Filed under: Arkansas, Kansas, Kansas State, Ohio State, Syracuse, Tennessee, Bowl Games, Officiating
As we have slowly crept to the culmination of lengthy bowl season, there were three particular plays that caught my eye. I don't see any reason to draw out any sort of wordy intro, so let's dive in.
o. Arkansas' defensive line stuffs Ohio State's Dan Herron on about the one-yard line and drives him back several yards deep into the end zone. Herron then breaks away for a split second before being taken down in the end zone. The officials rule a safety.
To fans of either team, this doesn't seem too complicated. People rooting for Arkansas think it was an obvious safety, because Herron broke away, thus resetting his forward progress. Those pulling for Ohio State may have thought the whistle should have been blown before Herron broke free or that his progress was always the point where the initial contact was made -- thus a bogus call.
I'm just here to illuminate how difficult a position the officials are in on a play like this.
Say the officials blow the whistle right as Herron is breaking free and he streaks down the sideline with what may have been a big play? So did Ohio State really want a quick whistle?
Say Arkansas drives Herron back into the end zone, only to purposely let go and then tackle him in the end zone. Should his forward progress really begin again just because he was let go? Do you think the officials should start judging intent of the tacklers?
When you start to play with scenarios like this, you can see how complicated a call that is. It's not black and white. It's a total gray area on when to blow the whistle and where to rule the forward progress.
My personal feeling on the call is it could have gone either way, but I believe the crew got it correct. Herron legitimately broke free from the would-be tackler in the end zone on his own -- which "resets" forward progress. A whistle any earlier would have been premature.
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