Why the Officials Closest Did Not Throw a Flag

Have you wondered why didn't the officials closest to the play (who had the best view) did not throw a penalty flag on the 4th down play that decided the outcome of the Notre Dame / Florida State game?

Here's the best physical evidence and description of the play, from a camera behind the endzone -- and it is an EYE OPENER.

MUST SEE -- warning, this is going to make you sick...

LINK:  THE PLAY -- ND vs. FSU

ACC Confirms Penalty Call on Notre Dame

The Atlantic Coast Conference's head of officials Doug Rhoads confirms that his officiating crew made the "right call" at the end of Saturday night's game.

What else was he going to say...
 
Here is his explanation linked below -- please note, they did not address the FSU player who took off his helmet on the play -- which would have nullified the penalty called against the Irish and have given Notre Dame an automatic first down "and at least two more plays from the 3 yard line" in the remaining 13 seconds to try to WIN THE GAME AGAIN.

LINK:  ACC EXPLANATION

NCAA Woman of the Year is Elizabeth Tucker!

The NCAA just named Elizabeth Tucker '14,  as its WOMAN OF THE YEAR at an event last evening in Indianapolis!  She is the first Notre Dame student-athlete to receive this honor and the first ever soccer player in history.

Tucker played soccer for the Fighting Irish, winning a National Championship in 2010.  She graduated this past May from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Accounting and a PERFECT 4.0 G.P.A.

You are going to want to read the story linked below -- she's a remarkable young woman.

LINK:  ACC REPORT

Domer Tate's "ROUTE RUNNING" Leads to Win

Former Notre Dame All-American Golden Tate watched his Fighting Irish lose to Florida State the night before in an eerily similar play call that required Golden to "occupy" a couple of defenders with his route -- that led to an open teammate and the Detroit Lions shocking win over the New Orleans Saints!

That's Golden addressing his teammates after the win in the Lions' locker room in the photo above.

Tate deserves the GAME BALL with his big 73 yard TD catch and run, 154 total receiving yards, and his ability to "occupy" a couple of Saints defenders in the endzone clearing the way for Fuller (isn't it ironic) to catch the game winning pass from Stafford:

LINK:  TATE'S ROUTE RUNNING ON WINNING TD

LINK:  TATE'S 73 YARD TD CATCH & RUN

LINK:  TATE'S GAME HIGHLIGHTS

A Look at the 6 Teams Ahead of ND in AP Poll

So, let's assume our #7 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish find a way to win their remaining five games this season -- and finish 11 - 1.

Here's what the six teams ahead of us in the AP Poll have left on their schedule -- see below.

I believe it's safe to say we will only have one undefeated team in college football at the end of the regular season and that will be Florida State.  So, who will get through this gauntlet with only one loss -- besides Notre Dame? 

#7 NOTRE DAME -- FIVE GAMES REMAINING (All FBS opponents)

• Remaining FBS Opponents W/L Record:  24 - 14
• Key Games:  @Arizona State (#14), Louisville (#30) and @USC (#20)

#1 MISSISSIPPI STATE -- SIX GAMES REMAINING (Five against FBS opponents)

• FBS Opponents W/L Record:  22 - 12
• Key Games:  @Alabama (#4), @ Mississippi (#3)
• 1-AA game:  University of Tennessee-Martin

#2 FLORIDA STATE -- FIVE GAMES REMAINING (All FBS opponents)

• Remaining FBS Opponents W/L Record:  20 - 15
• Key Game:  @Louisville (#30)

#3 MISSISSIPPI -- FIVE GAMES REMAINING (Four games against FBS opponents)

• Remaining FBS Opponents W/L Record:  20 - 7
• Key Games:  @LSU (#24), Auburn (#5) and Mississippi State (#1)
• 1-AA game:  Presbyterian College

#4 ALABAMA -- FIVE GAMES REMAINING  (Four games against FBS opponents)

• Remaining FBS Opponents W/L Record:  20 - 7
• Key Games:  @LSU (#24), Mississippi State (#1) and Auburn (#5)
• 1-AA game:  Western Carolina

#5 AUBURN -- SIX GAMES REMAINING (Five against FBS opponents)

• Remaining FBS Opponents W/L Record:  28 - 8
• Key Games:  @Ole Miss (#3), @Georgia (#9) and @Alabama (#4)
• 1-AA game:  Samford   

#6 OREGON -- FIVE GAMES REMAINING (All FBS opponents)

• Remaining FBS Opponents W/L Record:  19 - 14
• Key Games:  Stanford (#32), @Utah (#19) and Oregon State

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREDICTION:

• #1 Seed: Florida State:  11 - 1
• #2 Seed: Alabama:  12 - 1
• #3 Seed: Oregon:  12 - 1
• #4 Seed: Notre Dame:  11 - 1 

Coach Brian Kelly: "FSU Blew the Coverage..."

Notre Dame head football coach held his Sunday teleconference with the media today -- and he didn't hide his displeasure for the penalty call that took the win away from the Fighting Irish. 

Here's the quick story:

LINK:  "FSU WAS REWARDED..." 

Replay: College Football Live in Tallahassee

If you can stomach this...

LINK:  COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE

Five AP Voters Do Not Have ND in Their Top Ten

The just released AP Poll placed Notre Dame at #7 in the country -- a drop from #6 the previous week.

As we've been know to do here at the ND GO IRISH BLOG, we publish the list of media members who do not have Notre Dame ranked in the TOP TEN -- here it is:

• #11 Chuck McGill -- writer out of West Virginia -- he had ND #9 last week
• #11 Jim Polzin -- writer out of Madison, WI -- he had ND #5 last week
• #11 Mike Sorensen -- writer out of Salt Lake City , UT -- he had ND #5 last week
• #11 Tom Murphy -- writer out of Little Rock, AK -- he had ND #8 last week
• #12 Grant Ramey -- writer out of Maryville, TN -- he had ND #7 last week

 
Four AP voters had Notre Dame ranked #4 in the country on their ballots: Doug Lesmireses (Cleveland Plain Dealer), Iliano Limon Romero (Orlando Sentinel), Kyle Ringo (Boulder, CO) and Larry Vaught (Danville, KY)

Notre Dame Drops to #7 in Latest AP POLL

Notre Dame's 31 - 27 loss to Florida State last night has dropped the Fighting Irish to #7 in the latest Associated Press Poll:

The College Football Playoff Committee will release its first poll on October 28th -- in the end, that's the only poll that matters...

LINK:  AP POLL

Notre Dame Drops to #8 in Amway Coaches Poll

The college football Coaches Poll was just released and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame dropped three spots to #8 after the 31 - 27 loss to Florida State last night:

At least one coach ranked Notre Dame #17 on his ballot -- got to love the polls...

LINK:  AMWAY COACHES POLL

Detroit Free Press Writer Ranks ND #9 in AP

If you're a regular follower of the ND GO IRISH BLOG you'll have seen a list of the AP writers who have not placed Notre Dame in their TOP TEN all season.

Well, one of these writers -- work works for the Detroit Free Press and he's a University of Michigan alum to boot.  Well, Sharp finally moved the IRISH up into his top ten...

Here's what he had to say in a story published this morning about his AP ballot:

LINK:  FREE PRESS

Notre Dame's College Fooball Playoff Chances

Here's what the media has to say this morning about Notre Dame's chances to rebound after last night's loss to Florida State and still make the College Football Playoffs:

LINK:  FOX SPORTS

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  BLEACHER REPORT

LINK:  ESPN #2 

LINK:  CSN CHICAGO

He is Very Deserving of Heisman Recognition

The young man is a WARRIOR...

Here is Notre Dame QB Everett Golson's post game press conference -- if you get a chance, you might want to compare this to the other QB's press conference, also linked on the ND GO IRISH BLOG.

LINK:  EVERETT GOLSON

USA TODAY: "Notre Dame Got Screwed..."

Here's what a writer from USA Today had to say about the penalty call that forever changed the outcome of the game between Notre Dame and Florida State last night...

LINK:  USA TODAY

Jimbo Fisher's Post Game Press Conference

The Florida State Seminoles' Jimbo Fisher talks about their 31 - 27 win over Notre Dame last night...

LINK:  JIMBO FISHER PRESSER

Jameis Winston Talks Win Over Notre Dame

Florida State QB Jameis Winston talks with the media after their victory last night over our Fighting Irish -- note the media handler...

LINK:  WINSTON

The Mornin' After "THE TALLAHASSEE FLAG"

We experienced a single penalty call last night that could determine a National Champion, a $6 million pay day and a Heisman Trophy winner...

Think about that.

Whatever happened to the old adage:

• "let them play..."  
• "you swallow the whistle at game's end..."
• "you let the players decide..."

Notre Dame fans are waking up to this reality this morning; "NOT in the Atlantic Coast Conference..." 

I took my customary "lap around the worldwide-web" this morning to see what the media has to say about last night's 31 - 27 controversial victory for Florida State:

LINK:  SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

LINK:  ESPN 

LINK:  CSN CHICAGO

LINK:  ESPN #2

LINK:  CBS SPORTS #1

LINK:  CBS SPORTS #2

LINK:  NBC SPORTS

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

LINK:  TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  ORLANDO SENTINEL

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE

A Disturbing Officiating Trend in ACC Games

First off, the Fighting Irish were called for eight penalties in the second half of the game -- that's more penalties called in one half then were called on Notre Dame in "both halves" of the Rice, Michigan and Stanford games -- COMBINED!

Here's a disturbing trend -- in the three games the Fighting Irish have played against teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference (with ACC officials) Notre Dame has been whistled for 27 penalties.  In the four games the Fighting Irish have played against team outside of the Atlantic Coast Conference -- they have been whistled for 13 penalties -- COMBINED.

THE THREE CALLS THAT DIDN'T GO OUR WAY -- THAT CHANGED THE GAME:

1. In the third quarter -- it's 3rd down and Winston throws the ball way over the head of the receiver.  They're going to have to kick a field goal.  Penalty flag -- holding on Cody Riggs.  HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE CALL (looks like a receiver and a defensive back engaging each other / just like the last play of the game) -- just watch the replay.  Florida State gets new life and a first down on the Notre Dame three yard line -- they score a touchdown a play or two later.  4 POINT SWING.
2. In the last drive of the game.  Golson throws a pass in the left side of the endzone to Corey Robinson.  In the replay, it's obvious that FSU's Darby makes contact with Robinson well before the ball arrives -- and he never turns his head to make a play on the ball.  Usually a no-brainer for an official -- but, it's late in the game -- you let the kids play.  NO PENALTY.  It happened in the endzone -- ball would have been place on the three yard line -- first and goal Irish. 
3. Then the $6 million penalty flag -- that's the share the ACC would get, or Notre Dame would get depending on which team (FSU or Notre Dame) is in the College Football Playoff.  In the replay, you can see that both Florida State defensive backs make contact with the Notre Dame wide receivers FIRST -- and they're both holding on to to Fuller and Prosise respectively.  A PENALTY ON NOTRE DAME...  7 POINT SWING -- GAME OUTCOME DECIDED.

Coach Brian Kelly After Tonight's Game

Here is Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly after today's game with the media...

LINK:  COACH KELLY

Florida State Player Interviews After Game

Here's what the Seminoles had to say after their win over Notre Dame tonight.

I guess it's official -- they said Notre Dame held them...

LINK:  PLAYER INTERVIEWS