Tag: Oregon Football

2020 NFL draft: Shane Lemieux scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Oregon offensive line prospect Shane Lemieux

Shane Lemieux | OL | Oregon

Elevator Pitch

A four-year starter at guard on a talented Oregon offensive line, Lemieux is a reliable blocker who plays with a high motor and a mean streak. He can stand to improve as a pass protector, and his technique can be sharpened up a bit, but he has the potential to develop into a solid starter with time.

Vitals

Height | 6-4

Weight | 310

College Bio Page

Strengths

While some offensive linemen in this class have more flash than Lemieux does, there aren’t too many players that have the grit that he has.

A portly and well-proportioned blocker, Lemieux has a wide frame that packs plenty of raw strength into it. He packs a powerful punch at the point of attack and has the grip strength to latch onto a defender and seal them off to create running lanes for his teammates. His lower body also carries plenty of strength, as he keeps his legs churning when engaged with his opponents to drive them back and pound them into the dirt. That power also helps him in pass protection, where he has the recovery strength in his anchor and core to neutralize bull rushes and other power rushes.

Lemieux plays with a high motor and fights hard on every down to win the rep. He has shown some capabilities of being able to block on the move, as he takes good angles as a down blocker or a pull blocker to create holes in the ground game. He has an impressive resume too, as he was a four-year starter at left guard who was named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press. His reputation as a leader on Oregon’s offensive line should help further boost his appeal.

Weaknesses

Though Lemieux brings a high floor to the table, he doesn’t bring a sky-high ceiling. He isn’t a stellar athlete, as while he can block with coordination at the second level and while on the move, he doesn’t have very good lateral agility in pass protection. He tends to struggle against stunting edge rushers, blitzes, and explosive and slipper interior defenders.

Lemieux has some technical flaws to his game, as well. His pad level is inconsistent, and he could stand to sink his hips on more of a regular basis and avoiding shooting upright. He has shown some flashes in his hand placement, but there are times when his strikes are misplaced and mistimed. His overall range as a blocker is fairly limited.

Projection: Day 3

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2020 NFL draft: Troy Dye scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Oregon linebacker prospect Troy Dye

Troy Dye | LB | Oregon

Elevator Pitch

Dye is a lengthy, rangy and intelligent linebacker with three-down potential at the next level. His play strength is questionable at best, so he’ll likely have to see a majority of his reps come on special teams in his rookie year. However, the tools are place for him to develop into a starter.

Vitals

Height | 6-3

Weight | 231

College Bio Page

Career Stats

Strengths

One look at the stat sheet will show how impactful Dye was for Oregon’s defense during his time there.

A four-year starter, Dye tallied a whopping 391 career tackles with the Ducks, topping 100 tackles in a season twice. Part of why he was so productive had to do with the athleticism he brought to the table for their defense. He is a sideline-to-sideline linebacker with very good straight-line speed and the ability to beat ball-carriers to the edge in runs to the outside. He is a fluid mover in space who can go with the flow of the play before bursting downhill and pouncing on his opponents. He takes calculated angles to the ball and has plenty of range as a tackler due to his athleticism and his impressive length for the linebacker position.

Dye is an intelligent player whose instincts have progressively gotten better over time. His processing abilities have progressed, as he’s able to diagnose plays and act upon his reads much quicker than he did early on in his career. His 13 career sacks make him a dangerous blitzer when schemed correctly, and with 13 pass deflections over the past three seasons and 5 interceptions overall, he has solid production in coverage.

Weaknesses

The big concern with Dye is his frame. Length is far from an issue, but he doesn’t have much bulk on a lanky frame. His frame can likely afford to add on some weight, but as it stands right now, he doesn’t have the raw power to be an immediate starter at the next level. He struggles with taking blocks head-on and doesn’t pack much of a punch at the point of attack, hence limiting his schematic versatility on blitz plays. He doesn’t deliver powerful hits as a tackler, and the lack of weight he carries in his lower body could provide some issues against powerful NFL backs.

Dye is athletic, but he isn’t as sound in coverage as one would expect yet. His footwork in man coverage isn’t all that polished, and his feel for backpedaling and dropping back could be smoother. He also can do a better job of predicting which gap to shoot up as a run defender.

Projection: 3rd-4th Round

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Cameron Jordan lobbies for the Saints to sign ex-first round pick Dion Jordan

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan surveyed the list of available free agents and highlighted one name: pass rusher Dion Jordan

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How can the New Orleans Saints get better before the 2020 season? They’ve already begun working on that by signing free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, a two-time Pro Bowler who is one of the few route-runners in the league who can match Michael Thomas step-for-step. But what about the defense?

Cameron Jordan has some ideas. When browsing a list of available defensive linemen, the All-Pro pass rusher circled one name in particular: Dion Jordan, the third overall pick in the 2013 draft out of Oregon. He has spent recent years playing for the Seattle Seahawks and formerly-Oakland Raiders, having missed a lot of time after a 2015 suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy.

He’s played just 24 games in the last three years while dealing with a 2018 knee injury and a suspension related to an expired therapeutic use exemption for Adderall, and Jordan’s stat line isn’t going to raise many eyebrows; in those 24 games, he’s created 7.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits, along with eight tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. But the Saints’ Jordan sees more than a box score.

The veteran identified the free agent’s tools as, “flexibility, inside rusher as well as outside rusher,” pointing to the younger Jordan’s success in creating pressure from all over the defense front, crediting it to rare flexibility for such a tall lineman (the prospect tips the scales at 6-foot-6, 284 pounds).

On top of that, Jordan sees a vision where they could both coexist in certain packages, such as an all-defensive ends look featuring both Jordans lined up upside, with Marcus Davenport and Trey Hendrickson flanking them. Another lineup he proposed would be a package calling for five linemen with hands in the dirt, bookended by himself and Davenport on the edge with interior linemen Sheldon Rankins and David Onyemata inside next to the other Jordan.

He’s certainly painting an intriguing picture. When Jordan’s playing days are over, a coaching career could be ahead of him, assuming he doesn’t get a job in the media. But back to his point about adding another Jordan: it would be a fascinating pickup, especially if he can steer clear of further suspensions.

The Saints defensive line was a strength of the team but got whittled down late last season with injuries. Adding someone like the “other” Jordan to the mix would make sense for the reasons already discussed. And it’s not like the Saints aren’t familiar with him; Jordan was picked by then-Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, now the head of the Saints college scouting department. It’s something worth watching.

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Hoops And Helmets: Ranking The Combination Of Football And Basketball Schools 1-130: 2019-2020

Which schools had the best and worst years in the two major sports? Ranked from 1 to 130, all college football and basketball combinations.

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Which schools had the best and worst years in the two major sports? Ranked from 1 to 130, all college football and basketball combinations. Who had the most fun? 

Contact @PeteFiutak

On the field and court – at least in the regular season – whose fans had the most fun?

When it comes to what athletic departments need, even though everyone has some other sport to brag about, it’s really all about college football and men’s basketball.

There are 130 schools that played Division I college basketball and FBS football. How do they all rank?

The biggest emphasis is on the schools whose football teams went bowling and with basketball teams that almost certainly would’ve gone to the NCAA Tournament. However, with the hoops post-season cancelled, the rankings skew heavily towards the stronger teams on the football side.

Do something massive in football this past year, and that’s worth almost everything. Be totally miserable on one side, and that’s reflected here. This isn’t about talent – it’s about the success in both sports.

There are a few huge exceptions, though, if a school was amazing in one sport and struggled in the other. Win or at least share a piece of a conference title, and you get ranked accordingly.

Broken down by categories – the schools that did the most in the two major sports, to the schools that did nothing – here we go with Hoops & Helmets 2019-2012.

2019-2020 Hoops & Helmets 
Losers in Both Sports | No Bowl, No Buckets
Bowls, No Buckets | Bowls, No Buckets, Part 2
Bowls & Buckets | Top Ten

Losers In Both Sports

These schools suffered the indignity of failing to come up with a winning season in either of the two major sports. The fans didn’t get to have any fun.

130. UMass Minutemen

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 126
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 122
Football: 1-11 overall, 6th among Independents
Basketball: 14-17 overall, 8-10 in conference, T8th in Atlantic 10

129. Northwestern Wildcats

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 62
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 64
Football: 3-9 overall, 1-8 in conference, 7th in Big Ten West
Basketball: 8-23 overall, 3-17 in conference, 13th in Big Ten

128. Vanderbilt

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 91
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 108
Football: 3-9 overall, 1-7 in conference, 7th in SEC East
Basketball: 11-21 overall, 3-15 in conference, 14th in SEC

127. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 79
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 47
Football: 4-8 overall, 3-5 in conference, T5th in C-USA East
Basketball: 8-23 overall, 4-14 in conference, 14th in C-USA

126. Old Dominion Monarchs

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 74
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 65
Football: 1-11 overall, 0-8 in conference, 7th in C-USA East
Basketball: 13-19 overall, 9-9 in conference, T6th in C-USA

125. San Jose State Spartans

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 130
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 128
Football: 5-7 overall, 2-6 in conference, T4th in MW West
Basketball: 7-24 overall, 3-15 in conference, 10th in MW

124. Nebraska Cornhuskers

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 96
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 101
Football: 5-7 overall, 3-6 in conference, 5th in Big Ten West
Basketball: 7-25 overall, 2-18 in conference, 14th in Big Ten

123. Troy Trojans

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 71
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 63
Football: 5-7 overall, 3-5 in conference, 4th in Sun Belt East
Basketball: 9-22 overall, 5-15 in conference, T11th in Sun Belt

122. ULM Warhawks

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 94
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 113
Football: 5-7 overall, 4-4 in conference, 3rd in Sun Belt West
Basketball: 9-20 overall, 5-15 in conference, T11th in Sun Belt

121. UTSA Roadrunners

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 109
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 88
Football: 4-8 overall, 3-5 in conference, T4th in C-USA West
Basketball: 13-19 overall, 7-11 in conference, T11th in C-USA

120. East Carolina Pirates

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 127
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 126
Football: 4-8 overall, 1-7 in conference, 5th in AAC East
Basketball: 11-20 overall, 5-13 in conference, 13th in AAC

119. Fresno State Bulldogs

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 34
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 45
Football: 4-8 overall, 2-6 in conference, T4th in MW West
Basketball: 11-19 overall, 7-11 in conference, T7th in MW

118. Rice Owls

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 128
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 127
Football: 3-9 overall, 3-5 in conference, T4th in C-USA West
Basketball: 15-17 overall, 7-11 in conference, T11th in C-USA

117. USF Bulls

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 47
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 78
Football: 4-8 overall, 2-6 in conference, 4th in AAC East
Basketball: 14-17 overall, 7-11 in conference, 8th in AAC

116. Ole Miss Rebels

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 93
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 106
Football: 4-8 overall, 2-6 in conference, 6th in SEC West
Basketball: 15-17 overall, 6-12 in conference, 12th in SEC

115. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 113
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 123
Football: 5-7 overall, 2-6 in conference, 5th in Sun Belt East
Basketball: 16-17 overall, 8-12 in conference, T8th in Sun Belt

114. Army Black Knights

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 66
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 72
Football: 5-8 overall, 4th among Independents
Basketball: 15-15 overall, 10-8 in conference, T4th in Patriot League

113. TCU Horned Frogs

2019 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 41
2018 Hoops & Helmets National Ranking: 10
Football: 5-7 overall, 3-6 in conference, T7th in Big 12
Basketball: 16-16 overall, 7-11 in conference, T7th in Big 12

NEXT UP: No Post-Season, But …

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Notre Dame Given Seventh Best Odds at 2020 National Championship

BetMGM has their updated 2020 national championship odds out and Notre Dame shows up pretty high on the list.

It feels like its a million years away but odds are out and have been wagered on in regards to college football’s 2020 national champion.  The site we use to track here at Fighting Irish Wire, BetMGM, has their updated odds out and Notre Dame’s odds show up pretty high on the list.

As everyone can probably imagine, 2020 Notre Dame opponent Clemson is the odds on favorite to hoist the College Football Playoff trophy at the end of the year with +225 odds.

Ohio State (+300), Alabama (+450), LSU (+650), Georgia (+900) and Florida (+1400) check in next.

Then you’ll find the Brian Kelly led Notre Dame Fighting Irish with the seventh-best odds at +2000 (20:1).

Odds via BetMGM. Access USATODAY Sports Betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated March 16 at 5:15 p.m. ET

Notre Dame’s biggest rival can be found with 40:1 odds as USC is actually tied with Oregon as the Pac-12’s best bets.  Notre Dame’s October 3 opponent Wisconsin also checks in at 40-1 while for whatever it’s worth, Michigan can be found a little further down the list at 50-1.

Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.

-Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Meet Jake Breeland, Oregon’s play-making TE prospect

Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Oregon tight end prospect Jake Breeland

Today’s NFL requires much of its tight ends, from helping out as a blocker in the run game to stretching all levels of the field as a pass-catcher.

If your favorite team is looking for a prospect in the 2020 NFL draft class who can do it all, Oregon’s Jake Breeland checks every box.

As he works his way back from injury in preparation for his jump to the pros, Breeland spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, the status of his rehab, and what kind of player he’ll be at the next level.

JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?

JB: It was good. There’s obviously a lot going on. I was just super happy to be there. I enjoyed the meetings and getting a chance to meet the coaching staffs. The tight end group was super cool. I met so many great guys out there. It was a good experience. I had a lot of fun.

JM: A knee injury that you suffered back in October kept you from competing, unfortunately. Where are you health-wise right now?

JB: The recovery has been going well. I’m about four and a half months out now. I’m feeling great. I’ve been doing a lot of running. I’ve recently started to do some change-of-direction stuff, which is a good sign. It’s going well. I feel great. I’ve been rehabbing every day. I’m getting stronger. I can’t wait to get back out there.

Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

JM: Did you have a lot of formal or informal meetings at the combine?

JB: I had a lot of informal interviews. They were all informal. I probably met with every team, with the exception of maybe 3-4 teams. I had a lot of interviews going on. It was a lot of fun.

JM: Do you have any private visits or workouts coming up, or is everything going down after the pro day?

JB: I actually have a meeting with the Los Angeles Rams tonight (March 11th). They’re down here in Oregon right now. I’m headed to my meeting with them after this interview actually. Our pro day is tomorrow (March 12th). I won’t be participating physically.

JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?

JB: I didn’t have too many weird ones. This one team asked me if I would change anything about myself. Another asked me what I’d be doing if I wasn’t playing football. I didn’t get anything too strange. I was asked if I would rather win the Super Bowl or be an All-Pro guy. It was all relatively standard.

JM: What’s your favorite part about playing the tight end position?

JB: I enjoy being able to do everything. I can split out wide and be a threat in the passing game. I can play in the slot or line up in the backfield. I can play next to the tackle and make an impact in the run game. You get asked to do a little bit of everything as a tight end. I can go out there and block. I love the versatility. You get a little bit of everything.

Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

JM: Do you have a favorite route to run?

JB: I would probably say the climb-over. It would be a 12-yard climb-over route. I can run it up the middle, but if it takes me too high, I’m able to split it up the middle. I love doing that. My speed serves me well. The climb-over is definitely my favorite route.

JM: Is Justin Herbert the best quarterback in the draft?

JB: To me, yes, he is. I got to play alongside him, and we really grew up together over these past few years. We actually lived together. He’s a great guy, both on and off the field. He’s developed into a tremendous athlete. He’s a great leader. He’s more of a vocal leader than he gets credit for in the media. To me, he’s by far the best quarterback in this draft.

JM: What kind of guy is Jake Breeland going to be at the next level?

JB: That’s a tough question to answer in such few words. I’m gonna be a loyal, trustworthy kind of guy. I played for three different head coaches at Oregon, and I decided to stick with it. I’ve been through a lot in my life, and I persevered through it all. I’m in it for the long run. I would love to play on the same team for a long time. I wanna play in the NFL for a long time. I love the game, and I love to compete. Whatever team gets me, they’re gonna get the best of me.

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2021 5-star OT narrows list, includes Georgia football

Georgia football was included in the top-12 of a 2021 5-star offensive tackle.

With National Signing Day just a few hours away, Georgia will be looking forward to receiving a National Letter of Intent from 2020 5-star offensive tackle Broderick Jones.

Once Jones’ letter is in, the Dawgs will shift their full focus to a certain 2021 5-star offensive tackle who included Georgia in his top-12 on Tuesday.

5-star Amarius Mims is a current junior at Bleckley High School in Cochran, Georgia. He ranks as the nation’s No. 3 offensive tackle, No. 2 player in the state of Georgia and No. 13 overall player in the country for the class of 2021.

Oh yeah, he is also 6-foot-8 and weighs 315 pounds.

Mims cut his list down to 12 and included: Georgia, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida State, Southern Cal, Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, LSU, Clemson and Oregon.

That’s a lot of top shelf talent, but right now, according to the recruiting experts at 247Sports, all three crystal ball predictions have Mims staying in-state and playing Georgia.

Three takeaways from Wisconsin’s crushing 28-27 loss to Oregon in Rose Bowl

Wisconsin dropped a 28-27 decision to Oregon in the Rose Bowl yesterday. Here are our top three takeaways from the game for the Badgers.

Wisconsin suffered a heartbreaking 28-27 defeat at the hands of Oregon in yesterday’s Rose Bowl Game. Here are our top three takeaways from the game for the Badgers.

The Badgers have no one to blame but themselves.

Jan 1, 2020; Pasadena, California, USA; Oregon Ducks running back CJ Verdell (7) runs against Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Chris Orr (54) in the fourth quarter in the 106th Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

There’s no doubt that Wisconsin was on the wrong end of some brutal officiating throughout the game, most notably the atrocious offensive pass interference call on Danny Davis late in the fourth quarter that basically killed the Badgers’ potential game-winning drive.

That being said, as my colleague Matt Zemek astutely noted on Twitter in the aftermath of the game, if you put yourself in a position where you can get destroyed by one poor call, you have no one to blame but yourself. Unfortunately, this is exactly what Wisconsin did.

The Badgers, specifically the offense, could hardly have done more to hand this game to the Ducks on a silver platter.

By most accounts, Bucky was in complete control of this game. For example, Wisconsin outgained the Oregon 322 to 204 and crushed it in time of possession, 38:03 to 21:57. The defense was outstanding all night long. The Badgers had a 17-14 lead at halftime after an 11-yard touchdown reception by Quintez Cephus with 11 seconds left in the second quarter. Coming into the game, Wisconsin was 45-4 when leading at halftime in the Paul Chryst era.

The Badgers also led at the end of the third quarter. Bucky’s record under Chryst when this is the case? 47-3 (now 47-4).

Unfortunately, Wisconsin blew the game as a result of their own errors. The Badgers committed nine penalties that cost them 79 yards, with a few of those serving as absolute drive killers. However, to find the biggest reason for their demise you can point to four brutal turnovers, which Oregon took full advantage of by turning them into 21 points.

This is the reason why last night’s loss ranks right up there among the most painful for Wisconsin throughout recent years. The Badgers had a chance to finally take home a Rose Bowl victory for the first time since 2000, and instead of Oregon beating them, they flat out lost this game on their own.

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There is a bigger story behind the bad OPI call vs Wisconsin

More on the terrible call which hurt Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl

It was bad enough that the on-field officials in the 2020 Rose Bowl made a horrible call of offensive pass interference against Wisconsin’s Danny Davis late in the fourth quarter. It was bad enough that a simple play — a pick play — was completely misinterpreted. It was bad enough that a defender was able to drive into Davis, instead of Davis driving into the defender, and get rewarded for it.

It was worse that a longtime Big Ten college football official, now a rules expert for ESPN (among other duties removed from on-field officiating), defended the obviously bad call which helped Oregon gain a 28-27 win over the mistake-prone, turnover-plagued Badgers in Pasadena on New Year’s Day.

See the guy in the cover photo for this story? That is Bill LeMonnier. He is a very familiar face to Big Ten fans because he officiated Big Ten games for roughly a decade and a half. He has consulted on ESPN broadcasts for a few years as a rules expert. The people who do what LeMonnier does ought to be able to exercise good judgment, which is more important for any official in any sport than technical knowledge of the rule book.

Does that strike you as a controversial assertion? It shouldn’t. Judgment DOES matter more than rule book knowledge — not in the sense that rule book knowledge is less important (it isn’t), but that rule book knowledge means very little without the prudential judgment which can apply rules wisely. Judgment matters, for instance, when a 50-50 play involving a fumble occurs. The ref might think the runner is down, due to his observation of the play and his application of the rule book, but the ref has to know that he needs to let the play unfold so that the defense can return the fumble and get the benefit of a touchdown if it turns out the runner actually fumbled.

Having the judgment to not whistle the play dead matters more than knowing when a runner is down by contact. That is just one example of why rule book knowledge, as hugely important as it is to the job of officiating, matters less than knowing how to make a critical analytical judgment of a play… a play such as the one late in the Rose Bowl.

Look at the play:

You and I can look at the play and conclude that the Oregon defender reached out to Danny Davis first. However, let’s be generous here. Let’s be charitable and say that Davis reached out his arms to also engage the Oregon defender. Even if you are being generous with your interpretation, the worst you can say about Davis is that he was engaged in two-way contact with the Oregon defender. NO ONE — not one person — can look at the video of the play and yet say that Davis initiated contact AND was the sole creator of contact in the play.

Well… except Bill LeMonnier, who put all of the burden on Danny Davis to not do anything, and to have avoided all contact on the play. LeMonnier was the “I AM VERY INTELLIGENT” man in the Matt Bors cartoon from “The Nib.”

It’s bad enough that the on-field officials couldn’t discern that Danny Davis did not initiate contact. It is bad enough that the on-field officials looked at that play and determined that Davis, somehow, created the force and movement consistent with a pick play. That’s awful.

Yet, it is so much worse that a consultant and rules expert who has officiated for a long time processed all of this from the comfort of a press box, afforded the luxury of immediate replay technology, and STILL backed the bad call on the field. When a person in a position of influence — held up as an expert — can’t get a basic call right, we can get a greater understanding of why officiating, the system of officiating, the culture of officiating, and the reality of replay review, are all broken.

Joel Klatt of FOX Sports agrees, by the way:

Here’s the rub: Wisconsin didn’t run a pick play vs Oregon

More on the terrible call against Danny Davis

Poor Danny Davis. He committed a huge fumble. He lost his footing on a pass route. He had a terrible fourth quarter which hurt the Wisconsin Badgers in their 28-27 Rose Bowl loss to the Oregon Ducks. However, Davis was also unfairly flagged for offensive pass interference on a late third-down completion by Jack Coan inside the final four minutes of regulation. If that completion had stood, Wisconsin would have needed only 25 yards to get into long field goal range, and only 35 yards to get in manageable field goal range. The call was a gigantic one, and it was very plainly wrong.

It is something officials do need to look for: pick plays, in which a receiver picks off a defender by actively impeding the defensive player’s progress and obstructing the defender’s lane to the play. Some people still think today that when Clemson beat Alabama in the 2016 season’s national championship game, the Tigers ran a pick play at the goal line on the winning touchdown pass in the final seconds. If you have followed football long enough, you have seen pick-play calls decide games, one being the Notre Dame-Florida State regular-season game from 2014.

You can very plainly see in the video above that the Notre Dame receiver immediately starts driving the Florida State defender up the field, which can be construed as a block on a forward pass caught beyond the line of scrimmage. That is a pick play and pass interference. A receiver can’t bump or shove or initiate contact with the defender in various other ways.

Danny Davis didn’t do that. The Oregon defender jammed him and then held his jersey on or near the shoulders. Davis might have been on the verge of committing a pick play, but the Oregon defender jammed him and prevented a pick from being called. As soon as the Oregon defender initiated contact, the act of picking off the defensive player became an impossibility by rule. Davis was the recipient of contact, not the creator of it.

This was a relatively uncomplicated call, if only because Davis was clearly not the aggressor. Yet, the officials botched it.

“I know a pick play. A pick play is a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no pick play.” If this was a presidential debate, that’s what Wisconsin fans would be saying about that atrocious call near the end of the Rose Bowl.