ACC officiating disaster highlights major NCAAF problem

After an eventful week of college football, we have this season’s second major officiating controversy.

Earlier this year when Georgia faced off against Texas, Longhorns’ safety Jahdae Barron intercepted Bulldogs’ quarterback Carson Beck, but the play was called back for pass interference.

Disagreeing with the call, Texas fans began to throw trash onto the field. The officials then got together and reversed the penalty, allowing the interception to stand and giving Texas the ball down 23-8.

This time around, the Pittsburgh Panthers were the beneficiaries of terrible officiating. With 3:41 to play in the fourth quarter and the game tied at 17, Clemson linebacker Dee Crayton jumped to deflect a pass from Pitt quarterback Nate Yarnell.

Instead, Yarnell pump-faked and held onto the ball, and Crayton’s hand went crashing into Yarnell’s facemask, knocking him to the ground for a sack. The play obviously should’ve been called for unnecessary roughness, but no flag was thrown.

Predictably, this prompted the Pitt sideline to erupt, and head coach Pat Narduzzi rushed to officials to argue the missed penalty. As the broadcast showed the replay, ESPN play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough, analyst Greg McElroy and rules analyst Matt Austin blasted the officials, questioning how they missed the call.

Fans in attendance at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh were also shown the replay multiple times on the video board, and minutes later a flag was thrown. The officials said that “after discussion” there was unnecessary roughness against Crayton, but it was obvious that they saw the replay and decided to throw the flag, which is against the rules.

As a result, instead of facing a 3rd-and-12, Pitt was granted 15 yards and a first down, and they marched down the field to kick the go-ahead field goal 1:36 left in the game.

While Clemson was able to overcome the illegal call and win the game after a 50-yard rushing touchdown scored by quarterback Cade Klubnik 20 seconds later, the call never should’ve been reversed and could’ve had a significant impact on the game.

Although the play was a penalty and should’ve been called in the first place, it’s strictly against the rules for officials to use instant replay to make or reverse a penalty call, which clearly happened here.

The only time a call is reviewable by replay in college football is when targeting is called, and replay is also able to signal to officials to review a play for targeting.

What makes this situation an even bigger question is that it could’ve been reviewed for targeting, as Crayton launched at a defenseless Yarnell and made forcible contact with his head, but it wasn’t. This would’ve been the proper way to review it and make a correct penalty call, so why wasn’t it?

Clemson is still alive in the ACC Championship Game and College Football Playoff race, but if they were unable to score after Pitt’s field goal aided by the call, their season would have been over.

Not only does the NCAA need to figure situations like these two out so teams can decide the game themselves, but these calls can also set a precedent for how fans and teams can reverse calls they don’t agree with.

If the head coach arguing with the officials for nearly five minutes and the stadium showing the replay dozens of times got Pitt the call they wanted, why wouldn’t other teams try this?

If fans throwing garbage onto the field got Texas the call they felt they deserved, who’s to say other fanbases won’t follow suit when they disagree with a call in an effort to get it reversed?

These two situations showcase a major problem with officiating in college football, and it’s something that they need to figure out immediately.

Jonathan Hartley is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jdh6293@psu.edu.