Cincinnati fans still complaining about controversial call in loss to Texas Tech

In just about every football game decided by three points, there is a moment that leaves both fan bases debating long after the final whistle. Texas Tech and Cincinnati certainly had one such play and even as the new week begins, Bearcat fans are furious and saying that their team was cheated out of a victory.

On the Bearcats' final drive in their 44-41 loss to the Red Raiders on Saturday night, as they were scrambling to either tie the game or score the go-ahead touchdown, Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby scrambled for two yards to the Cincy 38 before sliding to avoid being hit. However, just as he started his slide, Texas Tech safety C.J. Baskerville dove in to make the tackle. As a result, the helmets of the two players collided and a flag was thrown.

The play was examined during a lengthy rule and the original call for targeting was reversed and no foul was assessed on the play. Because the clock was running at the time that the flag was thrown, a 10-second runoff was assessed to counteract the incorrect stopping of the clock by the officials.

What is important to note is that the Bearcats still had one timeout in their pocket. So they could have avoided the 10-second runoff but they elected not to spend that timeout to do so. Still, Cincinnati fans, and even Bearcat head coach Scott Satterfield felt that they were wronged by this call. In fact, after the game, Satterfield said that his team was "screwed" by the officials.

After the game, the Big 12 released the following explanation of why the play included the 10-second runoff. Of course, that didn't satisfy Cincinnati fans.

Meanwhile, Texas Tech fans are quick to point out that the officials were not on their side earlier in the game when another controversial call went Cincinnati's way. In the third quarter, Texas Tech wide receiver Coy Eakin tried to make a catch along the sidelines when he was hit head-to-head by a Cincinnati defensive back.

On the play, it could have easily been argued that Eakin was a defenseless player as he was stretching out for the football when he was hit. However, the play was not reviewed for targeting, nor was a penalty flag thrown for a hit on a defenseless player.

Instead of Tech having a first-and-goal deep in Cincinnati territory, which would have been the result had a flag been thrown, the Red Raiders had to settle for a long field goal. Thus, that decision by the officials potentially cost Tech four points. Had that call been made, as Tech fans believe it should have, then it would have changed the trajectory of the game just as much as the no-call that the Bearcats are furious about did.

In the end, football games that are one-score affairs often leave the losing team and its fan base feeling salty. Fans can point to any number of calls or decisions by the officials as reasons their team lost.

But given that the Bearcats were penalized just twice for ten yards for the game, the idea that they were wronged by the officials is laughable. And given that Cincinnati missed two makeable field goals, one on the final play of each half, maybe they should not be upset at the referees and instead turn their ire toward their kicker.