Rules analyst calls for SEC officials to delay game starts following reported suspension

On Wednesday, the websiteYellowhammer News reported that the SEC has "permanently suspended" referee Ken Williamson following a review of the highly controversial Georgia-Auburn game on Oct. 11. The SEC has not confirmed or denied the report (FootballScoop has reached out to the SEC for comment), but Williamson did not work any games during a full, 8-game slate across the SEC on Oct. 18.

While it remains to be seen if the report is true, NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay has already instituted a call to action to his brothers in stripes. He tweeted:

This is insane. 

Ken is a very good Referee and has been for a very long time.

I’ve commented on the Ga/Auburn game and no, the crew did not have a very good game. It happens to officials, just as it happens to coaches and players. I look forward to the day an AD suspends his coach for, in a single game, poor clock management, allowing players to feign injury, bad play calls, etc. Or let’s permanently bench a QB for throwing a game ending interception regardless of his past performance.

*If* this is solely based on that one game, then shame on everyone involved. It’s yet another reason why Conferences should not oversee officiating and will forever be a dark stain on college football.

McAulauy later quoted his own tweet wish-casting for officials to delay the start of each SEC game as a show of solidarity to Williamson.

While we don't have a game-by-game breakdown of a referee the way we do for head coaches and quarterbacks -- boy, wouldn't that be nice? -- quarterbacks are benched for poor performance every week in professional, college and high school football. While it's understandable that McAualay would stand up for those in his profession, his response cuts to the core frustration that fans and coaches have with officials: they're not held anywhere close to the same standard of accountability as the players and coaches they share a field with, even though their decisions have as much of an impact on game outcomes as the other two groups.

In a reply, McAulay stated his problem wasn't officials should be immune from criticism or accountability, but they should be insulated from "public tar and feathering." Again, plenty of players and coaches would call that a regular Monday at the office.

Anyway. 

While Williamson did not work last weekend, the rest of the Georgia-Auburn crew did. Umpire Walt Hill, line judge Chuck Rice, back judge Keith Parham, field judge Barry Blackwell, side judge Jordan Guest, and center judge Greg Lefils, Jr., were again together for No. 3 Texas A&M's 45-42 win over Arkansas in Fayetteville. Jason Autrey replaced Williamson as the referee of the mostly-intact crew. Nicholas Theriot replaced Stephen Ray as the linesman, and Jordan Craddock replaced Kevin Holmes as the replay official but, unlike Williamson, both officiated other SEC games: Ray worked the Mississippi State-Florida game in Gainesville, and Holmes worked the LSU-Vanderbilt game in Nashville.

We'll update this story if and when the SEC responds, and be on the lookout to see if Williamson works this weekend -- and if the seven SEC games on the docket begin as scheduled. 

Update >> Thursday evening, ESPN shared that the SEC suspended Williamson for the remainder of the season, following his performance in that Georgia vs. Auburn game back on October 11th.