The SEC announced earlier today that they would make no public comment on the controversial call late in the LSU-Alabama game, but did say that they would offer a private explanation to the school.
Apparently, that explanation -- along with a potential dent in his bank account -- was good enough for Miles. According to the New Orleans Times Picayune, Miles spoke with SEC coordinator of officials Rogers Redding earlier today to get the conference's official explanation on the play in which cornerback Patrick Peterson appeared to -- maybe -- intercept a fourth-quarter pass.
Miles absolved the officials on the field of blame, saying that he knows they are trying to get the calls right.
"I looked at the television feed, and I do not know what the instant replay officials are looking at," Miles said. "I defer, and I'm going to understand that in fact these guys are doing everything they can to get it right. I'm going to figure that if there's an issue, they'll get it fixed."
As for what was said between Miles and Redding, LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette said the coach "wants to take the high road and stay out of this."
I think you can translate what is meant by the "high road" in this case.
I still cannot understand why LSU had to challenge the call. It was at a critical point in the game and the replay booth remained silent. The replay official should have stopped play and took sometime to review it to make sure the call was correct. By not doing so, LSU had to use a timeout to challenge a call that should have been reviewed automatically. The minute between possessions was not enough to give the replay booth enough time to process the call...if it was, they could have immediately upheld the play.
Perhaps the replay official should be fined, when a call is overturned due to a coaches challenge. If they were doing their job, a coach should never have to challenge.
Great - Mike Slive forces his sheep into total lack of leadership and numbing ... ahh never mind - i gotta get to ebay and post miles's balls for thirty grand... any takers? they're fresh from slive's office!
SEC officials doing everything they can to set up at least 1 team in the BCS championship.
Kinda wish the Pac 10 did that.
See Pac 10 replay officials screwing Arizona at Washington.
So the way to fix the problem is to fine the coaches. Pretty sad. Miles was happy when he saw the resuts of the BCS poll.....you'll hear no squabbling from him. You lose a game and you move up in the polls. SEC...BCS...are one in the same. Big 10 teams lose they drop, Pac 10 teams lose they drop......ACC teams lose they drop. Not in the SEC. They move up. By moving LSU up a notch they gave themselves an out when the loser of the SEC championship game still gets the nod for the BCS title game. Just wait and see.
woodman says: "By moving LSU up a notch they gave themselves an out when the loser of the SEC championship game still gets the nod for the BCS title game. Just wait and see."
-Ahh hell no - there will be HELL unleashed by Texas all over that lame SEC inflated moron led conference... gosh that would be nice though - maybe that's just what the BCS needs - an obvious blatant abuse like that - two SEC teams in the BCS title game - to finally force some real change - I'm not for Congress stepping in - but that would do it for me. I would soo see government action needed then and I know some Texas lawmakers in DC would love the chance to jump at some easy love from Texas in DC.
The most surprising part about all of this to me is that the fanbases of TCU, Cincinnati, and Boise St. aren't going bonkers right now. The most likely reason is because they are sane and reasonable individuals who put college football in perspective in their daily lives. (Wow, that would be nice.)
These alleged replay shenanigans have more of an effect on those teams than the media has seemed to consider. By making sure that two SEC teams get to the SEC Championship game, the SEC guarantees the big money game. So one of those probably undefeated teams will likely be left out. And before the rabid Florida and/or Alabama fans get started, I honestly don't think it is team specific. I think that if the roles of Florida and Alabama were instead played by LSU and Georgia, we would be seeing the same thing. Alabama and Florida are two great teams. And I think they would both be the more likely teams to win their respective divisions.
It just feels like this is a 20th century ruse trying to be pulled off in a 21st century world.
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me six (0r more) times and what does that make me?
Wait, I have to go I can hear the black helicopter outside my door. I am probably being a "fan" about all of this and I really hope I am.
I wonder if the idiot LSU player who ran into Bama's punter with 5:30 to play setting up a 4th and inches that Bama went for and got two plays before the controversial interception was also in on the conspiracy. Because had that not happened LSU would have had the ball back with plenty of time to get a TD. They had like 10 total yards in the 4th quarter, but I am sure they would have went right down the field and scored a TD. Miles might have more of a leg to stand on if his team could have put up more than 252 total yards and not given up 450 yards which easily could have been 550 yards. LSU was lucky they were even in the game at the point of the controversial call.
So, just because LSU may not have demonstrated the abililty to move the ball, it is OK that fairness was not done? The next time it happens to YOUR team, you will not see it that way, will you.
The point is not whether LSU would have been able to score or not, it is the principle involved. That's like saying it one team's headsets go out, so what? They weren't playing well anyway so let the other team keep their headsets.
The point I am making is there would have been no "officials give Bama the SEC West talk" had LSU not have ran into the punter. As a Bama fan I wouldn't have minded them overturning the call on the field. Simply because I was confident LSU could not compete against Bama's defense by that point in the game and Peterson made a great play (in fact, it was too good) . The LSU drive after the FG by Bama proved they were done offensively. Too much is being made of this call simply because of how bad so many calls have been this year in the SEC. Riley Cooper's offensive pass interference that went for a TD against LSU was a much worse call because it was blatant and resulted in a TD for UF. Simply because Bama is also undefeated people are trying to lump Bama in with UF as being very fortunate this year. Give me a break. Cody's helmet came off after the clock had hit zero in the 4th quarter. The play on SAT was a very close call that could have easily went either way. The same can't be said for the two penalties on ARK against UF and the Cooper play against LSU. I won't add the Dustin Doe play because that call, much like the Peterson play, is a judgment from replay officials that was not entirely conclusive from what was on the TV.
I think dc4545 is correct. It is not team specific, it is situational. The SEC is protecting their investment and doing everything possible to position themselves to get two teams into the three big bowls. It is simply all about the money. Until a playoff is started with clear cut qualifiers, you will consistently have this problem. Wait until the PAC, Big 10 or Big 12 get in on the action and try to position themselves to get two teams in the three big bowl games. The SEC has figured out how to play the system.