Auburn plays No. 9 Texas A&M on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), but the Tigers are still focused on last week. Or at least their AD is.
Athletics director John Cohen released a statement on Thursday, five days after the Oklahoma game and two days before the A&M contest, informing the world that he is still mad about last week. More than that, Cohen said he and AU president Dr. Chris Roberts have had "extensive conversations" (note the plural) with SEC leadership in the days following the debacle in Norman.
The SEC acknowledged that its officiating crew did not properly interpret a "hideout tactic" by Oklahoma at the 10:45 mark in the second quarter. If properly officiated, the SEC said, the play would have turned a touchdown and a 10-3 Sooners lead into a 2nd-and-37 from the Auburn 39-yard line in a 3-3 game. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze also tried to call timeout before the play, which was not acknowledged by the officials. Oklahoma also benefitted from two close catch-or-no-catch calls, one that wiped an Auburn scoop-and-score off the board and another that gave OU a first-and-goal on the Sooners' game-winning touchdown drive.
After reflecting, I want to take a moment and address what transpired Saturday at Oklahoma. Since the game, Auburn University Dr. Chris Roberts and I have had extensive conversations with Southeastern Conference leadership, including Commissioner Sankey.
We remain extremely disappointed because our young men prepare each week to compete at the highest level. They desire to have the game officiated at an optimum level.
We fully understand the human element of the game of the officiating process. Saturday went beyond judgment calls. A specifically emphasized rule was not properly officiated which impacted the game by giving our opponent the lead.
As the SEC acknowledged, the Auburn family and our student-athletes deserved better.
Despite the missed call, it must be acknowledged that Auburn held a 17-16 lead with 7:08 to play. From that point forward, the AU defense surrendered a 6-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, and Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold was sacked for a safety on Auburn's would-be game-winning drive.
It must also be acknowledged that Saturday's outcome will not be reversed no matter how many conversations Cohen and co. have with SEC officials, and that the next opponent is now less than 48 hours away.