I don’t think we’d be saying this had MSU beaten Michigan.
Week of 2/2 Games Thread
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UNCs defense is 24 Illini-esque
They were when we played them, til we broke them
Marquise Nowell.
Anyone warching Duke-UNC?
Do either pass the eye test?
Do either pass the eye test?
100% agree. If each team gets 50 possessions(fairly random number), that's 100 trips down both ends. Nobody remembers 90% of the calls, but each team will focus on the 5% THEY feel they got hosed on. Keep in mind, the other team is in complete agreement with the 5% that go their way.
The refs play no favorites. They ref so many games during the year, they don't have any time for that nonsense.
Now, for some of the older group, Tom O'Neill(who is my uncle) who was one of the best refs in the conference(did both Big 10 and Big 12), did multiple Final Fours, tried the NBA out for a year before my aunt threatened to divorce him because of the travel....had a lot of interesting comments.
He said that referees make calls based on 1)What they see, 2)anticipation of a call and 3)what they believe is possible vs not possible.
To the dismay of myself and many here, in 2005, he was calling the Elite 8 game UNC vs Villanova. Foye made a play where he got himself into the lane, rose up and it seems like he hung there. Tom didn't think it was possible to get a shot off and called it a travel. Keep in mind, these refs are trying to sift through huge bodies, tied up in the lane, moving wildly fast. Long story short, he called Foye for a travel and it should have been a bucket and an and one. That would have put Nova up extremely late in the game. Instead, UNC got the ball and salted the game away with free throws. All refs get graded and despite a 97% on point rate, that one possession will forever live in the minds of Nova fans, but completely forgotten by UNC fans. Great call from their vantage point.
We also talked about road games. He said the vial things that came out of the student sections were atrocious and it's just non stop. The coaches beinf on them was no better. Even during dead balls, none of the refs were immune. He did the best to tune it all out, but admitted that on a play that was an ultra close call and could go either way....the explosion of the crowd made him question what he was seeing. The refs keeping their own heart rates down is a challenge for the younger guys.
This is WAY too long of a post, but the takeaway is that it's easy to sit on your couch, your fandom on full display, replay at your disposal, nobody in your ears but the wife and kids who probably leave the room during the game, etc...then blame the refs when things go wrong, but ignore them when things go right.
He also knew that getting criticized was part of the gig and as his career wound down, experience allowed him to shrug it all off. He was also on the same crew as Ted Valentine (TV Ted) quite a few times and he said that guy took more garbage than any one man could reasonably take.
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
Difficult to answer you without being complimentary towards Duke, which I never want to do.
But Duke won the first half by 12 with very little Boozer. They look pretty scary.
Chad Fleck
- Eureka, IL
I explain this a lot to players and coaches. I truly never care about the teams, at least like everyone else does. I'm there to serve the game.
I appreciate your long post. That was interesting to read.
Stevegarbs
- Mokena, IL
Great post, after 30+ years officiating high school and D2/3 football I agree completely. I never gave two sh*ts about who won or lost, who was home or away, etc. No official gets paid to care. Vast majority of fans can't seem to grasp that concept.
Along with UConn losing, if we can somehow beat MSU tonight we're #3 next week?
Even if we lose, good chance we remain at #5, IMO or not much lower
I've read your whole post... there's no excuse for the Fears play to not be a flagrant. It was on replay at the score's table. You have a clear look at it.
Lead to a 3 as well for them. Just awful.
EXACT call we didn't get with Wagler at the end of regulation.
I have to go with Nebraska.
I think your prediction is about spot on, given how this one played out
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4,348 likes, 19 comments - cbbkings on February 7, 2026: "UMASS AND COASTAL CAROLINA JUST PLAYED ONE OF THE GREATEST GAMES I HAVE EVER SEEN 🚨 JUST WATCH THESE SHOTS. • UMass hits a 3 to tie at the end of regulation to force overtime. • Coastal hits a 3 at the buzzer in OT to force double OT...
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Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
The officials may play no favorites in a particular game, but they work for the conference. The conference wants a game called a certain way and has other motives. If those officials want to keep working games, they will follow the conference’s orders and call games how the conference wants.
One of the reasons I stopped officiating college soccer was because I didn’t call a game as loosely as my assignors wanted. I call games tightly, and my assignors were upset that I called too many fouls. I didn’t think games devolving into near fights was a good way to referee games, so I saved myself the trouble. I’m sure that I would have never made it as a Big Ten basketball referee because I actually think you should call fouls and the players will eventually adjust. But that may not be entertaining, which is what the conference wants.
Jeff Anderson keeps getting Big Ten games because he follows the conference’s orders.
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