Chris Petersen was a head coach in the college football pressure cooker for many years, so he knows how games can be won or lost by one bad or controversial call by the officials.

On Saturday afternoon, the longtime Boise State and Washington coach who’s now a FOX analyst did what he’s paid to do — give his opinion on college football games that don’t involve his team. And boy did Petersen have an opinion on the controversial offsides penalty that cost Minnesota one last shot at a huge upset at No. 12 Michigan in FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff feature game on Saturday.

“I’m sick to my stomach right now. I just hate to see this when the officials are making something up,” said Petersen. “I don’t know why they would throw that flag… That’s not egregious. What are we doing? Let the kids play.”

Minnesota had just scored a touchdown with 1:37 left to pull within 27-24, and after what looked like a successful onside kick, it sure looked like the Golden Gophers were going to get a shot to do the unthinkable. But Minnesota linebacker Matt Kingsbury was ruled offsides on the onside kick, which the Golden Gophers had recovered at the Wolverines’ 38-yard line with 1:36 left.

Suddenly, what looked like one of those memorable moments that come during a college football season was intercepted, you could say, by an offsides call that some, like Petersen, really didn’t see as offsides.

Instead of one last Minnesota possession, it was Michigan’s ball after all, and the Wolverines ran out the clock and escaped with the victory. Golden Gophers head coach PJ Fleck gave his take on the call after the game, and that was it. Minnesota was heading back home with a loss that easily could’ve turned out differently.