What a day!

[TG1996]

As a college football fan, I don't remember a day where everywhere you turned there was a remarkable game going on! While I zoned out of many of the early games once BG kicked off, Wisky-Minnesota was wild, Bama-Ole Miss was tight all the way and came down to a FG at the end, OSU-MSU was back and forth, even Indiana gave Iowa a run. I listened to a bit of Kent State-Navy on Sirius (sorry Grant! ) on my way to work and THAT was a doozie late. The Michigan and USC wins were ridiculous endings. LSU kept giving Florida chances, but came away with a tight win. Even the NLCS game came down to the wire.

Awesome day, and we've still got the late games to make it through!

[kdog27]

It sure was. Pretty much every team I was rooting for lost but it was a sweet day to watch college football in front of the TV. As much as it angers some it looks like ND football is back. That was a hell of a game that they probably deserved to win. I bet somebody knocks them off now. ND exposed their weaknesses on both sides.

The PSU/UM game was equally crazy. A defensive struggle than a fourth quarter shootout.

[Warthog]

Two officials calls that decided two games.

USC-ND: When Leinhart got hit at the goal line and fumbled, the ball went out of bounds. Looks like the officials got all confused with the time and whether he was in or not and forgot about spotting the ball. They ended up giving USC the ball at the point of Leinhart's forward progress, but the ball appeared to go out of bounds back at the two or three. If the ball is spotted there, it is way to far for a QB sneak and who knows what would have happened then.

PSU-UM: Michigan throws a short pass and WR doesn't get out of bounds forcing UM to use a timeout. But Carr is throwing a fit saying he called the TO earlier and they need to put more time on the clock. I think the officials gave in to him (whether Carr was right or not I'm not sure), and put two more seconds on the clock. The winning play started with one second on the clock. If the officials stick to their orignal call, the game would have been over and PSU remains undefeated.

[TG1996]

You're right on both accounts. They *did* move the ball back from their original placement in the USC-ND game, but I think they were still about a yard shy of where it actually went out. I wonder if Pete Carroll has the sack to run a play from the two to win vs. kicking the FG for the tie in that situation?

As for the UM game, two things. I think they *technically* got it right with adding two seconds, but as far as allowing for human reaction time, they were off by a second or two. However, if there's :04 left instead of :06 for the incompletion before the winning TD, I bet Michigan throws for the endzone on that play instead of the stupid down and out play they ran with six seconds left.

It's like the move I *hate* in basketball, where a team makes a basket, the other team calls timeout, say leaving .9 seconds left... they go back and replay it to see when the timeout was called, and reset the clock to just about the point where the ball started going through the rim, and suddenly a team has 2.7 or so seconds left, instead of allowing reaction time and such to happen.

[Warthog]

You're right on both accounts. They *did* move the ball back from their original placement in the USC-ND game, but I think they were still about a yard shy of where it actually went out. I wonder if Pete Carroll has the sack to run a play from the two to win vs. kicking the FG for the tie in that situation?

Did they change the rules to give USC four points for FGs?

As for the UM game, two things. I think they *technically* got it right with adding two seconds, but as far as allowing for human reaction time, they were off by a second or two. However, if there's :04 left instead of :06 for the incompletion before the winning TD, I bet Michigan throws for the endzone on that play instead of the stupid down and out play they ran with six seconds left.

It's like the move I *hate* in basketball, where a team makes a basket, the other team calls timeout, say leaving .9 seconds left... they go back and replay it to see when the timeout was called, and reset the clock to just about the point where the ball started going through the rim, and suddenly a team has 2.7 or so seconds left, instead of allowing reaction time and such to happen.

I agree with your assessment of how the last few plays would have went. My point stand, however, that UM weaseled an extra play out of the deal.

And I agree with your 'reaction time' thing too. IF you are going review the play at teh end of the game, why don't you review every time a TO is called. I mean, those few tenths of a second can add up to like three or four by the end of the game. Why don't they just do like soccer and make up the time and just call the game over whenever they want?

[TG1996]

Did they change the rules to give USC four points for FGs?

Yes.
Actually, I was backwards on the spread for that one, for some reason thinking USC was down 3 when they went for it.

EDIT: Actually, I was right. (I love that phrase!) ND led 31-28, USC ended up missing the PAT, which gave them a three point win. As for the other, I watched the replay, and the ball was OB with :09 left, and if they missed the spot on where it went out, it wasn't by much. It hits a photographer in the leg well OB, but still inside the two. Judging by the angle at which it came out (and the height of the sun over the horizon, the wingspan of an American bald eagle and the width of ND's ripoff of Jerome Library), they might have been a foot off, tops, with their final spot.

Why don't they just do like soccer and make up the time and just call the game over whenever they want?

They do, but only for USC.

[jacojdm]

i only saw this beacuse i was at the barber shop and it's what they had on tv (my barber is a big osu fan, in spite of the fact that he's an ou alum...). but, seriously, what in the hell was michigan state's staff thinking? that's the worst coaching call i've seen, maybe ever. why do you run your kicking team out on the field when it's only third down and you can spike the ball? it was too confusing, and they couldn't even get 11 guys out there to do what's needed. HUGE mistake and HUGE momentum swing. i love seeing osu lose, especially at home. what a bummer for those msu kids. they had all the wind taken out of their sails after that play.

[BGSUVA]

Let's not forget undefeated #4 ranked Florida State losing to UVA...I'll post some pics later...

[BGFalcons232..]

correct me if i'm wrong, but can't the defense score on an extra point attempt in college football? shouldn't michigan have been forced to at least run a play to take a knee since penn state could have techinically tied the game with a safety?

unless they changed the rules, it seems like the refs blew a small and probably inconsequential call there at the end of that game.

and about the USC/ND game...

was reggie bush really allowed to drag matt leinart into the end zone like that? i always thought that was illegal. a push in the back is one thing, but bush literally dragged him through the defensive line. i didn't see that question come up anywhere but the USA Today and casino niagara's sports book...

[TG1996]

correct me if i'm wrong, but can't the defense score on an extra point attempt in college football? shouldn't michigan have been forced to at least run a play to take a knee since penn state could have techinically tied the game with a safety?

was reggie bush really allowed to drag matt leinart into the end zone like that? i always thought that was illegal. a push in the back is one thing, but bush literally dragged him through the defensive line.

I don't think college makes them kick the point after if the TD wins the game. Seems like other times this has happened (game winner with no time left), game's over, no PAT try.

As for USC-ND... Bush "dragged him through"? Literally? From behind? It was a push and the argument will rage for decades about if that should be called or not, but it wasn't.

[BGSUVA]

plus it happen in every goalline situation...it is just getting more attention since it's Notre lame...And no, they don't make them kick the point after...all they would do is fall on it and not kick the ball to risk a turnover, so it is pointless.