On Monday, the Big Ten issued an apology to the Nebraska football team for a mistake the officials made during the Ohio State game. That mistake, ruling Emmett Johnson down short of the first down marker because they became confused about who had the ball was among the worst mistakes we’ve seen from paid officials in quite some time.
Make no mistake. The Big Ten issued an apology because they couldn’t ignore it. The “worst spot in history” had people who were not Husker fans outraged at the level of incompetence.
There were also plenty of calls for real ramifications for that incompetence. So the conference apologized. They did so while ignoring several other instances of uneven officiating and bad calls. Not just in that game but throughout the season.
https://x.com/Sean_Callahan/status/1850888670695350312
Nebraska football lowlight video shows problem with Big Ten officiating
“During Nebraska's final drive of the first half, on second down with two yards to gain on the Ohio State 39-yard line, the ball was incorrectly spotted after a run by Cornhusker RB Emmett Johnson. The ball carrier crossed the 37-yard line and a first down should have been awarded to Nebraska. Replay should have stopped the game to review the spot since it involved the line-to-gain."
No mention of Ryan Day throwing his head set on the field and not getting a 15-yard penalty. That despite Matt Rhule throwing his head set on the sideline and getting a penalty earlier this year.
To illustrate just how bad things have gotten. On3’s Sean Callahan posted a video on Twitter that one his message board users put together. It demonstrated all the bad calls and just how egregious they were.
While the Big Ten issued an apology for one call on Saturday in a four-point game, Nebraska football has every reason to still feel frustrated, especially since there was no mention of corrective action or … ramifications.