Worst Call in CFB History

[connor_in]

re: the MSU FG....on that one, i fail to see all the penalties/missed calls you guys do; rather, i tip my hat to donofrio with a ballsy call--that worked to perfection.

Vincent D'onofrio - actor

https://www.google.com/search?q=vincent+d'onofrio&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=iPPXU_KxJ6e9igKjxoDYCw&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1680&bih=880#imgdii=_


Mark Dantonio - MSU football coach

 

[Booslum31]

Eifert caught that ball inbounds (about the third play in the BCS Championship game). When the call didn't go our way I knew we were in for a long night.

 

[connor_in]

The 10 Worst Officiating Calls In College Football This Year | Bleacher Report

I know its Bleacher Report, but it is on this topic and includes video

 

[GoIrish41]

Vincent D'onofrio - actor

https://www.google.com/search?q=vincent+d'onofrio&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=iPPXU_KxJ6e9igKjxoDYCw&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1680&bih=880#imgdii=_


Mark Dantonio - MSU football coach

Didn't dantonio have a heart attack like an hour after that play went down?

 

[IrishLax]

The 10 Worst Officiating Calls In College Football This Year | Bleacher Report

I know its Bleacher Report, but it is on this topic and includes video

I had forgotten about that Pitt call. My god was that bad. We always seem to get some... interesting... calls in Pitt games.

Crazy for the admitted Michigan fan that wrote that article to note that we got absolutely hosed by the phantom seconds milking off the clock thanks to that Big House clock operator. That entire game was bought off... missed boatloads of PI calls and Michigan got every call imaginable.

 

[MNIrishman]

Eifert caught that ball inbounds (about the third play in the BCS Championship game). When the call didn't go our way I knew we were in for a long night.

This. Bama didn't need the officiating to go their way, but they had it anyway. That made it so frustrating to watch. That, and our team having their worst game since Pitt.

 

[Classic Irish]

The phantom TD in the 1982 ND-southern cal game. It was the first ND game I ever attended. We got totally screwed.

 

[BabyIrish]

Roughing the center call in the 2002 BC game that negated a punt return td to tie the game (I think it would have tied).

 

[connor_in]

Didn't dantonio have a heart attack like an hour after that play went down?

Yep he did...I always remember that too

 

[Booslum31]

Rocket's return negated by the block in the back call against Colorado. Made me puke.

 

[Grahambo]

In regards to the Bush Push, has anyone ever seen a penalty on a play like that called? I get that its technically illegal but I can't remember seeing a play like that flagged.

Wasn't there something else that went wrong like a play before that? The spot was wrong or something or am I thinking of a different game?

That game at the Big House was one of the worst officiated games I have ever seen. I get one or two but it felt like the whole damn game was just brutal. Kinda felt like the fix was in.

 

[EuropeanDomer]

When Floyd broke his collarbone, it was a terrible call, one of the worst i have ever seen! Anyone remember the play?

Edit: This is the play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxauWwSyh88

 

[IrishLax]

In regards to the Bush Push, has anyone ever seen a penalty on a play like that called? I get that its technically illegal but I can't remember seeing a play like that flagged.

Wasn't there something else that went wrong like a play before that? The spot was wrong or something or am I thinking of a different game?

That game at the Big House was one of the worst officiated games I have ever seen. I get one or two but it felt like the whole damn game was just brutal. Kinda felt like the fix was in.

The rule that made the Bush Push illegal was recently changed to make it a totally legal play. The reasoning was that it was too hard to enforce pushing the pile vs. pushing the ball carrier. It's rarely as blatant as what Bush did and was usually a very grey area. So, unlike targeting, they removed the grey area. You can now do anything you want save lift/grab/pull the carrier forward (i.e. anything you would consider a "block" is OK but anything that would be a "hold" is not).

Example of it called:
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/9w-sANh26_I?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

There is no question the ref blew the call in the USC game... but I understand him holding his flag on an obscure rule at a critical moment like that.

 

[irishog77]

May as well bring up the BEST calls in history too:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eslz06J9hFw?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DRwm3B4k_Ek?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Pg4xJ5wGtDw?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/FbO0RQmESHM?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[ACamp1900]

Stanford being ruled down at the goal line when clearly, as displayed by just about every single ESPN pundit on the planet, he was in for the TD... that would have won the game you know.

 

[Grahambo]

The rule that made the Bush Push illegal was recently changed to make it a totally legal play. The reasoning was that it was too hard to enforce pushing the pile vs. pushing the ball carrier. It's rarely as blatant as what Bush did and was usually a very grey area. So, unlike targeting, they removed the grey area. You can now do anything you want save lift/grab/pull the carrier forward (i.e. anything you would consider a "block" is OK but anything that would be a "hold" is not).



Example of it called:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/9w-sANh26_I?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



There is no question the ref blew the call in the USC game... but I understand him holding his flag on an obscure rule at a critical moment like that.

I totally get all that. I was just curious if anyone has ever seen it called. Part of me brings it up out of curiosity but another part brings it up because it's hard for me to get mad at the call if it's never called in any game, ever. Sure, it sucked but if I want to remain objective (as best as I can) then I can't get mad at the call not being made. So basically I can't argue the Bush Push.

Am I incorrect in thinking the ball was spotted wrong on the play before?

 

[Kak7304]

I can't believe no one shared this one. Another awful call in UM's favor.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/x2B5JtkaCeQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[NDohio]

Stanford not being ruled down at the goal line when clearly, as displayed by just about every single ESPN pundit on the planet, he was in for the TD... that would have won the game you know.

Ha! I was thinking the no-call on the Pitt field goal attempt in OT. Two players with the same number on the field.

You win some you lose some ......

 

[NDALA]

When Floyd broke his collarbone, it was a terrible call, one of the worst i have ever seen! Anyone remember the play?

Edit: This is the play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxauWwSyh88

Man I was just gonna post this that always pissed me off. I could have sworn he scored!

 

[Irish#1]

I remember wondering how could he lower his shoulder if he's trying to avoid contact.

 

[Henges24]

ND vs Stanford 2012

 

[IrishLax]

That Floyd play is NOT a catch in the NFL where you have to have possession all the way through going to ground... not sure what rule is precisely for college.

I don't get people who think the Stanford call was egregious. If it had been called a TD on the field, then I think it should've stood. But I watched every replay angle out there and I cannot tell whether his elbow did or did not touch the ground as he went down and then reached out the ball. I'd probably feel different if I was a Stanford fan.

And that's not even getting into the discussion of forward progress being stopped or not stopped.

 

[Grahambo]

That Floyd play is NOT a catch in the NFL where you have to have possession all the way through going to ground... not sure what rule is precisely for college.

I don't get people who think the Stanford call was egregious. If it had been called a TD on the field, then I think it should've stood. But I watched every replay angle out there and I cannot tell whether his elbow did or did not touch the ground as he went down and then reached out the ball. I'd probably feel different if I was a Stanford fan.

And that's not even getting into the discussion of forward progress being stopped or not stopped.

Thats what I thought the explanation was after the game. It wasn't the refs who gave the answers but it was experts on officiating who broke down the play and the refs actions. I believe they said the refs had ruled progressed was stopped before his 2nd lunge. And if I remember correctly, didn't some of the players state they heard the ref's whistle or screaming that the play was over which is why they stopped themselves? And all of that happened before the lunge?

 

[irish1958]

It is not even close: Rockets "clip" although the miscalled on our touchdown in Holtz's first Michigan game (costing us the game and a winning season) pisses me off just as much.
The Rocket clip may have cost us a NC.
There are probably five USC screwings as well.

 

[IrishLax]

Thats what I thought the explanation was after the game. It wasn't the refs who gave the answers but it was experts on officiating who broke down the play and the refs actions. I believe they said the refs had ruled progressed was stopped before his 2nd lunge. And if I remember correctly, didn't some of the players state they heard the ref's whistle or screaming that the play was over which is why they stopped themselves? And all of that happened before the lunge?

Yup, all of that was definitely put out there. At minimum, we had multiple players stop playing before the second lunge... and many claimed they heard the play being called dead.

 

[GowerND11]

I totally get all that. I was just curious if anyone has ever seen it called. Part of me brings it up out of curiosity but another part brings it up because it's hard for me to get mad at the call if it's never called in any game, ever. Sure, it sucked but if I want to remain objective (as best as I can) then I can't get mad at the call not being made. So basically I can't argue the Bush Push.

Am I incorrect in thinking the ball was spotted wrong on the play before?

I had a flag thrown on me for assisting the ball carrier my sophomore year of high school....

We had a slower kid on our team who was a senior and never got in. We were up big and put him in to get him a touchdown on the goal line. 3 carries later and we were still half a yard short. My QB coach told me to hand him the ball then throw him into the endzone, so I did. They called the penalty and it was a loss of down. We eventually got him into the endzone later in the game though.

 

[MNIrishman]

Does anyone have an answer to the question of why are referees hired by conferences instead of the NCAA?

 

[GreenSox04]

Usc 2005. I can still hear my 7th grade self scream that Leinart fumble before the bush push went out at the 3. Not the inch line.

 

[ulukinatme]

When Floyd broke his collarbone, it was a terrible call, one of the worst i have ever seen! Anyone remember the play?

Edit: This is the play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxauWwSyh88

I remember it. Floyd had dinner that night with my grandparents and cousin (They were friends, they came into ND at the same time). Found out then that he was having surgery and would be out for a bit, that sucked. I thought at the time he was hosed on the TD, but based on what people have said here I guess it wasn't.

 

[kmoose]

Does anyone have an answer to the question of why are referees hired by conferences instead of the NCAA?

I am pretty sure it is because the NCAA is not a well staffed organization. It is merely a relatively small governing body, mostly made up of the Presidents of its member institutions. It is not like the league offices in professional sports.