The referee for Tennessee’s 27-24 loss at South Carolina played quarterback at Alabama. And the SEC assigned him that game the week after Tennessee beat Alabama 26-10. I recorded my take.

The facts

David Smith played quarterback at Alabama from 1985 to 1988. He was the referee in Columbia on Saturday, and he was also the referee for the 2022 Tennessee–South Carolina game, the upset that ended Tennessee’s playoff hopes that year (Rocky Top Insider). Tennessee had three touchdowns called back by penalties Saturday.

My take

I’m not saying he cheated. People who follow officiating say he’s a good ref. But integrity is the whole product. If fans can’t trust the whistle, nothing else matters.

Flip it around: would Alabama fans be OK with a former Vols quarterback refereeing their game the week after they lost to Tennessee? No chance. A Tennessee loss helps his old team in the standings. He should never be on that game. Honestly, he’d be a better fit in the Big Ten, where there’s no conflict at all.

I don’t know exactly where the SEC should draw the line, but Tennessee and Auburn are on the wrong side of it, and probably everybody who was in Alabama’s old division. With all the NIL and big money in this sport now, I’ll never understand why Birmingham thought this assignment was a good idea.

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Jeremy Durham is a sports columnist for TriStar Daily and the founder of Five and a Fade.