It'll go down as a play that Michigan Wolverine fans won't stop talking about. Not for the next week. Not for the next year. Not as long as Jim Harbaugh is the head coach.
In the second quarter of the Fiesta Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal against TCU, Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy uncorked a bomb to wide receiver Roman Wilson that was initially called a touchdown, which would have cut Michigan's deficit from 11 to 5 and delivered some much-needed momentum to the sideline.
However, referees overturned the call saying Wilson was down just before he entered the end zone.
Michigan Touchdown Overturned at the Goal Line in Fiesta Bowl
This was not ruled a touchdown and Michigan fumbles on the goal line on the next playpic.twitter.com/V81i2jSYyt
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) December 31, 2022
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Was Wilson already in when he fully secured the ball? Many fans on Twitter thought so, as did the writer of this story. It looked like Wilson slightly bobbled the ball before fully bringing it in. Even worse is replay should show something "clear and convincing" to reverse the call, and there's nothing clear and convincing about it.
Michigan got robbed. That was a touchdown. Not even close. Total embarrassment by officials. Wow. Pathetic.
— Adam Schein (@AdamSchein) December 31, 2022
Michigan just got screwed by the refs. Should?ve been a touchdown.
— Sean Jordan (@BaySean) December 31, 2022
Uh I'm watching on mute but why was that not a touchdown for Michigan? Extremely confused
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) December 31, 2022
That call (wrong in my opinion) that overturned the Michigan touchdown is a massive moment now.
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) December 31, 2022
And upon a slow-mo replay angle from the pylon camera, the catch certainly appeared to be made as Wilson was breaking the plane of the end zone:
This was ruled not a touchdown...
...Then Michigan fumbled it the next play ?
What do you think? pic.twitter.com/RmnUG7oh1x
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 31, 2022
The call was a decisive one, because Michigan fumbled the handoff at the goal line on the very next play, and TCU took over. The Horned Frogs continued to steam roll the Wolverines in the first half, finishing with 21 points to Michigan's three.
Michigan fumble!
TCU gets the ball back up 14-3! pic.twitter.com/ZoVzIYkFfm
— The Ox Cord Podcast (@TheOxCordPod) December 31, 2022
Screenshot from Twitter
The controversial play may or may not matter depending on the final score, but who knows how that touchdown affects Michigan's momentum the rest of the game? If Max Duggan and TCU can pull of the upset, there's no doubt this play will be talked about for the next week in Ann Arbor, on ESPN and all over.
Was it the right call? I'll let you be the judge.
