End of LSU-UT game

We had a big discussion here last year after Alabama's Sean Cody blocked a last-second FG against Tennessee, and then celebrated by taking his helmet off, about why he wasn't penalized, because that's illegal, and there was the possibility the play could be reviewed because there might be too many men on the field, and then replayed.

Everyone pooh-poohed that.

Funny, the same thing happened at the end of the UT-LSU game. Game apparently over, but the play is reviewed, overturned, and then replayed because of a defensive penalty. However, there were also numerous LSU players ripping their helmets off, which is just as illegal as having 12 men on the field.

If they call that, it's offsetting penalties, and the game is over, right?

Also, seems to replay should be used to confirm or overturn a call on the field, but shouldn't be used to penalize a team if the crew on the field doesn't detect the infraction, or if the opposing coach doesn't challenge because they know there are 12 or 13 men on the field.

I don't think LSU knew UT had 13 men on the field. Using replay to penalize a team when a penalty wasn't called on the field is quite different than determining if a player scores, or is in-bounds, etc.

 

I think the flag was thrown before the referee went over to check with the replay booth. I don't know if they actually saw an infraction or just threw a flag because they figured that with so much chaos there had to be a violation somewhere.

At any rate, I've been watching college football for a long, long time, and I have never laughed so hard at something that happened in a game. It looked like a Three Stooges routine.

 

According to hundreds of threads about this in UT blog world, the penalties would not have been off-setting; LSU should have had one play at the 16, not 1 play at the 1.

Also, LSU flaunted the rule about giving the Defense time to set for a play.

 

Les Miles? Flaunt?

 

If that's the case, they got it right. But nowhere on the TV broadcast of the last play that's been Youtubed is there any mention of a penalty, and the "flag" graphic dpoesn't show up across the score/time/D& crawl.

 

and it was as much the officials' not enforcing the rule as Miles trying to jack it. If Dooley had waited until the end to complain, he wouldn't have much of an argument, but reportedly he had been asking them to do it right the entire game.

As it is, basically, LSU, Tennessee and the zebras were all involved in one huge Chinese fire drill on the last play. I hope they have counting to 11 practice in Knoxville this week.

 

Too late in the season to introduce something the players would have to learn from scratch.

 

In a very strange ending, I think the refs used a little common sense on the helmet issue (if they saw it at all). The clock said zero and it appeared at the end of the play that the game was over. Punishing the players for taking off their helmets at the end of the game seems a little silly, no?

 

Maybe Dooley can combine the other lesson he was trying to teach the team in the offseason and have them count to 11 while they use soap, washcloths and water in the showers.

 

Taking his helmet off and throwing a helmet are two different things; besides, he clearly throws his helmet before the play is ruled dead. So, yes, he should have been penalized. Just as the OG should have been penalized on the greasefire play before, for moving before the snap.

 

I loved this ending, purely for entertainment value. To me it was all on Dooley for sending out a bunch of subs while LSU was obviously imploding and the clock was close to zero.

 

Usually the head coach doesn't handle the situational subbing though, right? That should be handled by the DC.