Greg Sankey didn’t want to spend his time talking about officiating mistakes. He wanted to talk about the people talking about them.
In the wake of the Week 10 Texas-Missouri game - a matchup that carried major College Football Playoff weight for both schools - the conversation quickly moved away from Arch Manning’s incredible performance and even Steve Sarkisian’s obtuse postgame comments. Instead, the flashpoint became an incomplete-pass-turned-fumble that kept a Longhorn possession alive late in the third quarter.
Days later, the SEC commissioner made clear he was not interested in piling on his own officials. He turned his attention to critics in the broadcast booth, blasting announcers who second-guess calls without, in his view, doing the work.
“We all want to attain perfection… our officiating program does really, really good work. Our officials do really, really good work,” Sankey said.
“I am highly disappointed in announcers and their criticism… we have officiating experts… who are just flat wrong. And what that creates is a narrative that we’ve done something wrong.
That is unacceptable to me.”
He went even further in defending the league’s crews.
“Some of the worst 'officials' in America are those in the announce booth.”
“ I am highly disappointed in the announcers.”
Sankey said the SEC understands perfection is out of reach, but he also indicated the conference is discussing ways to open up its review process a bit more. Even so, he drew a hard line at criticism that comes without the full picture.
“Somebody on a Saturday night, who’s announcing the game between Oklahoma and Florida, going back to something that happened at noon that he never called and asked a question about, and being critical, is unacceptable,” Sankey said. “We’ll take the responsibility… work to continually improve… [and] provide more transparency… so that we have the best-in-class model.”
LSU on Saturday night. (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
In Other News...
Eli Drinkwitz Owned What Really Undid Mizzou Against Texas
The conversation around Missouris 34-20 loss to Texas has centered on the kind of call that can dominate a postgame discussion, but Eli Drinkwitz pointed the focus back where he thought it belonged. Missouris defense had too many communication breakdowns, especially in coverage assignments, and those mistakes helped open the door for Texas to create scoring chances. For a team that wanted to make a statement in a matchup like that, the missed details on the back end proved costly.
Drinkwitz didnt try to hide from it after the game, choosing instead to frame the loss as one of missed opportunities rather than officiating. That matters for Missouri because it shifts the attention from a controversial fumble ruling involving Arch Manning to the larger issue of execution, which is where the Tigers have to clean things up if they want to turn close games into wins. [Read more 🡒]
Luther Burden III Delivered A Highlight Missouri Fans Couldn't Fully Enjoy
Luther Burden III gave Missouri fans a moment worth replaying on Sunday Night Football, hauling in a touchdown catch that flashed the kind of playmaking ability that made him one of the most electric Tigers to come through Columbia. It was the sort of highlight that travels fast and reminds Missouri supporters how much talent he brings to the biggest stages.
The celebration, though, came with a concern attached, as Burden later left the game because of a possible concussion. For a fan base already juggling plenty of fall and winter storylines, it was another reminder that the joy of seeing former Tigers shine can turn quickly into something far more uneasy. Missouri football now turns toward a tough matchup with Georgia as a sizable underdog, while the basketball team and volleyball program keep adding their own layers to the season. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou's Texas Loss Just Opened An Officiating Fight Fans Won't Ignore
Missouris home loss to Texas is still echoing well beyond the final whistle, with athletic director Laird Veatch saying the school has formally asked the SEC to review the officiating from the game. The request comes after a series of contentious calls drew immediate attention, including the ruling on Arch Mannings fumble that became one of the defining moments of the afternoon.
Veatch said he understands why fans are frustrated, and the school has not been given anything that contradicts the SECs public explanation of the situation. Even so, the review keeps the conversation alive around a game Missouri felt slipped away amid calls that left plenty of people in Columbia wanting a closer look. [Read more 🡒]