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Jeff Okudah still isn’t over the officiating in Ohio State’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Clemson
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Last year’s Fiesta Bowl matchup between Ohio State and Clemson was one of the most-talked about games of the college football season. Not only was it an incredible contest, there were a few controversial moments in the game.
Despite owning a 16-0 lead in the first half of the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff, Ohio State wasn’t able to make enough plays late in the game to hold off a furious rally by Clemson, eventually falling 29-23 to the Tigers and missing on the chance to compete for a national championship.
Some players still don’t feel it was completely in their control. That includes former star defensive back Jeff Okudah.
A controversial targeting call and a fumble returned for a touchdown by Ohio State that was later ruled an incomplete pass by Clemson were the two highlights of the most disputed calls of the game. Many still believe those two coin-flip calls cost the Buckeyes the game. And after a recent video out of Clemson went viral, Okudah felt the need to chime in on Twitter.
“I’ll never forgive those referees,” Okudah wrote on Twitter, in response to Clemson’s video.
https://twitter.com/LSUBarstool/status/1288130645332504578?s=20
Okudah decided to pass on his final year at the college level and pursue a career in the NFL. But just because he moved on from the college game doesn’t mean he’s moved on from the loss.
The Buckeyes finished with a 13-1 record last season, winning a third-straight B1G title. Okudah ended up being the No. 3 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, picked by the Detroit Lions.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB