Reffing in Michigan State games

Submitted by ertai on

Here are Brian's UFR referee grades for this year's MSU game: 

Offense: +3, -7, -4 overall

Defense: +0, -22, -22 overall

Total: +3, -29, -26 overall

Fans always complain about reffing, but this is ridiculous. I remember reffing being terrible for many of the other Michigan-MSU games in the past. Why is it always so bad for just this game? What can Michigan and the Big 10 do about it?

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LSAClassOf2000

November 3rd, 2016 at 7:01 PM ^

Teams can and have filed complaints with the conference, of course, and have been able to for a long time, but aside from the occasional staff review and - in a few select instances - discipline, I can't remember things materially changing. The outcome of games certainly wouldn't change regardless. 

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gbdub

November 3rd, 2016 at 8:33 PM ^

And even then, every game is going to feature one or two missed holds or dubious PI calls (or non-calls). The issue was the sheer number of blatant holds committed by Sparty - you've got to call at least a couple of those. And the fact that the definition of PI seemed to change late in the game - contact that was let go all game was suddenly called every time.

Hell, even if 50% of the calls Brian griped about get called, that's a vast improvement, and personally would take me from "God that sucked" to "That's a pretty evenly called game".

 

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Fieldy'sNuts

November 3rd, 2016 at 7:13 PM ^

Its beyond ridiculous. Last year, right before the fluke happened, I turned to my wife and said "I can't even enjoy this win because the officiating was so awful." I don't even care about them trucking our longsnapper on the last play since thats so rarely called anyway. MSU should have been down by 9 on that last play but they were gifted a TD with the BS targeting call when we got a stop on 3rd down when MSU was out of FG range. This year the two calls that stand out to me were the bounce pass off the turf that was clear as day on review, and Higdon getting a clear first down on one of our final drives of the game but they marked him a full yard short, which gave MSU the ball back.

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UMfan21

November 3rd, 2016 at 7:09 PM ^

don't think anything will come of holding and PI. those calls get missed all the time. how do you overcome it? you dominate MSU so badly that the refs are non factors.

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707oxford

November 3rd, 2016 at 8:06 PM ^

I thought the reffing sucked as well...and have always thought it sucks against sparty. That said, all of us here (Brian included) tend to see things through maize colored glasses. The opponent almost always feels it was worse for their team too. Complaining about the refs is pointless and petty. We shouldn't do it.

I probably will complain next week anyway, but we shouldn't do it.

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Kharper3

November 3rd, 2016 at 8:12 PM ^

This is why you never, ever take your foot off the gas against MSU! Go up 3-4 scores and then turn up the heat even higher. That's how you play against two teams ( the opponent and the refs) at once.



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JTGoBlue

November 3rd, 2016 at 8:58 PM ^

This year's game had plenty of awful calls and no-calls. I knew it would be held closer by the officiating when they felt the need to measure for a first down that was a yard short.

The game last year, however was a travesty. Michigan wins that game easily with competent officiating. The calls were so bad and one-sided that I truly believe there was some unethical influence at play, really.

Regarding the series against MSU, there are by far more WTF officiating moments in this game than any other. We can all name them off..

What I don't understand is why it seems our program always takes the high road. Maybe we just don't know about it, but do we ever lodge formal complaints or protests with regard to the officiating?



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Durham Blue

November 3rd, 2016 at 9:43 PM ^

Michigan-MSU is always a weird game. Never clean. Lots of injuries. Mich rarely gets the opportunity to showcase its superior talent. Refs mostly to blame. This year's edition was no different.

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allintime23

November 3rd, 2016 at 9:54 PM ^

The last two years have been straight up weird. Michigan should have won last year by 7-10 points and this year by 25-35. Terrible calls that cost points on both side of the ball.



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MGoTexas

November 3rd, 2016 at 10:42 PM ^

Officiating football (sports) is difficult.

When working the sideline as a Line Judge, Head Linesman, Field Judge or Side Judge, the head coach and every assistant coach and every support staff and sometimes the players are barking in your ear nonstop about the penalties the OTHER team is committing. Never once will a sideline comment about their OWN team holding, blocking illegally, etc. That certainly plays into the psyche of calling the game from the officials standpoint. 

One play, the entire sideline will bitch and moan in your ear about the holding call you just had on their wide receiver. Barking in your ear requiring an exchange. That's going to have an effect on how you officiate the next handful of plays. Was the coach right? Did I really fuck that call up? Makes you lean towards, what they call, a make-up call. Or you say to yourself, I was definitely right and I'm sick and tired of them bitching about something every damn play. I'm not calling shit for them unless it's egregious. 

There are 22 players on the field and just 8 officials (5-7 in HS). You can easily get screened by another player in your area of coverage. Officials are trained to read certain players. If the Back Judge misses an obvious jersey tug, rarely is there another set of eyes there to call it. Plus, it's not difficult to miss something right in front of you when a 275-lb TE is blocking a DB between you and the ball. 

Or, you can flat out miss it. You can see the whole play, see the foul committed, and still not throw your flag. Your brain freezes. Happens to us all.

On top of this, you're asked to remember a 200+ page rulebook with all kinds of different fouls and violations that may or may not include exceptions as it relates to down, distance, time, type of play, etc. And there are 78 pages of rule interpretations and approved rulings.

Add in a rivalry game where tensions are even higher. Add in Mark Dantonio and Jim Harbaugh, who are awesome coaches and legitimate assholes during games. The officials certainly feel that atmosphere, emotion, adrenaline... 

Officiating football (sports) is difficult.

Source: HS football Head Linesman

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Mongo

November 4th, 2016 at 8:44 AM ^

MSU mindset is to push the envelope especially on the OL. If they aren't calling holding, then keep doing it. If you can taunt your opponent into a silly PF then do it (i.e., Hill). When you play State, whoever you are, you can't sink to that level. You have to get your players to intellectualize the fact State does this on purpose and just keep your emotions in check with blinders on ... all business, no smack talk. Tackle Taco was a coaching tactic.

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Procumbo

November 4th, 2016 at 11:52 AM ^

I think one of the reasons this comes up against MSU is they seem to have a strategy of pushing the envelope with fouls. They identify an area of the game where they can gain an advantage by pushing the rules and they go after it. Honestly, I think this is just good strategy. Trying to hurt someone is dirty, but strategic fouling is just part of the game at this point. We've adopted their strategy of constant borderline pass interference on D to great results. 

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