December 31st, 2022 at 8:30 PM ^
You're trying to dunk on other people, but you're the one shoving your head in the sand instead of having an actual conversation
December 31st, 2022 at 10:00 PM ^
In two of Michigan’s last three losses, they have lost by less than a TD in games where they had a TD overturned wrongly on review. Those are partly on refs, though in both games the team made critical mistakes that let the ref screwups affect the result.
The Georgia game could have been reffed by ten guys from South Quad and we still would have lost.
January 1st, 2023 at 10:38 AM ^
Ironically, there is a quote from Fielding Yost in the early 1900s after Michigan won because of a controversial call. They asked Yost’s thoughts about the call after the game and he essentially said, years from now they’ll look back in the record books and it will say Michigan won.
Unfortunately, this still rings true.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:23 PM ^
Shameful ref game. They made some bad calls both ways.
But how do you not call targeting? That was the very definition of a textbook targeting offense. I know the timing was less than ideal. But that was just egregious.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:34 PM ^
If it’s a call in the first minute its a call in the last minute. Officiate the game the same every play.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:59 PM ^
Especially when it's a rule that was specifically created to protect player health and address the rash of traumatic and chronic brain injuries. I mean, if you let offside go, it's no big deal. But targeting could literally kill someone.
January 2nd, 2023 at 7:53 AM ^
Agree, they do that with the Targeting and the interference calls. The game situation should not affect these decisions.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:37 PM ^
My son looked up the rules on targeting when they failed to call it and said the same thing. It was the actual definition of targeting.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:40 PM ^
Of course they knew it was textbook targeting. They didn't call it for the same reason Lahoz showed 19 yellows in a World Cup match but didn't send anyone off (including ignoring two stone-cold textbook automatic yellows that would have been seconds). They "didn't want to decide the game."
Not the officiating philosophy I'd prefer, but it's a choice and it may well be the preference of their evaluators.
December 31st, 2022 at 9:02 PM ^
Good point. That looked especially bad because he had officiated dozens of Barcelona games, and had a known affinity for Messi (and because he didn't card Messi in a situation where it was obviously called for).
December 31st, 2022 at 9:25 PM ^
Messi wasn't what I was thinking of--that certainly could have been yellow for "disrespecting the game" but it wasn't obligatory (deliberate handball is a foul, not a caution, but a cynical handball is a step beyond deliberate).
It was Paredes blasting the ball into the opponents' bench after being whistled for a reckless (or worse) tackle that was the worst of the lot. That's straight red anywhere else and it wasn't even a yellow. And then van Dijk in the ensuing scrum. That's probably red anywhere else too.
Whatever you do, don't interfere with the spectacle. That's the philosophy.
January 1st, 2023 at 2:44 PM ^
He had already carded another player for a cynical and intentional handball earlier in the game. The laws don't require a card for Messi in that situation, but one should have been issued for the sake of consistency, at least.
And yes, for sure Paredes deserved at least a yellow for kicking the ball into the Dutch bench, and that kick came about a second after a cynical foul that also deserved a yellow. So two consecutive yellows at the same time or a straight red would have been appropriate.
I'd probably issue a red to van Dijk, too, but mostly for the sake of avoiding skewing the balance of the game. I'd be okay with a yellow for what he did in other contexts.
January 1st, 2023 at 3:49 PM ^
And it's Lahoz of all people, who once sent a player off for saying "you are very bad." When he behaves that far out of character it means he knows what his bosses want. I saw one referee online describe it as being the "arbiter of the spectacle" instead of the "arbiter of the Laws." That seems exactly on point.
And that's how last night felt to me. Yep, that's targeting. But screw the rulebook, we're not calling it.
(The other handball stopped an attack, didn't it? That's still a textbook yellow, cynical or not. Messi's isn't unless the ref deems it unsporting/disrespectful. I'd have been ok if he'd given it, to be clear, but it's not like Paredes walking free.)
December 31st, 2022 at 9:20 PM ^
I hate that refs swallow their whistles so as not to decide the game. Not making calls also impacts the game and hence can decide a game.
December 31st, 2022 at 9:28 PM ^
I completely agree.
This wasn't incompetence. It's more insidious.
December 31st, 2022 at 10:46 PM ^
By not making the call that should be made you are also affecting the outcome of the game. That’s the worst fucking excuse of all time about officiating.
January 1st, 2023 at 1:58 AM ^
Which is funny coming from the same replay official who literally took a td off the board earlier.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:23 PM ^
I watched without sound, and I was absolutely dumbfounded when they reversed the touchdown. His butt hit the turf, but that was before he had control of the ball (in the endzone). Absolutely no way that's not a touchdown.
I wanna hear what the talking heads said to justify that overturn.
And don't even get me started on that textbook targeting.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:35 PM ^
All the talking heads said touchdown. Including the retired official on the game crew.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:44 PM ^
The entire internet outside of Fort Worth said touchdown
December 31st, 2022 at 8:56 PM ^
The talking heads thought it was a touchdown too. That should have been a “call stands” result. There was nothing definitive on replay.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:23 PM ^
They didn’t directly cause the loss (but did suck major dick), but I still hope their shitty performance leads to them coming home tonight to their wives in bed with other men, causing them despair and emotional distress for the rest of their shitty lives. Fuck em.
December 31st, 2022 at 9:02 PM ^
They did though, directly cause the loss. Seven points, minimum, in a six point game. Then the targeting. Played like shit, but that doesn't mean we didn't also get fucked.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:26 PM ^
They were awful all game and you could tell from the jump they were going to be. TCU got hosed on that roughing-the-passer call so it went both ways but in this type of game the fact the refs just missing little things (they repeatedly misspotted balls, for example) was infuriating.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:42 PM ^
The SEC is having a crappy bowl season and I guess it isn't just their teams.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:50 PM ^
Your points could be right about both sides but seems like the critical calls did cost us more../
1. TD reverse is clear and the misplacement of where the ball should be..
2. Lack of intentional grounding for TCU BUT happened for JJ....
I think most people are complaining here is that the ref actually do it right.. This is supposed the SEC crew that is the best when comparing to other conference refs BUT they were horrible.. At the end the 2 Pick 6 hurts BUT Michigan lost by 6 and the overturned TD was a 14 point swing in many ways..
December 31st, 2022 at 8:29 PM ^
-Wrong spot on the turnover that shorted Michigan 2 yards led to...
-Michigan's TD being wrongly overturned (Michigan lost by 6 so ya it kinda matters)
- On TCU's last drive the WR's hand was out of bounds which should have stopped the clock. This would have saved a Michigan timeout.
- Targeting that clearly was and replay officials refused to follow the rules
4 game changing plays officials got wrong
Could Michigan have played better? Yes, no doubt. However, this reoccurring theme of Michigan getting jobbed by officials in major sporting events is getting old.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:38 PM ^
What about the mystery PIs called on TCU and roughing the passer calls that bailed Michigan out or letting Michigan DBs getting away with lots of contact all game? It goes both ways.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:46 PM ^
It does go both ways. If only we had seen a competently officiated game all-around.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:51 PM ^
Yet there were key conjunctions that TCU seem to get the best calls.. Again, I am not being jaded as I look many pass interference that TCU did commit but was not called. So it is not about how much one side gets compare to another BUT rather how many that should be called that were not called...
December 31st, 2022 at 9:02 PM ^
mystery?
you are a clown, in almost every single post you make
December 31st, 2022 at 9:12 PM ^
Roughing the passer was a bad call but they were all over our WRs. Every PI call seemed pretty on point. We should have interfered a little more on Q Johnson we might have lived to see another play.
December 31st, 2022 at 10:20 PM ^
“Mystery PIs”? On the only DPIs I saw, the TCU defender trucked the receiver without looking back for the ball. That gets called every time.
December 31st, 2022 at 10:48 PM ^
I guess I missed the call that took 7 points off the board for TCU. Could you reference that one for me? I mean, sure refs are going to miss holding, PI, and other calls sometimes. But to miss so badly on replay calls...that's egregious.
December 31st, 2022 at 11:17 PM ^
You only go one way, your boy cade is at Iowa, please, please, please follow him!!!
December 31st, 2022 at 9:24 PM ^
On last TCU drive, players forward progress was stopped first. Hand OB was thus inconsequential.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:29 PM ^
Fucking pricks took away the difference in the final score. If we lose I want it to be on the team not officials and this one was both
December 31st, 2022 at 8:29 PM ^
The shockingly bad officiating was probably the difference between winning and losing that game.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:30 PM ^
Not good but the staff and team lost this game. JJ two pick six INTs, a fumble inside the 2 (regardless of the blown Wilson call). Overall twice inside the 2 and they get zero points.
To be fair, there was a pretty blatant PI that wasn't called on UM and another less blatant that is called in most games. No flag on either.
I don't come away from that game thinking the refs gave it away. They had a couple bad ones but that's expected. Michigan lost the game themselves, TCU played a great game.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:43 PM ^
The problem is review failed miserably and cost the game. The call on the field was touchdown. There wasn't inconclusive evidence it wasn't a touchdown. The evidence actually confirmed a touchdown and they reversed it and cost 7 points. The targeting was reviewed and a definition targeting and review failed. That may or may not have cost the game, but it did cost any chance of Michigan winning. Yes, Michigan played like ass the first half and gave up 2 pick 6's but still should have won if review was actually competent. I wish they would just get rid of review. It messes up way too often on big game winning or losing plays, ie the spot review against OSU. If they can't do it right. Get rid of it.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:51 PM ^
I agree that was blown. Yes, cost the game.
But so did about 9 other things. The refs blew one call in an egregious way. Technically cost them the game. Agree.
Michigan then sat on their own nutsack about 9 times before and after that. Don't do one of those and you also win. The Philly special hasn't worked for anyone in 4 years. JJ threw two INTs for TDs.
I get that people are mad and hate that call specifically. I do, too. It just isn't THE reason UM lost unless one wants to act like there wasn't a ton of game played around that call. Also, if the call stands that changes the rest of the game in says we can't possibly predict. The whole butterfly effect thing.
What we DO know is UM played like shit all around that one bad call and literally the play after. It's not why UM lost. It contributed.
December 31st, 2022 at 9:23 PM ^
It's one of several reasons why Michigan lost the game.
But it's THE only one that was looked at multiple times, in slow motion, from many different angles, and yet still was screwed up. That says a lot.
December 31st, 2022 at 10:16 PM ^
Exactly this. Screwing up a call on the field is bad but it happens. Screwing up a review, overturning a call that is perhaps correct on the field, and certainly not indisputably wrong, when you have time to look at replay and make a considered judgement, is unforgivable.
December 31st, 2022 at 10:22 PM ^
Seriously, what the hell is the point of this comment and the 100 like it? It was a close game. That had a lot to do with a lot of big plays that both teams made and didn’t make.
And the refs absolutely took off the winning margin from Michigan’s score on a horrible call. In a close game, that MATTERS and I’m not going to pretend it doesn’t.
December 31st, 2022 at 11:33 PM ^
If you put those points back on the board and nothing else changes in the game, the game is either going into OT because Michigan missed the extra point, or Michigan wins by 1 point. It was definitely a huge part of the outcome of the game.
Could 3 points on the first drive have helped bridge the 6 point deficit? Yes. Could one fewer pick 6 have changed the outcome? Yes. Could the defense giving up one fewer explosive play made the difference? Yes. Were any of those things reviewed on replay by the officials and points taken off the board erroneously? No.
If Michigan scores there, there is no chance for the subsequent fumble and Michigan regains the momentum. Instead, they do fumble and don’t get any points. The game would have been completely different if the calls stands.
The non-targeting call was disappointing, but it’s only conjecture whether it would’ve had a material impact on the game. The Wilson TD being overturned undoubtedly had a major impact.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:30 PM ^
There should be an investigation into the replay officials. The TD overturn and the targeting call were both clearly wrong
That said:
No pick sixes: TCU 37
Don’t fail inside the 5: UM 59
Should have won comfortably
December 31st, 2022 at 8:45 PM ^
The replay officials thought it was targeting or they wouldn't have called it down. The final call was with the referee on the field.
December 31st, 2022 at 9:45 PM ^
Would that be the OSU alum?
January 1st, 2023 at 10:44 AM ^
Not true in the SEC and not true in a CFP game. This decision was made by the replay official in the booth in the stadium, in collaboration with the SEC instant replay command center in Birmingham, and in collaboration with national level, experienced officiating leadership.
December 31st, 2022 at 8:30 PM ^
One of my earliest memories of Michigan football was the Phantom Touchdown in the Rose Bowl.
So, this was no surprise.
What a fucking screw job.