View Full Version : Spinoff: Worst College Football Officiating Calls Of All Time
1. The Pass interference call 2 hours late on Miami during the Miami/Ohio St National Title game (2002)
2. The Cleveland Gary fumble that really wasn't during the 1988 "Catholics vs Convicts" Miami/Notre Dame game
3. The 5th down game- Colorado/Missouri. Buffs get a 5th down and score the winning TD, which facilitated them winning a share of the national title. 1990
4. Oklahoma/Oregon on side kick miscall. 2006
5. FSU/Nebraska phantom clip call in 1st quarter punt return for TD by Nebraska. If the TD counts, Nebraska wins 3 straight national titles. 1993
6. Notre Dame/Colorado phantom clip call in 4th quarter. Rocket Ishmail takes one back for a TD but a clip is called. Replay shows the person called for the clip never even touched the Colorado player (2 in one year for Colorado) 1990
7. 5th Down Cornell/Dartmouth. Cornell scored a TD on a 5th down in 1940, and unlike Colorado, felt shame and decided to forfeit the win.
8. michigan/USC Charles White's phantom TD 1979 rose bowl.
9. Michigan/Michigan St 1990 Desmond Howard being tackled (literally!) and no pass interference call (he was in the endzone too) Big Blue lost. I can still hear my college roommate yelling about that one.
10. USC/Notre Dame 2005 "The Push" Leinart gets a little push from Reggie Bush for the winning TD with 3 seconds left in the game. Should've been a penalty.
laststraw41
09-05-2007, 10:53 PM
#10 pissed me off so much at the time. As much as I hate both ND and USC I really really hate USC and hated to see them win from that shit.
newscane
09-05-2007, 10:55 PM
Yeah, #1 pretty much says it all...
DMBnick15
09-05-2007, 10:56 PM
do you have/can you find any videos of these? some of us weren't alive during those. haha
Nick@Night
09-05-2007, 10:56 PM
I think TTT should be an all-sports edition, what do you say, Jake?
jdmpsu339
09-05-2007, 10:59 PM
I'm surprised the entire 2002 PSU-IOWA game hasn't been mentioned.
I'm talking about the game where JoePa ran the entire length of the field after the game to grab the ref and give him hell.
Anything that causes a spicy septagenarian to run 100 yards in 15 seconds has to be pretty awful.
waywayNCSU
09-05-2007, 11:09 PM
Texas USC when V Young's knee touched down...right before he pitched the ball for a TD.
bubba40
09-05-2007, 11:27 PM
Texas USC when V Young's knee touched down...right before he pitched the ball for a TD.
Definitely :thumbsup .
First one I thought of was Colorado's fifth down.
bubba40
09-05-2007, 11:34 PM
Were the officials still employed by the NCAA after that Colorado/Mizzou game?
seekupig
09-05-2007, 11:39 PM
3. The 5th down game- Colorado/Missouri. Buffs get a 5th down and score the winning TD, which facilitated them winning a share of the national title. 1990
:thumbsup
JamesM
09-05-2007, 11:40 PM
videos of any of these
DeadDmb
09-05-2007, 11:40 PM
10. USC/Notre Dame 2005 "The Push" Leinart gets a little push from Reggie Bush for the winning TD with 3 seconds left in the game. Should've been a penalty.
it's also debatable that leinart fumbled the ball through the endzone on the play before, which would have given notre dame the ball
spoot388
09-05-2007, 11:41 PM
#10- The Push......I hate ND and USC, but I would have LOVED to see USC miss out on a national title game.
That Penn State-Iowa game already mentioned.
Penn State-Michigan - "Just 2 more seconds" game. What bullshit that was.
seekupig
09-05-2007, 11:52 PM
videos of any of these
#3, Colorado vs. Mizzou 5th down game...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZQJT8q0MMwQ
EDIT -this is the actual video from TV, so the announcers don't catch the 5th down, you'll have to catch it yourself...
matthews41
09-05-2007, 11:53 PM
#10- The Push......I hate ND and USC, but I would have LOVED to see USC miss out on a national title game.
That Penn State-Iowa game already mentioned.
Penn State-Michigan - "Just 2 more seconds" game. What bullshit that was.
First thing that came to my mind when I saw the thread title. It's ok though, they lost to Appalachian St. :)
cruscott35
09-05-2007, 11:57 PM
There is nothing worse than the fifth down...How everyone misses this is beyond me.
Trippin4136
09-06-2007, 12:00 AM
Boy, Jake, you really have it out for the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.
Were the officials still employed by the NCAA after that Colorado/Mizzou game?
the entire crew got suspended the following week.
funny thing about that game, Colorado was ranked somewhere around 12th or so, and fell after the game. But they won out after that and everyone lost (that was the year that Virginia was #1 for a long time until they lost to Ga Tech - who then tied the next week). 1990 was just a shitty year for college football.
Hudak-Budak
09-06-2007, 12:07 AM
Cornell/Dartmouth 5th down: http://youtube.com/watch?v=QKvefN4PmT4
Hudak-Budak
09-06-2007, 12:24 AM
OSU/Miami Fiesta Bowl: not a bad call. http://youtube.com/watch?v=NMvjADmxhVw
DMB0715
09-06-2007, 12:45 AM
#10 pissed me off. I remember Reggie Bush saying something to the effect of "I just had my 190 pound body push and push until he was over the goal line." Should have been an easy penalty to call.
Trippin4136
09-06-2007, 01:05 AM
Sharpe clearly had a handfull of Gamble's jersey up by his left shoulder as he crossed the goal line. Yes, at the very least there was holding.
And Miami still couldn't punch it from the Buckeyes' two yard-line with four cracks at it.
Ken Dorsey was sacked ONCE in his college career before that game, and was sacked 6 times during it.
CrushLive
09-06-2007, 01:19 AM
2000 Tennessee-Florida game in Knoxville....Jabar Gaffney's "catch" in the endzone with 10 seconds left to "win" aka steal the game. Horrible call...I'm not sure what the refs were looking at. It's a shame it's not on you tube.
HolyCow
09-06-2007, 02:11 AM
Worst officiating call ever was 2006 OU - Oregon. And I'm not talking about the replay. I'm talking about the referee that ran to the pile after the onside, looked in it, stood and signaled the ball going to Oregon, while Allen Patrick was standing there with the ball.
That's the worst call ever. There should be no debate. At all.
Watch the video. Watch #23 for OU (Allen Patrick) recover the ball and show the referee. But the other ref, runs to a pile, looks in it for a second and signals Oregon! WITHOUT EVER SEEING A BALL!!!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dDtfppxP4Q8
crashintonickdm
09-06-2007, 04:05 AM
when oklahoma lost that game against the ducks, i wanted to kill someone.
you talk about bonehead calls. figures though, the ref was a PAC10 official!!
go sooners!
iMAC386
09-06-2007, 07:24 AM
Here's a better video of the OU-Oregon 2006 call. The last one gets cut off early.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dSIykYoM260&mode=related&search=
I think what separates this game with a game like Miami/OSU and actually makes it a worse blown call is that the evidence for our argument isn't subjective, it's completely objective. It's not a matter of opinion on whether some guy jammed someone or actually pulled his jersey or not, it's a matter of Oregon actually touching the ball before 10 yds (yes they did) and Oregon actually recovering the ball in the first place (absolutely not!). This argument is indisputable.
Wherever the refs pulled their indisputable evidence from we'll never know.
OSU/Miami Fiesta Bowl: not a bad call. http://youtube.com/watch?v=NMvjADmxhVw
I don't know what you see with your eyes, or buckeyes, but clearly that's not pass interference.
cruscott35
09-06-2007, 10:42 AM
the entire crew got suspended the following week.
funny thing about that game, Colorado was ranked somewhere around 12th or so, and fell after the game. But they won out after that and everyone lost (that was the year that Virginia was #1 for a long time until they lost to Ga Tech - who then tied the next week). 1990 was just a shitty year for college football.
I dont' know why the MIZZU players let that play go off...I coached high school for two years and we had a game where the other team had 12 guys on the field two plays in a row, I was flying down from the press box.
Why didn't any of them pick up on it?
CUTiger41
09-06-2007, 10:47 AM
Nevermind.
jaydog82283
09-06-2007, 10:59 AM
the osu/miami was a bad call, but it in no way is the worst of all time. Pass interference is a subjective call, and should not be ranked ahead of a 5th down error.
I dont' know why the MIZZU players let that play go off...I coached high school for two years and we had a game where the other team had 12 guys on the field two plays in a row, I was flying down from the press box.
Why didn't any of them pick up on it?
not to defend them, but there was a spike to stop the clock on the 1st play, and then a quick TO on a running play to the 1, where there was a measurement and a lot of commotion. Even the announcers missed it. I don't think anyone realized it until after the score.
the osu/miami was a bad call, but it in no way is the worst of all time. Pass interference is a subjective call, and should not be ranked ahead of a 5th down error.
um.. Miami players were running on the field, b/c it ended the game. It was 4th and goal for OSU. That would've given the Hurricanes the national title right then and there, not 8 weeks later like Colorado.
Tweeder82TD
09-06-2007, 11:49 AM
2004 Outback Bowl. Iowa Vs Florida. Many terrible calls, but the phantom offsides during the onside at the end of the game was unbelievable.
Can't find video but here's an article from USA Today discussing the offcials admission of wrongdoing.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2006-01-04-outback-officials-mistake_x.htm
2004 Outback Bowl. Iowa Vs Florida. Many terrible calls, but the phantom offsides during the onside at the end of the game was unbelievable.
Can't find video but here's an article from USA Today discussing the offcials admission of wrongdoing.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2006-01-04-outback-officials-mistake_x.htm
I recall that, but the others were more egregious, but yes, that was a terrible phantom call
Tweeder82TD
09-06-2007, 12:27 PM
I recall that, but the others were more egregious, but yes, that was a terrible phantom call
I wish I could find a video of it...Greenway was onsides by a yard and 1/2. The thing about it that drives me up the wall is that call almost never gets called. To me, that ref had to be thinking about making that call before the play even started, in order to "see" something that didn't happen.
HolyCow
09-06-2007, 12:50 PM
Is no one just outraged after watching those two OU - Oregon videos? What the heck was that crew thinking!?!?
Dougie981641
09-06-2007, 12:52 PM
#10. Bush clearly pushes him in.
watchtower86
09-06-2007, 03:49 PM
As a Penn State fan, I feel obliged to recognize the Iowa game when JoePa chased the ref, the Ohio State game of that same season where we got completely jobbed to set up Ohio State for that win, and of course, the Michigan game of 2005. Not only were those 2 seconds added in complete bullshit fashion, but there were 2 terrible calls on other plays during that drive which clearly went against Penn State. Not Top 10, but honorable mention.
jmkratt
09-06-2007, 04:05 PM
I don't know what you see with your eyes, or buckeyes, but clearly that's not pass interference.
I would have to agree with you here, Jake.
cruscott35
09-06-2007, 04:12 PM
#10. Bush clearly pushes him in.
I agree, but I'm willing to bet that 90% of the country didn't know that it's illegal to advance a ball carrier.
jmkratt
09-06-2007, 04:15 PM
I agree, but I'm willing to bet that 90% of the country didn't know that it's illegal to advance a ball carrier.
How is that relevant? The refs did.
But I would probably agree that most people didn't know that. Having played football my buddies and I watching the game saw it immediately, but maybe everyone else didn't know.
cruscott35
09-06-2007, 04:38 PM
Because the refs are human too...When was the last time that was called? I bet they didn't remember until someone mentioned it, and by then it was too late...You can't go back and call a penalty, even with instant replay (which I don't remember if that game had it) on a non call.
HolyCow
09-06-2007, 05:18 PM
Because the refs are human too...When was the last time that was called? I bet they didn't remember until someone mentioned it, and by then it was too late...You can't go back and call a penalty, even with instant replay (which I don't remember if that game had it) on a non call.
Seriously? They knew. They just didn't call it.
jmkratt
09-06-2007, 07:31 PM
Seriously? They knew. They just didn't call it.
Agreed. :thumbsup
emu513
09-06-2007, 07:43 PM
How can #1 be a play which is still debated today and there has not been a consensus as to whether or not it was pass interference? Logical reasoning would lead that the worst call ever would be, I don't know, giving an extra down, or something that is, without a doubt, an officiating blunder.
But what do I know, I'm a Buckeye fan.
jmkratt
09-06-2007, 08:04 PM
How can #1 be a play which is still debated today and there has not been a consensus as to whether or not it was pass interference? Logical reasoning would lead that the worst call ever would be, I don't know, giving an extra down, or something that is, without a doubt, an officiating blunder.
But what do I know, I'm a Buckeye fan.
I love your last line, think I might have to stick it in my sig :lol
VanHorneDog
09-06-2007, 10:19 PM
1. The Pass interference call 2 hours late on Miami during the Miami/Ohio St National Title game (2002)
2. The Cleveland Gary fumble that really wasn't during the 1988 "Catholics vs Convicts" Miami/Notre Dame game
3. The 5th down game- Colorado/Missouri. Buffs get a 5th down and score the winning TD, which facilitated them winning a share of the national title. 1990
4. Oklahoma/Oregon on side kick miscall. 2006
5. FSU/Nebraska phantom clip call in 1st quarter punt return for TD by Nebraska. If the TD counts, Nebraska wins 3 straight national titles. 1993
6. Notre Dame/Colorado phantom clip call in 4th quarter. Rocket Ishmail takes one back for a TD but a clip is called. Replay shows the person called for the clip never even touched the Colorado player (2 in one year for Colorado) 1990
7. 5th Down Cornell/Dartmouth. Cornell scored a TD on a 5th down in 1940, and unlike Colorado, felt shame and decided to forfeit the win.
8. michigan/USC Charles White's phantom TD 1979 rose bowl.
9. Michigan/Michigan St 1990 Desmond Howard being tackled (literally!) and no pass interference call (he was in the endzone too) Big Blue lost. I can still hear my college roommate yelling about that one.
10. USC/Notre Dame 2005 "The Push" Leinart gets a little push from Reggie Bush for the winning TD with 3 seconds left in the game. Should've been a penalty.
now that is the classiest thing i have ever heard in football history.
VanHorneDog
09-06-2007, 10:21 PM
oh and the Mizzou call is the worst off all time... thats just fucked up.
Hudak-Budak
09-06-2007, 10:58 PM
I don't know what you see with your eyes, or buckeyes, but clearly that's not pass interference.
No, but the holding and the facemask, which weren't called, give OSU the same position as the pass interference. It doesn't matter what was called of the three fouls, the outcome is the same.
seekupig
09-07-2007, 01:45 AM
I agree, but I'm willing to bet that 90% of the country didn't know that it's illegal to advance a ball carrier.
true, but 90% if the country doesn't get paid a lot of money to recognize that sort of thing. it's inexcusable...
dreamingtreeIU
09-30-2007, 12:24 AM
the catch interference call against auburn tonight..........the guy CAUGHT the ball
i dont get it
JamesM
09-30-2007, 12:51 AM
the catch interference call against auburn tonight..........the guy CAUGHT the ball
i dont get it
:thumbsup :thumbsup that ref is an idiot
TempHelpNeeded
09-30-2007, 01:07 AM
Yeah, #1 pretty much says it all...
:D
couldn't help myself eric.
SoMuchToSay_07
09-30-2007, 04:10 AM
now that is the classiest thing i have ever heard in football history.
It's Cornell, what do you expect, they ooze classiness.
skatcat
09-30-2007, 04:42 AM
the catch interference call against auburn tonight..........the guy CAUGHT the ball
i dont get it
someone's license needs to be revoked on that one!
I was just talking with a guy who was at the Ohio st/miami game, he said (as a Miami fan) they were going crazy and thought they won the national title, it took em a few minutes to figure out what happened
UNLTrpt
12-20-2007, 12:08 PM
Nebraska/Penn St. 1982
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOePPSdNtqE
Lee3691
12-20-2007, 12:19 PM
The Ohio State call was controversial only because it was at the end of the game. The call should of been holding, of course Ohio State got screwed earlier in the game, before Miami kicked the game tieing field goal at the end of regulartion, Ohio State had the fall. On 3rd down, the Ohio State receiver was interefered with, but still caught the pass for the 1st down. no call on the PI, and the refs called it out of bounds. They get the first down, game is over. For anyone to think that is the worst call of all time, they should be starting a post about how good football officials are.
Worst call of all time, is Oklahoma. Not even close. Then, the 5th down.
The USC touchdown is a non-issue. This happens in just about every game - in fact Notre Dame beat Stanford that same year on the same type of play. It's a rule that is not enforced, like allowing assistant coaches to call timeouts.
Recently, Ohio State vs Illinois was a horrible call on the fumble before the touchdown.
Lee3691
12-20-2007, 12:19 PM
I was just talking with a guy who was at the Ohio st/miami game, he said (as a Miami fan) they were going crazy and thought they won the national title, it took em a few minutes to figure out what happened
Now that makes me smile.
MPizzle06
12-20-2007, 09:43 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyG_GBHSTsY
Illinois - Michigan 2000. The first "fumble" by Illinois gives Michigan the ball when the receiver was clearly down before the fumble, and the second fumble was not ruled a fumble at all, letting Michigan keep the ball.
The Big Ten ended up publicly apologizing for getting these calls wrong.
One of the main games that led to the implementation of booth review and instant replay in the Big Ten first and eventually the entire NCAA.
Still, not the worst call ever, but a very influential (and costly) one.
superfan
12-20-2007, 09:55 PM
no the worst call is when the Minnesota Gophers were playing I believe it was Purdue at the Metrodome (it was a few years ago) and Purdue was able to get their entire team offense off the field and get their field goal team on in about 5 seconds, I believe it was. If you are a huge Gophers fan, you know what i am talking about. My brother was at that game, and that still bugs him to this day. Poor clock mangement by the refs.
deadendstreet
12-20-2007, 10:19 PM
The Ohio State call was controversial only because it was at the end of the game. The call should of been holding, of course Ohio State got screwed earlier in the game, before Miami kicked the game tieing field goal at the end of regulartion, Ohio State had the fall. On 3rd down, the Ohio State receiver was interefered with, but still caught the pass for the 1st down. no call on the PI, and the refs called it out of bounds. They get the first down, game is over. For anyone to think that is the worst call of all time, they should be starting a post about how good football officials are.
I agree. To say that's the worst call of all time is crazy. Officials have to make judgement calls like that in every game and in a lot of games the team that loses is pissed because they got "screwed", even though calls went both ways. Now,I admit there are games that seem to go against one team, but the Miami vs Ohio State was not one of them.
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