Harbaugh Befuddled By Failed Review: "I've Never Seen A Worse Call In The Game Of Football."
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
Something was gnawing at Jim Harbaugh during his Monday afternoon press conference following Michigan's 41-8 win over Illinois on Saturday.
He had just finished responding to a question about Jabril Peppers when the coach paused and said, "I thought you were going to bring up the spot on the third down. That was a play that wasn't talked about much."
So, please - allow him.
"I don't know if I've ever seen," Harbaugh began, and then chuckled to himself and started over. "I've never seen a worse call in the game of football."
With the clock winding down on Michigan's blowout win, backup quarterback John O'Korn completed a short pass to Drake Harris on third and nine. The referees spotted Harris two yards short of a first down, which Harbaugh disagreed with. So he challenged the spot.
To his disbelief, it stood as called.
"After the replay, that the play could stand, that it wasn't spotted a yard and a half further after it was replayed, I just don't understand," Harbaugh said. "I don't know. I've never seen a more strange replay, but maybe there has been."
It was suggested to Harbaugh that, by rule, a ball is not to be re-spotted if the play under review failed to result in a first down. He wasn't on board with that explanation.
"So if a spot doesn't make a first down, then it stands wherever it was spotted? That doesn't make sense to me, because what if the official gets the yard lines confused? Maybe he misses it by five yards, or maybe he misses it by ten," Harbaugh mused. "Just getting the right spot - I mean, that is reviewable. So if he misses it by five yards but it's not a first down, then they would change and get the correct (spot)? Or two yards, or one?"
It was then suggested that Michigan was challenging for a first down, not for a proper spot. Therefore, the referees were not obligated to move the ball, even if replays indicated they should have.
Again, Harbaugh wasn't having it.
"No, we were challenging the spot," he replied. "I was there, I said, 'It was mis-spotted.'"
Then he continued to try and wrap his head around the rule.
"I mean, say an official gets confused and thought the (ball-carrier) went out on the sideline at the 35 but he really went out on the 30, and then you review that but it doesn't make a first down, is that something that can be challenged? My understanding of the rules and the review system is it's the spot, it's to get the correct spot," Harbaugh said. "So it'll be interesting to see what the explanation is."
One explanation, in particular, did not sit well with him: that the referees let the play stand based on the score of the game.
"Is that in the rulebook?" Harbaugh asked, rhetorically so. "I haven't come across that rule either."