Really good read, its amazing how that one horrible call possible altered an entire season.. LSU would have been SEC champs (Sorry LSU would have drummed UT) Auburn would be in the Cap One bowl and we would be once again wearing SEC champs shirts in the Sugar Bowl. Yes I am aware its an assumption we win in overtime. To me the play of the game was LSU blowing a 4th and 12... One play, and a season is forever changed. Still a great season though. I read somewhere that call has not been called all year except once, in D1, D2 and D3.... Costly penalty against LSU not forgotten http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/120804/spo_lsupenalty001.shtml
I agree this is a questionable rule and rarely enforced. I would also note that I probably saw more bad calls by SEC officials in games this year than ever before. Not sure why but I wish they would go to instant replay/review. I guess that's controversial too but the Big-10 tried it this year. I haven't heard anyone say how it worked out for them.
The point about the call being an unnecessarily strict interpretation of a new rule, especially in such a close game, is a good one. The assertion that it was the difference between 9-2 and 11-1 is ridiculous. How can you point to that play and ignore the three (three!) missed PATs by the Oregon State kicker? LSU did plenty in the Auburn game to ensure a loss. If anything, this team is a bit lucky to be 9-2 and not, say, 7-4. Count your blessings with the 9-2 record and use it as a springboard for next year, I say.
I still get frustrated when I think of 4th and 12, our missed EP, their very iffy "good" fieldgoal, our blown assignment on their TD, the decision to pull Marcus when he was on a roll and the penalty on the EP. So many close things and none really went our way that day.
I agree that that call did not really make the difference in the Auburn game, Webster having an INT taken away, dropped passes and the 4th and 12 are more a reason LSU lost. There were NO penalties on the Ore State kicker he just sucked (As our XPs do)... Its apples to oranges I think... A penalty that was called once in an entire football season ended a game and a chance for LSU to win 3 of 4 SEC titles. I say again its a big assumption that LSU wins in Overtime. LSU had several chances to put Auburn away for good.... But it was a call that could have changed an entire season... Maybe not, its a good debate though. ProudTiger is dead on this is the worst officiated season I can every remember. The PI on Webster (Although it had little to do with the final score), the Ole Miss game in Tiger Stadium. THe UT vs UF game... It was a horrible year for the refs... However the Auburn call was not a missed call, it is a rule.. Just a really bad one that they never call because of it. Sort of like the Law that its illegal to spit on the ground type thing... Again, Auburn won that game not because of that call, they won because LSU failed to stop them on a 4th and 12, and missed countless opportunites. Just tossing this out for debate in a boring time of the year.
another play that changed the outcome of the game: in the AU TD drive in the closing minutes, pontiac gets the piss smacked out of him and fumbles the ball near the sidelines. the ball pops up in the air and travis daniels, attoning for missed coverage on the 4th & 12, recovers it, landing one of his feet about 2 feet in bounds. yet they ruled him out of bounds. THAT, ladies and gentlemen, was your ballgame. in my opinion, that was the WORST call of the day because it was SO obvious. as much as i have come to hate replay, it would have served us well at that point. i mean i dont even see why it was questionable. disgusting.
If the call is not made on the PAT, the score would have been 9-9. There is no way to tell what would have happened after that. My guess is the game would have gone into overtime where anything could have happened. Unfortunately, LSU put itself in that position with our anemic offense after the first two drives of the game ... and our missed PAT. woulda, coulda, shoulda...
I agree with the previous 4 post that are of the opinion that one play did no win or lose against AU. We lost the field position battle either on special teams or by giving up huge 3 and longs. Along with the other situations mentioned. 9-2 is what the books say so far this year. Add another bowl win and it's not a bad year.
there is also the fact that, after the auburn score, there should have been about 20 more seconds on the clock.. maybe the extra time would have made the difference in getting in fieldgoal range..
True but that pass hit Doucet in the chest at the 35 yard line... We had time LSU was moving the ball but LSU made the mistakes... I know this will probably get me banned from the Auburn board, but if you look at that game to me LSU beat itself more then Auburn beating LSU with missed XP's, dropped Interceptions, Dropped Passes, and some odd coaching decisions....
