Big Ten admits its officials made a massive error on Oregon's game-tying 2-point conversion attempt in loss vs. UCLA

· Yahoo Sports

Oregon fans have a legitimate case that an officiating mistake cost the Ducks a real chance at stealing a win over UCLA.

Visit newsbetsport.bond for more information.

The Bruins knocked off Oregon 17-15 on Saturday after stopping Oregon's game-tying 2-point conversion with 2:16 to go. However, the Big Ten admitted that Oregon should have snapped the ball closer to the end zone on Jordon Davison's run.

"Following the first attempt that resulted in a personal foul penalty for a facemark on the UCLA defense, the ball was spotted for the second attempt half-the-distance to the goal from the original line of scrimmage of the first attempt," the conference's statement said. "Per rule, the ball should have been spotted half-the-distance to the goal from the end of the run of the first attempt."

UCLA stopped Davison's run after the ball was snapped halfway from the 3-yard line, or the original line of scrimmage where Oregon first attempted its initial 2-point conversion. However, the Ducks got to the 1-yard line on the initial attempt, meaning it should have only needed a half-yard to get the game tied.

It's an incredibly huge error in a game that could very well cost Oregon a chance at the College Football Playoff.

The Ducks are now 3-2 and may need to win out to have a chance at the postseason. Oregon still has a game against No. 4 Ohio State remaining, too.

However, Oregon shouldn't be in a position of blaming the officials for the loss.

This is a team that committed seven turnovers when you count the recovered fumble on the final last-ditch play of the game. And Oregon shouldn't have needed to go for two to begin with. After UCLA took an early 3-0 lead, Oregon coach Dan Lanning went for two after the Ducks' first touchdown.

That failed. Oregon led 6-3 instead of 7-3. Two made extra points would have meant the game was tied at 17-17 just before the two-minute warning.

One thing is for certain, however. The Big Ten has got to get its officiating issues sorted out.

This is at least the third issue from a Big Ten game so far this season. By now, everyone knows about the one-second debacle at the end of Michigan's 13-12 win over Western Michigan in Week 1 when Big Ten officials added one second back to the clock ahead of the Wolverines' game-winning Hail Mary.

While the Big Ten said it was utilizing the game clock to make that timing determination, it also didn't follow the timing protocols in the replay handbook when adding the second back. Had the manual's protocols been followed, Western Michigan would have won.

In Week 5, that same Big Ten officiating crew denied Nebraska the chance to re-attempt a missed extra point after a Maryland penalty in the Huskers' 25-point win. Officials instead assessed the penalty on the ensuing kickoff. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule took the blame after the Big Ten's statement, though he said that he was informed by a member of the officiating crew that the PAT had been made when asked if he wanted to accept the penalty.

Read full story at source