Footballs are oddly shaped things. They were made that way to take unexpected bounces and rolls. They are rarely seen lying quietly on the ground while big, colorfully clad bodies fly around them.
Such a quiet moment came in the 98th Rose Bowl when, along the Oregon sideline, the ball was stripped from Wisconsin’s Jared Abbrederis by Oregon cornerback Terrance Mitchell.
We’ve all seen Tiger Woods’ putt on the 16th hole hang on the lip of the cup in what has become known as the “Augusta Second.” The golf ball appeared suspended not only in a physical state, but also in fame and fortune for the man, who at that time, was staking his claim to the title of greatest golfer in the world. Not content to just hang there, the ball did so as if directed by the marketing department of Nike with the swoosh proudly on display before the ball succumbed to gravity.
In the Rose Bowl Second, all that was missing was the swoosh. The football hit the ground no more than three feet from the sideline. Footballs, when they hit the ground with momentum, and this one had momentum after being forcibly slapped out of Abbrederis’ hands, did not bounce out of bounds. It didn’t bounce at all. It landed fat side flush with the earth. It nestled into the turf despite four bodies in chaotic flight around it.
Then the Rose Bowl mimicked the ball. The crowd of 91,245 stared. For a very thin second the bodies stopped their contortions. Oregon players along the sideline froze with only their lower jaws dropping open. The fastest of them began hands rising to point. Chip Kelly crouched and pointed five feet from the action. The referee stared at the ground. Not even Brent Mushberger and Kirk Herbstreit could speak for that second when the Rose Bowl stood still.
Football is a funny game and it’s largely due to the shape of the ball. The bounce of the ball is unpredictable. How it bounces decides games. It bounces due to random forces that apply to the position of the ball when it drops to the earth and the surface it lands on. The game of football is famous for its odd bounces. Teams that benefit from the bounce win games and parade for the camera. The ones who suffer the fate of the fickle football roll can console themselves with blaming karma or whatever superstition gives them solace. Wisconsin can say it wasn’t their day.
As if the bounce of the ball along the Oregon sideline wasn’t enough, the ball had already played a key role in another frozen second. There are arguments that that first frozen second had more to do with Wisconsin’s loss than Abbrederis’ fumble.
It started when De’Anthony Thomas caught a kickoff in the end zone and headed out. He changed his mind and opted for a touch back with one foot and half the ball on the goal line. Exhaustive replay proved that was exactly where he stopped with half the ball still in the end zone or on the goal line. The red clad fans screamed foul. They had seen Thomas’ foot pressed clearly on the line.
Most people didn’t know the rule. As in many things football, it’s where the ball is, not the feet. Fans believe the most important factor is the feet because receivers catching a pass must have at least one foot in bounds – not on the line — for the pass to be ruled complete. Not so in this instance, nor anything else having to do with the goal line. The ball must go all the way over the line.
The video evidence to the uninformed was conclusive with Thomas’ foot on the line. Those fans in red raised a mighty whine. It was so loud that it encouraged Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema to call a timeout to challenge the ruling. Not only did he get slammed down by the officials, he burned a critical timeout he would have killed for at the end of the game.
Football is a funny game. The ball takes odd bounces or stops in places where fate and winning hangs in the balance. Sometimes where it stops is very dramatic. These instances happen on a very large stage with 91,000 people watching and millions more watching on television. These drama-laden instances happen at the peak of tension when winning and losing is still in doubt. These are moments that live in history.
When the world begins to move again, reactions are extreme. People scream, point, and stare. Even coaches, older men more used to standing, can jump to unexpected heights. Chip Kelly was lucky he could jump where there was room.
I jumped and spilled the chips.
David Paulson, the Oregon tight end that caught one pass, deserves a special note of praise. On De’Anthony Thomas’ second TD run, Paulson was right there for the last ten yards running interference. It is the second notable time Paulson was there for Thomas. The first time was in the Stanford game on Thomas’ 41 yard screen pass on fourth down. One defender remained between Thomas and the end zone and Paulson gave the speedy Thomas all the help he needed. Receivers blocking down field for their running backs is always the sign of a well made football team.
Paulson gets the mention because nowhere else was a word heard about this job well done.
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