Fiesta Bowl: #3 Clemson 29, #2 Ohio State 23 (Postgame)

[Kris60]

Yes, plenty of times. Bad calls happen on the field all the time. Humans make errors. Shit happens, and all that.

It gets suspicious when the correct call is made on the field, and gets reversed.

I think there is ambiguity and uncertainty about what is a “football move” or “completing the process of a catch.”

I don’t think anyone was intentionally trying to screw Ohio St. I can’t imagine ESPN would go under if the school with the largest and most passionate alumni base in the country were to play for the national title on its airwaves.

[Kris60]

Somewhat related topic:

What does everyone here think of Day's decision NOT to go for two after tOSU's last TD?  To review, the TD gave tOSU a 22-21 lead with 11:46 to go in the game.  Ohio State kicked the PAT to take a two point lead, 23-21. 

As it turned out, it didn't matter.  Since Clemson scored a TD rather than a FG they went up by 4 (27-23).  They then opted to go for two to make it a 6 point game.  Swinney's decision to go for two was both obvious and irrelevant.  By that time there was only 1:49 to go in the game so Ohio State was obviously either going to score a TD or not.  Clemson going for two simply made it such that IF tOSU had scored a TD, the PAT would have been necessary.  Even if tOSU had gone for, and gotten a 2pt conversion, Clemson's TD would have put them up by three, 27-24 and they would have kicked the PAT to take a four point lead.  Either way, tOSU needs a TD. 

What about earlier in the game though?  I think coaches sometimes make a mistake by "chasing" it too early.  I thought that Harbaugh made that mistake against tOSU back in 2018.  Michigan scored in the 2nd quarter to close to being down by 2, 21-19.  Harbaugh chose to go for 2 to try to tie it up.  IMHO, that was a bad decision because with that much football to be played you should just take the point and figure out later whether or not you need a 2pt conversion.  By the time Michigan scored again they were down 41-25 early in the 4th quarter and Harbuagh went for 2 again to try to get it within 14.  Michigan didn't make that one either but note that if they had just kicked the PAT the first time then they would have only needed a PAT the second time to get within 14 at 41-27.  Instead they missed both 2pt conversions and were still down by 16 (41-25). 

I have always thought that the appropriate time to switch from just kicking the PAT to making the decision based on the score is the beginning of the fourth quarter.  However, this should realistically vary based on how high scoring of a game it is.  Ie, in a defensive low-scoring game maybe that switch should occur at halftime or during the third quarter while in a high-scoring shootout it should probably be put off until sometime later in the 4th quarter. 

I was surprised and thought he should have went  for two. With 12 minutes left in the game you are talking about limited possessions to go back on top if Clemson kicks a FG to take the lead.

[Cincydawg]

I don’t think anyone was intentionally trying to screw Ohio St. I can’t imagine ESPN would go under if the school with the largest and most passionate alumni base in the country were to play for the national title on its airwaves.

One notion I've seen is that SEC refs HATE the B1G and were out to get them.

[Kris60]

One notion I've seen is that SEC refs HATE the B1G and were out to get them.

How do you feel about that notion?

[FearlessF]

do youse feel that Big Jim shouldn't have spit in ESPN's eye when he had the chance?

[MrNubbz]

How do you feel about that notion?

HA!Being a Rebel planted behind enemy lines for 3 decades,he may not touch that

[FearlessF]

Somewhat related topic:

What does everyone here think of Day's decision NOT to go for two after tOSU's last TD?  To review, the TD gave tOSU a 22-21 lead with 11:46 to go in the game.  Ohio State kicked the PAT to take a two point lead, 23-21. 

I would have went for 2
unless I really didn't feel good about being able to convert

I don't like chasing points earlier in the game.  Once in the 4th quarter it's time.
unless of course, you feel very good about your chances of converting the 2-point conversion

[MrNubbz]

Not sure what you're saying here?  The receivers attempts, or lack thereof, to evade defenders, don't really have anything to do with forward progress.

He was never at a standstill to begin with and was stripped of the ball after possession - Pot Stirrer

[MrNubbz]

I don't think you are asking me, but I always try to follow Hanlon's Razor which states:
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. 

Stupidity and incompetence are vastly more common than corruption and conspiracy. 

Well usually because the corrupt conspirators are manipulating the stoopid incompetents

[MrNubbz]

It gets suspicious when the correct call is made on the field, and gets reversed.

This - so very rarely are bad calls reversed but that was pure horseshit and on a big stage.Sorry but that guy should be sent packing - game shouldn't be decided by a reviewer who is blind,corrupted or crazy

[TyphonInc]

I think he's talking about intent

which of course has no bearing on the call

Thank you.

[MrNubbz]

Somewhat related topic:

What does everyone here think of Day's decision NOT to go for two after tOSU's last TD?  To review, the TD gave tOSU a 22-21 lead with 11:46 to go in the game.  Ohio State kicked the PAT to take a two point lead, 23-21. 

As it turned out, it didn't matter.  Since Clemson scored a TD rather than a FG they went up by 4 (27-23).  They then opted to go for two to make it a 6 point game.  Swinney's decision to go for two was both obvious and irrelevant.  By that time there was only 1:49 to go in the game so Ohio State was obviously either going to score a TD or not.  Clemson going for two simply made it such that IF tOSU had scored a TD, the PAT would have been necessary.  Even if tOSU had gone for, and gotten a 2pt conversion, Clemson's TD would have put them up by three, 27-24 and they would have kicked the PAT to take a four point lead.  Either way, tOSU needs a TD. 

What about earlier in the game though?  I think coaches sometimes make a mistake by "chasing" it too early.

The Browns did this against Baltimore,IMO that sealed Freddie's fate along with calling flea flickers/reverses in short yardage situations with the NFL's leading rusher in your huddle

[bayareabadger]

Yes, plenty of times. Bad calls happen on the field all the time. Humans make errors. Shit happens, and all that.

It gets suspicious when the correct call is made on the field, and gets reversed.

I'd be very impressed if ESPN had a hand in some high-scale fraud to fix games to hurt their own title game ratings all for the sake of making Jim Delany and the Big Ten, which they still have a rather large investment in, look bad. 

We often want the world to be more interesting than it is. It was a bad rule interpretation exacerbated by being in a close game and the apparent oddity about using or not using slo-mo in instant replay.

(Also, if you were to rig a game, you're not doing it by making a game that's about to be between 24-21 and 22-21 OSU with Clemson getting the ball back into a 21-16 game with OSU about to get the ball with 20 minutes to go. You're ending or extending a drive with dicy holds and PIs. If OSU is up 3 or down 5)

[bayareabadger]

This - so very rarely are bad calls reversed but that was pure horseshit and on a big stage.Sorry but that guy should be sent packing - game shouldn't be decided by a reviewer who is blind,corrupted or crazy

Fortunately, it wasn't really decided by that. It was affected, not decided.

That's the funny thing about close games like this, they could've been decided by so many things they're basically decided by nothing but who makes the plays right at the end.