Auburn issues statement on costly officiating mistake in loss to Oklahoma

The SEC admitted Oklahoma got away with a penalty

The SEC issued a statement on Sunday admitting that Oklahoma should have been penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. Under NCAA rules, the play was considered a "hideout tactic," which is a deceptive substitution move that confuses the opposing team.

Auburn athletic director John Cohen then addressed the play with a statement of his own on Thursday.

"After reflecting, I want to take a moment to address what transpired last Saturday at Oklahoma," Cohen wrote. "Since the game, Auburn University President Dr. Chris Roberts and I have had extensive conversations with Southeastern Conference Commissioner Sankey.

"We remain extremely disappointed because our young men deserve each week to compete at the highest level. They deserve to have the game officiated at an optimum level.

"We fully understand the human element to the officiating process. Judgment calls don’t always go your way. Saturday was not properly officiated which impacted the game by giving our opponent the lead.

"As the SEC acknowledged, the Auburn family and our student-athletes deserved better."

The missed call could have long-term implications

Oklahoma improved to 4-0 with its win over Auburn, while the Tigers fell to 3-1. The Sooners are now ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll, while Auburn dropped out of the Top 25.

There is no way of knowing whether Auburn would have beaten Oklahoma if not for the blown call, but the Sooners were already facing 2nd-and-22 at the time. They should have had 2nd-and-37, but instead they scored the first touchdown of the game. Auburn players will now have to wonder whether that huge break for Oklahoma had a direct impact on their College Football Playoff hopes.