Dodd on Oregon Fiasco: Lies and videotape

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

what did you do?

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

colleyville comes up blank?

[colleyvillesooner]

uh, what happened?

http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/9832320






'What if?' continues on replay loop in Sooners' minds
Nov. 27, 2006
By Dennis Dodd

For the record, Bob Stoops is still bitter about Oregon. The problem is, that's about all that's on the record for the Oklahoma coach when it comes to the events of Sept. 16.

But we'll say it for him.

Somebody lied.

Somebody lied about the replay fiasco at Oregon that cost Oklahoma a shot at the national championship. With the proper conclusion to that game, the Sooners would be 11-1 instead of 10-2, at least in the discussion for the national title.

Pac-10 replay official Gordon Riese said last week he had only one angle on the botched onsides kick that cost Oklahoma possession, and ultimately the game. Pac-10 officials have maintained all along -- including in a letter to Stoops -- that Riese had "ample" angles on the play.

What other conclusion is there? Somebody is lying.

"Ample," Stoops said Monday in one of his calmer moments, "is not one (angle)."

What happened to Oklahoma was the worst college officiating screwup since the infamous Fifth Down in 1990. Colorado used that extra down against Missouri that year to win a share of the national championship.

That was before the age of replay. That Oklahoma was denied a shot this year because of replay boggles the mind.

Riese told the paper that he couldn't determine whether an Oregon player had touched the ball before it traveled 10 yards on an onside kick. What was obvious to the rest of the country was confusing to Riese, who said he only had an end zone shot on his monitor.

"This was the easiest call to make, if I'd have gotten the (correct) replay," Riese told The Oklahoman.

The controversy is now more than two months old. It will be muted this week by the discussion of the championship merits of Michigan, Florida and USC. But it won't go away.

There is a fundamental flaw in college replay. This is the first year it has been used by all I-A conferences on a standardized basis. In some cases it has created problems that didn't exist before.

Officials are looking over their shoulders at Big Brother up in the booth. They're afraid to make calls. In some cases, you can actually see them looking at each other on bang-bang plays, thinking, a) "Should I?" b) "Touchdown?" or c) "You call it."

Standardized? With few televised games, the Sun Belt Conference makes sure it has the basics covered. It has stationary cameras focused on each goal line, something even the networks can't deliver for the major conference telecasts. Which begs another question: Why can't the power leagues pitch in and buy the state-of-the-art equipment that the Sun Belt uses?

The current college model almost begs for screwups. CBS SportsLine.com first reported in May that a technical glitch in last season's Rose Bowl kept Texas' first touchdown from being reviewed and called back.

A couple of weeks ago, Oregon's Mike Bellotti challenged a replay that had overturned a touchdown for his Ducks. He won -- essentially overturning the overturn. The NCAA supervisor of officials wasn't aware that could even be done.

"I was talking to an NFL guy," Stoops said. "That's why the (official) on the field reviews plays. (The officials) take more pride in it, that, 'This is my team out here. We want this right.' There isn't any worry about who's feelings you hurt."

From the moment the Oregon blunder occurred, it was a case of CYA. Riese was essentially thrown under the bus, suspended one game by the Pac-10. He received phoned death threats at his Portland, Ore., home. He has said he will retire after this season.

Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen was surprised Riese spoke out last week. He also didn't clear up the mystery as to what happened.

"If it didn't get done right, it's his responsibility ..." Hansen said. "The correct statement is he could have received (any replay). I don't think any of us actually know what he saw or didn't see. The replays were available if he had gone through his processes and taken the time to get them. If he was only looking at one, that was not the fault of the system."

In a twisted way, the season's biggest mistake enhances Stoops' credentials as Big 12, maybe national, coach of the year. The season started with his starting quarterback and offensive lineman being kicked off the team. Tailback Adrian Peterson broke his collarbone halfway through the season.

After Oregon, Oklahoma lost only to Texas the rest of the way, winning its last seven in a row to get to Saturday's Big 12 title game.

But Stoops knows there could have been more -- at least one more victory.

"If I say it, it sounds like crybaby (stuff)," Stoops said.

So let his quarterback tell you.

"It would be interesting to see where we are right now," Paul Thompson said, "if the game was called correctly."

[MamaMia]

This news has already been posted by SanDiegoSoonerGal. :D

[Beef]

colleyville comes up blank?
:rcmad:

[SanDiegoSoonerGal]

Ahem (http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1683662#post1683662)

Fear of shoes, I tell you.

[colleyvillesooner]

Gotcha, but it needed it's own thread. It's nice to see the national media starting to perk up.

[soonervegas]

Right where you are now, Paul...needing to beat the corn.

Agreed. Although a major screwjob at this point it means absolutely 0. If it had been called right we would still be playing NU for the Big 12 Title and sitting on the outside looking in at Ohio State, Michigan, USC, and Florida.

[Scott D]

a woman with fear of shoes? That's not true! That's Impossible :D

[SanDiegoSoonerGal]

I just wish the media would work a little harder. To me the $64,000 question is, if Gordon is retiring at the end of this year anyway, why doesn't he come clean about what happened instead of keeping up all this "I've got a secret" crap? What, is the Pac 10 going to fire him?

[SanDiegoSoonerGal]

a woman with fear of shoes? That's not true! That's Impossible :D

Heh. I meant men's shoes, of course.

[Fugue]

Gotcha, but it needed it's own thread. It's nice to see the national media starting to perk up.

SanDiegpwned!

:pop:

[Widescreen]

You people missed the most important part of that article.

"I was talking to an NFL guy," Stoops said.
Stoops is leaving for the NFL. We're doomed! :mad:

[jdsooner]

We got screwed! I smell a rat! In my mind, this is the Watergate of football.

[AzianSooner]

they will sure talk about this again in the big 12 championship game this weekend

[soonermeteor]

Its funny that ever since the Okla State win there have been a slew of articles over Oregon and the Sooners. I figure its because they all thought they could write us off because we "weren't going anywhere anyway". Now that we finished 10-2, a lot of the nation has woken up.

[TUSooner]

I'm kind of tired of hearing about it. On the other hand, I'd like to make everybody talk about it even more by winning the Big 12 CCG.

[OK2LA]

I'm kind of tired of hearing about it. On the other hand, I'd like to make everybody talk about it even more by winning the Big 12 CCG.


This sums it up perfectly!