Was Oregon penalty on purpose on Ohio State’s final drive? NCAA football rules, explained

Ohio State football’s game vs, No. 2 Oregon on Saturday proved to be one of college football’s halfway through the 2024 season — and one that saw a devastating 32-31 loss for the Buckeyes.

The pivotal play in the defeat at Autzen Stadium saw Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard slide down on the game’s final down, just a second too late for Ryan Day to call a timeout for a potential game-winning field goal at the Oregon 26-yard line.

But that isn’t the only play that has been talked about following Ohio State’s loss to Oregon.

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One play earlier, Howard threw an intended short pass to Jeremiah Smith that was broken up by Ducks defensive back Jabbar Muhammad. The play was deemed a “no play,” as officials flagged Oregon for illegal substitution with 12 players on the field.

The result: Ohio State lost precious time on a potential game-winning drive (going from 10 seconds of game clock to just six). The Buckeyes only got 5 penalty yards, moving from the Oregon 43-yard line to the 38, still outside comfortable field goal range.

Since the conclusion of the game, fans have speculated whether the penalty was intentional on Oregon’s part, as well as why Ohio State gained only 5 yards instead of 15. Oregon coach Dan Lanning has yet to comment on the penalty, but it worked to the Ducks’ favor following Howard’s game-winning slide.

This conversation, which also includes some applause for Lanning for sending an extra player out as Ohio State did not get time back, was catalyzed by a breakdown video from Warren Sharp on X.

Here’s what to know on the NCAA’s rules regarding the ending of Saturday’s game:

NCAA football rule on 12 players on field

Oregon was flagged 5 yards for sending an extra player on the field, which falls under Rule 3, Section 5, Article 3, Paragraph 2 of the NCAA football rulebook:

• II. 3/5 @ B-35. Team B has 12 players in the formation, and no Team B player is attempting to leave the field while the ball is ready for play. Team A snaps the ball and the run by A44 gains 3 yards. RULING: Live ball foul, Team A 1/10 @ B-30.

As noted by the rule, it’s a “live ball foul,” meaning time is not put back on the clock — a pivotal point that ultimately proved costly for Ohio State, which could have used the four extra seconds to call a timeout and attempt a game-winning field goal.

Should Oregon’s penalty vs Ohio State have been 15-yards?

Another debate about the ending of the game is whether Oregon should have been hit with a 15-yard penalty, as opposed to a 5-yard one. The former would have put Ohio State squarely in field goal range at the 28-yard line, with the opportunity to get one last play in before a potential game-winning field goal.

One potential rule that has sparked debate on the penalty yardage is Rule 9, Section 2, Article 1, Paragraph B, Subgraph 4, which not only pertains to illegal substitutions but also mandates a 15-yard penalty:

However, based on the wording of the rule, it seems as though the point of the rule is to address players leaving their sidelines to celebrate with their team. Hence, Oregon’s extra player on the field likely wouldn’t fall under this ruling, and the infraction incurred would still result in a 5-year penalty.

Another scenario that could possibly have resulted in a 15-yard penalty is whether Oregon’s 12-man penalty was committed explicitly to take time off the clock, which is addressed by Per Rule 9, Section 9, Article 3, Paragraph 2 of the NCAA Football rulebook:

• II. Team A, trailing by nine points, has 1st-and-10 on the B-22 with 0:35 showing on the game clock. At the snap, B21, B40 and B44 blatantly hold, wrapping both arms around Team A’s wideouts and take them to the ground. Quarterback A12 has no receiver in the route, scrambles and then legally throws the ball away. After the play, the game clock reads 0:26. The back judge, field judge and side judge have a flag down for Team B holding on each of their keys. RULING: This is a blatant and obvious unfair act RULE 9 / Conduct of Players and Others Subject to the Rules FI-79 designed to take time off the clock. The referee will convert the holding fouls to an unsportsmanlike conduct fouls. Penalize half the distance to the goal. Team A will have 1st and 10 at the B-11. The game clock is reset to 0:35 and starts on the next snap. B21, B40 and B44 each have one unsportsmanlike foul counter.

Because Oregon’s penalty was not “blatant and obvious,” however, officials likely would not levy a 15-yard penalty against the Ducks. As it stands, the penalty, its interpretation by officials and Howard’s final play all combined for a costly loss for Day and Ohio State.

The Buckeyes (5-1, 2-1 in Big Ten) will return to action next Saturday, Oct. 26 against Nebraska at Ohio Stadium, as Ohio State is on its second bye of the season in Week 8.

Lori Schmidt of The Columbus Dispatch contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Did Oregon commit penalty on purpose on Ohio State’s final drive?