Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

Officials in Indiana-Ohio State game are having a rough day

Kristian Dyer

By Kristian Dyer

Published:

Being a referee is a tough enough task. But Saturday might take it to a whole new level.

One referee in the Indiana v. Ohio State game suffered a non-contact injury and was assisted off the field. Another may have been in the way or may have caused a fumble. All depends on one’s perspective and fandom.

With 3:16 left in the first half, wide receiver David Ellis caught the ball at Ohio State’s 7-yard line and turned up field. Before he was hit by Ohio State senior linebacker, he made contact with the referee.

The referee twisted his body and kicked his left leg out which may have contributed to Ellis, a freshman, fumbling the ball. Ohio State’s senior linebacker Baron Browning recovered the ball.

The fumble was significant, whether or not the referee caused it in actuality or the ball was already on its way out of Ellis’ hands. At that point, Indiana was driving and looked destined for points. One play before, quarterback Michael Penix had connected with Ellis for a 51-yard catch that brought the ball down to Ohio State’s 13-yard line.

Ohio State took the ball and marched down the field 93 yards as quarterback Justin Fields took it into the end zone on a 9-yard run and a 28-7 lead.

It gave Ohio State quite the leg-up going into halftime.

Kristian Dyer