The Oregon Ducks pulled off an interesting move in their win over the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday. In the aftermath of the controversial play, the NCAA may consider a rule change.
Oregon maneuvered to find a loophole on one of the final plays of the game. The Ducks drew 12 players out on the field with less than ten seconds remaining. Following an incomplete pass, the Ducks had to eat a penalty. But time ticked off the clock, putting Ohio State in a less than advantageous position with few seconds remaining.
As Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports wrote, “Unlike the NFL, NCAA rules do not reset the clock to where it was before the snap when a 12-men penalty is assessed, meaning Oregon essentially traded having an extra defensive back on an obvious passing down for a five-yard penalty that burned four seconds off the clock — a savvy move that is now garnering scrutiny.”
The NCAA Rules Committee is examining the loophole that Oregon coaches used against Ohio State, a committee official tells @YahooSports. They could take in-season action to address the play by directing officials to handle it differently in the future.https://t.co/5tw0q9Fs3q
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 15, 2024
NCAA secretary rules editor Steve Shaw told Yahoo that the organization planned to re-evaluate the play and how it’s officiated. While they said they made no errors, it appears they want to amend it now.
Of course, this decision doesn’t come without its own set of scrutiny. A lot of it is piled in the Oregon contingent, but it seems like there’s an easy way to address the situation nonetheless. But that doesn’t mean the Ducks did anything wrong either.
