Keeping mum: SEC officials won’t make a public statement on the controversial non-interception call in Saturday’s LSU-Alabama football game, reports the Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register. Instead, the league will communicate directly with LSU about the play. Officials ruled that LSU’s Patrick Peterson did not intercept an Alabama pass midway through the fourth quarter, when the Tigers were trailing by six points. Despite replays that indicated Peterson was in bounds when he caught the ball, the ruling of an incomplete pass stood. Alabama retained possession, and then kicked a field goal in the drive to win 24-15. For a photo of Peterson’s noninterception, click here. David Parry, the national coordinator of College Football Officiating, called Peterson’s play “a humdinger.” Parry told the Birmingham (Ala.) News “It was extremely tight, as I remember it. I saw that play and thought, ‘Boy, whoever is upstairs has to make a tough, tough decision.'”
Top of the heap: Sports Illustrated’s highest-profile pro football writer says the New Orleans Saints are the best team in the NFL right now. Peter King says not only have the Saints blown out three playoff contenders—the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets and New York Giants—but they’ve shown mettle lately. “I like what the 8-0 Saints have shown the past three weeks, rebounding from a 24-3 deficit in Miami and a 14-0 deficit against Carolina, sandwiching a back-and-forth Monday-nighter with Atlanta,” King says. He also praises the pickups of Drew Brees and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. The Saints “can beat you too many ways” he says. Read the column here.
Set for 2:30 p.m. kickoff: LSU’s Nov. 21 football game at Ole Miss will kick off at 2:30 p.m. and be televised nationally by CBS. The game has postseason implications for the Tigers (7-2, 4-2), who could be headed to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla., with victories in their last three games, including Saturday at home against Louisiana Tech and Nov. 28 at home against Arkansas. The Rebels (6-3, 2-3), who were picked in the preseason to challenge Alabama and LSU for the Western Division championship, could also attract attention from New Year’s bowl games with victories Saturday at home against Tennessee and Nov. 28 at Mississippi State. This will be LSU’s fourth appearance on CBS this season: the network aired the Tigers’ games with Georgia, Florida and Alabama earlier this year. LSU’s homecoming game against Louisiana Tech will be broadcast by ESPNU, with kickoff at 6:30 p.m.
