Michigan football games make most controversial games list

Should you’re a Michigan soccer fan, you already know that the Wolverines are hardly ever on the great facet of fortune on the subject of profitable shut soccer video games. From the Kordell Stewart hail mary to bother with the snap towards rival MSU, the maize and blue all the time appear to search out inventive methods to lose.

However, it’s not all the time a gifted or fluky play that causes Michigan to falter in the long run.

247Sports took a look at the top 10 most controversial games in college football since the year 2000, and the primary sport talked about was the notorious ‘Spartan Bob’ fiasco in 2001, when it appeared that Michigan soccer had received the sport earlier than further time was added to the clock, which allowed T.J. Duckett to down the maize and blue.

The rivalry collection between Michigan and Michigan State has featured loads of memorable contests, although the 2001 assembly between the faculties is finest remembered for the controversy that got here through the ultimate drive of the Spartans’ upset of the No. 4 Wolverines. A tightly-contested sport all-the-way by, Michigan took a 24-20 lead with 5 minutes left within the sport by way of a 20-yard landing move from John Navarre to Jermaine Gonzales. With Michigan State then needing a visit to the top zone of their very own to retake the lead and win the sport, the groups traded punts on the next two drives earlier than the Spartans acquired the ball again of their arms one final time with simply greater than two minutes on the sport clock.

And that sport clock, as destiny would have it, wouldn’t be forgotten anytime quickly. Michigan State proceeded to slowly however absolutely work its approach down discipline, in the end discovering themselves inside the Michigan 5-yard line with solely a single second left on the clock after a spike. However the 0:01 on the scoreboard didn’t come with out debate, as Michigan coaches, gamers and even tv broadcasters contended that sport clock operator Bob Stehlin — identified domestically as “Spartan Bob” — generously stopped the clock earlier than the spike on the earlier play truly occurred. Michigan State would proceed to attain on that ultimate play when Jeff Smoker accomplished a 2-yard landing move to T.J. Duckett, giving Michigan State the 26-24 upset win. All that stated, debates nonetheless proceed to at the present time about who actually received “Clockgate,” and the occasions even prompted the Huge Ten to implement conference-appointed clock operators beginning in 2002.

However definitely, that’s not the one which’s contemporary or practically as painful to those that adore the winged helmet. There’s three phrases that also appear to ring out as a battle cry, years after the incident.

J.T. was brief.

Naturally, the 2016 iteration of The Sport — the place quarterback J.T. Barrett seemed to be stopped in need of the road to realize on fourth down in time beyond regulation earlier than the officers granted him the primary down — is a contentious second for Michigan soccer followers, even nonetheless. Simply as egregious, however unmentioned, had been the officiating calls that preceded that play: a move interference name within the fourth quarter on Delano Hill within the fourth, regardless of the ball being uncatchable; and the uncalled move interference on the earlier possession in time beyond regulation the place wideout Grant Perry was hooked.

Michigan followers will ceaselessly inform you that J.T. Barrett’s ahead progress was stopped in need of the first-down marker, whereas Ohio State followers by no means doubted for a second that their signal-caller had the gap earlier than Curtis Samuel pranced his approach to the top zone for the walk-off 30-27 win. That stated, the pivotal 4th and 1 play in double time beyond regulation, one which in the end went in favor of City Meyer and the Buckeyes as they wanted a conversion to remain alive, will ceaselessly be what the 2016 iteration of “The Sport” — one which noticed No. 2 go towards No. 3 with a playoff bid basically on the road — is remembered for.

Although Ohio State completed second its division because of a regular-season loss at Penn State, the Buckeyes however took the No. 3 seed in that yr’s playoff, whereas each Michigan’s Huge Ten title drought and the staff’s skid within the collection with its arch rival had been prolonged for one more yr. To this date, Michigan has nonetheless not received in Columbus since 2000 and has not prevailed within the collection since 2011.

Of 247Sports’ checklist of 10 video games, Ohio State was the benefactor in two of stated video games, proving the Buckeyes are on the alternative spectrum than the Wolverines. Not solely did the 2016 sport go in OSU’s favor, however so did the 2002 nationwide championship sport. Nonetheless, Ohio State’s flip within the 2019 Faculty Soccer Playoff semifinal towards Clemson was one occasion the place the Buckeyes noticed the officers flip towards them.

Michigan was the one staff to seem on the checklist twice being on the unhealthy finish of calls each instances.