Harbaugh calling out officiating

Going to be completely transparent here: I’m a Buckeye alum and die-hard fan. But I’m not here to screw with anyone or gloat or troll in general.

Let me also say that, while I have the same fervid distaste for your football program you likely do for mine, I’m not a wacko who thinks all Michigan fans are lowlifes or that they don’t know anything football. I live in Northeast Ohio and have several very good friends who are Michigan alums and fans.

I try to be pragmatic and honest. Yes, I have watched teams of mine win and afterwards said, “Man, without those couple crappy calls we don’t win that game.” I’m not above calling b.s. on my own team (OSU-Penn State 2003 being an example off the top of my head). I worked in college and pro sports media for 7 years and learned quite a bit about unbiased analysis during that time. But, even after watching the game a second time with this argument in mind I can say with 100% confidence I don’t feel that way in the slightest about this particular outcome.

Having said that, I’m a bit surprised by the general narrative here, which has been so critical on the officiating and – for many of you -- largely ignored some abhorrent mistakes at particularly bad times. Simply take away one of Speight’s two INTs or his fumble on the 1, and Michigan may have won that game by 20!

Let me be clear: I’m not saying OSU fans might not have reacted the same way (again, I’m not claiming our fan base is generally superior). I’m only saying I’m surprised by the lack of accountability, with your head coach most concerningly leading that charge.

I’m not going to dive into each protested moment, but I want to lay out a couple indisputable things any reasonable fan should accept:

1. I’m giving this forum the benefit of the doubt that most of you know football and understand the various roles involved. I officiated basketball for several years. My father and grandfather both were football officials for more than 25 years a piece. I also have had the fortune of speaking with some of the most prominent officials in football, including the heads of NFL crews.

It goes without saying these guys take their jobs as seriously as the players and coaches, and that they hold themselves to a high standard to get things right. But if you talk to any official they will tell you that easily the single most important pillar of what they do is fairness.

You’re welcome to cry foul on calls you don’t agree with, but accusing officials of purposely altering decisions that affect the outcome of a game is the equivalent of accusing a Mafia man of being a rat. It’s just utter insanity. I know all of you aren’t making that claim, but a pretty notable number of you are.

Also, those who have suggested there’s some larger conspiracy at play by the Big Ten (or whomever else), have no foundation for that argument. You aren’t rooting for Northwestern. Michigan’s fan base is gigantic and travels well, just like Ohio State’s.

If fact, if the Big Ten would’ve preferred anyone to win that game it likely would’ve been Michigan! It would have officially placed another one of its programs back in national prominence. Not to mention, Michigan also would conceivably travel better than OSU at this point, given it’s been longer since their fans have experienced that level of success.

Now that we’ve established that bias is the absolute cardinal sin in officiating anyway, I also should point out that the official everyone is crying about because he’s from Ohio is essentially the 7^th or 8^th man on that crew. While any official can throw penalty flags, he’s in a position to make significantly fewer important decisions than his counterparts, and he's one of the least influential officials on the field.

Finally & most importantly, the line judge who actually made the call on the spot in overtime was Brian Bolinger. He’s from Fort Wayne, Ind. He went to Indiana State, and works as a safety director at a wire manufacturer. As far as I can tell, he has no connection to the state of Ohio other than 3 years in the mid-90s working in “Northwest Ohio,” which likely was closer to Ann Arbor than Columbus, anyway.

He’s a respected human being, and we have no reason or right to question his integrity.

Which brings me to my next point:

2. The spot itself. Brian Boligner has officiated hundreds – perhaps thousands – of football games. He’s likely always or almost always a linesman. One of his primary jobs, with which he’s had years and years of practice, is spotting.

Referees are taught to assess and prepare for potential situations before they happen. On a vital 4^th down in overtime of a game with national title implications I can tell you with complete certainty this guy is thinking: “The ball is on my side of the field. Ohio State is almost certain to run. There’s a 90% chance this call is mine.” Even before the play begins he’s completely zeroed in and ready to make the call.

If you’ve ever stood on the sidelines of a football field during a game you will know that the vantage points from just about anywhere other than the line of scrimmage are terrible. And if you’re more than 15 yards away, from ground level it’s hard to tell the difference between 2 yards and 10 yards.

When you’re talking about judging such an intricate spot, the only accurate way to do so is to be on the exact plane of line to gain. Any angle, at any level, from any distance will skew that view.

As far as we know, no photo or video exists from that exact plane, so every image and replay we have seen is skewed favoring one side or the other. And since we’re talking about inches here, that’s extremely significant.

We know of one person who was precisely in that plane of sight during the play. It was Brian Bolinger, who: 1) has decades of experience making those types of calls, and 2) knew the play was likely coming his way and, in that moment, almost certainly had his eyes completely and totally focused on the single task of accurately spotting the forward progress of that ball!

I’m not saying it was or wasn’t a first down. What I am saying is for anyone to be so sure one way or the other is impractical, given that the person who made the decision was more qualified than any of us to do so, and happened to be standing in the best possible place to make that decision.

It’s as if a surgeon is standing above a patient in surgery and diagnosing an issue, and I’m 20 feet away looking through the window telling him he’s wrong.

Again, I haven’t come here to troll anyone. I’m not saying Ohio State fans might not have had a similar reaction. I’m not saying there weren’t missed calls in the game (yes, it was PI, but those back-shoulder grabs are missed probably 2x a quarter in college football.)

My point is: Be honest and reasonable. There’s no conspiracy against Michigan. That spot was a matter of literally inches, and none of us – including Jim Harbaugh – was in any position to call it one way or the other better than the person who actually made the call. Finally, officials do not purposely alter calls to reflect a personal bias, and to make an accusation that someone is practicing their profession fraudulently is completely out of line.

It was an amazing game, and I’m finally going to stubbornly admit Michigan is 100% back and ready to compete for a national title. But Michigan lost that game – more than anything -- because of some really, really costly turnovers.

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