A ref told Devin Bush where to line up Saturday
Stolen from this Reddit post, but at the 8:24 mark of this video you can see a ref bump into Devin Bush when everyone is getting lined up. Normally in these situations you see the ref get lined up behind the LB or in a new spot, instead he keeps telling Bush to moves until he forces Bush to a new spot. Bush is then trying to find a new spot when the ball is snapped and not set when it is, and this probably helps SMU on a reverse that goes for a first down.
Another instance of the incompetence from the refs on Saturday.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:49 AM ^
Probably the same Sun Belt refs that officiated our Alamo Bowl game against Nebraska in 2005.
September 17th, 2018 at 10:03 AM ^
Nope. Big Ten.
Not a crew, though. There were too many Big Ten games this week, so some crews were split up and mixed with MAC officials. This group was all Big Ten refs, but split from many different crews so they weren't used to working together.
September 17th, 2018 at 10:14 AM ^
This group was all Big Ten refs, but split from many different crews so they weren't used to working together.
And it clearly showed.
September 17th, 2018 at 11:05 AM ^
Yeah, if they were Big Ten refs used to working together, Michigan would have been penalized on every single play.
September 17th, 2018 at 8:51 AM ^
That took Kinnel out of the play as well, if you look, his attention is on what going on with Bush, and he has his hands up like WTF when the ball is snapped.
September 17th, 2018 at 8:53 AM ^
Scratch that, it was Hudson
September 17th, 2018 at 9:05 AM ^
Either way, Bush was visibly pissed at the end if the play as well.
September 17th, 2018 at 10:56 AM ^
For sure. And the ref has to tell him to move a couple times. When he finally does he obviously does some kind of "What the fuck, man?" gesture.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:02 AM ^
Lol... I would have moved to where he wanted me to and then proceeded to run him over immediately after the snap.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:05 AM ^
Wow. Saturday was one of the few home games I've missed in years (flu - yuck. At least I didn't give it to any one of 110,000 others), and I actually just listened to the radio broadcast. And I have to say, between Brandy as an ad-hoc play-by-play man and Dan Deirdorf as the sole analyst... well, I miss Tom Hemmingway and Tom Slade.
So I never saw this until now.
Look at Kaleke Hudson in that segment; he's freaking out about how the defense is out of alignment. Devin Gil is, too.
The ref doesn't simply move Bush a step or two; he directs him from Devin Gil's left, to Devin Gil's right side, essentially out of the box. And Devin Gil's response is to then overreact and over-pursue the fake to the right side of the SMU line. And poor Devin Bush is scrambling in both directions.
I can't wait for an official explanation of this. It looked like the ref was telling Devin Bush to get off the field.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:32 AM ^
Quick reply to myself and my first reaction; I see that some of the Redditors suspected that the ref actually WAS signaling Bush to get off the field. Why? Apparently a knee pad violation. Bush's pants weren't covering his knees adequately. At the end of the play, it almost looks as though that same Umpire was jawing at Bush again about it. I see some motion by Bush at various points, to pull the bottoms of his pants down over his knees.
If there is a difference in officiating styles, one thing I'd have to say about B10 crews is that they sure don't care much about "knee pad coverage" from looking at a lot of DB's and WR's in games over the past 5 years+.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:45 AM ^
More, on NCAA knee pad coverage rules.
Apparently there are some new "coverage" emphases for 2018.
September 17th, 2018 at 10:15 AM ^
Well he did direct him in the right way lol, maybe he was trying to help Bush make the play .
September 17th, 2018 at 11:34 AM ^
This is what I was talking about, regarding past years' observance of "knee pads." My recollection is that you had to have knee pads in your pants, but nobody actually enforced where they covered your leg.
And so you got a Jourdan Lewis, before the 2018 rule emphasis on enforcement. (I think that there are a couple of ultra-slim-fit knee pads somewhere in this picture. The Fab Five probably had longer game pants.):
September 17th, 2018 at 10:18 AM ^
I am almost 100% on thinking this is what happened . He is pointing at Bush's knee pads like he is saying there is some sort of uniform malfunction. Then points to the sideline, at which point Bush looks like he is not realigning, but instead trotting to the sidelines.
To me, this is crazier and much worse worse for the ref to do than tell him to realign. The reason being is you stop the clock for a equipment malfunction that calls for the ref to make a player to leave the field.
I honestly think this ref needs a very long suspension until he can get more training. That was a pop Warner mistake that should never happen in a college game.
September 17th, 2018 at 11:19 AM ^
Watched this scenario unfold live at the game, and my wife and I both agree that the ref seemed to be instructing Bush to get off the field. Devin took a few steps toward the sideline, then SMU snapped the ball.
We were both perplexed why he wouldn't stop play to allow a player with an equipment (or other) issue get off the field. Very, very strange.
September 17th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^
Yeah, not sure why the ref wouldn't blow his whistle to get him off the field if that was the case.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:07 AM ^
This is one circumstance in which the athletic director needs to step up and be Michigan's advocate. Don't force Harbaugh to do it—Manuel needs to file an immediate complaint with the conference, complete with film and statements from the Michigan players involved.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:12 AM ^
Gotta confess, I think the athletic department should hire a staff member whose job it is to clip and submit crap calls made agains Michigan in all sports, making sure to include comparison clips to other calls/non-calls in other games. ...The more I think about this, the less I mean it as a joke.........
September 17th, 2018 at 9:23 AM ^
Agreed! If no one keeps the officiating accountable than what is to stop terrible calls from happening. I hate to bring this up, but we are one defender short for the first half this week because of a terrible interpretation of the targeting rule. There needs to be an ability to file a complaint on things like this. Every job has to have some accountability to a higher supervisor, when the refs are wrong, there should be a chance to reverse the decision, even if it isn't in game. Hudson is going to suffer because of a terrible call. This may affect the defense and sure as heck affects the player. Yet, I'd place a hefty sum of money that the officials are unpenalized and out there screwing over a Sun Belt team this week.
September 17th, 2018 at 11:38 AM ^
B1G refs, not Sun Belt refs.
September 17th, 2018 at 10:44 AM ^
The AD 100% has someone doing this. I believe it's been mentioned before, when they mail clips of what they consider the bad calls to the Big Ten. It's mostly behind the scenes though. I think the Big Ten, like almost all leagues/conferences, keep referee evaluation private, so you have to infer on who gets the better grades based on the teams that keep showing up for the bigger games.
September 17th, 2018 at 3:00 PM ^
The privacy is exactly the problem. Judging of refs needs to be transparent. Or teams need to be able to say which refs call their games. Like a juror selection process.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:37 AM ^
Don't hold your breath waiting for Warde Manual to step up and take the lead on this. He seems to follow Harbaugh's lead while staying silent. He seems a fine administrator, but not a vocal leader of change or defense of his program's.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:09 AM ^
I totally remember this from watching live... Watch the footage till the end of the play. The ref runs over to Bush after the play with an angry look on his face after Bush yells something in the refs direction. The refs were a fucking tire fire on Saturday. That happens. The thing that makes me most angry, though, is that there is nothing to do but bend over and take it. The NCAA certainly doesn't give a shit. We watch Michigan sports with my 11-yr-old son, and at least once a game I have to trot out the line "If you really want to be good, you have to be able to win despite this crap"...
September 17th, 2018 at 9:10 AM ^
Saturday's game was up there with 2015 MSU, 2016 OSU, and 2017 IU in terms of gross incompetence from the refs.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:16 AM ^
This is insane -- good find Comrade.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:26 AM ^
You should be annoyed that the ref didn't distribute this bullshit evenly to the other team as well!
September 17th, 2018 at 9:22 AM ^
It looks to me like he is telling him to get off the field not just motioning him to move. It still seems like a fuck up but for a seemingly different reason.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:25 AM ^
Thanks for posting looks pretty outrageous...not sure I've ever seen that before
September 17th, 2018 at 9:34 AM ^
I have no clue what the ref is doing here. Not only does he completely disrupt the UofM def., but he takes himself out of the play. He's not even facing the LOS when the ball is snapped, and is <5 yards from the LOS. The very next play is lines up 8 yards from the LOS - DIRECTLY BEHIND BUSH!
The more I watch it, the more it looks like the ref was just too lazy to get to the correct position or to walk around Bush. He looks like me motioning to my kids every time they take my seat when i get up to refresh my beverage.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^
Previous play ref lines up 8 yards behind LOS. This play he tried to be closer to LOS. Both had similar distance to line to gain. Very strange.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:41 AM ^
Okay, what the fuck? Do you guys see Hudson throwing his arms up too right after the Ref tells Devin to move? This is so strange.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:46 AM ^
Man, how strange. It's almost as if the ref new what the play was going to be. It seems like he is trying to get Devin to line up where the reverse is going to take place. But I really do not know what to think of this. You can see the players are like "What the fuck?"
September 17th, 2018 at 9:50 AM ^
But where would you guys be without the "refs f'n hate us" excuse?
September 17th, 2018 at 9:53 AM ^
I don't think they hate Michigan at all. Nor do they like SMU. But maybe they had money on SMU to cover? Or they're incompetent. Probably the latter.
September 17th, 2018 at 10:17 AM ^
And where would you be without your "Truck Driving For Dummies" book?
September 17th, 2018 at 11:19 AM ^
Nah.
Unlike 2016 in the Horseshore where the "refs" clearly hosed the Wolverines and did all they could to fix the game, the refs last Saturday were just hilariously incompetent.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:50 AM ^
Devin should've lined up directly behind the ref or to the side of him, then bowled his ass over as soon as the play started. Refs are part of the field of play, right? Woops, sorry Mr. Referee.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:55 AM ^
As much as we micro-analyze teams and individual players, maybe the refs should get the same scrutiny. If I were a bettor, I would avoid games where the refs might be too wild card for my taste. Crap refereeing is no fun - I recall the M-MSU home game where our LB was ejected for targeting. The booth TV judge turned out to be new to the duty who otherwise had referee experience with HS basketball.
September 17th, 2018 at 10:02 AM ^
Oh I think the professional gamblers know the refs very well.
Because they pay them.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:56 AM ^
The ref was telling Bush to cover his knees with his pants/knee pads and if he didn't to get off the field until he did so. You can see him motion towards Bush's knees and then Bush pulls his pants down a little to cover them.
From what one of the refs of Reddit said, this is most likely the background as it was something that happened earlier as well BUT that doesn't explain why the ref didn't either A) Blow the play dead until Bush left the field or B) penalize Bush for staying in the game.
Either way, bad ref is bad.
September 17th, 2018 at 10:36 AM ^
Agree, bad ref is bad. If it's an equipment issue and equipment means player safety then why didn't the ref stop play or throw a flag? Instead, he disrupted Devin's focus (and others in the vicinity) on the play which may have helped SMU to the first down.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:56 AM ^
This looks really bad on the ref. He is literally telling and pointing for him to move. This can't be allowed to happen. Then again it's the B1G so nothing will happen.
September 17th, 2018 at 9:57 AM ^
A bigger deal needs to be made of this:
The ref even goes hunting for Bush (phrasing) after the play and says something else to him!
September 17th, 2018 at 9:57 AM ^
Just an appetizer for the Columbus treatment
September 17th, 2018 at 10:16 AM ^
Raise your hand if you've ever been personally victimized by a Sun Belt football official.
September 17th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
I think the SMU officiating was as bad or worse than 2016 OSU. It was absolutely fkng terrible
September 17th, 2018 at 11:37 AM ^
I just wanna day for all the assholes out there that say we don’t complain about poor officiating except as an excuse for a loss: I present this as Exhibit A...in a blowout win.