Auburn at Vanderbilt (2001) Featured the Worst Call of All Time

You may have seen it. You may have not. Internet tough guys will tell you that bad officiating usually evens out or maybe even that “good teams can override bad officiating” or “it shouldn’t have been close enough that officiating mattered.” Shutup.

Down 7, the Commodores faced a 3rd down from the Auburn 5-yard line. Dan Stricker ended up being open in the endzone where he flat out, never, ever, not once caught the ball in any sort of way. Yet the two officials that were standing right there, seeing it from two different angles, called it a touchdown. One of two things are true: the officials were told to keep this game close and were in on it, or they are the worst set of officials known to man. One of those things is true.

I get selling the catch to try and get the points, but shame on Dan Stricker for going along with this blasphemy.

Auburn went on to win the game 24-20. But they ended the season 7-5, so the tough guys weren’t right about good teams overriding bad officiating.