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Post by FredFan7 on Sept 15, 2013 21:43:33 GMT -5
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Post by FredFan7 on Sept 16, 2013 12:57:29 GMT -5
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Post by zebrablog on Sept 17, 2013 23:48:35 GMT -5
Saturday is my down day, and I never really was interested in college football, save the five years I was getting edumicated. But I did happen to have this game on as it happened. And my initial reaction wasn't that outraged.
Wisconsin created a lot of this mess when the quarterback placed the ball down, rather than the standard kneeldown. I realize that is totally within the rules, but it is a stupid maneuver. The defense sees a ball on the turf and rightfully plays it. Based on how the previous play ended, I do not think there was an undue delay in unpiling (although there was no particular urgency by Arizona State).
The quarterback also checks with the official. Why? He made no signal to indicate a change in possession. The referee is now out of position while a player wants a rules discussion during a rolling clock. Okay, whatever.
I'm not sure why the umpire held his hand out to delay the snap, but neither he nor the referee are in position.
Wisconsin may have gotten a break if they got a legal snap in right before :00, because Arizona State was offside. They could have had an untimed down for the field-goal attempt. But I'm not sure everyone on Wisconsin was prepared to have a legal snap.
I have to think that if the officials granted a stoppage of the clock, the uproar would be equal if Wisconsin converted a game-winning field goal. In that case we would be left wondering if Wisconsin would have been ready for the snap, and that they got an unfair advantage to gather themselves.
Really it was a lose/lose no matter what this crew did. Well, at least they didn't try some ham-handed correction of the clock after time expired. That would have been far worse.
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