Crazy Ending to Alamo Bowl

[NJTank]

Did anyone see the end of the Alamo Bowl Michigan latteraling the ball Nebraaska coming on the field players everywhere the ball flying everywhere befiore Nebraska finally made teh tackle at the 20

[Cujo]

Nebraska won??

Dammit!

[See Red]

Michigan got screwed on about five occassions. Even the announcer said it was the worst officiated game he's ever seen. Oh well, atleast they're officiating the Alamo Bowl and not a BCS game...

[Discrim]

I only wish Michigan had finished that play off with the TD...then again, hindsight's 20/20, but you can't see out teh back of your helmet

[ryguy3285]

I was hoping for Cal-Stanford part II

[ROCHitman]

Henne didn't fumble IMO. It was a forward pass.

You all know me, I'll stick up for officials in nearly every sport on nearly all occasions. Not this time.

The officiating crew was from the Sun Belt Conference. They weren't used to see athletes that big and that fast. I'm sure they prepared by watching game films of both teams but it seemed as if the plays surprised them at times. They were slow in reacting and making calls on several occasions. I could tell from their mechanics that they weren't a crew from a top D-1 conference.

I'm not saying that the officials screwed Michigan out of a win, but the Wolverines were definetly the better team and played better than Nebraska. This loss hurts.

[See Red]

I only wish Michigan had finished that play off with the TD...then again, hindsight's 20/20, but you can't see out teh back of your helmet

If the TE who had the ball pitched it back to the guy behind him, either a RB or WR, not sure which, they probably would've gotten a TD.

[infrared41]

Couldn't have happened to a better team. Sorry about that Michigan...um not really.

Actually I thought it was a great game. Michigan had to blow a couple timeouts but the calls were correct in the end. Nebraska was lucky those deep backs were paying attention or we're talking about Cal-Stanford II right now. Believe it or not this Buckeye Alumni and fan was actually hoping Michigan would score the TD on that crazy return. Great game it's too bad either team had to lose but since someone did have to lose it may as well be Michigan. GO BUCKS!

Prediction: Lloyd Carr lose his job. He's lost 4 of the last 5 against Ohio State and the Wolverines just finished their first 5 loss season since '84 I believe. Hardly the end of the world at most schools but this is Michigan and they were a preseason top 5 pick. They are far too good to have lost 5 games this season and they should have handled Nebraska. Add it up and it's so long Lloyd. Just a longshot prediction but stranger things have happened. You heard it here first.

[andrewharrington]

Yes, Tyler Ecker should have given the ball to sub-4.5 speedster Steve Breaston, but that's besides the point. Worst officiated game ever. They should not be paid for that game because they did not do their jobs. They did cost Michigan a win. No doubt.

A. Nebraska running back CLEARLY fumbles in the first quarter. Nebraska scores on the next play with a long catch and run. Sweet. Why is the line judge whose view is blocked by the pile making that call? Why didn't the referees who had the clear-as-day view of it make the call, even if it wasn't the right call? I'd trust their judgment more than the guy who can't see the play.

B. Why does Michigan have to waste two timeouts on close plays that the booth SHOULD be reviewing by default? This is a bowl game. You review close plays. Period.

C. On fourth down inside the 20, the Nebraska defensive back wraps his left arm around Mario Manningham in order to knock the pass away with his right arm? Sorry bro, there's a rule against that, and it's called pass interference at the 1 yard line and an automatic first down inside the 10.

D. Finally, the ENTIRE Nebraska sideline is on the field during the final play of the game? Are you serious? Yes, it's a penalty, and no, the game cannot end on a defensive penalty. Michigan gets one more shot with zero on the clock, presumably from where Ecker was run out of bounds.

After all that, you'll be surprised to know that I despise Michigan. I'll stick up for the Big Ten anyday, though. Micigan got robbed.

[gashouser27]

Don't they have to throw a flag? How many players are allowed on the field at a time?

Is that the worst officiating ever?

[Michigan Dave]

Please shoot me.

[infrared41]

Please shoot me.

Tough year?

[Michigan Dave]

Please shoot me.

Tough year?

Just a bit. But it was expected. I knew when we were up 11 with the ball, and turned it over that we would lose. The worst part is that our fans will blame the bad refs, and Ecker for not pitching it to Breaston, when in reality the fact that we needed a 15 lateral play to beat Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl with the talent on our roster is sickening. I love Lloyd, he is a great ambassador for the program, and I cherish the time I spent in the program with him in control, but we need to adapt. Our offensive philosophy is dated, and our defense is stagnant. When OSU and Tressel run the spread, and Notre Dame is lighting it up in the passing game, it's time to change. The players are there. We are not going to go through a Nebraska-like transition period where we suck. There's enough talent next year to play for a national title. Henne, Hart, Manningham, Breaston, Grady, Woodley, Burgess, Harris, Hall, we're loaded, and have a strong class coming in. But there is no way the current staff can put it together. We need to play dirty, wait until after signing day, transition Lloyd into his associate AD position, and bring in Tedford. If Cooper and his outstanding record wasn't enough for OSU, and Solich got fired from NU after a 9-3 season, Lloyd needs to go. And it sucks saying that.

[yh]

Sun Belt officials are horrible. I had the misfortune of seeing a Sun Belt crew in action in KC earlier this season and they were just dismal all around.

My in-laws are huge Michigan fans because my brother in law went there, so for the last 11 years I've had to endure life as a Mizzou fan in the shadow of Michigan's superiority on the gridiron (and this in spite of the fact that my father in law is a Mizzou grad, for crying out loud!). So, for at least the next day and a half, until my beloved Tigers have to square off against Spurrier and the Gamecocks, I can brag that at least my team has the ability to beat Nebraska.

[youcan'tseeme]

Don't they have to throw a flag? How many players are allowed on the field at a time?

Is that the worst officiating ever?

Yah the entire team came on to the field and they just let it go without anything maybe if they go the TD it would have been bad. I wonder how many players from nebraska were on the field there when the tackle was made.

[Maz]

Apparently, Michigan coaches were on the field next to him and he couldve used them as cover to get to the middle of the field, and potentially have scored a touchdown.

[TFoA]

Sun Belt officials are horrible.

Well look at the quality of play in that conference. Who would blame em, that's basically a 1-AA division. Hell, I bet $5 Any team that went to the 1-AA playoffs could beat any team from the Sun Belt except for North Texas & Arkansas State.

[RedEye]

Funny how nobody mentions the Michigan players on the field as well...or the post game stage being brought onto the field....it is all how Nebraska should have been penalized...well hate to tell you but Michigan would have been flagged as well...offsetting penalties...game over.

The fumble by Ross...yes was a fumble but he recovered it...you could see that on the replay.

The pass interference that wasn't called...easy to make that call in extreme slo-mo and with a number of angles to view it from...unfortunately a ref can't slow down a play to see it in slo-mo...can't view it from 10 angles and such. In this case you give the benefit of the doubt to the ref at the time of the play..it wasn't overtly obvious at full speed...it looked very good. Too bad so sad.

Fact is there was poor officiating both ways all night, one could argue the overturned TD by Nebraska in the endzone wasn't conclusive that the ball infact hit the ground...you can control the ball next to your body and the replays "appear" to show the ball "scraping" the ground but I didn't see the rubber bits spray up from the turf as normally happens...there was still shadow beneath the ball at all times...I didn't see on the replay the ball OBVIOUSLY and WITHOUT A DOUBT strike the turf.

Michigan didn't get screwed out of a game...they couldn't seal the deal and that had happened 4 other times this year. Did each of those losses come from "poor officiating" and not Michigan choking?

Come on folks...you can point out all the mistakes by officials you want, I believe Henne DID fumble...the ball and arm are going to go forward BECAUSE his arm and ball were hit from BEHIND, but the fact is Michigan was NOT the better team. They were very evenly matched and that is where it comes down to which team makes the most plays DESPITE adversity, i.e. refs.

Nebraska has no reason to be anything but proud of what they accomplished. Period. Now go fire Lloyd!

Thank you... anti-Big Ten rant is over

[Natsfan36]

SInce i am a Husker fan (by living in Nebraska)...i will say that i am glad that they won....however, i agree that the refs were one of the poorest i have seen....Michigan should have not blown two timeouts to get a challenge...but one reason they might have taken so long is that they are not used to reviewing plays....it was smart of him to do that......

maybe they should realize that small conference refs should ref only small schools.......

[infrared41]

Michigan didn't get screwed out of a game...they couldn't seal the deal and that had happened 4 other times this year. Did each of those losses come from "poor officiating" and not Michigan choking?

Not to mention that a lot of their wins were by the skin of their teeth...Not that I am piling on or rubbing it in on poor Michigan or anything...

GO BUCKS!