Red13JoePa wrote:Dude, it was a helmet-to-helmet shot on a qb who was going OOB.
Michigan got away with it all year up to that point.
That is a personal foul that's gotta be called.
Agree, though. Without taking that penalty, Michigan stops that drive that put Ohio State back up by 2 scores.
Here's a decent take on the whole situation (obviously from a Michigan fan, though).
"Let's talk about that penalty for a second. Troy Smith was scrambling out of the pocket. Near the sideline, he is hit by two Michigan defenders. One makes helmet-to-helmet contact, and that's why he's flagged. Helmet-to-helmet contact has been a point of emphasis for officials since last year, but... was it a dangerous and intentional foul? In this circumstance, I don't think so. I think if you'd had a running back carrying the ball on that play, the referee might have kept his flag in his pocket. I don't fault the referee for making the call, but penalties are judgment calls, and at such a crucial point in the game, maybe you decide, "let's not have the outcome of the game decided on a penalty". Granted, I think OSU had a few questionable calls go against them as well, like that roughing-the-center penalty when Michigan was punting the ball. But that one against Michigan was a potential game-changer."