the Gators were rallying for a 23-20 victory. The league said there was no video evidence to support the call.

The same group of officials called the LSU-Georgia game earlier this month, which included a late unsportsmanlike conduct penalty the league said shouldn't have been called.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/ncaa/10/21/sec-officials.ap/index.html#ixzz0Uf7CZxII

[cj]

I imagine more suspensions will be coming. How anyone could look at the replay of the interception return and still call that a touchdown when the returner Leon Letted it is beyond me. There is no way in the world he broke the plane with the football.

I imagine the SEC should just call off this charade of a season and go right to an Alabama / Florida championship game.

[Marlin]

It is getting ridiculous. That play could not have been more obvious.