Ohio State, despite having one of the youngest offensive lines in top 25 football, had only 2 -- TWO -- holding calls all season. Both were in OOC games, one against Virginia Tech (which brought ACC officials to Columbus) and one in the playoffs. There were NONE called by B1G officials in 9 conference games. Impossible you say? Not when over half of conference officials live in either Ohio or Michigan. Not when they know that if Ohio State or Michigan complains, they won't get any more assignments.
During his 4 years of playing conference games, Michigan LT Taylor Lewan had exactly one -- ONE -- holding call. In FOUR years. In his first NFL game he had two, double his career B1G total at Michigan. Michigan and Ohio State get the calls that nobody else in the Big Ten does, which is why they usually win.
I remember a famous picture of Sr Tom Brady in the Wolverine pocket. Four Penn State rushers were locked up with 4 Wolverine blockers. All 4 UM blockers were holding, 2 of them as PSU rushers were about to get past them. And AA LB Lavar Arrington was free, but the blocker behind him held him so tightly that he literally lifted his shoulder pads off of Lavar. Nothing called. Joe Paterno was so incensed that he sent the photo to Commish Delaney. Nothing happened.
Penn State went 11-1 in Chad Henne's Jr season. The loss was to Michigan at the Big House in the last game of PSU's season. Leading by IIRC 4 points Penn State was driving when it came to fourth-and-two in Michigan territory. QB Michael Robinson threw a beautiful pass to WR Terrell Golden, who caught it midair and slid to the ground for an 11 yard gain. Nittany Lion fans started celebrating, but wait. B1G officials said incomplete and told Paterno that Golden had dropped it. Replays clearly showed that Golden caught it, held it when he hit the ground, and kept it. It never touched the ground or even moved.
So UM took over. Protected by the no-holding-calls-against-Michigan rule Henne passed against a stout PSU defense. On 4th down he completed a pass to the PSU 28, enough for a first down except that the WR was 2 1/2 YARDS OUT OF BOUNDS. No matter. it was called complete and a first down as the entire Penn State staff went crazy. With 9 seconds left Henne dropped back to the PSU 10, took forever, then sailed a pass out of the end zone as the scoreboard clock reached 00:00. The PSU team celebrated and ran off the field. But wait! UM HC Lloyd Carr raced up to the referee and demanded that he put 2 seconds back on the clock. The B1G official, a Michigan resident and graduate of UM, did as ordered. Given the reprieve, Henne threw a TD on the game's last-last play Paterno ran after the referee, who studiously ignored him.
SEC teams are used to quality, unbiased officials, the best in the country IMHO. And the SEC Commish certainly doesn't favor any team. Not so in the Big Ten. Ohio State knows that it will get favorable rulings in every conference game except Michigan. And once Michigan rebuilds, it will get the same treatment too. Which means that one of the 2 figures to be in the playoffs.
During his 4 years of playing conference games, Michigan LT Taylor Lewan had exactly one -- ONE -- holding call. In FOUR years. In his first NFL game he had two, double his career B1G total at Michigan. Michigan and Ohio State get the calls that nobody else in the Big Ten does, which is why they usually win.
I remember a famous picture of Sr Tom Brady in the Wolverine pocket. Four Penn State rushers were locked up with 4 Wolverine blockers. All 4 UM blockers were holding, 2 of them as PSU rushers were about to get past them. And AA LB Lavar Arrington was free, but the blocker behind him held him so tightly that he literally lifted his shoulder pads off of Lavar. Nothing called. Joe Paterno was so incensed that he sent the photo to Commish Delaney. Nothing happened.
Penn State went 11-1 in Chad Henne's Jr season. The loss was to Michigan at the Big House in the last game of PSU's season. Leading by IIRC 4 points Penn State was driving when it came to fourth-and-two in Michigan territory. QB Michael Robinson threw a beautiful pass to WR Terrell Golden, who caught it midair and slid to the ground for an 11 yard gain. Nittany Lion fans started celebrating, but wait. B1G officials said incomplete and told Paterno that Golden had dropped it. Replays clearly showed that Golden caught it, held it when he hit the ground, and kept it. It never touched the ground or even moved.
So UM took over. Protected by the no-holding-calls-against-Michigan rule Henne passed against a stout PSU defense. On 4th down he completed a pass to the PSU 28, enough for a first down except that the WR was 2 1/2 YARDS OUT OF BOUNDS. No matter. it was called complete and a first down as the entire Penn State staff went crazy. With 9 seconds left Henne dropped back to the PSU 10, took forever, then sailed a pass out of the end zone as the scoreboard clock reached 00:00. The PSU team celebrated and ran off the field. But wait! UM HC Lloyd Carr raced up to the referee and demanded that he put 2 seconds back on the clock. The B1G official, a Michigan resident and graduate of UM, did as ordered. Given the reprieve, Henne threw a TD on the game's last-last play Paterno ran after the referee, who studiously ignored him.
SEC teams are used to quality, unbiased officials, the best in the country IMHO. And the SEC Commish certainly doesn't favor any team. Not so in the Big Ten. Ohio State knows that it will get favorable rulings in every conference game except Michigan. And once Michigan rebuilds, it will get the same treatment too. Which means that one of the 2 figures to be in the playoffs.
