Nebraska~Missouri: Leftover Beef

I’m sure my strong faithful of followers have noticed that I don’t post on gamedays. I know this is devastating to all of you looking for instant analysis, but there is a simple explanation: I feel such strong passion for Nebraska as a fan, that my judgment is clouded with emotion the day of the game. I become irrational, which is an emotion that isn’t fun to write with, nor is it much fun for the reader. Instead, I tend to let perspective set in before writing withmore clarity for the audience to better understand.

Despite my previous admission, there are a few aspects from Saturday’s game that I cannot get over. They need to be addressed.

The announcing for the game, and for one play in particular, was simply atrocious. Ron Franklin and Ed Cunningham should be ashamed, and shouldn’t have jobs as far as I’m concerned.

Let me share the play so we’re all on the same page….

(More…………)

While the game was still in balance at 31-17, Blaine Gabbert was sacked (and sacked hard) by Courtney Osborne in the 4th quarter (as you see above). The commentators (mostly Cunningham) focused all their attention on whether or not a helmet-to-helmet penalty should’ve been assessed instead of discussing the obvious fumble by Gabbert.

The television audience was then whisked away on commercial break, while we were led to believe a review would be taking place. Upon return, we see Gabbert lined up in the shotgun for a 3rd and 22 with absolutely zero explanation.

Did a review even happen? If so, how was the call not overturned? My friends and I debated whether it would be Nebraska ball at the spot of recovery or a Nebraska touchdown, which it was clearly returned for.

Surely, the announcers, whose job is to keep the audience informed on what’s happening in the game, would explain this right? Nope. Nothing. Not one word.

This could have been a pivotal play in the game if Missouri had battled back, and I’m not sure they even knew what was happening. All they wanted to do was get their two cents in on the hot topic of the month, helmet-to-helmet contact. Focus on the game please, or get off the set. Thanks for playing morality police though.

This leads me to my second tangent following the Nebraska-Missouri debacle…

The College Football replay system is horrendously bad. It needs to be scrapped. I’m all for getting calls right, but this system is a joke.

Evidence A: Early 1st quarter: A review of a Rex Burkhead 5 yard completion that was clearly a catch with no first down marker in sight. Why’d they review it? We’ll never know. Needless to say, the call on the field stood.

Evidence B: Middle of the 2nd quarter: Roy Helu catches a pass and runs right to the sticks before being pushed out of bounds. A bang-bang play right at the first down marker where the ref was out of position to spot the ball accurately. Ball marked just short with no review.

Evidence C: Early 4th quarter: The aforementioned play. I’ve since received wordthat the play was reviewed. Huh?!?!? Was the fumble not clear cut? Or the obvious recovery by Nebraska? The apparent explanation was that his forward motion was stopped. Go ahead and rewatch the video. Are they aware of the definition of forward motion? I guess he was travelling backwards mid-air, but I don’t think that applies. If the Big 12 Commissioner was still alive, discipline would surely be taken.

Evidence D: The Texas game without the specifics. I remember them reviewing numerous plays that weren’t really close, and failing to review a Nebraska sideline catch (on a crucial 3rd down) where the receiver appeared to get a foot inbounds. Bleh.

How can anybody believe in the system after this? I demand explanation. And don’t tell me that it doesn’t matter because Nebraska still won, or because the game wasn’t close, because what will we do when it does decide a game? It needs to be fixed now.

I, for one, feel much better after getting this off my chest. Just a few more problems in College Football that need resolve before the ballyhooed BCS “problem.”

Remember, I’m here to fix College Football, one step at a time. Next week’s edition: Big 12 Commissioner, Dan Beebe.