Full disclosure: I am cynical about the frequent incompetence of college football referees almost to the point of buying conspiracy theories as to bias to “help or not hurt” the sacred cow team in big games. You see the egregious blown calls and especially the less obvious “non-calls” every Saturday. I also believe that the targeting rule to eject a player puts WAY too much power to effect a game outcome in the zebras’ hands. It’s become absurd, and likely little evidence it’s eliminated concussions.
So it interests me as a subplot for
this Saturday that, presumably since an SEC crew had the game in Happy Valley last year, we get a Big Ten crew in Jordan-Hare.
The SEC crew that had both an outrageous (and upheld) targeting call that ejected Zakoby, but also a stolen play from Penn State that forced them to punt on 3rd down. Sheesh. Counting is hard.
That SEC crew a year ago was:
So how will a Big Ten crew’s officiating style impact the game this Saturday? You saw the officiating cause bammer issues at Texas as they finally were not gifted with free mauling of WRs, lining Will Anderson up offsides, etc. 15 penalties.
Heck, maybe the Big Ten refs will be more competent and not feel duty to “help or not hurt” PSU, because of their Big Ten paymaster.
We shall see.
So it interests me as a subplot for
this Saturday that, presumably since an SEC crew had the game in Happy Valley last year, we get a Big Ten crew in Jordan-Hare.
The SEC crew that had both an outrageous (and upheld) targeting call that ejected Zakoby, but also a stolen play from Penn State that forced them to punt on 3rd down. Sheesh. Counting is hard.
That SEC crew a year ago was:
- Referee: James Carter
- Umpire: Russ Pulley
- Linesman: Ronald Tubbs
- Line judge: Walter Flowers
- Back judge: Dax Hill
- Field judge: Jay Brown
- Side judge: Glen Fucik
- Center judge: Ted Pitts
So how will a Big Ten crew’s officiating style impact the game this Saturday? You saw the officiating cause bammer issues at Texas as they finally were not gifted with free mauling of WRs, lining Will Anderson up offsides, etc. 15 penalties.
Heck, maybe the Big Ten refs will be more competent and not feel duty to “help or not hurt” PSU, because of their Big Ten paymaster.
We shall see.
