The Nebraska football team gave Ohio State a bit of a surprising fight against the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes. They might have even pulled off the upset, had the Big Ten refs not continued to earn the reputation as the worst in the sport.
It's not to say that the Huskers only lost because of the refs. They made plenty of mistakes, including a game clinching interception that was throw right to the Buckeyes defender. But there were plenty of calls that didn't help. And more than a few people were outraged that the referees had made so many very obvious mistakes.
Chief among the calls that were blown was one that was called "the worst spot in college football" by social media. And after the game there were still plenty of people who believed the refs need to held responsible.
Calls for referees repercussions continue after Nebraska football game
"There simply must be serious ramifications for officials who miss a call this badly," Nebraska beat writer Steve Sipple wrote on social media shortly after the game.
There simply must be serious ramifications for officials who miss a call this badly. https://t.co/wPJEpg4xLY
— Steven Sipple (@steven_sipple) October 26, 2024
Sipple was quote tweeting another analyst who made it clear that there were several things wrong with the call. Ben Stevens posted a video of the "worst spot" and included some rather disconcerting points.
"This was NOT ruled a 1st down for Nebraska…The play was NOT reviewed. The clock did NOT stop and the Huskers had to burn their final timeout of the half," Stevens wrote. "Officiating in CFB is an issue."
No, the officiating in Nebraska football's game against Ohio State wasn't the only reason the Huskers lost on Saturday. But it played a part. Too big a part. And that's happened far too often, to too many teams this season.