Auburn's John Cohen breaks silence on SEC's awful officiating

Jeff Hauser

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Auburn's John Cohen breaks silence on SEC's awful officiating image

Auburn athletic director John Cohen added to the growing conversation around the SEC's officiating error that was costly in th the Tigers’ 24-17 loss to then-No. 12 Oklahoma. 

Nearly a week after the game, Cohen issued a statement, expressing both Auburn’s disappointment and the realities of human judgment in college football.

Cohen noted that he and Auburn president Dr. Chris Roberts have been in “extensive conversations” with the SEC office and commissioner Greg Sankey since the Sept. 20 contest. While acknowledging officiating is subject to interpretation, Cohen stressed that Auburn’s athletes “deserve to have the game officiated at an optimum level.”

The play in question came late in the first half when Oklahoma receiver Isaiah Sategna lingered near the sideline in what ESPN rules analyst Matt Austin later described as a “hideout” tactic. Instead of leaving the field on a substitution, Sategna stayed inbounds and was left uncovered, helping set up a Sooners touchdown. The SEC later admitted the officials misapplied the rulebook’s “unfair tactics” provision, which should have resulted in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty.

“A specifically emphasized rule was not properly officiated which impacted the game by giving our opponent the lead," Cohen added. "As the SEC acknowledged, the Auburn family and our student-athletes deserved better.”

It was clear that Cohen tried to strike a balance between accountability and restraint. His comments align with Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze’s earlier frustrations while reinforcing Auburn’s commitment to its players and to fair competition across the league. 

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Jeff Hauser

Jeff Hauser is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has over twenty years of experience and is a two-time Emmy Award winner, Heisman Trophy and Biletnikoff Award voter. Among the events he has covered are the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, World Series, World Cup, and WBC Boxing. Hauser is a regular guest on FOX Sports and ESPN Radio. He previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, SB Nation and Athlon Sports.