Michigan fell in controversial fashion at Ohio State, 30-27 in double overtime, on a questionable spot in a game in which the Buckeyes were penalized twice for six yards. Missed calls included at least two pass interference penalties on which an official previously recused from the rivalry game in 2006 failed to throw flags … and one questionable one on which he did.
Kevin Schwarzel, the back judge (pictured below following an Ohio State touchdown Saturday), was featured in a Dec. 2006 article in the Athens News as an admitted Ohio State fan who was “not allowed” to work the No. 1 vs. No. 2 game in Columbus, a 42-39 Buckeyes win.
“Schwarzel was an Ohio State fan growing up, and said he was excited to be on the field for the Ohio State/Texas game, which featured (at the time) the top-ranked team in the country against the second-ranked team,” it read. “His crew worked the Ohio State/Michigan game this fall, which also featured the two top-ranked teams at the time, but Schwarzel was not allowed to work the huge game because he is from Ohio.”
Schwarzel “serves as the back judge for his football crews,” they added, “meaning he is at the back of the field, watching the receivers going out to catch passes and observing for penalties.”
Three plays on that end in particular stood out Saturday, and two of them ended key drives. Michigan was approaching Ohio State territory in the first quarter when fifth-year senior Amara Darboh was grabbed at the start of his route and thrown to the turf. Another, just as blatant, occurred in the second overtime when sophomore receiver Grant Perry was hogtied around the waist on a third down play. No flag was thrown, and Michigan had to settle for a field goal.
Saturday's back judge, Kevin Schwarzel, was recused from the 2006 Michigan - Ohio State game. The Big Ten won't comment as to why he was allowed to work Saturday's controversial game.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh cited a third down pass interference penalty on senior safety Delano Hill – one that kept an Ohio State scoring drive alive in the fourth quarter -- as another call with which he vehemently disagreed.
“The graphic display is the interference penalties,” he said. “The one not called on us on [sophomore] Grant Perry [in the second overtime] when clearly he was being hooked before the ball got there. The previous penalty they called on Delano Hill [in the fourth quarter], the ball was uncatchable by the receiver. I’m bitterly disappointed.
“Multiple holding penalties let go, multiple false starts. The official on my side, who is supposed to be watching that, is concerned about whether our coaches are in the white or not in the white. Their coaches were on the field, practically in the huddle at times.”
That official, reportedly Bobby Sagers, is also from Ohio, a member of the OHSAA Hall Of Fame.
Line judge Bobby Sagers, an Ohio native, working the Michigan side of the field Saturday.
Ohio State finished with only two penalties for six yards in the game, and national media was all over the apparent one-sidedness after the game.
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Mike Greenberg
✔@Espngreeny
The officiating in this game has been stunningly one sided.
#UMvsOSU
1:01 PM - 26 Nov 2016
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Mike Greenberg
✔@Espngreeny
If you do, the officials will gladly throw you a yellow hankie. They spent all day throwing them at Michigan guys.
#UMvsOSUhttps://twitter.com/jalenrose/status/802619937680490496 …
1:10 PM - 26 Nov 2016
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Jason Whitlock
✔@WhitlockJason
That's a tainted victory. The officiating in this game was one-sided and atrocious. Embarrassing. 2 flags on OSU for 6 yards.
1:04 PM - 26 Nov 2016
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Jason Whitlock
✔@WhitlockJason
These refs need to be investigated.
1:01 PM - 26 Nov 2016
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Rich Eisen Show
✔@RichEisenShow
Has
@richeisen ever taken a loss harder as a fan than this
#MICHvsOSU game? Echoing Jim Harbaugh's statements, Rich talks out his feelings.
12:53 PM - 28 Nov 2016
Kerry Kenny, the Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs, did not return TheWolverine.com’s request for comment on the apparent change in officiating policy as promised, but he was the one to issue a statement publicly reprimanding Harbaugh.
“The Big Ten office today issued a public reprimand of Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh for violating the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy following Michigan’s game against Ohio State on Nov. 26, 2016. In addition, the conference announced that the institution has been fined $10,000 as a result of the violation.
“The Big Ten determined that Harbaugh’s postgame comments regarding officials were in violation of Big Ten Conference Agreement 10.01, which states in part that 'The Big Ten Conference expects all contests involving a member institution to be conducted without compromise to any fundamental element of sportsmanship. Such fundamental elements include integrity of competition, civility toward all, and respect, particularly toward opponents and officials.' Coaches are teachers as well, and there is an expectation that they set the example for students and others in the area of sportsmanship."
The Wolverines fell to No. 5 in the AP and will learn their Bowl fate Sunday, still with an outside chance of making the four-team college football playoff.
