Editor’s Note: Follow live updates, scores and highlights from the National Championship Game: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame.
ATLANTA — They met Sunday morning as a winter storm hit the city, a harbinger of controversy erupting within the College Football Playoff.
This is not about CFP Board or Trustee meetings to analyze formats, or selection committees or campus games.
This is about the host.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day has been weary of Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petiti’s officiating since late September, according to a person close to the process who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.
Day sends game tape and uses certain metrics. He calls the league office and listens personally to both Petiti and Bill Carollo, the widely respected Big Ten officials coordinator since 2008.
Only now has there been a new development. SEC officials will be used to officiate Monday’s national championship game against Notre Dame. And Day is not happy.
“The playoff committee is going to learn some different things about what needs to be done in a number of areas,” Day said at media day Saturday. “I know that Commissioner Petiti certainly has that focus.”
What’s on my mind right now is SEC officials and the whole SEC joint replay process working on the championship game.
The SEC and Big Ten are fierce rivals on and off the field, and a win for Ohio State would give the Big Ten its second consecutive national title and keep the SEC out of the championship game (and championship game) for the second consecutive season. . .
I don’t want to open the can of conspiracies to feed the frenzy on the eve of the biggest game of the college football season, but it’s hard to argue against Day when it’s unfolding for everyone to see.
Ohio State, which boasts the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense, hasn’t had an opponent receive a forced offensive holding penalty since a Sept. 21 win over Marshall. The run spans nine regular season games and three CFP games.
And are you ready? — 728 plays from scrimmage.
“It’s crazy,” injured Ohio State center Seth McLaughlin said. “Can you imagine not having a single person on hold all the time? How could that happen?”
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Day has been working in the Big Ten’s office for several weeks, but his complaints have increased during the postseason, according to a person familiar with the process.
Ohio State ranks third in the nation with 51 sacks and third in rushing defense. It’s almost impossible not to get a holding call from your opponent. Especially since many coaches and players claim there is holding on almost every snap of every game.
This is not only 728 consecutive plays since the last decision to host the tournament, but 207 plays in three CFP games, and the referees should be among the elite. The Football Bowl Subdivision conference responsible for the CFP game will send its highest-rated staff to the game.
Is it ridiculous for Day to think that SEC officials working directly with the Big Ten to round out the conference would work against the Buckeyes?Of course it does.
But it’s equally foolish to think that Ohio State can get to 728 plays without drawing a holding call. The University of Michigan ran the ball 42 times against an eight- or nine-man front, one of the best defenses in college football, and never had possession.
Or that Oregon State, which fell short in the jump in the Rose Bowl quarterfinals, failed to get a single hold on 42 pass attempts. The Ducks allowed eight sacks but never had a hold.
That, folks, is the definition of a conspiracy.
Day is not alone in his concerns about officiating in the multibillion-dollar College Football Playoff. It’s a demanding job, and one that only gets caught up when mistakes are made.
The problem is that there were multiple high-profile mistakes, in one instance a targeting non-call that could have prevented Arizona State from winning the quarterfinal Peach Bowl vs. Texas.
Late in regulation of the Longhorns’ double-overtime victory, a no-call on Texas safety Michael Taaffe, who appeared to hit Arizona State wide receiver Melquan Stovall helmet-to-helmet, punted with 1:10 remaining. I was forced to. The Sun Devils would have had the ball at the Texas 47 if there had been a targeting call, which former NFL and college football officials say was actually targeted.
Texas still could have stopped Arizona State and sent the game to overtime. But the Sun Devils, who clearly have momentum, could have scored in more ways than just field goals.
All of this is not necessarily new, and questionable calls from officials are littered throughout the world of almost every sport. But the specific impact is unique to college football, a system of incremental economic benefits.
The Big Ten and SEC are the money-making behemoths of the sport, and every other FBS conference is influenced financially by them. The idea is that they do so, rather than the officials intentionally making the calls to benefit one team or the other.
The fact that a Big Ten crew worked in the Peach Bowl quarterfinals didn’t help in all optics.
Which brings us back to the National Championship game vs. Notre Dame. There, the highly anticipated Ohio State University is on the verge of winning its first national title since 2014.
The last time these teams met was in 2023, when Ohio State won 17-14 at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were given four penalties for 50 yards. Both were defensive penalties.
The CFP management committee concluded its meeting here early Sunday afternoon, and a spokesperson said no vote was taken and no changes were made. still.
“Once the season is over, there’s going to be a lot of things to look at to make things better overall,” Day said Saturday.
Is there a controversy?
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Matt Hayes is a senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow @MattHayesCFB on X.