NCAA reviewing the Iowa - Michigan game

[Larry]

It seems the Outback Bowl officiating has stirred up a "hornet's nest". The NCAA will ALSO investigate several bad calls that favored Michigan in their overtime win over IOWA. Hawkeye fans knew the game was "thrown" by the refs, and now (to my surprise) that game will be under review. Better late than never, but it sure doesn't do any good for an IOWA team that got royally screwed in TWO huge games!

[mal106]

great news.while they`re there check mich.vs penn state

[Larry]

I wish they would, but it's extremely rare that the NCAA investigates any game whatsoever. Looks like IOWA wins the prize this year of the team that got screwed the most.

[Yeofoot]

At least it means they're taking steps to prevent the Zebras for deciding the game. No team likes winning because of the refs, and teams really hate losing because of them.

[mountainman]

Yep, the damage done to the Hawkeyes is done and there is nothing going to change that.

What can be gained is that officiating can be improved.

[..fanatic]

There has to be better coordination between the booth and the officials. Replay may have put so much pressure on the field officials that it has caused them to screw up more, not less. Teams should be allowed to hurry up their offense to avoid a review of a play. If a team is forced to call timeout because of this, and the play does get reviewed, any timeout that reverses a call should be given back to the team that called it, and the clock should be reset to the end of the play.

The four biggest problems with officiating, in my view:

1) Holding is missed quite often when it matters and called when it often doesn't.
2) There is no consistency to what does, and doesn't, constitute pass interference.
3) Late hits on players already on the ground happen on practically every play and no one does anything to stop it.

On point #3, I was at the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars game the day before the Gator Bowl. Three times they whistled Tennessee for late hits because players ame flying out of nowhere to dive at the player who had already been tackled. This needs to be done in the NFL.

4) Fumbles. You have enough zebras on the field that one should be able to tell who truly recovered the ball and is immediately down by contact. Waiting to uncover the pile and see who won the fight for it is ridiculous.

[Guest]

Thanks guys. I hope your teams don't have to experience a "lousy-called" game.

Here's an interesting note: from what I can tell, seems that Hawkeye fans are more proud of the Hawks now than before the Outback Bowl.

I think it's the way Iowa players "handled" themselves during and after the game. Class act indeed -- never blaming anyone but themselves.

I am also very proud of ESPN -- they "called a spade a spade" thropughout the entire game. They replayed all of the bad calls several times each. "Hats off" to Chris Spielman as well -- he truly cares about fair play, the players, and the sport of college football in general, and he just cannot stand for anything or anybody to put a damper on the sport he admires most. He's truly a credit to Ohio State University.

[mountainman]

Fair play is what it's all about.