Bob's Picks - Was Oregon's "trick" play against Ohio State ethical?
No. 1 Ducks take on Illinois, Aggies get a bye
So Oregon pulled a fast one against Ohio State week before last that was so crazy and so rare it forced the NCAA to take the unusual step of changing a long-standing football rule in the middle of the season.
It also raised serious questions about what's ethical and what's not ethical in the never-ending quest to win an all-important college football game.
Did Oregon break the rules?
No.
Was Oregon's unusual tactic clever or disturbing?
Both.
With Oregon leading, 32-31, and 10 seconds remaining in the game, Ohio State had the ball at the Oregon 43, needing perhaps 10 yards to set up an opportunity for a 50-yard, game-winning field goal.
Obviously, Ohio State was hoping to gain a few more yards than that to make things a bit easier for their kicker.
But just before the snap, Oregon intentionally - not accidentally - sent a 12th player onto the field.
Ohio State attempted a pass that fell incomplete, but four precious seconds ran off the clock.
Oregon was given a five-yard penalty for making an illegal substitution, but had accomplished its goal of running time off the clock.
The next play was a scramble by the Ohio State quarterback that consumed the final six seconds.
Game over. Mission accomplished. Victory secured.
To be sure, there is all sorts of gamesmanship that goes on in a college football chess match, much of it either trying to run time off the clock or preserve time on the clock.
Offenses try to draw defenses offside. Defenses try to lure offenses into a false start.
The problem for me here is that in a sport as violent as college football, Oregon had 12 players on the field to 11 for Ohio State.
That physical advantage meant one Oregon player was completely unaccounted for as Ohio State's offense attempted to run a play.
Suppose that significant advantage had led to a blind-side quarterback sack that resulted in a serious injury.
If that had happened, no one today would be talking about how clever Oregon was.
If I were the president of the University of Oregon, I'd have called head coach Dan Lanning into my office and told him such an advantage is not what this institution of higher learning is all about.
But given that the head football coach is making 10 times what the university president does, that admonition might fall on deaf ears.
And in any regard, the coach and the president would both have run their thoughts on this matter through the guy who really runs the Oregon athletic department, mega-donor Phil Knight.
The NCAA now says that in the final two minutes of either half, if one team has 12 men on the field, the penalty yardage will be assessed and the lost time on the clock will be restored.
But the 32-31 win stands.
Go Ducks.
(I’d welcome your thoughts on this issue in the Comments section.)
This week's picks are as follows:
(All of last week’s picks are available here)
CAL over OREGON STATEÂ ... Cal and Oregon are the only former Pac-12 members who agreed to play the Beavers this season as OSU was forced to quickly throw together a schedule as an independent for 2024. The Bears, who have lost four in a row on their new adventure in the Atlantic Coast Conference, are happy to have the Beavers on the schedule as a so-called "winnable" game. Oregon State lost its head coach and much of its talent to the portal and is a shell of its former self. Cal should win this one easily.
STANFORD over WAKE FOREST ... Speaking of losing streaks, once-mighty Stanford is having more than a bit of trouble after swapping one ocean for another and joining Cal in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In the last four games against Clemson, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and SMU, the Cardinal has been outscored, 160-38. Wake is just the medicine Stanford needs to wake up and take home a "W."
BOISE STATE over UNLV ... Forget all the big name schools and pay attention to what is the best game nationally on Saturday's docket. The Broncos are loaded with a true Heisman Trophy candidate in the backfield and high confidence that a playoff bid awaits come December. Folks in the Spud State are already comparing this team to some of the best Bronco clubs under former UC Davis grads Dan Hawkins and Chris Petersen. We shall see if that opinion is justified against what is likely the best team UNLV has ever put on the field.
OREGON over ILLINOISÂ ... I considered this one for "Rout of the Week," but have decided it should be the "Route of the Week," which is Interstate 5 to Eugene, where the Ducks will once again fly high over a worthy opponent. Should Oregon really be No. 1? At this point, yes. Can the Ducks win the national championship? We'll find out soon enough.
NOTRE DAME over NAVYÂ ... Imagine this - Army and Navy are both ranked for the first time since the Civil War. Further proof that The End is near.
USC over RUTGERSÂ ... Dwell for a moment on the dilemma facing your average sports fan in Southern California. Should they spend $5,000 for a ticket to that World Series game in Dodger Stadium or $12 to see USC struggle against another Big Ten opponent no one in SoCal has ever heard of? This just in: Trojan head coach Lincoln Riley has entered the transfer portal and is trying to make his way home to Oklahoma.
BRIGHAM YOUNG over CENTRAL FLORIDA ... The Boys from Provo are the team no one is talking about, but should be. All the Cougars do is keep winning, sometimes with last-second miracles.
UPSET OF THE WEEK: Washington over Indiana ... This was supposed to be a cupcake during U-Dubs first Big Ten season, but the Hoosiers have shocked the college football world by going undefeated so far. Will last year's unstoppable Husky team show up Saturday or will 2024's struggles continue? (Upset record: 4-4).
ROUT OF THE WEEK: Ohio State over Nebraska ... The Cornhuskers, who continue to regret their move to the Big Ten, thought maybe they were on their way to regaining past glory, but then Indiana came along and delivered a 56-7 dose of reality. Nebraska needs to go back to the Big 12 (which used to be the Big 8) and play Oklahoma on Thanksgiving Day as God intended. Wait, Oklahoma isn't in the Big 12 anymore and is definitely not in the mood to be giving thanks. (Rout record: 8-0).
DON'T BET ON IT, BUT: Ole Miss over Oklahoma ... Quick question: when's the last time Oklahoma was a 20-point underdog to anyone? Enough said. (Don't bet record: 4-4).
FIVE EASY PICKS:Â No picks seem easy this week, but Elon Musk says he'll give me a million dollars cash if I can provide him with five sure winners. So Elon, the winners are Texas (over Vanderbilt), Miami, Fla. (over Florida State), Washington State (over San Diego State), Alabama (over Missouri) and Montana (over Northern Colorado). (FEP record: 39-1).
AGGIES over BYEÂ ... Sometimes, BYE can be a tough opponent, but most of the time they'll fail to show up at all. BYE is undefeated this fall, but also winless. A real mystery team.
OTHER GAMES: Penn State over Wisconsin, Michigan over Michigan State, LSU over Texas A&M, Iowa over Northwestern, SMU over Duke, Kansas over Kansas State, Western Michigan over Kent State, Tulane over North Texas, Arkansas over Mississippi State, James Madison over Southern Miss, Memphis over Charlotte, North Dakota over Youngstown State, South Dakota State over South Dakota, and Sacramento State over Idaho State.
Last week: 26-10, season: 307-56, percentage: .846.
Reach me at bobdunning@thewaryone.com
Additional thought -- it isn't that different from taking an intentional delay of game penalty before a punt at midfield to burn the clock before the end of the game, is it?
Interesting article and question. What they did feels sneaky/sleazy but it appears to have been legitimately within the rules of the game, so it has to get a pass. The fact that the NCAA has already revised the rules shows that they were insufficient to ensure "fair play", and the new rule is certainly better. Bad luck for the Buckeyes, but no kudos to the Ducks. Perhaps the rankings can take this close-won victory into proper account.