If the 2025 Auburn football season can be wrapped up in one sentence, fans of the Tigers might say it would be "how did another bad call go against us?"
Hugh Freeze's team has been on the wrong side of at least three controversial calls so far this season, with two coming in the 20-10 loss to Georgia in Jordan-Hare Stadium earlier this month.
How bad has it been? On3's Pete Nakos published a piece today ranking the 10 worst officiating calls this season. And lo and behold, Auburn is involved in the top three.
The first one, coming in at No. 3, is the SEC officials somehow buying the fact that Kirby Smart was just clapping, not signaling for a timeout, while running at an official on the sideline in the third quarter. You know? Clapping like every head coach does when running toward an official.
Let Nakos explain it:
"With Georgia holding onto a 13-10 lead at Auburn early in the third quarter and facing a key 3rd-and-9 from the Tigers’ 28-yard line, head coach Kirby Smart was seen sprinting down the sideline to the side judge and motioning for a timeout.
The official grants Georgia a timeout. In the moments after the play, Smart started clapping to the official as it appeared he was arguing he was not motioning for a timeout. After the game in his press conference, the Georgia head coach said he was explaining an Auburn player was clapping his hands to draw a false start.
Whether Smart was clapping or signaling a timeout, officials reversed the initial timeout call as the Bulldogs were able to hold onto a timeout."
That one was rough, but not as bad as the next two. In the 24-17 loss at Oklahoma, the Sooners used a trick play that should have cost Brent Venables' team an unsportsmanlike penalty, but it was rewarded with a touchdown.
"Replay showed that Sategna was jogging off the field before the play, but he instead stay (sic) on and lined up close to the sideline. It led to him being wide open on the touchdown pass."
SEC officiating released a statement after the game saying it should have been a penalty.
“The officiating crew did not properly interpret the action as a hideout tactic,” the statement said. “The second down play should have resulted in a team unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of 15 yards assessed from the previous spot.”
And then there is the Jackson Arnold "fumble," which comes in at No. 1 on the list. Every Auburn fan knows what was at stake as the Tigers were about to take a 17-0 lead over Georgia. Get that touchdown, and the Tigers likely walk out of Jordan-Hare with a win.
Instead, it was another complete robbery by SEC officials.
Freeze was asked about the call at halftime.
“I have no clue how that doesn’t break the plane, no clue,” Freeze said. “We’re due a break, maybe, one of these damn times.”