Since incompetent officiating is fresh on the minds of college football fans everywhere, I thought it may help the victims of this latest hosing to know that they are not alone. Here, we examine the worst calls of the BCS era, which comprises the last ten years of college football.
Before I get a slew of e-mails asking me why so many of these games occurred in 2007, I can only tell you that it’s fitting that college football’s craziest season ever also contained some of the worst calls of the decade. But this is meant to be an interactive article, so please utilize the comments section below to bellow, rant, or add your own pick to the list.
Drum roll please, here’s the countdown:
10. Pen State vs. Michigan – October 14, 2005
This game was pretty painful to watch until both teams woke up in the 4th quarter and decided to start scoring.
Penn State scored a late touchdown to give the Nittany Lions a 25-21 lead. On the ensuing drive, Michigan seems to get a lot of favorable calls that help them get down the field. The most notable officiating blunder, however, was adding two unexplained seconds to the clock that allowed Michigan enough time to score the winning touchdown.
9. .Ole Miss vs. Alabama - October 13, 2007
This was one of the most complicated calls I’ve ever seen. In real time, it appeared that the Ole Miss receiver and the Alabama defender both caught the ball and wrestled each other to the ground, then the Ole Miss player emerged with the ball. The problem is that the Ole Miss player stepped out of bounds first.
144 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Tom Manning 9 months ago
I would like to add another from LSU/Auburn. This time, 2004 at Auburn, big surprise, right? LSU is winning by 6 and Auburn scores a TD and then proceeds to miss the extra point. LSU is celebrating since the game is apparently going to overtime and they still have a chance to win. But, wait, here comes a flag. An LSU player has a penalty called against him because he lands on one of his defensive lineman after jumping up to attempt to block the extra point. LSU is flagged half the distance to the goal and Auburn makes the extra point and goes on to win the game.
What's worse: This is the only time in the history of the NCAA that this penalty was called. Ever. The ruling lasted one season and Nick Saban had it overturned the following year. The penalty that cost LSU a chance at the game will never be called again, ever.
Auburn and the refs seem to get the best of LSU at Auburn quite often. Hopefully, next week the best team wins. Not the team the refs want to win.
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Chris Mizerany 9 months ago
While it was a dumb and pointless rule, that was a rule. And the referee called it. Plain and simple. I agree about the 2006 game, though.
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Corey Luxner 9 months ago
Tom,
As usual, the football fan's lack of knowledge of the rules of NCAA football rears its ugly head. The leaping rule was called more than just in your LSU game. And the leaping rule is still in existence today. Good job proving your ignorance.
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cafeman man 9 months ago
To Corey:
You're an idiot. It wasn't the leaping rule, as you put it. The penalty was for LSU's player landing on an Auburn player after jumping to attempt to block the kick. This rule was repealed the following year. Before you call someone out about ignorance on a particular subject, you should make sure you have a clue what you're talking about.
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Ben Gibson 9 months ago
Good work! The second I saw this article I knew what had to be No. 1. I am not even a Miami fan and I was so mad that they were completely hosed. Ruined such a great game.
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Not Corey 9 months ago
Not only is it still illegal to land on an opponent, but it is illegal to leap and land on your own team. If you are more than one yard from the line of scrimmage and you run up and try to block a FG/extra point you CANNOT land on another player. It is in Rule 9. Here it is:
No defensive player, in an attempt to gain an advantage, may step, jump
or stand on an opponent. No defensive player who runs forward from
beyond the neutral zone and leaps from beyond the neutral zone in an
obvious attempt to block a field goal or try may land on any player(s).
It is not a foul if the leaping player was aligned in a stationary position
within one yard of the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped.
Corey is right!
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Mark Jones 9 months ago
Interesting
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Jared Nuss 9 months ago
There was more than 1 bad call in the UConn LVille game in 2007... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5e-txWErsU
Not saying that missing the fair catch wasn't a bad call... but there is more to that game than what sports center told everyone
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Andrew Mason 9 months ago
that one was just awful i watched that game live i am not a fan of either team but that was just sad....
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matt jeffries 9 months ago
haha. wait a year or two and no one will remember that UW-BYU call. you've included it because it was recent and is fresh-in-mind. but it didn't decide the outcome of the game, not to mention it was correct as a by-the-letter-of-the-rule call. i wouldn't have made it. but, it's simply true that the call was a) correct and b) not game determinative. furthermore, this wasn't even an important game.
in the NCAA: 35-yard FGs (or, in this case extra points) are made 94% of the time. 20-yard FGs/PATs are made 98% of the time. the 35-yard FGs that are most often missed are probably not "straight down the middle ones" either.
so, if you really believe that BYU was handed the game because the officials made a technically correct call which substituted 97%-converted chance to tie with a 94% chance to tie--you're severely overestimating the "impact on the outcome angle" -- besides, the BYU penetration was so deep into the backfield that it would have easily blocked the kick from 20. The kick was not low. And contrary to popular (but wrong) belief, kickers do not kick with a different trajectory from 35 than 20 -- both are chip shots. Perkins (the UW kicker) laid all blame on the linemen -- and said that he doesn't kick 35-yarders any differently.
when you make this list again in a decade, no one will care or remember about the UW loss to BYU.
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Michael Inglis 9 months ago
Where did you get the state that 95% of 35 yd FG are made. Sorry, I just can't take your word for it.
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Austin Penny 9 months ago
yeah a 32-yard field goal in college ball is no chip shot like it may be in the pros. The reserve linemen on a college squad that provide the blocking and the snapping and those who do the holding practice that as a side item in practice. It's not like every Saturday their lone job is to block snap and hold. It's not a science like it is in the NFL. A 32-yard field goal is a chip shot in the NFL, but far from it in college. There are really only 32 kickers good enough to get paid to do it for a living, and countless college teams, so there are going to be a ton of teams where kicking just isn't their strong point. It's not every year that you see ANY kicker from the previous BCS season suiting up on Sundays because the kickers who do make it are so good that they do it for 20 years.
And to say that the trajectory is not any different with 15 yards tacked on, you are sadly mistaken. I was a kicker and punter in high school and with each yard you back up thats another degree that you have to bring your kick down so that you can make up for the extra distance. You can't kick a ball with all your might straight up into the air and expect it to go anywhere, you have to put a more narrow bee-line type drive into it, thus making the flight of the ball lower, thus making it more likely to meet one of the linemen on the other side's hands. Not to mention the extra milli-second it takes to put that much more power in your leg, giving the defense an extra fraction of a second to come across the 'fortress' that the o-line is laying down for you. Trust me, my friend, kicking a football is not just kicking a football.
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Brian Scott 9 months ago
To all the people who have sent frantic e-mails regarding this article:
1) It was written to fuel the fire, so if you get upset then I win.
2) For all 10 games listed we watched video of every controversial play and came up with the analysis based on what the video evidence showed. Don't attack the messenger.
3) For the all Auburn fans having a meltdown about the homer in the replay booth, the Auburn Athletic Dept. acknowledged that the official was an Auburn grad but since the spineless SEC commish Mike Slive was so quick to jump to Auburn's defense, the issue died there. No investigation was done and no actions were taken against Auburn. Furthermore, I could make a list of top 10 examples of how Auburn cheats in about 5 minutes. Better yet, I could make it the top 100 list if I include every game Tommy Tuberville has ever coached at any school. My advice to Auburn fans would be to let this go and focus on beefing up security for Chas Ramsey next weekend - he'll need it.
(disclaimer: this is satire and does not imply in any way that Chas Ramsey's body or life will be in actual danger...from me)
4) Thanks to everyone for reading and writing in - feedback is what makes sportswriting worthwhile.
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dave james 9 months ago
You forgot the screw job OU got up at Ttech. An imaginary two yard gaine and the TD. Just like Oregon, Tech still think they won and the trophy case is still empty.
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Mark Hall 9 months ago
There must be some kind of document where the Auburn Athletic Dept. "acknowledged" that the replay official was an AU grad. Or an article by AP or SI or ESPN? Surely you didn't make this accusation solely on information you got from internet message boards or from your friends at LSU while you tailgate. Please provide it, or are you just insufferable LSU homer? Nice comment on the Ramsey kid, typical classy LSU grad.
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Rob Sansing 9 months ago
Hey, Brian: KISS MY ASS!!!
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BabyTate 9 months ago
It came to you. And it is a great premise for an article.
You know what is amazing about this article? You are getting over 150 reads for every comment. You have a very sizeable amount of reads. I would suggest this is because so much of your audience is of the belief that you are absolutely correct. From my standpoint this looks like a great ranking and an outstanding article.
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c f 9 months ago
LSU = whiniest fans in the SEC. You never beat LSU straight up. There is always an excuse. LSU NEVER benefits from a questionable call. See last year's Auburn game in Baton Rouge or the blatant pass interference against Alabama that was much worse than the questionable one in the Auburn game. The guy fails to mention that LSU got the ball back in that game and had another chance but again failed to score.
Just for your information, Chaz Ramsey is out for the year. But you guys can continue on with other classless acts that makes LSU fans the worst in the country.
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J Murph 9 months ago
Nice investigative reporting...
1) Taking into account Chaz Ramsey isn't even practicing with the team and might not even be on it anymore, I don't think he needs to worry about his health on the field.
2) Cite your reference to the fact that he's an Auburn graduate - I bet you can't. Because the ref in the booth was NOT an Auburn graduate, but rather, his daughter was attending the school. Suspicious? Sure... but I know plenty of people that have children attend one institution but it has no influence on who they pull for.
But you know, don't let facts get in the way of a good story and all.
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dave james 9 months ago
You forgot to add that Alan Patrick of the Sooners actually recovered the football while the refs were looking in the pile. Funny part is Oregon still thinks they won! The last time I looked the quackers trophey case was still empty.
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Mark L 9 months ago
You forgot to add that the PI/holding call in the OSU/Miami game was absolutely correct, and that if the game had been officiated properly in regulation, and the frequent offensive holding on UM was called, there wouldn't have been OT. Watch the game again. You dropped the ball on this one.
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Tristan Holmes 9 months ago
I was at the Oregon Oklahoma game and couldn't tell they had botched it from the stands, but later it was obviously a lousy call. The Ducks still had to score a touchdown (aided by the pass interference admittedly) and block a field goal, but by all rights the Sooners should have been able to try to take a knee and run the clock out.
When I read all the articles in various newspapers the week after the game though it seemed to me that the people at fault were not in the replay booth, but on the field with the initial bad call (I hadn't heard about Belotti's connection to the officials, that makes it much more suspicious) and the people at ABC/ESPN. The shots shown on television were not given to the replay booth, he had only one angle from which (supposedly) he could not overturn the call. He was also given less time than usual for the review because the TV people were demanding the game continue to keep the programming on schedule.
As for BYU/UW, the rule was properly interpreted as far as I can tell. Throwing the ball in the air is DEFINED as excessive celebration no matter the circumstances, accidental and non-taunting don't enter into it. Lay the blame on the rules committee for writing a bad rule, not the officials for doing their job. I don't think officials should determine when rules get applied based on the circumstances, I think they should apply rules even when they are obviously lousy and interfere with the purpose of the game. It is the responsibility of the rules committee to re-write the excessive celebration rule at the earliest opportunity.
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Tiger Histalmos 9 months ago
Hmm... interesting stuff. Definitely noteworthy.
And for the fun of it, you do realize that Auburn has the most NCAA violations in the conference? I guess cheating is just our way. =D
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Justin Goar 9 months ago
awesome stuff. great job.
still planning on being out there tomorrow as long as we don't blow away.
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Steven Resnick 9 months ago
Definitely got the number 1 right that was such a bogus pass interference call. You also forget to mention the teams that made it to the championship game that shouldn't have been there in the first place. USC vs Oklahoma, Florida vs Ohio State, and of course last years game LSU vs Ohio State. Those games were a joke and showed those teams didn't belong playing for the championship and other teams should have been there to at least make it a contest.
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see dub 9 months ago
Agreed, there are videos of the Miami/OSU "pass interference" play on YouTube and the one that shows the play from the back corner of the end zone proves there was no pass interference. Sharpe has his left arm out to try and keep the receiver from getting outside and the ball comes in from the inside, the ball hits the receiver in the arms and it goes through - Sharpe wasn't even in the air when the ball hit the receiver in the hands. That was the most disgusting call and a pitiful attempt for a ref that throws the flag BECAUSE HE REALIZES THE GAME IS OVER!! The flag had nothing to do with the play, it was an attempt to give OSU another chance. If it wasn't for that call, we wouldn't be seeing OSU overhyped every year. I agree that it should have never been that close, but Coker was a horrible coach and even the best CFB athletes (Miami) can't overcome 11 average guys (OSU) that know your game plan in advance and can nearly predict the plays. I mean Coker was riding other guys recruits and plugging away with the same offense and defense week after week, it was the athleticism of Miami that would get the win. Plus it didn't help that the OSU safety tried to tackle Miami's RB by leading his forearm into his knee - classless, but what esle do you expect from a team with Maurice Clarett. It's just a matter of time before all the violations start coming up out of Columbus, people in the program were staying quiet when they believed the 'hype', but now the hype is subsiding and people are going to start talking.
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Nick The Only 9 months ago
Calls should be made on the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard.
If a referee cannot make an immediate judgment on what is happening right before his eyes then he is a bad ref.
It can't "look like" a penalty. It has to be a penalty to be called one. Anytime the flag doesn't come out right away I am skeptical of the call. And the replay officials need to be screened better if any of that obvious bias is true.
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john brewer 9 months ago
good work but where is the jasper sanks fumble which never happened?
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Sebastian 9 months ago
Bush Push?
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Andrew Mason 9 months ago
haha ya i hate notre dame but even then i felt bad for them on that one...
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Timothy Croley 9 months ago
Agree. Should have been top 10 consideration.
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Davis Marchus 8 months ago
they never call helping the runner in cfb dude i bet u couldnt name 1 time it was, charlie weiss even said after the game that he would want his player to do the same thing. but u got the #1 right that was bullshit
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JC Frodge 9 months ago
Hey Brian,
Do you have the replay of the Sharpe/Gamble PI available? Take a couple more looks at it and see if maybe, just possibly, the ball was tipped at the line of scrimage by Miami DE, #94 William Joseph. (actually, it looks like it changes from a tight spiral to a dying duck while passing over the outstretched arm of Joseph) This would explain why Gamble had to come so far back for the ball. And if it was tipped (it was), then it would negate any and all penalty against Sharpe.
jcfrodge
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David Le 9 months ago
2006 Rose Bowl, Vince Young's knee is obviously down before throwing a screen pass for the touchdown. However, the replay equipment was conveniently "not working".
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Doug Reynolds 9 months ago
That was only half of it and something that is rarely talked about when this happens in games. Remember there was an interception by Texas in the end zone that was called incomplete then (correctly) overturned, stopping an SC drive. That overturn, at a time when SC had momentum and appeared on its way to another TD, combined with the "replay not working" on Vince Young's knee at a time when Texas was struggling and settling for FG's but got the gift one, technically meant the game was being played under two separate sets of rules... sometimes replay, sometimes not. Had both plays been under the same rules, either replay or not, you most likely would have had a 7-11 point swing in SC's favor in a game decided by 3.
Personally I hate replay. You can never celebrate a great play anymore when it happens. You always have to wait to see if there are challenges, etc. Then half the time the replay still seems to get it wrong. Let the refs make mistakes and make binding calls like it used to be.
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Davis Marchus 8 months ago
i think a worse one in that game was @ the end when the texas reciever caught the ball and clearly had possesion the clearly got ripped by darnell bing but it was called an incomplete pass
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Clayton 9 months ago
"The replay official overturned the interference and gave the ball back to Auburn. It was later discovered that the replay official was not only an Auburn alumnus, but was also a big booster to the program. I guess that’s how he got the job. Nevertheless, this blatant home cooking cost LSU a chance to play for the SEC Championship and possibly a national title."
This is False. That was a rumor that floated around for a while. The SEC review official was not an alumni of Auburn or a booster. He was a graduate of Georgia Southern. And the correct call was made. It doesnt matter WHEN the interference is made if the ball is disrupted at anytime on it's flightpath. Thus deaming it uncatchable. Just because it happend 3 feet in front of Doucet doesnt change the rule.
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Brian Scott 9 months ago
False. The AU sports info office confirmed that the replay official was an Auburn grad. And wrong again on the rules - the tip occurred after the interference, therefore the interference overrides the tip. By your logic, any defender would be able to negate blatant pass interference by simply touching the ball before it hits the ground. Nice try, but FAIL! :)
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Clayton 9 months ago
Dude. I got go to Auburn and that was NEVER confirmed. And you are wrong. The player that is committing the interference CAN NOT interfere with the with play and the reciever. That is the rule. If ANOTHER player makes the tip that is not in coverage of the intended receiver out of the range of the intended receiver, then it is deemed UNCATCHABLE. So sorry that you got this wrong. But you have to learn the rules. Look it up. Im right.
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Matthew Smith 9 months ago
Actually your wrong. The tip has to happen before the interference and i quote...
"Defensive pass interference is contact beyond the neutral zone by a Team B
player whose intent to impede an eligible opponent is obvious and it could
prevent the opponent the opportunity of receiving a catchable forward
pass. When in question, a legal forward pass is catchable."
At the time contact occured the ball was very much catchable and only after the contact was the ball tipped therefore it should have been pass interference. And if you think i made this up go look up the rule book its on page 105.
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Matthew Smith 9 months ago
And just so you know what the replay official did was against the rules as well. He reviewed a penalty which is not a reviewable play so it shouldnt have been reviewed and overturned any ways.
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Brian Scott 9 months ago
Going to Auburn does not change the facts, and as Matthew and I have clearly pointed out, you have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to pass interference rules. But by all means, please keep commenting and getting owned in front of everyone - it's quite entertaining!
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Clayton 9 months ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEFgxehqIcM
You complain about the Auburn pass interference call against you, but what about the one above. Thats more of a BCS bonehead call than the one at Auburn. That play sealed the game for the corndogs, but it seems to be missing from your biased list. hmmmmm wonder why......
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Michael Shibley 9 months ago
Nice read Brian.
Here is a strange fact...the Oregon replay official in the game against Oklahoma, Gordon Reise. He was one of the officials on the field for the Cal/Standford band play in 1982! He was the one that if he was in proper position could have called the last lateral a forward pass if he wasn't being blocked by who else...the Standford band.
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Jonathan Lintner 9 months ago
Also involving Louisville, remember back to the multiple OT game with WVU in 2005. The Mountaineers needed to recover an onside kick and score in regulation to send the game into OT, and they did. Problem is, nobody tried to recover the kick from Louisville because the ball never rolled 10 yards.
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Michael J. Bernard 9 months ago
OCTOBER 15, 2005!!!!!!!!!
What about the bullshit call AND officiating crew clock managment that allowed USC to try and score AGAIN after time ran out versus the Brady Quinn led Notre Dame team.
Notre Dame won that game, and no person in the country NOT sporting Red/Gold and watching that game in real time believes any different.
Republicans steal elections, USC steals championships.
Ask LSU.
mB
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Michael Inglis 9 months ago
Michael,
I also watched that whole game and I was rooting for Notre Dame as well but Leinart clearly fumbled the ball out of bounds. When that happens the clock is suppose to stop.
The big play in that game was the when Notre dame allowed USC to gain about 50 yds on 4th down a few plays before.
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Brian Scott 9 months ago
First of all, leave politics out of it. And if you're going to talk politics, at least have your facts straight. Democrats have stolen thousands of elections all over America with their very sophisticated voter fraud/hauling operation. Trust me, it was invented in NEw Orleans. Second, the 2000 recount has been recounted by every media outlet in the world and every single recount shows that GWB's win in Florida was legit - the SUpreme Court only stopped a Democrat coup attempt.
Finally, I don't see how USC "steals" championships. They claim to have won part of the title in '03 but nobody outside of LA recognizes it. If you don't have a crystal football, you aren't the national champs. Pretty simple stuff.
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Michael J. Bernard 9 months ago
http://media.www.mtsusidelines.com/media/storage/paper202/news/2004/01/14/Sports/Lsu-Usc.Split.National.Championship-580477.shtml
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Alan Bass 9 months ago
Great list, man
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Michael Inglis 9 months ago
I watched the Miami and OSU game and if I remember correctly wasn't there a pass interference call on like 4th and 18 and Miami got called for a pass interference? Thus, allowing OSU the game to continue.
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Steven Resnick 9 months ago
Or what about Mack Brown who lobbied to get Cal out of the Rose Bowl even though Cal's only loss during the year was too USC who thouroughly destroyed Oklahoma. And the game Cal played against USC was close which USC beat Cal 23-17. The reason for the lobbying by Mack Brown because they had just been destroyed by Oklahoma and needed a jump in the rankings to get into the BCS.
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Christian Araos 9 months ago
Despite the bad calls in that OU Oregon game, its still OU's fault for losing that game they had a two touchdown lead late in the fourth quarter and blew it. Plus what i find alot of people r forgetting is that OU had a chance to win at the end but had their kick blocked.
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Joe Bruin 9 months ago
Holy Crap!! Just as I'm reading this article while watching the Wisc/Fres St game... here comes that fumble "overturn" with about 3 minutes left in the 3rd. Clearly, CLEARLY, a fumble (and I'm rooting for FSU) and they overturn the call on the field. They don't just uphold a call, they OVERTURN a call (which we all know requires indisputable evidence) F-ing UNBELIEVABLE!!
And the announcers are commenting on Wisc coach (prior to game) seriously objecting to WAC refs for WAC homegame. His case is made. What an embarrassing blow to any credibility the WAC hoped to gain from this matchup.
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Joe Bruin 9 months ago
RE #1: " Sure, Ohio State got one more chance to tie the game and blew it, but the point was that the game was over but they were still playing because of a horrible call."
That sentence confuses me. OSU blew it?
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Michael Devivero 9 months ago
Yeah that's a mistake. Ohio State won that game. It's weird that that sentence is in there since that game is No. 1 presumably because it changed who won the national championship. Had Miami still won the game, it wouldn't have been as memorable.
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Joe Bruin 9 months ago
But Wisconsin holds on to win, so this call will die....
that's probably why so many of these horrid calls are from last season, they haven't died yet. I guess every season has a wealth of incompetence, but outside of the most egregious, we just remember the most recent.
Good talking point Brian, and well done...
but it's kinda like inviting comment on "That hot cheerleader and how I would do her"
(and you better pray there's no video review...)
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Joe Bruin 9 months ago
I know you said the "BCS era", but an honorable mention has to go to the infamous 5th down Missouri/Colorado game that had national championship implications....
That still stuns me to this day, how the fock does that happen?!! Replay or not, how does that not get caught/corrected? Can you imagine being a fervent, vocal, (possibly drunk) college fan and NOT storming the field in protest?!! Screw "official interpretation", they got 5 DOWNS!!!!
If Mizzu fans woulda held the officials hostage until the injustice was corrected, THEN we'd have some interesting print!!
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Michael Inglis 9 months ago
I agree Joe, and I just can't believe that not one of the players or coaches notice a team gets 5 downs. Get into the game.
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Matt Madrid 9 months ago
http://www.robsts.com/shop/Poster.jpg
might want to find a new number one... the call was correct
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Matt Madrid 9 months ago
http://www.robsts.com/shop/Poster.jpg
for your number one.... looks like the correct call was made even with the ref not knowing what exactly to call... holding or pass interference still puts them first and goal
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corey jacobs 9 months ago
Look at that picture ball in flight #7 Gamble jersey is obviuously being pulled. Only thing wrong is that it was holding to PI. Just look it is righ there SEC and Cryami fans...
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LanceR 9 months ago
bad calls happen..roll with it and move on....go back pre-bcs, 1988 Miami @ ND, couple of ???!!! calls in that game...1991 Orange Bowl and Rockets punt return called back a !!!??? call there also...I will say the Oklahoma v. Oregon game a couple of years back did have one of the worst calls i've seen..of course Oklahoma is good for an occasional shot of humor every now and then (the oregon onside kick, the sooner schooner prob in the orange bowl, boise making the whole team look foolish, barry switzer acting like an ass 99% of the time) lol
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Cameron Jerde 9 months ago
Even though the Oklahoma/Oregon game was given away by two bad calls, Oregon still blocked the game winning field goal attempt.
Yeah, it was some pretty bad officiating, but Oregon also scored twice in 43 seconds. Can't rule that out either
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Derek Stephens 9 months ago
Finally, somebody who realizes why the OM students went nuts against Bama.
One of the worst calls I've ever seen, and obviously I'm not the only one that shares that thought.
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Thor Nus 9 months ago
How about the Tennessee/Florida game in '04? An official is watching two players near the sidelines. He watches as the Tennessee player slaps a Gator in the head. He watches as the Gator slaps back. He throws a flag. It should be offsetting penalties, right? Nope. Only Florida is flagged. Tennessee goes on to win in part because of that.
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Andrew Fitzgerald 9 months ago
Admittedly I'm a Vandy fan, but an LSU-fan friend of mine linked this article to me and rightly pointed out that a terrible call from SEC ref, Rick Loumiet, in 1995 deserves to be at the top of this list hands down. "After opening the season 4-0 for the first time since World War II, Vandy...was cheated out of an overtime win over Florida in Gainesville when a flag-happy referee called a criminally bogus celebration penalty on all-SEC WR Earl Bennett after an OT score. Cutler was setting up to go for a 2-point conversion and a gutsy win, but the 15-yard penalty forced a PAT kick instead. He then threw away the game with an interception in the second extra period." When the ref made this call the head official huddled the refs for a good 30 seconds presumably to ask "are you absolutely sure...this is a game decider here?" And the ref stuck to his guns so to speak. When the captains then met on the 50 for the OT coin toss, Cutler was visibly furious and refused to look in the direction of the ref when making the toss call.
I rewound the supposed "celebration" countless times and Earl stood with both feet on the ground and almost imperceptibly shook his hips as he drew his fingers from faux holsters on his hips. His hands never left his sides and fingers never made it even half way to 90 degrees upward. And he did this for less than 3 seconds. When I watched the whole game again, I found that on each of at least two of Florida's prior TDs the scoring player(s) celebrated with at least twice the level of action and enthusiasm. We're talking high jump chest bumping and spiking the ball, yet no flags when it was the home team in the swamp.
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Scott Taylor 9 months ago
great call andrew i remember that game and it was just as bad, if not worse of a call. florida celebrates on all of their tds. you got to let guys go a little bit when you score a tying td with seconds left.
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Timothy Croley 9 months ago
Good list. I agree with the #1, it was a horrible decision. I officiate high school football and know that if you have to give it a second thought it probably didn't happen. If you are that close and a penalty is not immediately recognized, it probably didn't happen.
The Bama/Ole Miss call was confusing, even for me being an official. Not to be biased, although it may seem that way, I think the correct call should have been, solely from replay evidence, that Ole Miss receiver went out of bounds on his own, then came back in and was the first to touch the ball. It should have been ruled illegal touching on the receiver. Alabama takes the penalty instead of the play and the rebels have another play.
As far as #7, every touchdown has a celebration to some degree. Whether it is a high-five or shoulder bump, or whatever. If the cougar QB spiked the ball or threw it into the stands or launched it down the field I could see the call. If he did a "Lambeau Leap" or went to sign an autograph then I could see the call.
The officials' job is to keep the game at play and guard against it getting out of hand. The job is also to be seen only when needed: holding, roughing the passer, pass interference, etc. The best games are the ones when nobody mentions the officials. But when the officials become the focus rather than the plays and players and play calling, then you know the game went one of two ways: 1) a controversial call that the officials blew - i.e. the BYU/Wash game or the AU/LSU game, or 2) a team was just sore because they couldn't get it done, were forced to cheat, and the officials caught them.
Great game when the officials were too quiet: Bush Push. Thus prompting official haters to come forth.
Great game when the refs were too loud: Miami/OSU game. Again, prompting the hater of the ref to start ranting.
Great game when the officials did it right: USC/Texas National Championship game. I don't recal a major bashing of the officials. SoCal was just outplayed in the last minutes. The officials made the calls they needed to make and left it in the hands of the players to win the game.
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B Cox 9 months ago
You show you bias and stupidity on the Ole Miss / Alabama game. Number one the referee did not throw a flag on the receiver going out of bounds so the going out of bounds is not a reviewable play. Second, maybe you can borrow a dictionary and look up the word irrefutable. You can not say that play was irrefutable unless you are wearing your Crimson shades!
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Timothy Croley 9 months ago
B, first I never said the play was refutable, irrefutable, or anything. I simply said what should have been. I understand there was no flag; therefore, I stated what should have been. There should have been a flag to mark illegal touching on Ole Miss. Bama has the option then to take the play, Ole Miss 1st down, or take the penalty, Ole Miss is backed up replays the down. I understand penalties should not be reveiwed. It's not my fault the play was reviewed. It never should have been. The whole play was a disaster on the officials' part. So next time read what I wrote and quit taking things out of context!
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Jon Ellsworth 9 months ago
Your list is basically the last 2 years' worth of calls with one or two others. Hardly comprehensive, but maybe my expectation are too high...
USC v. TX 2005 Rose Bowl. VY's knee goes down late in a drive that put 7 points up for TX.
USC v. Notre Dame 2005- "Bush Push" no-call
These are instances where the rule demands a result and the refs did not scrutinize according to the rules.
BYU-Washington- all you can say is that the rule sucks. Good call.
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College Football Fanatic 9 months ago
Can't get enough of this list, this is one of the best articles on here.
My only thought is that Oklahoma-Oregon and LSU-Auburn should be switched in number, but that's a minor thought and this is still a great list.
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Ty E 9 months ago
Cripes, Brian. Check the NCAA rules (p104 and 105). The LSU/Auburn thing was NOT pass interference, because the ball wasn't catchable given that another Auburn defender got to it. The ref incorrectly cited the tipped-ball provision to legitimize the contact, but what the tip REALLY did was make the ball uncatchable, which is an after-the-fact determination.
It WAS defensive holding/illegal contact, and it sucks that it wasn't called as such, but quit stubbornly insisting that it's pass interference.
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Billy Williamson 9 months ago
That's my main problem here. Aubies can argue all day long that it wasn't interference, but ultimately it WAS a penalty that would have resulted in an automatic first down. Every single time LSU plays at Auburn, there is at least one outrageous call or non-call that goes Auburn's way. I find comfort in that stupid look on Tubby's face after LSU recovered the onside kick to open the game a few years ago.
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Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Ha! I was waiting to see where the OSU Miami one was....#1! GREAT JOB! I totally agree!
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Jody Rope 9 months ago
Please stop posting nonsense about football. Your thoughts are those of someone new to the sport and groggy with bias. You write like someone who plays a lot of Fantasy and/or Madden or watches games on tv. You "totally" agree? Sigh. Grantland Rice rolls in his grave and Tex Maule chucks up his lunch--anyone can "publish" now, as long as they can buy a pc and website.
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bruce brewer 9 months ago
It is worth mentioning that this play was reviewed and graded correct. Late yes,but better late and right than keep it in the pocket and be wrong On top of that, Referee magazine places it as one of the best 18 officiating calls of all time. In seperate articles,Parry, Millis (then big 12 officials super), and Christal ( Fiesta referee) without any reservation flatly say the call was indeed right. In an interview, Christal says the call was absolutely correct, the man was held 3 times on the same play ( Cigar Aficionado "making the right call" by Bruce Schoenfield..
The video from the ABC feed is a poor one to make a qualified judgement. One example of the weakness of the video is the inability to determine the position of the receiver when the ball is released. For much of the route, the actions of the DB hands are hidden from the viewer because the receiver is between the camera, and the defender. It is also worth noting, the defender does not look for the ball. The viewer of this video is essentially out of position to make a proper call.
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Ty E 9 months ago
From 7.3, article 9j, the illegal contact rules:
Tackling or grasping a receiver or any other intentional contact before he
touches the pass is evidence that the tackler is disregarding the ball and is
therefore illegal.
And just above that, the relevant DPI rules:
Defensive pass interference is contact beyond the neutral zone by a Team B
player whose intent to impede an eligible opponent is obvious and it could
prevent the opponent the opportunity of receiving a **catchable** forward
pass. (emphasis added)
The intent to impede is an in-the-moment issue. The "catchable forward pass" part takes subsequent events into consideration (such as the flight of the ball) and considers what a receiver may have done had he not been impeded. There -might- be an argument that without Aubie on his hip, Doucet adjusts to the ball and actually beats the defender there, but it doesn't seem likely. Illegal contact. 10 yards. Automatic first down.
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Michael Oleszek 9 months ago
I've got 8 of them, all from the same game. There is a reason why people call the 2003 Florida-FSU game "The Swindle in the Swamp."
ACC Officials called the game, by the way.
#1-Opening kickoff. Antonio Cromartie was popped, the ball clearly came loose before his knee hit the ground. Should have been UF ball @ the FSU 30. Instead, it's 1 and 10 FSU at their own 32. Drive ends in a punt, should have been at least 3 points for UF.
#2-Same drive. Guss Scott forces the ball out, then Matt Farrior dives in and it pops out in our favor to Guss before the officials blew the play dead. Scott would have had a return for a TD. Instead they say he was down, again, the drive ended in a punt.
#3-The kickoff after the UF FG. Leon Washington has a case of the Butterfingers and can't hold on to the ball, Billy Latsko makes the play of his career and runs the ball into the endzone for an apparent UF TD. Officials call UF offsides on the kick, results in rekick and FSU 1st down. You've all seen the pics, there was no offsides.
#4-Same drive. FSU WR clearly has firm possession of the ball and 2 feet down right before getting completely leveled and losing the ball which UF recovered. However, refs rule it an incompletion. FSU keeps the ball.
#5-Very next play. Booker loses the ball before the officials rule the play dead again, which once again would have resulted in a UF TD, this time Darryl Dixon. However, Booker was ruled down, and FSU scores on the very next play.
That was just the 1st half. Here's the 2nd.
#6-The no call on Keiwan Ratliff's INT in the end zone. That was an INT taken away. However, it worked out because he returned the Rix fumble for a TD. That one actually stood. But would be made up for a few plays later...
#7-Fason was tackled by Dockett, on his way down, Fason ran into to the line and the ball came out of his hands a little, however he clearly regained possession before hitting the ground because he was on the ground for a good half second to a second before you even see the ball squirt out. A missed call by the officials, leads to an FSU TD and makes up for Keiwan's TD.
#8-The goal line stand. Leon Washington clearly fumbles the ball, that's not in question. The officials acknowledged that, however they said the "fumbler re-established possession." I would love to know how. After watching the replay, Washington lands on the ball with his knee while Channing Crowder is simultaneously falling to the ground. While down there, Crowder beats Washington to the ball, and takes it from him, perfectly legal and should have been awarded to Crowder. However, the refs bitch about him not getting the ball and then taking his frustration out on the ball. Result, FSU TD.
Florida loses 38-34.
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bruce brewer 9 months ago
In NCAA, tripping the runner is legal
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Chris Copeland 9 months ago
UM at MSU circa 2001... MSU QB Jeff Smoker tries a QB sneak from the UM 3 yard line, doesn't get it and then hurries to the line and spikes the ball with 1 second left only to throw a GW TD to TJ Duckett on the ensuing play to win the game for the Spartans
UM fans will argue that the game clock "froze" with 1 second left, giving Smoker enough time to spike the ball, which may or may not be true...
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Joe Bruin 9 months ago
@Michael a few spots up (for some reason I can't reply to your comment directly)
You end with "Florida loses 38-34", which elicits a Peter Griffin "henh-henh-henh!" from me, but that's just cause I'm still bitter over the hardwood slapdowns you gave my Bruins recently.
My real point is that regardless of how I feel about a team, I just hate when a bad call (calls) impacts a game. A good example tonight (not that it decided the game, but it was big) was in that really entertaining Philly/Dallas Monday night game. On a 40-50 yd bomb from McNabb into the endzone, the Philly receiver blatantly grabs the Cowboy defender's jersey and pulls him down on top of him. It was like a football version of "flopping". And they call pass interference on Dallas. I've hated the Cowboys since I was a child when they insulted me and my country by claiming to be "America's team". "How 'bout them Assboys?!" But this call still pissed me off because it was so wrong. (just like your impressively obsessive laundry list of bad calls makes me feel for Fla) What's worse, this particular call sets a precedent and invites imitation. Now you're going to see this pretend penalty shit all the time... guys trying to draw a flag instead of making a play. I don't know how to combat it outside of expanded replay, which gets so slippery so fast with subjective calls, or (and EVERY major sport needs to institute this) severely penalizing the floppers! (Soccer would cease to exist.)
But this article and the responses make it painfully clear that something needs to change. Expand what is "challengeable". The game happens fast, give the merely human refs a chance to look at something again. Give the coaching staff an additional challenge or two. Let the ref be allowed to say, "that really looked like he interfered, but now that I see it again, it was a clean play." Will it slow down the game? Maybe. A little. But who cares about that? Corporate broadcasters? Yeah, cry me a river. I'll tell you who doesn't care, "college football fan". They just want the call to be right, and the 3 minute arguments during reviews are pretty entertaining fodder that simultaneously reinforce our rulebook knowledge. Expanding the scope of replay won't be easy, (and "non-calls" are still going to be pretty untouchable) but something needs to be done. A coach has to have some recourse when a game changing call is clearly wrong. Oh, and we need a playoff system too.
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Michael Oleszek 9 months ago
That was an impressively long comment in response to mine. I didn't watch the MNF game, so I can't comment on that, but you're right. There is so much that wrong calls affect, its not even funny.
Case in point:
2 years ago, Florida is on the road against Tennessee. Florida is leading 7-0 late in the 1st Qtr. Brandon James breaks open on a punt return, and has nothing but green and the punter in front of him. Colquitt sticks out his foot and trips Brandon James at midfield. No touchdown, and no tripping penalty called. Take away 7 from the Gators. Then, trailing 10-7 in the 2nd Qtr. James again gets loose on a punt return and scores, only to have the return called back due to a touchy block in the back, even though video confirms the blocker did NOT hit him in the back. Take 7 away from the Gators.
And, just so that Im not a total homer:
Same game as above. The very first play after the Florida penalty, Marvin Mitchell picks off Chris Leak and takes it back to the house. It was called back on a BS roughing the passer penalty. Take 7 away from the Vols.
There should be penalties that you can review, and there should be some form of accountablity for the officials.
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Isaac Luber 9 months ago
Penn State vs. Michigan should be ranked higher. Earlier in the game, Penn State asked to review a fumble but the refs wouldn't let them. Right after that, Michigan asked to review a fumble and they let them. Michigan's refs were cheating us. Then, on that last drive, on a 3rd and about 12 and the Michigan receiver clearly caught it with his foot out of bounds. Although Penn State wanted it reviewed, the refs once again would not. Then the seconds added on to the clock...I believe it was 4, not 2, but I could be wrong. Michigan then won the game when there was one second on the clock with a pass into the back of the endzone. This not only cost PSU the game, but an undefeated season and a chance to play for the National Championship.
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Jody Rope 9 months ago
Anyone who actually watched the OSU Miami game knows that OSU had already won the game but an earlier botched call--much more flargrant than the Gamble one--handed the game to the Canes. Furthermore. You give Miami the ball inside the five with four tries to score and they can't? c;mon people. There is not ONE person in the USA who can actually describe what is or sin't "pass interference"--and the great joke is watching experts and ex-players on tv disagreeing.
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Neal Newman 9 months ago
I forget if it was the 2002 PSU-Michigan game or the 2005 Michigan game, but one of the refs was not only a Michigan alum, but is a member of their gold club.
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Rick Moon 9 months ago
Hard to believe you left out the hose job by homer refs in the OU-Texas Tech game in 2005.
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scott droddy 9 months ago
LSU/AU should easily be #1...it was not 2 bad/missed calls it was 6! LSU crossed the 50, 4 times (not counting the last drive) that day and EVERY time it ended w/ a bad call or missed call. I have never in my life been more sure of a fix was in for that game - i can understand 1 or 2 missed, but SIX - dont be so onvious?
just pray this saturday is fairly called
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Sean W 9 months ago
Where is the Colorado/Missouri game where the refs gave 5 downs to CO? Everybody knows that game, right? Just mention 5 downs and everybody remembers this.
To forget that and include UW/BYU? Please. People keep trying to compare it to the 'Tuck rule' or the Denver game vs SD. The difference? Without those calls, you can say 100% certain that the other teams wins. Not so in UW/BYU. That play won't even be remembered by the end of the season.
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Shawn Elsbury 9 months ago
Don't know if anyone already mentioned this one, but how about Iowa/Florida in the Capital One Bowl a couple of seasons ago. Iowa had just rallied to get to within 4 (I think), with about a minute and a half left. Iowa sets up for the on-sides kick. They kick and an Iowa player recovers the ball. But wait, there is a flag on the play, for offsides on Iowa. Replays CLEARLY showed that Iowa was not offsides. Not saying that Iowa would have won the game, but they had momentum on their side and it would have been interesting to see if they could duplicate the miracle that they pulled off against LSU the previous year.
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John Fowler 9 months ago
Hello? OSU didn't blow it. THEY WON THE NATIONAL TITLE. Am I the only one who sees this MASSIVE error in facts for #1?
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Steve 9 months ago
Instant replay was born out of this king of all blunders? At what level of football are penalties reviewable? The last I checked, penalties are not reviewable at any level. I know you keep saying that you watched the play over and over and over again to make your assessments here, but when you end your article saying it was so bad that it led to the implementation of replay, I can't take any of your argument seriously at all. I mean, checking the history of replay is as easy as typing it into wikipedia, just as watching a replay of the OSU-Miami game is by typing it into YouTube.
I'm not impressed. That call was controversial, for sure, but there was a penalty on that play regardless. It may have been the wrong call, but the defender made contact with the receiver when the ball was in the air. No matter what penalty it is, either holding or PI, it still results in a first down and goal for the Buckeyes. Plus, another reason I know you didn't seriously watch the play is that there was NO DELAY in the referee reaching for his flag, he simply had a tough time grabbing it and pulling it out. That's why you're confused - you didn't watch all the angles. Had you watched them, you wouldn't have described the play as wrongly as you have.
And there wasn't enough video evidence for that ball being tipped, if that's what you're talking about being reviewable. Plus, Craig Krenzel never threw perfect spirals. Ever.
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Brian Scott 9 months ago
Yes, implementing IR in CFB was laregley accredited to this play. Do your homework!
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Dennis Frank 9 months ago
"I replayed it in my mind," Porter said. "I wanted to make double-sure that it was the right call."
That was a direct quote from Terry Porter, the official who threw the flag. He admitted to throwing the flag late, so please explain to me what angle shows he couldn't get it out of his pocket. If you agree with the call fine, but don't make things up to support your argument that there was NO DELAY.
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S Beige 9 months ago
No, Brian. Instant replay was started in the Big Ten a few years ago (2004, I believe) when Joe Paterno was constantly throwing temper tantrums about bad calls. The rest of the nation followed. I don't know why the Big Ten would be so upset over the Miami call since the Big Ten benefited from it.
And Steve is right -- how could instant replay come from the PI call when PI is a judgment call that can't be challenged or reversed? How would instant replay solve that problem?
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Brian Scott 9 months ago
Just because the Big 10 took forever to come on board means nothing. IR started in college football the season after the blown call in the '03 Fiesta Bowl. And yes, penalties are not reviewable so it may not have helped in this situation, but that's still irrelevant. The statement was, "IR was brought to college football largely due to this call." That statement is true.
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S Beige 9 months ago
"Just because the Big 10 took forever to come on board means nothing."
The Big Ten started instant replay. What do you mean took forever to come on board?
From wikipedia:
"College football instant replay started in the 2004 season, when reviews were used experimentally in the Big Ten Conference only"
Don't believe wiki? Try here:
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/9081089/
Or here:
http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/7550960
I don't believe that the call in the Miami-OSU game led to instant replay because that MAKES NO SENSE. No one has provided any evidence that the call led to instant replay. Give me a link, anything, to prove it.
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Dennis Frank 9 months ago
Alright, I don't want to go into this that much, but the major problem with the UM/Ohio State call is that it took the referee so long to actually make the call. You can argue until your face is blue that it was/wasn't pass interference, but that doesn't explain why it took the referee a good 3 seconds to make the call, particularly considering the circumstances. He had to replay it over in his head? Are you kidding me?!?!?! Where do I buy a replay machine that I can put in my head? I'm sure there has be a market for that. If it was such a blantant call (considering someone suggested that Sharpe committed 3 holding penalities in a matter of 10 yards, which is entirely impossible) than he should have dropped the penalty WHILE THE PLAY WAS HAPPENING!!!!! Not after the entire team started predictably celebrating.
With that said, I agree that players determine outcomes and not officials. Just like San Diego this weekend, if the Canes wanted to win that game they shouldn't have put themselves into a position where one call would have prevented them from winning. They didn't overcome it, and they lost. Period. Ohio State deserved to be the National Champion.
But the simple matter is a questionable call came several seconds after a celebration affecting the final outcome of the college football season more so than any of the previous calls on the list. All the huffing and puffing is not going to change that. (And by the way, how do you accuse someone of being bias if he doesn't root for one of the teams? That really makes no sense)
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Daniel Brown 9 months ago
How is the 'Swindle in the Swamp', not in the top 10. It was UF vs. FSU (I believe 2003) where there had to have been 6 of the worst calls ever by the ACC Crew. I beleive the head official name was Childress and there was a formal review of the game because it was so bad.
Can anyone back me on this?
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Officials AreHuman 9 months ago
Rules comities need to realize if a rule cannot be enforced it shouldn't exist (except for safety). Holding happens on every play, do away with the silly rule. Pass interference is to subjective, do away with it. Too close to the punt returning catching the ball, too subjective do away with it. Excessive celebration, again subjective, gone. Offsides, easy to judge it stays. Face mask, safety, it stays.
If the defender can tackle the receiver you will see a lot more man defense. But when the receiver is open they will be really open.
No holding will give the receiver longer to get way and open up the running game.
Give the officials a break, they are asked to see the whole field the all the time. Impossible. Simplify the rules or live with the consequences (mistakes).
When number one on the list can't even be agreed if it is the correct call years later with slow motion and several angles, what sense does it make to beat up the official that made the call from one angle in real time
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Scarlet Beast 9 months ago
The OSU / Miami infraction occurred a second before that screenshot, when Glen Sharpe's left hand made contact with Gamble's back. Look for my video of this call on Youtube and watch Sharpe's left arm, not his right. It's clear as day, quite frankly.
But because the game's announcers completely missed that detail, there are still a great deal of people - including this inattentive analyst - who think the call was bad. *sigh*
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J Bone 9 months ago
ANYTHING to validate the lone national championship the Buckeyes have produced in the last 40 years. lol
"...because the game's announcers completely missed that detail, there are still a great deal of people who think the call was bad." Interesting how the only ones who agree with it have a vested interest in what it accomplished for them......
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The U 9 months ago
"The Rape in the Desert" was the correct call?!?!?! My god, you Buckeye fans get further and further away from reality with every passing year. It was HANDS DOWN the worst call in the BCS era, one of the worst calls of all time if you take into account the fact that it literally took a national championship away from Miami.
If it was such clear contact and a clear penalty why did the guy ON THE SPOT not flag it??? Why did it take OVER 3 seconds of a delay and come from a ref who wasn't ANYWHERE NEAR the play? That alone speaks volumes. It was ruled incomplete on the spot, it was great freakin defense, and that bias-assed OSU ref simply couldn't bear to watch his beloved Buckeyes lose a game that they felt they had in the bag. To have a ref overturn a call on the spot from across the end zone after almost 4 full seconds isn't just a hose job, it's downright criminal!!
I can't believe you Buckeye tools are here defending it. I swear, you all live in such an alter-reality that I wouldn't be surprised if next you started arguing that you were the better team last Saturday and only lost to USC because you got screwed. LOL
Great list, and a CLEAR CUT #1! The whole damn sports nation outside of Columbus will tell you without pause that that was an awful call and should NEVER have decided a national championship. It's common knowledge... to everyone but the sweater boys, of course. Hose job. Period.
That's alright, Miami will have their revenge in a couple of years when they become the next marquee program that OSU steps out of the weak-ass big ten to play and gets pasted by.
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Ryan J. 9 months ago
Someone's bitter!
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Kory Funk 9 months ago
Um, if you knew what you were talking about you'd realize that the ref that through the flag was directly in front of the place where the infraction occurred.
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bruce brewer 9 months ago
Nobody overturned anything, The Linesman signalled incomplete (nobody caught it) ,and the FJ called DPI. Who was overturned?
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The U 9 months ago
Why are you playing semantics with me, Bruce? The pass was ruled incomplete (without any penalty) by the ref ON THE SPOT. It was a guy across the freakin end zone and 4 seconds later that comes in and throws a flag. His late (and criminal!) flag in essence "overturned" what the ref in position determined was the correct call. You get the point.
There's been rumors the ref who threw the worst flag in the BCS era was an OSU grad. I have a hard time buying that, but if it's true he should do jail time.
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bruce brewer 9 months ago
The lack of a flag being thrown by the Linesman is insignificant. The then Big 12 Super of Officials ( Tim Millis ) is on record as saying the only mistake by the FJ was being late. I don't think you get jail time for that. Millis has been a Super Bowl Official (2 ), while you have not. He is now director of NFLRA.
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The U 9 months ago
The lack of a flag being thrown by an eye that was RIGHT THERE on the spot is insignificant in evaluating a delayed call from across the end zone with the entire national championship riding on it? Wow, Buckeye fans really do live on Mars.
Of course Millis defended the call, what's he going to say, that the call was wrong and Miami should be given the title? Get real. The fact is that the defense was solid, the contact was trivial and no more than any WR/DBs do on any given play, it came at the time of the ball hitting his shoulder, was ruled clean by the eye on the spot, and in a situation THAT crucial no one in their right mind believes a call like that should be made and reverse an entire BCS title. The ONLY people who would argue otherwise live in Ohio. Period.
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bruce brewer 9 months ago
I figured you would try to attack his character with a false accusation, just like you did with that false rumor about the FJ. What would I expect Millis to say? He is the director of the NFLRA and he didn't say Ed Hochuli was right did he? Quite the opposite. Said everyone makes mistakes. He said the guy that got it right (FJ), was correct, and the one that was wrong (Hochuli) missed it. Is that real enough for you?
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The U 9 months ago
Ed Hochuli? How can you even compare that? That didn't carry anywhere near the same weight! Saying that one was wrong isn't even in the same universe as discrediting a call that single-handedly determined a national championship. How can you compare the two? He stood behind the OSU call in 2002 because he had 'no choice', doing otherwise would have invalidated a BCS National Championship and sent the entire nation in an uproar. The fact that the eye on the spot didn't flag it but one from a long distance away did speaks volumes. That you don't give weight to that just shows that you fail to see the forest for the trees, Bruce, and likely because you live in Ohio.
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bruce brewer 9 months ago
The L has many responsibilties on this play, but the WR to his side of the field is not one of them. The L key is the second widest to his side (Jenkins over the middle) .The FJ key is the Widest to his side at the snap (Gamble). That is why the lack of a flag from the L is insignificant.. The L watches his key (among other thing)until he picks up the ball , sees the very end,waves incomplete, looks to FJ (because its the FJ key), and the FJ throws the flag. Big mistake by Dan Fouts as he has no clue about the L either.After almost 6 years, you should know this, but now you do (maybe). You can look it up, but you have to know where to look.
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bruce brewer 9 months ago
The FJ is the only one who sees the WR from start to finish. They come right at him as he is in the corner of the EZ. He also sees where the receiver is when the ball is released, something the viewer cannot. The ball is in the air before the receiver reaches the EZ. He also has a vastly superior angle. The DPI was confirmed ( that means it happened). Get the 2 yards next time, so you don't have to hide behind a phantom missed call.
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Warren Bernard 9 months ago
OSU fans are the ONLY idiots who think that was the correct call. And Terry Porter is the biggest idiot of all. Personally I think OSU should be barred from ever playing in a hyped game. When they do, they blow.
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Ryan J. 9 months ago
They won that one, didn't they?
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The U 9 months ago
Depends how you look at it. ;) ... That was somewhat sarcastic, I give Tressel and Co great credit for the gameplan they had at the 02 Fiesta and the way they executed it. The nation thought they were going to get killed and they straight came out and manned-up Miami and outplayed them for 3 quarters. The Canes of that year were so good, however, that even with nothing going their way that day they were able to claw back and 'win' the game at the wire. It should never have been given to OSU on a bogus PI call. But I've taken my hat off many many times over ther past 6yrs to Buckeyes and the credit they deserve for the way they played in that game, it was a phenomenal performance by them that afternoon and they deserve credit for that.
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zingo 36 9 months ago
Brian, I love you're number one call! There is no doubt, there is no question. I am from Ohio and it was a horrible call! Just horrible!
I played college football in the SEC, so I have to admit I am not an OSU fan. I am amazed that OSU fans continue to spout off. It's nonstop. Will nothing humble them? They have played four huge games in the last 2 years and have lost all four. Illinois in conference at home and were embarrassed 3 times by Florida, LSU and USC. When will it stop? When will Buckeye fans just be quiet for awhile and 'see what happens'? I was amazed last year listening to OSU fans talk about what they were going to do against LSU, instead of just waiting and saying 'we will see what happens'. That is the reason everybody hates you! That is the reason you get no respect because you just don't know when to shut up. Well why you are watching OSU/Troy this weekend, I will enjoy watching Florida/Tennessee and Auburn/LSU. If you want to watch great football turn the channel, it will be entertaining. Trust me!
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Ryan J. 9 months ago
So which of the little brothers did you play for? Kentucky? Vanderbilt? Unless you played for Florida or LSU, you have no room to run smack on Ohio State.
The call was wrong, by the way, and the 2002 trophy is in Columbus, where it belongs.
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zingo 36 9 months ago
'your', whoops
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Neroon 9 months ago
I'm quite sure that OSU fans are not the only ones so grievously guilty if spouting off. ;)
Brian..... I am a big OSU fan, but not a blind one. For what it's worth, I agree with your choice for #1 worst call, though not for quite the same reasons. My gripe with it is that the referees seemed to have been letting the receivers & defenders play that way for the most of the game. So why make such a call at that point in the game? THAT is what seems so incongruous with the call. I will grant you that call should not have been made.
However, if that call is taken back, then there is one other. And I do not refer to the earlier mentioned one with Michael Jenkins' sideline catch. He was definitely out of bounds. Even he felt it, as evidenced by the 4th down conversion play later which he stares down at his feet to be sure they are in bounds. No, the call I refer to was the defensive holding/PI call that was NOT made on OSU's final drive of regulation. Gamble was clearly held, even to the point of Dan Fouts stating unequivocally that it was a missed call. If the OT call is taken back, then that holding call needs to be made. The upshot is it gives OSU 4 more downs and enough control to run out the clock in regulation. Meaning the ersatz interference call never gets made.
But still a good list overall!
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zingo 36 9 months ago
True.
You are missing the point though. In that type of game, in that situation, a ref can not make a call like that! Period! Don't tell me about a play that happened earlier in the game. Any athlete will tell you that you can't go back in the same game and say, "Well if this would have happened then this call would have never happened." His list was just to point out bad calls, nothing more. Going back and listing other calls in the game is not an argument. It's like a basketball ref making a close foul call at the end of a game. It has to be an obvious call in that type of situation. Bad calls happen in every game but at the end of a game, when the game is on the line, then the call has to be an obvious, no doubt about it call. Not a late after thought call.
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Sean Peterson 9 months ago
I don't care how you try to justify it the BYU - Washington call was most definitely the correct call. If you look at Jake Locker after he scored that touchdown, i guarantee you will disagree with the author of this article. Any time you throw the ball (not "toss" as the writer put it) straight up into the air it is unsportsmanlike conduct. It is the exact same thing as spiking the ball, just the other direction. Also, whether the call was made or not, the BYU special teams still had to block the PAT. You can't tell me the refs were responsible for that.
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Brian Scott 9 months ago
It's true that the ref was within his rights to make that call since the rule calls for discretion. The reason why it was a bad call because the ref abused his discretion and called a celebration penalty on something that could in no way, shape, or form be considered excessive celebration. It belongs on the list and on the list it remains!
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Steve F 9 months ago
I think that PSU/Michigan from 2002 should be added. It was tied in the waning seconds when PSU threw an imcomplete pass along the sidelines. The replay clearly showed that the WR had not just one, but both feet in. This call was more obvious than anything that may have occured in the 2005 game.
Everyone points out the phantom pass interference in the OSU/Miami game. When I first saw it I thought it was interference as well, then the replay clearly showed that it wasn't. From the referee's angle, it may have looked like pass interference as well. Nobody points out that earlier in this game, towards the end of regulation when OSU was trying to run out the clock, they threw a pass that was ruled incomplete. After replay, there was no doubt that it was really a completion for a first down. If the refs don't screw that one up, OSU would've ran more time off the clock and Miami may never have been able to get into position for the game tying FG to send it to OT.
I think that the most blatant case of referee homerism that I have ever seen was in the OSU/Michigan game earlier in that year. OSU was driving late to take the lead when the QB scrambled close to the marker on 3rd down. After measurement he was like 6 inches shy. The cameras follow the refs taking the chains back to the middle of the field to spot the ball. As they are doing this, the referees had "accidentally" slides up the chain a couple of times, changing what should have been 4th and 6 inches to a little less manageable 4th and a full yard. OSU got the first down anyway and went on to win the game, but it always bugged me that nobody has ever said anything about it on television. It still disgusts me whenever I see it on ESPN classic.
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A P 9 months ago
Your inclusion of the UConn/Temple call is flat out wrong.
In fact the only real video of the play shows that he did not have complete possession of the ball when he had the first foot down (it clearly shows in frame by frame analysis).
He gained control after he had already lifted that foot off the ground....and the next foot was out.
The MAC officials on the field called it incomplete....and the Big East officials in the booth could not overturn based on the video evidence they had....which again shows he was still not in control of the ball.
This happens all the time....to include it in your top 10 is at best....over doing it.....at worst it's just plain ignorant of what really happened.
People make a huge to do about the call because Temple had been down on their luck....and UConn ended up with a decent season. That's all.
It's clearly not in the Top 10.
There were worse blown calls and no calls in the last 3 weeks....and clearly much more in the BCS era.
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Dan Asta 9 months ago
Wrong on UConn Temple.
Come on over to the UConn Scout board and you'll see definitive evidence that the Temple WR did NOT have control of the ball. It was completely out of his hands AFTER he put one foot in the end zone.
Q the original poster: did you see a replay in which the WR had control of the ball?
Obviously, you didn't. You only saw a replay in which the WR got a foot in, but the shot was from the back of the WR.
The MAC official got the call right on the field.
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stewart miller 9 months ago
Where is the Mizzou game where they got 5 downs?
There is a difference between bad calls, bad rules and lapses in judgement. The Washington game was an example of a bad rule. Not enforced anywhere else, it is not only in the rule book that a player must immediately hand over the ball, but officials where stressed this year to enforce it. Coaches are supposed to prepare teams, and knowing the rules is part of preperation. I also believe that fault lies in the fact the team seemed to give no effort in protecting the kicker on the extra point - no excuse!
As far as the 2 Uconn games. No question on the blown Larry Taylor call, but later in the game a kick clearly deflected off a cardinal player around the 10, Uconn recovered around the 2, but the refs gave the ball to Louisville. Many said at the time it was a make up call. The question in the Temple game was one of possession. The player appeared to juggle the ball and so the question wasn't so much foot inbounds, but foot inbound with complete control. I just saw a replay of it the other day and from the front angle it is still hard to tell. I am also not sure if the ref that made the call was infront of him or behind him.
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Ryan J. 9 months ago
Shocking to see Ohio State at #1 on a list from an SEC fan. Simply shocking.
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Joe Bruin 9 months ago
@ The U:
Here's U: "waaannhhhhh!! worst call of all time! waaannhhh!!"
Here's reality: Ohio St 24
Miami 17
Here's U: "waaannhhh you OSU fans live in an alter reality waaannhhh"
Here's reality: 2002 National Champion: Ohio State
2002 Other Teams: Miami Fla
You know, my Bruins lost a shot at a national championship because of a blown fumble call at the end of their game against Miami in 1998. Oh, well, shit happens. Maybe they should have stopped Edgarin James and then they wouldn't have had to worry about the refs.
Point is: Get over it.
I can't focus on games from years ago that I can't change,.. I've got to focus on how to convince terrorists to destroy the state of Utah....and just to be safe, the rest of the Mountain West Conference.
You should be busy recruiting law students to defend your football team and getting a restraining order against the inhabitants of Gainesville.
Now, here's your bah-bah...go nitenite and don't worry about the big bad Buckeyes...they're sadder than you.
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Daniel Ezell 9 months ago
To all the corndogs, including the author of the article. Have you already forgotten the waved off motion penalty against LSU on Jacob Hester's TD last year? I guess that was a legitimate decision. You guys get home cooking just like everyone else. To add something else, do any Vandy fans remember the Florida game where Chris Leak slid on his knee from the one yard line for a touchdown?
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Wade Williams 9 months ago
Somehow you seem to have forgotten the FLAGRANT pass interference against Alabama in 2004 which wasn't called.
Here it is again if you need reminding:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEFgxehqIcM
In short, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
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Jim Cooter 9 months ago
Hey slick, shouldn't be surprised with how big of a homer you are, but you wanna talk about pass interference, here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEFgxehqIcM
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Wade Williams 9 months ago
"This meant that the interference happened before the tip; therefore the interference call should stand."
As others have attempted to explain, you cannot have pass interference on tipped ball, period, end of story. It does not matter when the pass interference occurred - if the ball is tipped anytime during the course of a play, pass interference cannot be called.
Defensive holding could have been called and would have still stood after the tip. However, that's not what was called. It's a huge technicality, but it's what the rules say.
"The replay official overturned the interference and gave the ball back to Auburn. It was later discovered that the replay official was not only an Auburn alumnus, but was also a big booster to the program. I guess that’s how he got the job. "
As other have already pointed out, this is completely false and only LSU fans continue to spread this lie. The replay official was a graduate of Georgia Southern.
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J Murph 9 months ago
Nice investigative reporting...
1) Taking into account Chaz Ramsey isn't even practicing with the team and might not even be on it anymore, I don't think he needs to worry about his health on the field.
2) Cite your reference to the fact that he's an Auburn graduate - I bet you can't. Because the ref in the booth was NOT an Auburn graduate, but rather, his daughter was attending the school. Suspicious? Sure... but I know plenty of people that have children attend one institution but it has no influence on who they pull for.
But you know, don't let facts get in the way of a good story and all.
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Steve J 9 months ago
Brian Scott = Tommy Boy = Fat Guy, Little Suit. Is that pic from your visit to Glamour Shots?
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Tank27 Computers 9 months ago
First off im a Huge LSU fan and looking at the play again I have to say AU is right in one instance. Defensive Holding should have been called and not pass interference. Now if the replay booth looked at it, it is hard to tell from the video. But you can have interference on a tipped ball if the tip occurs after the interference. If you couldnt then any interference that results in an interception should not be called either because the defender interfered with the pass catcher then he touched (tipped) the ball. As for the official being an AU grad it was on sportscenter the next day saying he was an AU grad but we all know they ESPN isnt know for investigative reporting. ALl in all I would have to say it was a bang bang play and I cant fault the official for being wrong but I think if interference was called it should have stood. Also if the play was reviewed (and it should not have as ref calls cannot be reviewed) it should have stood again. There is no doubt LSU got some calls last year in the AU game but if memory serves me correctly AU got some too in that game. It just seems that AU gets the with no time left on the clock...lol
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Scotty2Hotty 9 months ago