Alarming Officiating Trends

Submitted by MGoStrength on

I was just watching the Michigan Podcast and came across some alarming statistics.  We all know we have felt like we are getting a raw deal this year with penalties.  Here is some data from the podcast.  UM is dead last in the Big Ten in the number of penalties called against them this year.  That means they get more penalties called against them than any other team in the B1G.  Their opponents are ranked 13 out of 14 teams in penalties against them.  That means that UM is getting the most penalties called against them while their opponents are getting the second fewest number of penalties called against them.  In 2016 UM was second to last in penalties called against them and their opponents had the fewest of any team in the B1G in penalties called against them.  Also, Rashan Gary, who is widely recognized as one of the best pass rushers in the country, has only had one holding call go against his offensive line counterparts. This is really alarming.

 

I know this blog as been vocal in the past and made a difference in getting people to pay attention to problems with Michigan sports ala Dave Brandon and Brady Hoke’s handling of Shane Morris’ concussion.  Is there anything we can do as a community to bring some of this information to light?  Here’s a link to the episode of the Michigan Podcast discussing it.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_Hklwgd_EQ

 
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Rashon Gary

go16blue

November 9th, 2017 at 11:20 PM ^

Protip: every year, someone is last in penalties against (we weren’t last year). Does the B1G just pick a new team each year to have the refs screw? Or maybe (just maybe) do we just commit more penalties this year?

Joined: 04/28/2010

MGoPoints: 6755

MGoStrength

November 10th, 2017 at 12:18 AM ^

IDK ask JBB about that rediculous call of being ineligible last game.  Ask Hill about the same call that brought back a TD against FLA.  Ask Speight if his neck injury should have been targeting.  Ask Hurst, Winovich, and Gary why no one apparently ever holds them.  I could go on and on.  It's pretty unlikely that two years in a row we are committing this many penalities in earnest and our opponents are committing so few.

Joined: 07/29/2010

MGoPoints: 20002

BlueinLansing

November 10th, 2017 at 1:20 AM ^

the youngest in fact and young teams commit a lot of penalties.

 

I'm more frustrated with how teams play like garbage against any number of opponents but find it in themselves the play the game of their lives against Michigan.

Joined: 09/01/2009

MGoPoints: 23520

Other Andrew

November 10th, 2017 at 3:00 AM ^

Offense or defense? Our Defense is kicking opposing offenses off the field very quickly. I would imagine that more penalties come against offense (formations, holding, false starts, etc.). Defense would have more late hits and PIs, but that's about it.

Therefore, wouldn't it stand to reason that teams with few offensive plays would have fewer penalties?

Also, Michigan's offense is very "young" (i.e. inexperienced). So it stands to reason they would have more than average.

Just saying that this data would be greatly helpful in understanding the reasons behind the trends.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 7699

AA Forever

November 10th, 2017 at 7:40 AM ^

with the whiny sour grapes bullshit about the refs?  Here's a news flash for you-someone is last in the conference in penalties EVERY year.  Do you actually, seriously think the refs have a meeting every year to decide which team they're going to delibertely screw the most?  If so, then you need some help.  Every freaking team in the country gets bad calls against them.  EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.

Everyone here goes around saying "This is the youngest team in the country...blah blah blah"  But apparently the reason for the youngest team in the country getting a lot of penalties can ONLY be a sinister anti-Michigan conspiracy.  Apparently the only reason Great Leader can ever lose a game is if someone else cheats.

Joined: 08/14/2016

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MGoCombs

November 10th, 2017 at 10:20 AM ^

I generally agree with your sentiment but that’s not entirely fair to what a lot of people are arguing. Not everyone is saying the refs have a secret meeting with Jim Delaney and Voldemort to screw over Michigan royally. It doesn’t have to be predetermined. Most seem to be arguing that officials (as individuals) seem to have an issue with Michigan or more likely Jim Harbaugh, and whether consciously or not, they take it out by not calling penalties on opponents or on gray-area calls, defaulting in the opponent’s favor. I’m not sure I buy that either, but bias doesn’t require some mass conspiracy.

Joined: 08/13/2009

MGoPoints: 3849

SWBlue

November 10th, 2017 at 10:49 AM ^

AA - I agree completely that the conspiracy notion is horse-**** but MGo has a point.  There could just be a bias out there with the officials themselves.  Whether it's Harbaugh or something else, these officials are human and most likely, fans of the game themselves with "Teams" that they like and dislike.  

Joined: 08/26/2014

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SWBlue

November 10th, 2017 at 10:49 AM ^

AA - I agree completely that the conspiracy notion is horse-**** but MGo has a point.  There could just be a bias out there with the officials themselves.  Whether it's Harbaugh or something else, these officials are human and most likely, fans of the game themselves with "Teams" that they like and dislike.  

Joined: 08/26/2014

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AA Forever

November 10th, 2017 at 1:50 PM ^

It's easy to put together clips of successive plays. Show 10-12 consecutive opponents' passing plays from multiple games and point out exactly where Gary is being held on EVERY play. If it's every play and obvious, that should be easy. I've challenged people making this claim to do just that on several occasions, and they can't. It would be nice if they could also show that none of Michigan's holds are going uncalled.

Joined: 08/14/2016

MGoPoints: 765

NRK

November 10th, 2017 at 1:11 PM ^

Well said. I don't believe int his conspiracy (or frankly many others). The more people involved the more likely it is to come out.

 

But that does not mean that personal biases aren't coming into play.

 

And it also doesn't mean that games aren't poorly officiated *in general* - which I actually think is the case this year. But the weird penalties the refs seemed focused on (formations, lineman downfield) are tick-tacky compared to holding that is really not being called at all (and there have been more than a few instances where this applies to UM OL holding as well). I just want some damn consistency.

Joined: 02/20/2009

MGoPoints: 6411

Fieldy'sNuts

November 10th, 2017 at 8:49 AM ^

I hate to jump on the blame the refs bandwagon but it does feel like there's an officiating bias against us now that i didnt sense when Hoke was here. i guess the refs feel its ok to take it out on the kids and put jake ruddock's health in danger because the dislike jim harbaugh. nothing we can do about that i suppose

Joined: 09/01/2016

MGoPoints: 3582

Fieldy'sNuts

November 10th, 2017 at 8:56 AM ^

It seems like it should be easy enough to implement a system on statistical analysis that looks for both bias and favortism towards/against certain teams and just not have those refs officiate that team's games.

Joined: 09/01/2016

MGoPoints: 3582

Victor B

November 10th, 2017 at 9:28 AM ^

Well, the defense got called for like 5 different penalties on the same play against Indiana. Do the numbers reflect all of those or just the accepted one? The defense is not very disciplined. These stats are not shocking.

Joined: 01/02/2012

MGoPoints: 59

MGoCombs

November 10th, 2017 at 10:16 AM ^

There have been a few bad blunders here and there but I chalk that mostly up to general incompetence and bad breaks Michigan’s way. The only systematic thing I see is the lack of holding calls, especially in games where holding is called the other way.

I’m not sure it is bias necessarily, but the fact that it’s a 2+ year trend (to this observable level on the line, I mean) makes me wonder what they need to do to get it called occasionally. I’d honestly love an official’s perspective because I’m open to the idea of me possibly missing something or being wrong.

Aside from the obvious “NCAA needs professional refs,” I wish it was more culturally acceptable in the NCAA (and NFL) for these guys to talk and be more public. Refs or some representative should do press conferences or interviews. If anything, it would humanize them to some extent. The Detroit Lions Podcast did an interview with ex-NFL Head of Officiating Dean Blandino (who I previously hated passionately) and it was pretty awesome to see him open up and go over what he saw and what he thought the refs saw on a handful of controversial plays. It was a reminder that these guys are human with limitations, not always out to get your team (even at the professional level). I’m not sure if there’s a “head of officiating” in the NCAA or Big Ten, but I think it would be awesome if they did some kind of weekly interview show or press conference where they explain what the hell happened. Without that, fans are just going to stew, dehumanize them and you get situations like NC State.

Joined: 08/13/2009

MGoPoints: 3849

Jimmyisgod

November 10th, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^

Good DEs get held, a lot!  You don't think Jedeveon Clowney was held several times a game his sophomore season?  Dude still had 23.5 TFLs that season despite the holds, double teams, and triple teams.

Gary is not putting up elite numbers right now because he is not an elite DE right now, period.  His talent is evident, I think he's due for a monster season next year, but he's just not there right now.  The truly elite pass rushers make any O lineman look like a turnstyle 3 out of 4 plays when they're tasked with 1 on 1 blocking them.  Gary does that about 1 out of 6 plays right now.

Joined: 01/24/2012

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AA Forever

November 10th, 2017 at 1:55 PM ^

than any of these wacky conspiracy theories. But certain people don't want to accept that Gary is good, but not great. So they start with the assumption that he's great, and rationalize that the only possible reason for him not getting a sack on every play must be that he's being held all the time. Just as they rationalize that the only possible reason that Harbaugh isn't winning every game is because the refs are screwing him.

Joined: 08/14/2016

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Inflammable Flame

November 10th, 2017 at 11:29 AM ^

Let's not forget the best teams are usually the ones who to the line. Some of the most penalized teams in the NFL are the Eagles, Patriots, Seahawks, Chiefs and Broncos....I think for the most part we see how they fare in games. Might be unpopular but it is what it is

Joined: 11/14/2015

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Inflammable Flame

November 10th, 2017 at 11:29 AM ^

Let's not forget the best teams are usually the ones who toe the line. Some of the most penalized teams in the NFL are the Eagles, Patriots, Seahawks, Chiefs and Broncos....I think for the most part we see how they fare in games. Might be unpopular but it is what it is

Joined: 11/14/2015

MGoPoints: 1854