Intentional Grounding
 

OSU's Braxton Miller was flagged for intentional grounding trying to avoid a sack Saturday against Miami U. The pass appeared to be backwards.
If it was does that make it either a fumble or a backward pass and a live ball?

You really don't know if a backwards pass or fumble is a live ball?

Did an official sound a whistle? If so, it still shouldn't be interntional grounding, but the inadvertent whistle during a backward pass means the passing team can choose to have the down count where the pass originated from -- which if he was trying to avoid a sack is not what they'd choose -- or repeat the down from the previous spot.

It is illegal to throw a backward pass to intentionally conserve time.

NCAA 7-2-1. Five Yards from the spot of the foul and lose of down.

By rule it is actually an illegal pass, not IG, but I would not be surprised if that signal was actually used considering the same result and penalty yardage as IG.

Peace

In High School Rules you are correct about the intentional grounding, but in college you are incorrect.

Also this is a spot foul and a loss of down in high school as well not from the previous spot.

Peace

But that would conserve time, and be illegal, only if it were thrown out of bounds. And then the clock would start on the RFP according to 3-3-2e.15.

Agreed but that was not clear in the OP if the ball went out of bounds or not. The ball would be live until it went out of bounds.

Peace

Here is more information

Ohio State at its own37, 2nd and 3, 2:19 left in the second quarter.
Braxton Miller is about to be sacked for a 12 yard loss when he throws a pass which appeared to travel backward. I can't tell you when a whistle blew, but the referee threw his flag. Then he announced a penalty for intentional grounding as a spot foul and loss of down. The play was in the middle of the field.
I am not questioning the referee's judgement and Miami did not argue the decision.

But if, indeed, the ball was thrown backward what would
be the proper call?

Backward pass.

Did the ball go out of bounds? And if it was ruled forward and in the middle of the field, that could be IG if the ball never cross the LOS or was thrown in the "tackle box."

Peace

Inadvertent whistle. Either that or no call at all, if the whistle was blown after the ordinary termination of the play.