SUGAR BOWL: OSU vs. ARKANSAS

[Chris]

clearly it was ruled a safety, and as an unbiased observer I had no problem with it. you see this actually a lot in every game. watch next time a player that breaks out of a tackle and ends up going backwards, they very rarely get the initial spot of forward progress. once you get out of the tackle (clearly herron did) forward progress starts over again. I dont understand it, its just how it is ruled.

the only arguement that could be made in this situation is a plea for a quick whistle immeaditly once forward progress was stopped. but the question at that point becomes do you really want to start calling plays dead that quickly. Obviously it didnt happen but what if herron gets held up pushed back, and then runs and gains 5 yards. do you still think a quick whistle should have been called at the 1?

Um, that's the argument.

Play should have been blown dead. You aren't remembering correctly because you thought this would require the whistle to be blown immediately. Incorrect, since Herron was actually dragged about 5 yards backwards into the end zone before he was let go.

 

[bob2the2nd]

He was actually pulled two yards back to the goal line and then pulled an additional two into the endzone before anything happened. This can be debated all day as it is a judgment call by the officials, but he had little hope for forward movement once pulled back four yards. He broke the tackle as he was falling in the first place.

you are right he was pulled back but he was still very clearly on his feet, and very clearly escaped the tackle. he wasnt falling as he broke the damn tackle. he broke free of a lose tackle. there is no doubt he was punished for breaking the tackle, im not disagreeing. what I am saying though as you see this call several times a game. if a player breaks free of a tackle after getting pushed back, his forward progress is reset. I promise its not as uncommon as a call as a lot of you think. just in this situation it happend to be for a safety.

 

[DougHeil]

you are right he was pulled back but he was still very clearly on his feet, and very clearly escaped the tackle. he wasnt falling as he broke the damn tackle. he broke free of a lose tackle. there is no doubt he was punished for breaking the tackle, im not disagreeing. what I am saying though as you see this call several times a game. if a player breaks free of a tackle after getting pushed back, his forward progress is reset. I promise its not as uncommon as a call as a lot of you think. just in this situation it happend to be for a safety.

That's exactly what happened. Also, in the refs judgement, the whistle had not blown so when he broke free in the end zone and then was tackled again, it's a safety. The call was the correct call. To me the call wasn't close.

 

[Chris]

When a guy is pushed backwards and locked up for 5 yards, whistle is blown and play is dead.

Just a football fact. It's inarguable. This time, they didn't blow the whistle, so obviously it "technically" was a safety. But the whistle should have been blown.

 

[Surge]

Refs swallowed the whistle. It should have been blown dead. But when it wasn't, he broke loose and was punished for it.

Lesson: lift the runner up, carry them back to the endzone, let them go, then tackle them... lol

 

[Noonan]

Typically refs do everything they can to give the offense the benefit of the doubt when it comes to calling a safety. I've never seen a running back get to the two yard line, get pushed back into the end zone and then have a safety rewarded.The play should have been ruled dead before the tackler was disengaged.

 

[Chris]

Refs swallowed the whistle. It should have been blown dead. But when it wasn't, he did break loose and was punished for it.

Lesson: lift the runner up, carry them back to the endzone, let them go, then tackle them... lol

Yep lol, exactly what I said. We will see a new strategy in football now when teams are backed up at their own endzone.

 

[Ghost Writer]

That's exactly what happened. Also, in the refs judgement, the whistle had not blown so when he broke free in the end zone and then was tackled again, it's a safety. The call was the correct call. To me the call wasn't close.

Oh my god, the dynamic duo?? are you guys serious? you would argue this?? are you guys professional antagonist? lol .........LOOK at the replay and be objective----he was stopped at a point(forward progress) then driven back4-5 yards?? that would not be a quick whistle. it's warranted!! WOW

Bruce Drennan just said the same thing I said, and I disagree with him all the time HaHaHa!!

 

[col63onel]

Generally speaking, refs try to avoid safeties if they can. Kinda like if it's a tie, then no safety.

Forward progress is strictly a judgement call. Like holding, pass interference, etc. Can't be challenged. It's the refs call, and there is some subjectivity to it.

Now, Boom had been breaking tackles. If the refs know a RB is breaking tackles, then they might be inclined to give him an extra nanosecond to break the tackle. More times than not, that type of subjectivity would help Boom. In this very weird case, it ended up being catastrophic. But I can certainly see how and why the refs called it like it was.

Of course, had OSU lost, I'd be calling for their heads.

 

[Ghost Writer]

Too iffy---not concrete, must be distinguishable.