Ahead of the anticipated matchup between the #2 Ohio State Buckeyes and the #3 Oregon Ducks, both sides rallied in support outside Autzen Stadium on October 12. Throughout the game, both teams repeated scoring drives and brought the game to a dramatic performance heading into the last 2 minutes, with the Ducks ahead 32-31.

The Buckeyes had one last chance, but that was until the Ducks manipulated the loophole of College Football. Dan Lanning, Oregon’s head coach, decided to send out 12 players on defense, sacrificing 5 yards for the expense of taking 4 seconds off the clock. Ohio State’s quarterback Will Howard failed to complete a pass from this unfair penalty, and a scramble the next play ran out the clock while in field goal range.

The Ducks came out victorious but faced controversy from millions across the country. Several Ohio State players spoke out in anger claiming the ruling was “unjust” after Lanning declared the play was “obviously something we had worked on”.

The NCAA quickly acted against this scenario, and although the outcome of the game cannot be changed, the future of College Football will never be the same. Now, if 12 players are on the field, the offense can choose to reset the game clock along with the 5 yard penalty. This rule prevents the benefit of intentional defensive penalties and holds a valuable place in the rulebook, but will always hold its origin on a foundation of controversy.