[NU Sports] Big Ten bowls ... 0-1 (fwd)

[Joe Thiegs]

The refs were from the Sun Belt Conference (Arkansas State, North Texas,
Florida Atlantic, et al.).  Apparently there were serious problems earlier
this year too:

http://www.sunbeltsports.org/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22157&SPID=1808&DB_OEM_I
D=4100&ATCLID=213625

Again, Michigan did have a few good chances to win the game and blew it each
time, but the officiating certainly did hurt.  Let me echo the hope that the
'Cats get a crew from a BCS conference, or, barring that, the Big East.  :)

-Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Mike Nolan
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2005 10:42 AM
To: nwu-sports at romaine.tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Big Ten bowls ... 0-1 (fwd)


> Once again, I think the guys in the broadcast booth eventually got it 
> right
> when they noted that it should have been offsetting penalties.  Unless
they 
> actually counted the number of people from each team on the field and gave

> out individual penalties.  But the outclassed officials were saved from 
> having to make that call when the only two Nebraska players who bothered
to 
> listen for a whistle made the tackle.  But damn, that  was close!

It would have relegated the Stanford Band play to 2nd place, that's for
sure!  

While a half cannot end on a defensive penalty, I think in the event of
offsetting penalties there is no such provision, and also no provision 
to restore any time on the clock.  Thus as the time had expired the game 
would have been over.  I'll ask a former Big 8 official I know about that 
one.  (I think he was in San Antonio, though, so I may not get an answer 
for a few days.)

I have my suspicion that the final play of the Nebraska-Michigan game will
get shown at officiating meetings all over the country next summer!

I also agree with John's comment about the officials being out of their
depth, though I believe the officials were from the Sun West conference, 
not the Southern conference.  Among other things, they didn't seem to be 
aware that coaches in BCS conferences teach their offensive linemen how 
to hold and (mostly) get away with it, Michigan was once again holding 
big-time most of the game and I think they only got tagged with it once, 
when the player basically got tackled in the backfield.  
--
Mike Nolan

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