First of all, I don’t want to sound like I’m blaming officiating. However…..
I read a stat on Twitter yesterday that the only live ball penalty against Tennessee opponents in three road games was 3 minutes into the Florida game.
In total, the home team in those games was penalized 10/56. Tennessee penalized 27/204. Tennessee was also the favored team in 2/3 of those games.
So, my question is this….
Thanks for pointing out the difference when UT is on the road.
1) Is Tennessee just that undisciplined?
I think there have been problems with pre-snap penalties on the road. However that does not explain the ticky-tac calls UT has gotten when the opponent has gotten away with much worse.
The D holding penalty vs Bama still bothers me a lot. He did grab the WR out of his break but immediately let him go. Had the throw been on target, it would have actually been a catch so it did not seriously impede the route. The same thing or worse was routinely done by Bama DBs... and has been since Saban arrived there.
Here's the part that really bothers me. It happened just when Bama needed a 1st down to continue their comeback. The timing as much or more than the bad call is what bothers me.
2) is this just a statistical anomaly?
No. Not claiming to know why it has happened but UT just played two of the most penalized teams in the SEC. There wasn't a single live play flag thrown on either in spite of obvious fouls... repeatedly. Maybe unconscious bias. Maybe they don't like UT's tempo and punish the Vols for it. Maybe they don't like Heupel. Maybe they're influenced by the crowds (though I haven't seen UT with a similar benefit in live play calls at home). I do not know. But this is not just a statistical blip.
3) is there actually something nefarious going on?
Really hard to say. If it were then there's a decent chance that it actually involves SEC leadership. In fact, it would be hard to pull off without them involved. In that case, I don't think it would be about gambling... but would be about money.
The SEC leadership has a strong vested interest in assuring an SEC team in the playoff. There's obviously reputation at stake but also a lot of revenue. The Big 10 could fill two spots. FSU could take one of those if undefeated. Texas is almost certain to fill a spot. The SEC needs an undefeated or one loss team to make a claim. The PAC 12 will have someone with one loss or undefeated. The most likely scenario right now is Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12, and ?.
The SEC NEEDS a West team with one loss in the CG. The only candidate is Bama. That "comeback" aided by some timely flags or no calls was necessary to preserve the possibility of a one loss Bama facing UGA.
IMHO, this is the most likely reason for the bias in the Bama game. The UK game may have been an attempt to pin another loss on UT to validate the Bama game.
4) is it just referee incompetence/indifference?
IMO it is not indifference. Incompetence probably plays a role. These are judgment calls happening high speed. They're trying to apply training that turns "gray" to mud when it comes to whether a foul impacts the outcome of the play or things like that. Officials are being asked things like if a OL's hands are too far outside or not.
PI has become pretty ridiculous. UT has had DBs hanging on WR's arms without getting a call. That circus catch Squirrel made a few games back should have been called PI for sure. Many teams, Bama in particular, ride WRs all the way down the field including the whole time the ball is in the air and the catch attempt is made. I cannot tell you the point where officials are making "bad" calls compared to following the training they're given.
