Boston College gets jobbed by refs in Emerald Bowl

The major media outlets are hyping the fact that a Pac-10 team finally showed up in a bowl game this season after USC downed Boston College 24-13 in the Emerald Bowl on Saturday night. But a little more attention should be paid for how Boston College was bent over by the refs not once, but twice during the game.

Early in the second quarter, Trojans’ QB Matt Barkley found Damian Williams for a 38-yard completion down the right sidelines to set USC up at the BC 6-yard line. But Williams looked out of bounds during live action and in replay, yet the officials reviewed the play at let it stand. The fact that the officials couldn’t tell that Williams didn’t come in bounds was one thing, but they actually screwed up twice on the play because he made the “catch” with his right foot out of bounds at the 8-yard line, not the six. So not only did they let the “catch” stand, but they also gave USC two extra yards just for the hell of it.

There was also a, uh, questionable call in the second half during a Boston College punt. The ball had clearly hit a USC player first and even though an Eagle recovered it, the refs challenged that since the Trojan was blocked into the ball that it would remain with USC. Yet, it looked like the USC player was coming forward and accidentally kicked the ball, which would have meant that the recovery was just and that the Eagles would have retained possession.

Now, there’s no way of knowing if those plays would have affected the outcome of the game. If Williams’ catch was ruled incomplete, USC still could have scored on the next play. If the punt would have resulted in BC getting the ball, they could have thrown a pick six on the next play, so nobody can say with absolute certainty that if the calls went the Eagles’ way instead of the Trojans’ that the outcome would have been different. (Plus, BC couldn’t move the ball offensively, which was a much bigger problem then getting jobbed by the refs.)

That said, the officials blew both calls and that’s the bottom line. And there’s no excuse to get a play wrong when it’s reviewed; it’s just ridiculous.

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Three USC players ineligible for Emerald Bowl

According to SI.com, USC will be without three of their players for the Emerald Bowl because of academic issues. Tailback Joe McKnight will also miss the game due to an investigation.

“He has some paperwork he needs to do and it’s best for him to stay in LA so he can be available to finish it,” Trojans coach Pete Carroll said.

Carroll did not have a timetable for McKnight’s return.

“We don’t know right now how long this will take,” he said.

USC has previously said it was said it was investigating whether McKnight used an SUV registered to a Los Angeles businessman. The Trojans also declared three players academically ineligible on Monday.

Tight end Anthony McCoy and tackle Tyron Smith, both starters, and defensive end Averell Spicer, a key reserve, will not play Dec. 26 in San Francisco.

What a nightmare of a season for USC. It’s bad enough that they find themselves playing in the Emerald Bowl at this time of year, but to have three of their players become illegible and one more under investigation is embarrassing.

Pete Carroll is already viewing this as the “forgotten” season.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

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