While Cowboys coach Mike Gundy admitted that he didn’t sleep well Saturday night and that the details of the dramatic ending to the Central Michigan game will continue to haunt him, he knows that if his team played the way it was capable of, the controversy wouldn’t have been an issue.
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Central Michigan had the play and the win of the weekend, a miraculous Hail Mary to beat No. 22 Oklahoma State in Stillwater. The decision came one day after Central Michigan won on a Hail-Mary-plus-lateral touchdown that only happened because of the officials’ timekeeping error. You need to advise other officials when you have a non-conference game.That didn’t happen and because of that you have 8 game officials suspended you also have 2 replay officials suspended and they can’t work a bowl game this season. Otherwise, I would not go into a game without Big 12 refs. On Sunday, the eight-man crew along with the two replay officials were suspended for two weeks. He was flagged for intentional grounding because no receiver was in the area of the throw.
Instead, with the penalty, the Chippewas got one play from midfield. “I give credit to Central Michigan for coming up with a great play and executing it as well as they did”. The experiment allows arguably the most knowledgeable rules people to be watching multiple games in a command center to weigh in on calls.
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said it was “unfathomable” that a replay crew didn’t intervene. And the Big 12 has not distinguished itself, going 5-7 against FBS competition to start 2016.
Gundy and Rudolph both felt confident that the team would be able to put the disappointment of their loss behind them, and that everyone would be able to re-focus on a hard upcoming opponent in Pitt (2-0).
Once an officiating crew leaves the field, the results are permanent.
Late in the fourth quarter against the Hogs, Hill celebrated his touchdown by making a slashing gesture. Officials interpreted Hill making a throat-slashing gesture after he scored with just over 2 minutes left in regulation and handed out a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to the Horned Frogs.
TCU coach Gary Patterson said the motion that quarterback Kenny Hill made in the end zone late in regulation of a double-overtime home loss to Arkansas “had something to do with his religious beliefs”.
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“I guess it depends who’s back in the command center”, Steinbrecher said. “To be honest, I don’t have any problems with it. …” Let’s play this thing out, no looking back.’ I would have run a different play and then looking back, I would have said I know we’re smart enough to check everything.
