Ducks Digest

Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes Officiating Being Called Into Question

The Oregon Ducks beat the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday 32-31. The highly anticipated matchup was decided by one point, so every penalty and decision by the referees and officiating crew is being scrutinized.

Charlie Viehl

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks on as the No. 3 Oregon Ducks host the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks on as the No. 3 Oregon Ducks host the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Oregon Ducks beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 32-31 in the first top-three matchup in Autzen Stadium's history. In such a tight game with such high stakes, every single penalty and decision by the officials is being heavily scrutinized now that the game has ended.

On third down in the third quarter, Ohio State's defense was flagged for a pass interference penalty that should have given the Ducks offense an automatic first down and pushed them into Buckeyes territory.

However, the officials also penalized the Oregon offense for having an ineligible player downfield, causing the penalties to offset. Upon further review, it appears that the referees misread the Ducks formation.

In fact, the officials announced that the penalty on Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson, yet Johnson was not even on the field for that play. The incorrect call wiped out an obvious pass interference on Ohio State.

In Oregon coach Dan Lanning's weekly press conference on Monday, he told reporters that the Big Ten confirmed that the officiating crew made the incorrect call.

"We sent it in, and they told us they got it wrong. So, you know, in the game, they told us they got it right," said Lanning.

On the Buckeyes' final drive of the game, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was flagged for offensive pass interference after pushing off of his defender to create separation. Ohio State coach Ryan Day spoke to reporters about that specific penalty.

“We did a great job of getting down the field and continuing to fight, but the one play there...(defensive back) is grabbing on Jeremiah Smith; Jeremiah is fighting there. They called that flag there and that cost us, but it shouldn’t come down to one play," Day said. "I’ve said that before. We want to leave no doubt. I felt like we should have done that tonight and we did not. So, then we put it in the hands of a call, and you don’t get it. That’s on us. We should never have let it come down to that."

Specifically, the offensive pass interference call has been scrutinized online. College football analyst Joel Klatt disagreed with the official's ruling on the field.

"I was shocked, watching the game, that they called the offensive pass interference," said Klatt. "It was a physical game, and (the officials) had let them play for the most part throughout the entirety of the game. And then all of a sudden, the corner squats, Jeremiah Smith is running is route and contacts the corner . . . doesn't extend, again he doesn't push off to create space and the flag comes out.

Whether or not Smith fully extends his arms is debatable, but he does appear to push the Oregon defender in order to create separation. The flag on Smith pushed Ohio State out of field goal range, and the clock did not stop after the offensive penalty. With less than 30 seconds left in the game, the Oregon defense only needed a few more stops.

On the final play of the game, Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard scrambled for 12 yards back into field goal range, but he did not slide with enough time to call a timeout.

Online, Buckeyes fans have argued that there was one second remaining when Howard began to slide, and the officials should have granted Ohio State its final timeout of the game. However, Howard failed to pick up a first down which kept the clock running and did not allow enough time for the officials to notice Day signaling for a timeout.

On Ohio State's first play of the drive, Oregon linebacker Jeffrey Bassa might have intercepted Howard's pass intended for tight end Will Kacmarek, but the referees did not review the play. The Ohio State tight end never seemed to have control of the ball while going to the ground, and Bassa eventually came up with the ball.

While no officiating crew is ever perfect, Saturday night's referees seemed to make a few questionable calls that affected both sides. Should Oregon and Ohio State meet for a rematch in the Big Ten Championship Game, a lot of eyes will be on the officiating crew as well as both teams.

MORE: What Ohio State Coach Ryan Day Said After Loss to Oregon Ducks: Officiating 'Cost Us'

MORE: Did Oregon Ducks’ Dan Lanning Intentionally Commit Penalty During Ohio State Game?

MORE: Oregon Ducks’ Traeshon Holden Apologizes To Ohio State, Teammates, Fans For Ejection

MORE: Oregon Ducks, Ohio State: Deafening Autzen Stadium Breaks Attendance Record

MORE: Oregon Ducks Upset Ohio State Buckeyes: Fans Storm Autzen Stadium

MORE: Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning On Jordan Burch Injury After Ohio State Win

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Charlie Viehl
CHARLIE VIEHL

Charlie Viehl is a 23-year old Boston College graduate and is an Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans beat reporter for On SI. A native of Pasadena, California, he covered sports across Los Angeles while at Loyola High School and edited the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program’s magazine at BC. While pursuing a career in sports journalism, he is also a lifelong musician. He is excited to bring his passion for storytelling and sports to fans of college athletics.

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