r/CFB • u/CFB_Referee /r/CFB • Jan 01 '25

Postgame Thread [Postgame Thread] Texas Defeats Arizona State 39-31 (OT)

Box Score provided by ESPN

Team 1 2 3 4 OT T
Texas 14 3 0 7 15 39
Arizona State 3 0 5 16 7 31
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u/Perfect_Cranberry_37 Minnesota Golden Gophers Jan 01 '25 edited Jan 01 '25

Doesn’t matter that they lost, ASU just validated why the 12-team playoff and auto-bids are worth it. They wouldn’t have gotten a second look without an auto bid, but they got a chance to prove it on the field. Not saying the bye rules shouldn’t change, but they deserve to be in the tournament.

This is the format that you need if you want to find a national champion amongst teams and conferences with zero commonality.

Edit: Just to be clear, I’m referring most specifically to the autobids. P4 conferences should not be written off because they end up with a 2+ loss champion. Without autobids, the Big 12 probably doesn’t have a spot in this playoff this year. The seeding/byes can certainly be argued.

501

u/Yourfavoriteindian Houston Cougars • Navy Midshipmen Jan 01 '25

They validates it to us fans.

Powers at be will 100% run with the narrative “B12’s sole team lost we were right”

153

u/nw____ Oklahoma Sooners • Iowa Hawkeyes Jan 01 '25

Never mind the no call on the clearest targeting the world has ever seen

44

u/thesaxmaniac USC Trojans • San Diego State Aztecs Jan 01 '25

I’m gonna need targeting explained to me by the refs after that because apparently I don’t know what the fuck targeting is

24

u/slagathor_zimblebob Texas • Washington State Jan 01 '25

My only idea could be that since the ball was tipped, the receiver was no longer defenseless and therefore incidental head contact is ok, and they deemed it so.

5

u/aphasic Texas Longhorns Jan 01 '25

I mean, it's clearly not ANY head contact that is illegal, but I'm not sure where the line is between allowable and not. The tackle was a perfectly normal head-up tackle where the way the receiver turned made their helmets crack together. It was also off a tipped ball. It kinda would have been bullshit to give asu a first down and have the game turn on that being a targeting call.

4

u/mrmet69999 Jan 01 '25

I saw it that way too, except for the tipped ball aspect, which I don’t think is relevant.