Serious question for the "B1G refs are rigging games against us" folks...

[Landomatic]

Should we leave the B1G?

Saw this posted by @B1G RED RULES in another thread and nobody addressed it. Then watched the Michigan/USC game yesterday and I will admit, I saw some questionable calls/no-calls that seemed to go Michigan's way. It got me wondering if all you guys are right.

If there's something to it, how are we supposed to combat it? If they're doing it to USC, and if they're doing it for a lowly program like Illinois 14 years in, I don't see how it's going to ever change. If we haven't been given the super secret handshake by now, we never will.

Seems the only 2 choices we have are to continue to suck or leave. We left the Big 12 when they were stacking things against us. How is this any different?

I personally don't buy into this theory, for the record.

 

[SWIowahawks]

The Big Ten bringing in Blue Bloods and then having an agenda to keep those Blue Bloods down is one of my favorite theories.

FTR, I bet a lot on Big Ten teams and watch a ton of games. The officials are always just bad across the board.

 

[scarletred]

Should we leave the B1G?

Saw this posted by @B1G RED RULES in another thread and nobody addressed it. Then watched the Michigan/USC game yesterday and I will admit, I saw some questionable calls/no-calls that seemed to go Michigan's way. It got me wondering if all you guys are right.

If there's something to it, how are we supposed to combat it? If they're doing it to USC, and if they're doing it for a lowly program like Illinois 14 years in, I don't see how it's going to ever change. If we haven't been given the super secret handshake by now, we never will.

Seems the only 2 choices we have are to continue to suck or leave. We left the Big 12 when they were stacking things against us. How is this any different?

I personally don't buy into this theory, for the record.

“ Should we leave the B1G”🤪
Get the hell out of here with that dumb comment.

 

[Landomatic]

“ Should we leave the B1G”🤪
Get the hell out of here with that dumb comment.

So continue to suck then? Or you don’t buy that the refs are out to screw us?

 

[scarletred]

So continue to suck then? Or you don’t buy that the refs are out to screw us?

Do you really want me to give you $21 Million reasons why this idiotic..
Penn St fans have said the same thing when they joined in 1993..

 

[headcard]

Penn St fans have said the same thing when they joined in 1993..

And they were right. That is the culture of the Big Ten.

 

[drubendall]

You know what would be cool? Some warning. Hey 98, our AI camera in the booth says you’re molesting the defender. That’s going to start getting called.

 

[scarletred]

And they were right. That is the culture of the Big Ten.

Hey, no question we’ve been more times than not on the short end of the stick in a lot of games with holding calls on us but not the Michigan’s, Wisky’s and clarkeyes of the big 10..

But to say we need to leave and go to another conference is butt stupid.

 

[Landomatic]

Hey, no question we’ve been more times than not on the short end of the stick in a lot of games with holding calls on us but not the Michigan’s, Wisky’s and clarkeyes of the big 10..

But to say we need to leave and go to another conference is butt stupid.

Hahaha so we should just continue to suck then? Wow, what a perspective. Other than that or leaving the conference, what do you propose? You're full of slinging insults without offering any solutions.

 

[Zeke2005]

Hahaha so we should just continue to suck then? Wow, what a perspective. Other than that or leaving the conference, what do you propose? You're full of slinging insults without offering any solutions.

Where would we go? The Big 12 is a shell of what it was when we left. You think we’d have more success in the SEC? I suggest we stop failing to make big plays, stop being lost on defense, stop having lousy FG kickers and the wins will come.

 

[headcard]

I am one who does believe the B1G does have an agenda. The conference is obviously and completely biased. No they don’t have some secret meetings or whatever, but that is clearly the culture of that conference. It’s a good ole boys club that has never wanted us here and doesn’t want us to be successful.

We have had this conversation over and over and over since joining the conference, because this shit keeps happening. Some people still talk about the 09 A&M game, but we have gotten that treatment on repeat since joining the B1G. It has costs us so many games and puts us at a competitive disadvantage constantly. Yes many nights it is possible to overcome it and win anyway, which we usually have not, but we shouldn’t have to overcome phantom PI calls, insane spots on fourth down stops, ignored block in the back calls, etc.

I know the OP is being sarcastic and trying to start shit (admittedly I took the bait), but we are in such a bad spot. The league had made it clear where they stand and that nothing is going to change. We are financially tied to the conference, but this just sucks for our football program and everyone that continues to support it.

 

[Landomatic]

I am one who does believe the B1G does have an agenda. The conference is obviously and completely biased. No they don’t have some secret meetings or whatever, but that is clearly the culture of that conference. It’s a good ole boys club that has never wanted us here and doesn’t want us to be successful.

We have had this conversation over and over and over since joining the conference, because this shit keeps happening. Some people still talk about the 09 A&M game, but we have gotten that treatment on repeat since joining the B1G. It has costs us so many games and puts us at a competitive disadvantage constantly. Yes many nights it is possible to overcome it and win anyway, which we usually have not, but we shouldn’t have to overcome phantom PI calls, insane spots on fourth down stops, ignored block in the back calls, etc.

I know the OP is being sarcastic and trying to start shit (admittedly I took the bait), but we are in such a bad spot. The league had made it clear where they stand and that nothing is going to change. We are financially tied to the conference, but this just sucks for our football program and everyone that continues to support it.

I'm not trying to start shit. Read the thread title. It's a serious question.

Look, I am on record as hating this conference with a passion, which might be the only thing you and I agree on. I firmly believe the move to the B1G was the beginning of the end for us and nobody will ever convince me otherwise. I just don't think the games are literally rigged against us with crooked zebras. But if they are, then we have to A) leave or B) continue to suck. It can't be both. That's the point of the thread.

Unless someone has a better solution that I'm missing, which nobody has offered.

 

[Baxter48]

I am one who does believe the B1G does have an agenda. The conference is obviously and completely biased. No they don’t have some secret meetings or whatever, but that is clearly the culture of that conference. It’s a good ole boys club that has never wanted us here and doesn’t want us to be successful.

We have had this conversation over and over and over since joining the conference, because this shit keeps happening. Some people still talk about the 09 A&M game, but we have gotten that treatment on repeat since joining the B1G. It has costs us so many games and puts us at a competitive disadvantage constantly. Yes many nights it is possible to overcome it and win anyway, which we usually have not, but we shouldn’t have to overcome phantom PI calls, insane spots on fourth down stops, ignored block in the back calls, etc.

I know the OP is being sarcastic and trying to start shit (admittedly I took the bait), but we are in such a bad spot. The league had made it clear where they stand and that nothing is going to change. We are financially tied to the conference, but this just sucks for our football program and everyone that continues to support it.

Bo didn’t help the situation at all his blowup’s at officials is right up there with woody Hayes but we aren’t Ohio State or Michigan, I’m actually torn I thought the big ten would be a good fit for us but their good ole boys attitude and boring football the conference in a whole sucks how many schools have abused children and women along with racism and expect for Penn st which isn’t a original member nothing has happened to the other schools makes me think maybe the big 12 would be better

 

[cubsker]

The ref on the Illinois sideline was crooked, I have no doubt in my mind.

 

[Landomatic]

Bo didn’t help the situation at all his blowup’s at officials is right up there with woody Hayes but we aren’t Ohio State or Michigan, I’m actually torn I thought the big ten would be a good fit for us but their good ole boys attitude and boring football the conference in a whole sucks how many schools have abused children and women along with racism and expect for Penn st which isn’t a original member nothing has happened to the other schools makes me think maybe the big 12 would be better

I've said from the jump, we just traded a Texas/Oklahoma problem for an Ohio State/Michigan problem.

 

[Bugeater]

Most of the penalties Friday night against Nebraska were legit, Nebraska needs to overcome their own mistakes, that will take care of a lot of things.

 

[redli]

Yes, there is an issue. It's probably not well enough coordinated from a top down to find a paper trail, but it's an understood situation. The only way to solve it is to have accountability for the officials. Schools should get strikes or something similar and refs don't get paid with too many strikes. Some sort of system that will hit people involved personally in the pocketbook will force compliance.

 

[headcard]

I've said from the jump, we just traded a Texas - Oklahoma problem for an Ohio State - Michigan problem.

I wish that was true. We didn’t like the new dynamic of the power shift to Texas in the Big12. But we were still a respected program. Now we are on the bottom of the totem poll and targeted. I can’t imagine this is what TO tough we were signing up for.

 

[redli]

Most of the penalties Friday night against Nebraska were legit, Nebraska needs to overcome their own mistakes, that will take care of a lot of things.

It's not about what we did, they aren't making things up to call on Nebraska. It's the lack of calls the other way.

 

[headcard]

Most of the penalties Friday night against Nebraska were legit, Nebraska needs to overcome their own mistakes, that will take care of a lot of things.

Really?

No call on that push off on their first third down conversion. They scored a TD.

No PI called against Neyor in the end zone on our first drive. This is called 100% of the time. Easy obvious call. We kicked a FG instead of a TD.

Phantom PI call on Wright after a third down stop.

Bogus spot on a fourth down stop.

No call on an obvious block in the back on a long kick return. Giving up 50+ yards of field position.

These are not normal. Most are calls that are made correctly almost 100% of the time, even at the HS level. Yes it was possibly to still over come them, but that doesn’t make it OK, both things can be true.

 

[Bugeater]

It's not about what we did, they aren't making things up to call on Nebraska. It's the lack of calls the other way.

Still, Nebraska players have to do a better job to control their own path to victory. Yes, we see tons of missed calls during a game, I just hope somehow the team can get their's cleaned up. Towards the end of last year, Nebraska did a good job in getting those penalties reduced, hopefully things will start trending that way again.

 

[Landomatic]

I wish that was true. We didn’t like the new dynamic of the power shift to Texas in the Big12. But we were still a respected program. Now we are on the bottom of the totem poll and targeted. I can’t imagine this is what TO tough we were signing up for.

Well, yeah, that's 100% true, but you get the gist of the statement.

 

[Bugeater]

Really?

No call on that push off on their first third down conversion. They scored a TD.

No PI called against Neyor in the end zone on our first drive. This is called 100% of the time. Easy obvious call. We kicked a FG instead of a TD.

Phantom PI call on Wright after a third down stop.

Bogus spot on a fourth down stop.

No call on an obvious block in the back on a long kick return. Giving up 50+ yards of field position.

These are not normal. Most are calls that are made correctly almost 100% of the time, even at the HS level. Yes it was possibly to still over come them, but that doesn’t make it OK, both things can be true.

I'm just saying that if Nebraska can reduce the legit ones it will help a lot. I get where you're coming from, it's frustrating to see the things you mention going on in a game.

 

[redli]

Still, Nebraska players have to do a better job to control their own path to victory. Yes, we see tons of missed calls during a game, I just hope somehow the team can get their's cleaned up. Towards the end of last year, Nebraska did a good job in getting those penalties reduced, hopefully things will start trending that way again.

Absolutely...for some reason some of the self control stuff is coming back. The other team has 100 kids on it, too, though and most certainly has some players with control issues...they just don't seem to get punished. And honestly, the holding is so egregious sometimes...they get our guys with so many ticky tac holding penalties, sometimes on the opposite side of the play, it just becomes maddening. They show replays of our guys getting dragged down from behind and such, I just couldn't stand it if I was a coach on our sidelines.

 

[Frozone]

It’s a mix of incompetence and bias, and it happens in every conference. Every week, refs make bad, inexplicable calls in real time that are always going to look worse when magnified and played back over and over again in slow motion. For awhile, some conferences even asked that controversial replays not be shown on the stadium Jumbotron, but most schools ignored the request.

As for bias towards the top conference members, yeah, it’s probably there. Just like NBA superstars are always going to get the calls, it exists in college football towards the top dogs in any conference . I’ve seen games where Purdue, Michigan State, Iowa, and Northwestern—all conference longtime members—have been royally screwed by officiating. It’s a theme in the SEC, too: if you’re not Bama or Georgia, you have to be good enough to not put a close game in the hands of the refs.

And that, right there, is the problem. We haven’t been top dogs, and we haven’t been good enough to overcome bad calls. I have no great love for the conference powers and no respect whatsoever for the way sheeple like Desmond Howard treated us during Covid. But we have only ourselves to blame for not playing better football; do that, and it’ll be miraculous how those calls start to go our way a little more often. Until and unless Rhule really gets things going, we’d have the same set of issues in any other P4 league in the country.

 

[Landomatic]

I'm just saying that if Nebraska can reduce the legit ones it will help a lot. I get where you're coming from, it's frustrating to see the things you mention going on in a game.

Yeah, but if it's happening (not saying it is - but I'm starting to waiver a little), no amount of quality play from us will ever overcome it. Not for championship level football that we all want anyway. Enough to beat the Illinois of the world? Sure but we aren't winning anything of relevance if that's going on. So, we either continue to suck or leave.

 

[RU4NU]

Really?

No call on that push off on their first third down conversion. They scored a TD.

No PI called against Neyor in the end zone on our first drive. This is called 100% of the time. Easy obvious call. We kicked a FG instead of a TD.

Phantom PI call on Wright after a third down stop.

Bogus spot on a fourth down stop.

No call on an obvious block in the back on a long kick return. Giving up 50+ yards of field position.

These are not normal. Most are calls that are made correctly almost 100% of the time, even at the HS level. Yes it was possibly to still over come them, but that doesn’t make it OK, both things can be true.

What’s even more amazing, statistically speaking, the “advantage” of playing at home is usually you will get the benefit of the doubt on every single one of these calls and then some. Also of note from my vantage point in the 600 section, make particular note of the ball spots after a play for us vs. our opponent. Absolutely atrocious.

 

[Baxter48]

What’s even more amazing, statistically speaking, the “advantage” of playing at home is usually you will get the benefit of the doubt on every single one of these calls and then some. Also of note from my vantage point in the 600 section, make particular note of the ball spots after a play for us vs. our opponent. Absolutely atrocious.

I really believe those officials enjoyed pissing off the crowd several times on tv I would notice several of them grinning after a no call

 

[RU4NU]

Absolutely...for some reason some of the self control stuff is coming back. The other team has 100 kids on it, too, though and most certainly has some players with control issues...they just don't seem to get punished. And honestly, the holding is so egregious sometimes...they get our guys with so many ticky tac holding penalties, sometimes on the opposite side of the play, it just becomes maddening. They show replays of our guys getting dragged down from behind and such, I just couldn't stand it if I was a coach on our sideline

Infuriating when you see pictures and referees are looking DIRECTLY at the most obvious holding penalties that don’t get called on our opponents

 

[Landomatic]

Guess I should have known this thread would devolve into more “the refs have it out for us talk.” Thats my bad. I’m looking for identifying solutions, not identifying more problems.

 

[Baxter48]

Does anyone have a email address to the big ten conference head of the officials? It’s time we start sending emails, yes I know it won’t do any good but several thousand emails can’t hurt. Be polite no cussing. I already emailed fox sports about their terrible announcers, I highly Doubt if I get a reply but they know I wasn’t pleased

 

[headcard]

I really believe those officials enjoyed pissing off the crowd several times on tv I would notice several of them grinning after a no call

100%. I’ve noticed that for a while. The booing and angry crowd, doesn’t help. They love it.

 

[huskerfan66]

The ref on the Illinois sideline was crooked, I have no doubt in my mind.

Well they do switch sides. Which half. I knew our goose was cooked when they came on the field pregame. That 1 particular ref was involved in 4 or5 bad calls in the first half. Some were conversed and the flag was picked up. That ref was on the NU sideline the first half

 

[headcard]

USC fans got their first taste yesterday.

 

[regoratsginrom]

Losers complain about officiating. Calls get made and missed both ways all game long because the officials are just like players and coaches (humans) and they make mistakes. Why do people think officials should be flawless? People really think the B1G invited us in to their party only to ridicule and make fun of us? GMAFB.

Play better and no one will bitch about officiating.

 

[headcard]

Losers complain about officiating. Calls get made and missed both ways all game long because the officials are just like players and coaches (humans) and they make mistakes. Why do people think officials should be flawless? People really think the B1G invited us in to their party only to ridicule and make fun of us? GMAFB.

Play better and no one will bitch about officiating.

There it is. Hope that little rant made you feel better, it’s complete bullshit, but still.

Officials are paid to call a fair game. A PI is a PI and a hold is a hold whether the player is in a Nebraska uniform or an Illini uniform. Why is that even a debate?

What makes some fans OK with getting fvcked by the officials in a game? Is it because you are an official or your dad or uncle or whatever is? They come home and tell you how hard it is and how everyone is mean to them so you have decided all officials are above reproach? There are high stakes in these games. They need to be competent and unbiased.

 

[Clemke32]

I’ll start with saying I don’t buy into this conspiracy of the conference is holding us down. I do think some zebras are better than others. I didn’t watch any football yesterday, I was too busy so I can’t speak on any other games with the new comers, but I can say I still think the zebras calling our game were horrible. That’s not complaining or making an excuses for all those “losers complain about refs” people, that’s simply me making an observation. now to get to your question on if we should leave, absolutely not, I don’t know why we would. Bad calls are going to happen in any game, we shouldn’t just take our ball and leave. What needs to happen is the big ten needs to step up and hold zebras accountable just like they hold players and coaches accountable, grade them on a per game performance, make their grades public, and fire poor performing ones at the end of the year, or suspend them if they have a really bad game.

For those that do think we should leave, I’d ask you where in the hell would we go? Should we go back to the big 12? No thank you, if you think they stack the refs against us here what do you think they’d do if we went back? Especially after we’re a big reason why it looks so different now! Should we go to the SEC, where right now we’d be on par with like a Vandy, and oh yea be back with Texas? I don’t think any of those are better fits, so where should we go?

 

[king_kong_]

I’ll start with saying I don’t buy into this conspiracy of the conference is holding us down. I do think some zebras are better than others. I didn’t watch any football yesterday, I was too busy so I can’t speak on any other games with the new comers, but I can say I still think the zebras calling our game were horrible. That’s not complaining or making an excuses for all those “losers complain about refs” people, that’s simply me making an observation. now to get to your question on if we should leave, absolutely not, I don’t know why we would. Bad calls are going to happen in any game, we shouldn’t just take our ball and leave. What needs to happen is the big ten needs to step up and hold zebras accountable just like they hold players and coaches accountable, grade them on a per game performance, make their grades public, and fire poor performing ones at the end of the year, or suspend them if they have a really bad game.

For those that do think we should leave, I’d ask you where in the hell would we go? Should we go back to the big 12? No thank you, if you think they stack the refs against us here what do you think they’d do if we went back? Especially after we’re a big reason why it looks so different now! Should we go to the SEC, where right now we’d be on par with like a Vandy, and oh yea be back with Texas? I don’t think any of those are better fits, so where should we go?

Big 12 is a very entertaining football league as it stands right now

And a hell of a hoops conference

Lots of fun being had there

 

[Frozone]

USC fans got their first taste yesterday.

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This is probably the way. Coaches can’t even talk about bad officiating without being fined, and schools can only send in a tape. The more fans put them on blast for blatant no-calls like these, the more pressure to get rid of incompetent refs.

Counterpoint: didn’t help get rid of Angel Hernandez any faster, but still…

 

[regoratsginrom]

There it is. Hope that little rant made you feel better, it’s complete bullshit, but still.

Officials are paid to call a fair game. A PI is a PI and a hold is a hold whether the player is in a Nebraska uniform or an Illini uniform. Why is that even a debate?

What makes some fans OK with getting fvcked by the officials in a game? Is it because you are an official or your dad or uncle or whatever is? They come home and tell you how hard it is and how everyone is mean to them so you have decided all officials are above reproach? There are high stakes in these games. They need to be competent and unbiased.

Don’t have any family/friends who are officials. Agree they should be “competent and unbiased.” Don’t agree that they have it “in for Nebraska.” Lots of calls get made and missed every game. I don’t think it’s some sort of conspiracy. Husker fans have been complaining that the officials are out to get us since the Texas B12 championship game. Different conference. Different officials. The only common denominator is we lost. Play better and it won’t be near the issue.