The final whistle blew on Michigan’s 27-9 defeat to Ohio State Saturday, but the echoes of outrage from the Big House haven’t faded. What began as a gritty goal-line stand for the Wolverines devolved into a parade of officiating controversies that left players, coaches, and the maize-and-blue faithful convinced they weren’t beaten — they were betrayed. From a headbutt that drew only a flag, not an ejection, to a phantom touchdown upheld on replay, the refs turned “The Game” into a referendum on Big Ten accountability, with Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore labeling the calls “the difference in a rivalry that should’ve gone our way.”
The flashpoint arrived early, with 6:23 left in the first quarter and Ohio State mired in a third-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham, the Maryland transfer terrorizing Buckeye backs with 31 tackles and four sacks this season, snapped in frustration over a spot call. Replays showed him clearly headbutting an official in the facemask — contact that, per NCAA Rule 9-2-1, typically warrants immediate ejection for “forcible” unsportsmanlike conduct. Instead, Barham drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty, his first of the game, pushing Ohio State back to the 16. No ejection. No further discipline announced by the Big Ten as of Monday.
Postgame, Big Ten referee Kole Knueppel defended the non-call to a pool reporter: “It’s a judgment call under Rule 9. By the official’s view, it wasn’t forcible enough for ejection, but it was unsportsmanlike.” The explanation rang hollow in Ann Arbor. FOX rules expert Mike Pereira called it “indefensible,” tweeting: “Headbutting an official? Ejection every time. This isn’t youth league.” Color analyst Joel Klatt piled on during the broadcast: “A massive mistake. Every right to toss him — and it changes the drive.” Barham’s continued presence helped Michigan stuff the Buckeyes on fourth down, preserving a 6-3 lead at quarter’s end. But the infraction’s leniency? It fueled immediate firestorms on X, with #FireTheRefs trending locally as fans demanded suspensions.
The wounds deepened in the second quarter, when Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin — the freshman phenom stepping in for injured Will Howard — lofted a 35-yard prayer to All-Big Ten receiver Jeremiah Smith. The senior streaked into the end zone, but slow-motion replays revealed a nightmare for Wolverine hearts: Smith bobbled the ball mid-stride, his left foot grazing the sideline (out of bounds) before he regained control after crossing the plane. On-field officials signaled touchdown. Replay review upheld it. Seven points for Ohio State, now 10-6.
Pereira and Klatt eviscerated the call live: “That’s a fumble out of bounds, recovered in the end zone — touchback, Michigan ball at the 20,” Pereira insisted, citing NCAA Rule 4-1-3 on possession and boundaries. Knueppel countered: “The crew lacked the TV camera angle to overturn. Judgment on the field stood.” Moore, seething in his presser, didn’t mince words: “The Jeremiah Smith fumble — or catch, they said control. Didn’t look like it. That’s on them, but it swung momentum.” The score? It ignited a 21-3 Buckeye run, burying Michigan’s offense under Sayin’s 248 yards and two scores, plus a ground game that gashed the Wolverines for 187 yards.
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