Week 4 of college football delivered plenty of jaw-dropping moments, but few rivaled the drama at OU Memorial. John Mateer led Oklahoma to another victory this season, this time against a blunt Auburn. The Sooners won 24-17 and Mateer completed 24 of 36 passes for 271 yards. But amidst the brilliance, a certain controversy also followed. A shocking officiating decision led to a lot of debate among fans and analysts alike.

Joel Klatt took it on his show to discuss this viral incident. The controversy came in the second quarter of the game. With about 10 minutes to go, both teams were tied at 3. WR Isaiah Sategna III appeared to sustain an injury and was walking towards the sidelines. But to everyone’s surprise, he lined himself up for a pass, which Mateer fed to him, and completed a 24-yard touchdown. Auburn’s defense did not understand what happened, and hence could not react to the play. Joel Klatt shared his opinion on the play, saying,”(Sategna) acted like he was subbing out. He remains on the field. Then he races for a touchdown. And you can’t do that. That’s a level of deception that should have gotten an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.” A timeout was not given to Auburn, despite calling for one. The play drew mixed reactions on social media, with some fans criticizing it while others praised it.

Joel Klatt asserted that the “officiating needs to improve,” amidst the controversial play. But he also emphasized that usually the referees get decisions right. “I think it will, and it does during the course of the season. And generally speaking, officiating is really good. Really good. There are very few times that the officials on the field actually just miss it,” said Klatt. The SEC later confirmed that the touchdown should not have counted.

In a post on X, the SEC Officiating account took responsibility for the decision. The committee said that Oklahoma violated Rule 9-2, Article 2 of the NCAA football rulebook, titled “Unfair tactics.” This meant the Sooners didn’t deserve a touchdown, but a 15-yard penalty instead. Huge Freeze also gave his thoughts on the decision, saying, “The referees said they didn’t hear us trying to call a timeout.”

Auburn was leading Oklahoma by 17-16 in the fourth quarter after Malcolm Simmons completed a 4-yard touchdown. With 7 minutes left in the game, Mateer pulled a masterclass. In just six plays, he marched the Sooners 75 yards for a go-ahead score. He went 4-for-4 for passes and completed a 31-yard strike to Sategna that set the offense up inside the 10-yard line. This would prove to be the game-changing moment as Mateer rushed for a 9-yard touchdown, giving Oklahoma the lead.

Joel Klatt Slams Big 12 Officiating After Controversial Call

It seems like controversial officiating was a contagious disease in week 4. Joel Klatt also went off on the Big 12 after a disputed 4th-and-1 call in Utah’s matchup against Texas Tech. On the play, running back NaQuari Rogers appeared to reach the line to gain, but officials spotted the ball short and gave possession to the Red Raiders. The refs also refused to review the call even though clear replay angles showed evidence to the contrary, a bit too similar to what happened with Auburn.

Klatt, joined by broadcast partner Gus Johnson, blasted the decision, calling it “shocking”. “The Big 12 is usually really replay-heavy anyway, and not to look at that. I think as a mistake. Now, Utah’s got a sudden change back on the field here at the 50,” Klatt questioned.

This incident came on the heels of another officiating fiasco just days earlier in the Missouri – Kansas rivalry. That game saw a string of bizarre rulings, including a mismanaged penalty sequence that left fans and analysts baffled. In response, the Big 12 suspended the officiating crew, signaling that the league recognized the gravity of the mistakes.