The Music City Bowl was the perfect game of college football… until it wasn’t.
Thursday’s game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Purdue Boilermakers had it all between a lack of team defense and a frantic finish. Oh and of course, officiating controversy!
With the game in overtime tied 45-45, Tennessee had a fourth and goal at the Purdue one-yard line in the first possession. Jaylen Wright was given the handoff and looked to be stopped short of the goal line, but an extra push and an extension got the ball over. The officials, however, called the play down due to Wright’s seemingly halted forward progress.
Though the play went to review, due to the call of stopped forward progress on the field, the play stood as called as no touchdown.
SHOULD THIS HAVE BEEN A TENNESSEE TD?#CFB
— PFF College Football (@PFF_College) December 31, 2021
Tennessee was denied a TD after this play was ruled a turnover on downs: pic.twitter.com/ma8Gs9wZzM
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 31, 2021
Though the call feels wrong, there is technically nothing the officials could do as you cannot review anything after forward progress is called. On the play, the whistle only blows after Wright extends the ball over the goal line, but in this instance, the ruling was what stopped the play, not the whistle itself.
In the Music City Bowl, the line judge ruled that the runner's forward progress was stopped. Therefore, anything after that ruling cannot be considered by replay.
The announcers are focusing on the whistle, which is irrelevant. The ruling stops the play, not the whistle.
— Fᴏᴏᴛʙᴀʟʟ Zᴇʙʀᴀs (@footballzebras) December 31, 2021
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel was not a fan of the call on the field after being told the outcome by the officials.
"What? Oh you gotta be f*cking kidding me" pic.twitter.com/8p97QywSrN
— CJ Fogler AKA Internet #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) December 31, 2021
College football fans also weren’t pleased with the ruling, taking to Twitter to express their displeasure.