End of Wisconsin - Arizona State game

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

It's not always possible to read what Jeff really does mean ... but several of his comments came across (to me at least) as saying the QB's idiocy DID make it OK that the officials screwed it up. I do too.

I never said no such craziness.

You put the ball on the ground, players go after the ball. You think ASU did not think for a few seconds that was a loose ball? And who caused that? The QB who just put the ball on the ground that is who. Players do not set the ball on the ground. When have we ever done that as officials? Players know this if they watch any football. It might not matter a whole lot, but that was not necessarily the spot where the ball would be placed. He should have at least handed the ball to the Referee (not the best person) or the Umpire and then no one would have thought the ball was a fumble. And if ASU prevented such action to get the ball in play now you have some reasonable recourse. Not everyone hears a whistle the same way either. We have enough plays where even when whistles are blown players do not stop immediately and we do not penalize them for further actions. If teams that run these Oregon style offenses on regular plays do this, so could this player.

All I am saying is do not cause the confusion. You want the ball back in play, help the officials do just that. And it was a also a case of over coaching. Why is getting the ball to the middle so valuable? They miss FGs all the time in the NFL and the hashes are even closer to the middle.

I know this is an officiating site, but I think the team should be blamed for what they did. And just as I thought the officials will likely still be working and this will be a footnote in the season.

Peace