Josh Pate calls out 'broken' college football officiating after missed calls in Week 4

Josh Pate blasts SEC officiating after Auburn-Oklahoma blunder and Miami-Florida controversy.

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze likely had a list of complaints for the officials after the Tigers' 24-17 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday. | John Reed-Imagn Images

College football analyst Josh Pate used his Sunday night College Football Show to deliver one of his sharpest critiques yet of officiating across the sport. His comments came in the wake of multiple high-profile mistakes in Week 4, including Auburn’s controversial loss to Oklahoma and Miami’s win over Florida.

Pate did not hold back, calling officiating “a disaster” and “broken.” He cited the lack of accountability and secrecy surrounding officiating crews as a core problem.

“How enforcement happens to an officiating crew when they mess up a call in an SEC football game should not be hidden behind like a vault lock and key thrown in the ocean,” Pate said. “It should never be like that. And it is.”

He pushed further, warning that officiating lapses go beyond simple errors. “Even if it doesn’t change the outcome, it borders on criminality to me. I’m not joking about that. When you think about the amount of money in the stakes that ride on these games… and to have the lack of transparency and the utter disaster that the enforcement mechanism is from a rules perspective in these games sometimes it seems criminal.”

SEC Admits Error In Auburn-Oklahoma Clash

The spark for Pate’s remarks was Auburn’s 24-17 loss to Oklahoma. A second-quarter Sooners touchdown drew outrage after wide receiver Isaiah Sategna appeared to use a “hideout tactic,” drifting toward the sideline as though leaving the field before catching a 24-yard touchdown. The SEC later admitted the play should have been flagged as unsportsmanlike conduct under NCAA Rule 9-2.

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said he attempted to call a timeout before the snap but was ignored by officials. “We were instructed all offseason about deception plays and things. So we’ll see what’s said,” Freeze said after the game.

The SEC has announced that this Oklahoma TD against Auburn should not have counted because of ‘Hideout Tactic’ that should’ve actually resulted in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty. pic.twitter.com/zhfK1CBWSx https://t.co/mvt96wzqt5

— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) September 21, 2025

Paul Finebaum, another prominent college football voice, acknowledged the mistake while tempering fan frustration. “These are competent people. They have help in Birmingham, and they still make mistakes,” Finebaum said. “There’s not a scintilla of evidence that supports that any of these officials go after one school over another.”

Pate, however, argued that secrecy only fuels suspicion. “Every time we go further down this road of lack of transparency, it provides oxygen to people like my buddy who believe that Birmingham, Alabama, has it out for Auburn University,” Pate said. “What am I supposed to tell him? You don’t tell us anything. I have no clue what to tell him.”

Broader Officiating Issues Highlighted In Miami-Florida Game

The Auburn-Oklahoma call was not the only Week 4 controversy. In Miami’s 19-7 win over Florida, a second-half touchdown run by tailback Marty Brown was erased when officials ruled his forward progress had stopped. Replays suggested he broke free and sprinted untouched to the end zone, a score that would have given Miami a commanding 20-0 lead.

ABC’s broadcast crew openly questioned the call, with analyst Bill Lemonnier noting the whistle for forward progress was late. “I think [the official] would want that back,” Lemonnier said on air.

In what world is this running back down or forward progress stopped?#Refs #NCAAF #LetsGoCanes #Gators #TheU

Miami got robbed a TD. Horrible officiating. pic.twitter.com/iSvP0lSxBC

— Politasports.com (@Politasports1) September 21, 2025

Pate said these moments underscore how a billion-dollar sport has “a nickel and dime officiating enforcement arm.” He added, “You’re screwing up the integrity, especially the competitive integrity of the game when you’re that bad at officiating it. It’s a joke. It is a joke. And it’s a bigger mess, believe it or not, than you probably even think it is.”

For Miami, the mistake ultimately did not change the outcome, but it provided fresh evidence for Pate’s case. He argued the lack of transparency puts coaches in impossible situations, pointing out that Freeze would face fines for criticizing officials even after the league admitted error. “Why don’t you owe me money? Why doesn’t the SEC owe Auburn millions of dollars? Why doesn’t the SEC owe Miami money?” Pate asked.

As the debate intensifies, Pate’s warning rings clear: until transparency improves, conspiracy theories will thrive, and confidence in the system will continue to erode.