GT at uGA Post Game

[jojatk]

The OT rules changes were put in to keep players from playing forever games. I believe it was Texas A&M vs LSU where they played 6 or 7 overtime periods starting at the 25 yard line.. The gam took forever and the number of plays was staggering. The changes were made in the name of player safety.

What is your proposal for OT rules?

I would make two changes immediately. No, it’s not enough, but it’s a start to at least get the game flowing at that point. Just get it over with. I’ll have to think about other options but these are my first 2 small changes.

• Once you get to the third OT no more switching sides
• Once you get to the third OT you get no timeouts. None. If you had one unused from that you got at the beginning of OT then tough luck. You don’t get to keep it beyond the second OT

 

[cpf2001]

The fumble near the goal line was tough since the ball never hit the ground so it was easy to blow the whistle and hard to find an angle showing it conclusively. Fine.

The PI was brutal. If you are changing the outcome that largely - from failed fourth down to first and goal - you need a super blatant call. Not something that has been going on all year without many calls (contact on a horizontal route).

When you combine the “give them another chance” favoring UGA on the PI and the lack of even an initial targeting call… it feels super gross. I would be mostly fine with no targeting there EXCEPT that the PI was so impactful so recently the other play.

One game-changing defensive play got called back. One didn’t.

 

[Root4GT]

I would make two changes immediately. No, it’s not enough, but it’s a start to at least get the game flowing at that point. Just get it over with. I’ll have to think about other options but these are my first 2 small changes.

• Once you get to the third OT no more switching sides
• Once you get to the third OT you get no timeouts. None. If you had one unused from that you got at the beginning of OT then tough luck. You don’t get to keep it beyond the second OT

No issues with those but they have little impact.

 

[IslandsofGaunilo]

The OT rules changes were put in to keep players from playing forever games. I believe it was Texas A&M vs LSU where they played 6 or 7 overtime periods starting at the 25 yard line.. The gam took forever and the number of plays was staggering. The changes were made in the name of player safety.

What is your proposal for OT rules?

Three conventional OT periods, with mandatory two-point conversions for the third OT. If the game is still tied, then it is a field goal shootout! Kicks start with the ball on the 25 (42 yards) and increase in five-yard increments if both kicks are made. Repeat the distance if both kicks are missed. And repeat until there is a winner. Probabilistically speaking, this is unlikely to go past 57 yards or four periods, but if it does, you start over at the 25 if both 62-yard field goals are missed.

ETA: this is only half-serious.

 

[MtnWasp]

I would submit that refs can do more “damage” through non-calls than calls. Making a call is a second level action. The PI on 4th down is such a call. UGA would have lost had that flag not been tossed. It gave UGAg another chance when they had blown it.

Not calling a PF on the spearing of HK was critical. It gave UGAg a chance to win having (finally) pulled within one score.

Remember, their task is to provide opportunity, not to determine. Non-calls are preferred as they leave a smaller footprint and have a higher level of deniability.

The fact there are penalties that turn out to be pivotal in retrospect is not an indication of officiating bias.

If you want to claim bias, you have to show officiating inconsistency, where on similar plays they throw the flags on one team and not the other. I saw Efford go helmet to helmet with a UGA guy and that was not called either.

I'm sorry, GT fans are working themselves up into a lather by cherry picking the data.

I don't know if I've ever seen a football game where the officiating is literally irrelevant. And that is not the promise of fairness. There are multiple questionable calls in every single football game that a fan watches. Sometimes those calls occur on pivotal plays. But that is not evidence of corruption.

A game with 8 total flags with the key last flag going against UGA to give GT a second opportunity to literally walk off the field with the win certainly makes any accusation of corruption or bias look irrational.

 

[Root4GT]

Three conventional OT periods, with mandatory two-point conversions for the third OT. If the game is still tied, then it is a field goal shootout! Kicks start with the ball on the 25 (42 yards) and increase in five-yard increments if both kicks are made. Repeat the distance if both kicks are missed. And repeat until there is a winner. Probabilistically speaking, this is unlikely to go past 57 yards or four periods, but if it does, you start over at the 25 if both 62-yard field goals are missed.

ETA: this is only half-serious.

And why is that better? It is novel and clearly puts “foot” in football

 

[AUFC]

I would make two changes immediately. No, it’s not enough, but it’s a start to at least get the game flowing at that point. Just get it over with. I’ll have to think about other options but these are my first 2 small changes.

• Once you get to the third OT no more switching sides
• Once you get to the third OT you get no timeouts. None. If you had one unused from that you got at the beginning of OT then tough luck. You don’t get to keep it beyond the second OT

Coaches called an amazing game but letting Kirby get a look at our offensive package before every 2 pt conversion was one of the maneuvers that lost us the game.

I’m not sure we changed up the playcall a single time after Kirby TO in OT.

I also point back to telegraphing a huge 3rd and 1 early in the game with Pyron. UGA’s athletes are too talented to tell them what your playcall is and expect to still get the ball past them. Their DE watched the film on Pyron and crushed the play in the backfield.

 

[jojatk]

I'm Surprised that the officiating bias has gained so much traction.

How many Gt fans if asked before the game started that they expected GT to get the benefit of the doubt from officials in a prime time road game against UGA?

If I said before the game that it was going into a post 2nd overtime two point conversion contest and that UGA would be called for two penalties on those plays (Holding - declined, and Pass interference in the 7th overtime giving GT a second attempt at a win) and that GT was called for none, would you have taken that?

If I asked Gt fans before the game if the called penalties for the game would be five flags for Gt for 29 yards and 3 flags against UGA for 27 yards, would you have taken that?

Sorry guys, if the officials wanted GT to win, there was no way to get that PI call to get a second chance in the 7th OT to win the game. GT had SO many chances to stick a fork in UGA throughout that game and THEY didn't do it.

The officials swallowed their whistles the entire game for both teams. They let the players determine the game.

I mentioned this elsewhere but it has been fascinating to me seeing in general social media how many people with no affiliation to GT have been complaining about the “obvious SEC bias” shown by the officials. When I look at where all those people come from, in terms of their affiliation, it’s usually a fan of a team not in the SEC and also “media” members who have no affiliation to any SEC teams.

The former makes tons of sense because everyone outside of the SEC hates the SEC. At least generally that’s true. The latter also makes sense because, aside from probably not liking the SEC seeming to get preferential treatment, they are all trying to generate clicks and views. The more they can stir up conversation the better it is for them.

Anyway I just found that interesting to watch. I gave myself a couple of hours after the game to be upset about the officiating. Once that was done it was way more interesting to think about the positive takeaways from the game and some of the negative things that took place that GT coaches and players can actually work on since you can’t really do anything about officiating. I did also allow myself to do one thing related to the officiating and that’s going and sharing with people who have not seen the actual targeting rules what they say. I’m not out here telling people that HK fumble was or was not targeting but it’s interesting how few people really know how targeting is supposed to be defined so, having really looked at the rule after the Miami game and even more after the NCSU game (I really thought Efford’s play was targeting by the rules but was very glad that it was overturned) I’ve just shared some of that info.

 

[cpf2001]

Coaches called an amazing game but letting Kirby get a look at our offensive package before every 2 pt conversion was one of the maneuvers that lost us the game.

I’m not sure we changed up the playcall a single time after Kirby TO in OT.

I also point back to telegraphing a huge 3rd and 1 early in the game with Pyron. UGA’s athletes are too talented to tell them what your playcall is and expect to still get the ball past them. Their DE watched the film on Pyron and crushed the play in the backfield.

One of our weaknesses all year has been that formation is too indicative of play call, IMO.

The wr screen attempt was a perfect example. Have that in a more base package they didn’t tip the play to multiple UGA defenders; win the game.

 

[BleedGoldNWhite21]

We should have gone for 2 in the first OT

 

[IslandsofGaunilo]

We should have gone for 2 in the first OT

Yes this. And this is why I was concerned about Key not knowing the rules for OT, because if he was aware of the mandatory two point conversion in the second OT I think he would have seriously considered going for the win in the first OT, because once we missed the subsequent two point conversion in the second OT we wouldn’t have a chance to win until the third OT. It is never is a good idea to deliberately extend a game against a physically superior team.

 

[IslandsofGaunilo]

And why is that better? It is novel and clearly puts “foot” in football

Reduces injury risk, perhaps? More entertaining than two point conversions.

 

[57jacket]

We should have gone for 2 in the first OT

Yes. I was screaming at the TV. Go for 2!! LOL. The TV didn't respond

 

[jojatk]

No issues with those but they have little impact.

Yeah It isn’t meant to be a huge change. It’s meant as something realistic that could actually happen that would at least get rid of the tedium associated with the back and forth 2 point tries.

I feel like substantive changes don’t seem to be on anyone’s radar. It’s possible I’m wrong about that.

 

[AUFC]

Yes this. And this is why I was concerned about Key not knowing the rules for OT, because if he was aware of the mandatory two point conversion in the second OT I think he would have seriously considered going for the win in the first OT, because once the dwags got the touchdown and two point conversion it was impossible to win in the second OT. So we wouldn’t have a chance to win until the third OT. It is never is a good idea to deliberately extend a game against a physically superior team.

I think you also have statistically a roughly 40-45% chance of winning an overtime when you have the ball first, before accounting for any other variables. It’s just a huge advantage to know how many points your team needs to win/tie on a given OT possession.

 

[Root4GT]

The fact there are penalties that turn out to be pivotal in retrospect is not an indication of officiating bias.

If you want to claim bias, you have to show officiating inconsistency, where on similar plays they throw the flags on one team and not the other. I saw Efford go helmet to helmet with a UGA guy and that was not called either.

I'm sorry, GT fans are working themselves up into a lather by cherry picking the data.

I don't know if I've ever seen a football game where the officiating is literally irrelevant. And that is not the promise of fairness. There are multiple questionable calls in every single football game that a fan watches. Sometimes those calls occur on pivotal plays. But that is not evidence of corruption.

A game with 8 total flags with the key last flag going against UGA to give GT a second opportunity to literally walk off the field with the win certainly makes any accusation of corruption or bias look irrational.

You are being too rational for the Searm today. Well done

 

[g0lftime]

Venting aside, I’m getting over my anger at what happened and I’m starting to feel more sad about the current state of college football. Politics surrounding the playoff are driving the **** like we saw Friday night. There were always single subtle things in the past, but for that crap do go on for 5 minutes to end a game and send it to OT is just ridiculous. The purity is completely gone and it’s just a weird game vying for money. Say what you want about the NFL, but this kind of crap doesn’t happen. Bad calls, sure. Strings of bad calls and no calls that favor one team on the verge of the playoffs, not so much.

Missed FG and couldn't score from the one. Had our chances.

 

[g0lftime]

Coaches called an amazing game but letting Kirby get a look at our offensive package before every 2 pt conversion was one of the maneuvers that lost us the game.

I’m not sure we changed up the playcall a single time after Kirby TO in OT.

I also point back to telegraphing a huge 3rd and 1 early in the game with Pyron. UGA’s athletes are too talented to tell them what your playcall is and expect to still get the ball past them. Their DE watched the film on Pyron and crushed the play in the backfield.

Did anyone watching that game not know where that play was going? Needed to have some trickery for once. Pyron can pass, can't he?

 

[stinger78]

The fact there are penalties that turn out to be pivotal in retrospect is not an indication of officiating bias.

If you want to claim bias, you have to show officiating inconsistency, where on similar plays they throw the flags on one team and not the other. I saw Efford go helmet to helmet with a UGA guy and that was not called either.

I'm sorry, GT fans are working themselves up into a lather by cherry picking the data.

I don't know if I've ever seen a football game where the officiating is literally irrelevant. And that is not the promise of fairness. There are multiple questionable calls in every single football game that a fan watches. Sometimes those calls occur on pivotal plays. But that is not evidence of corruption.

A game with 8 total flags with the key last flag going against UGA to give GT a second opportunity to literally walk off the field with the win certainly makes any accusation of corruption or bias look irrational.

A non-call does not result in a flag. You are free to disagree. No need to apologize.

I do realize that incompetence is more prevalent than fraudulence, but fraudulence certainly occurs. When it happens regularly in a certain direction, it leads to perceptions of bias.

The system of openly promoting one league above another, and certain teams within leagues, has been well-developed. These biases provide the substrates for creating similarly biased officials.

You may doubt it, and that’s fine. Your doubt is unconvincing to me.

 

[MtnWasp]

You may doubt it, and that’s fine. Your doubt is unconvincing to me.

I've seen some crazy, highly suspicious officiating in my day. I remember a GT-Duke basketball game where Jarret Jack was called for a penalty when he wasn't within three feet of touching the player that he was called for fouling.

I am totally receptive to the idea of officiating bias.

I just didn't see it in this game. I think it was a beautifully played game, and officiated evenly. Eight total flags in a game. I'd take that 24/7