Big Games, Refs and Questionable Calls

[ISUFan22]

Ok, may stir the pot...but some observations today building on past rumors of impartial refs.

In the OU-Mizzou game there have been a couple questionable pass interference calls.

But most notably, in the Pitt-WVU game, there was just a very questionable hold call that took a TD away from Pitt that would have put them up by 10 (with the extra point) with the 4th quarter left to play.

Obviously these are huge games with big dollar implications for the teams and their conferences. It behooves the Big 12 and Big East to have Mizzou and WVU win.

Have the refs been subtly reminded of such?

 

[cyclonez7]

Money explains it all.

 

[sodakjoe]

In the OU-Mizzou game there have been a couple questionable pass interference calls.

If you're referring to the PA calls that Stoops is getting angry about, the DB had the WR hooked with his other hand both times, and it was pretty clear.

 

[isufbcurt]

Those PI calls were legit, the DB had his off arm hooked on the receiver.

 

[ISUFan22]

I didn't see them too close, I am basically bringing the main subject up for discussion. It's definitely debateable on those calls.

The WVU call though is what caused this post, because that was a horrible call.

And this coming from a guy that wants WVU to win.

 

[ISUAlum2002]

The call against Pitt appeared to be due to the fact that the official had bad positioning. All he could see was the back of the Pitt receiver and saw the defender struggling to get on the outside of him and assumed that the Pitt player was holding him by the jersey.

That said, yes, I do believe officials know who *should* win, and they have assuredly been reminded as to where the money comes from to pay them.

 

[jumbopackage]

I don't think there is a conspiracy involved, but I do think that officials might be unconsciously influenced by their own biases.

I haven't seen really any questionable calls today, outside of one personal foul call that was just bizarre in either the Arizona game or the WVU game, cant' remember which.

 

[mwitt]

I assume you meant the Big East would benefit from WVU winning, not Pittsburgh.

 

[ISUFan22]

Thanks mwitt, yes.

Another questionable call - missed defensive holding call that would've kept a drive alive for Pitt, right after Pitt had a 3rd down conversion nullified by a holding penalty.

 

[Wesley]

Looks like WVU still could not win with ref bias. Wanstedt won a big game? Wow. Extend his contract.

 

[tidbit]

Looks like WVU still could not win with ref bias. Wanstedt won a big game? Wow. Extend his contract.

Coincidently, Wanstedt DID get a new 3 year extension this week. And guess who the NEW ad at Pitt is??? Does the name Steve Pederson and his 2.2 MILLION dollars from Neb. mean anything. Yep Pitt hired him this week.. But in fairness he didn't give the contract to him, the interim ad did, but thought it was funny that Pederson was there for the signing, and he will get the blame if Wanstedt doesn't keep turning the program.

 

[The_Architect]

It was strange to see Mizzou get all the calls against OU. I bet it was the first time in history that OU has had to battle the refs.

 

[cycloneworld]

In football I don't think the refs do this near as much as in basketball. It seems like there are games where it is very obvious who is supposed to win the game.

But I'm sure it happens to some degree in FB too. I'm not so sure if that happened this weekend because both the Big 12 and the Big East were already set in getting 2 teams and 1 team respectively into the BCS. However, I'm sure the Big East would have loved to see one of their teams in the NC game.

Do I think the conferences tell their refs how to officiate? No. But I do think they may whisper in the refs' ears letting them know what is on the line in some games.

 

[SuperCy]

There is NO way that the officials in the WVU-Pitt game couldn't have known the implications of their calls. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but this one seemed hard to ignore.

 

[Land Grant]

I think that in general refs calls are influenced (albeit unconsciously) by who they think is the the better team. This is particularly evident when traditional powerhouses are in tight games with lesser knowns.

I would hope that conference execs are not actively working to influence calls on the field. That would be criminal.

 

[cmoneyr]

I don't think that refs necesarilly make game changing calls on purpose. It's hard not to buy into all the hype of these big games though, it's not like the refs are sequestered away from the outside world before games. But I think as a whole they do the best job they can. If a team is a major underdog and has a number of calls go against them it's only natural to wonder if they're called that way because they're not "supposed" to win. I'm sure there are refs in the NCAA at this very moment who are biased and who will call games unfairly, but I think they'd be the exception and not the rule. I'd like to think that as refs and as people they would have more integrity than that.

The problem with reffing is that if you do your job well and make all the right calls nobody cares, because that's your job. However if you miss some close calls then you're all over the news as being an unfair official. Hard job and I'd never want it.

 

[CYdTracked]

Mizzou simply just got out-played by OU. Calls or not, that was not the difference in that game.