Joel Klatt believes the offensive pass interference penalty called against Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith was unwarranted. Credit: NBC
By Sam Neumann on

The game of the week in college football was a win for Oregon and NBC—it was not for Ohio State.

Well, it could’ve been, perhaps, if a controversial pass interference call didn’t go against the Buckeyes. Of course, Ryan Day’s side could’ve prevented the Ducks from taking a 32-31 lead with under two minutes to play, but that doesn’t make the OPI call against freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith any less controversial.

Here’s another look at the 15-yard penalty:

It was ruled that Smith pushed off Oregon senior Nikko Reed rather than simply overpowering Oregon’s 5-foot-10, 180-pound defensive back. It didn’t decide the game, but it ultimately didn’t help. Of course, Ohio State willingly chose to air the ball down the field when all it needed to do was get in field goal range.

There’s also the Will Howard part to this equation.

In any event, that doesn’t make the call any better, as Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt said Monday that he was “shocked.”

“I was shocked watching the game that they called the offensive pass interference,” said Klatt. “I talk with officials all the time — and generally speaking, here’s what it comes down to for offensive pass interference: they want to see clear extension. They want to see the arm clearly extend, in order to gain separation. Now, was there contact between Jeremiah Smith and the corner? Yes. And was it physical? Yes — there’s no doubt.

“Now, on the film, all night, it had been physical. And in fact, the play previous, Jeremiah Smith is being held the entire time he’s trying to run a corner route. Like it was a physical game, and they had let them play for the most part throughout the entirety of the game. And then, all of a sudden, the corner squats; Jeremiah Smith is running his route and contacts the corner. And then, breaks out. Doesn’t extend — again, he doesn’t push off in order to create the space, and the flag comes out.

“I thought it was a bad call, just kind of point blank. And I would say that for anybody. Why? Because based on my conversations with officials, he didn’t extend; he doesn’t push. Is there contact? Yes. Is there contact on every play before that? Yes. So, the fact that the call comes out — it was a poor call. It was a poor call.”

Klatt’s insight into officiating nuances—particularly the emphasis on arm extension for OPI—gives credibility to the argument that the flag was unwarranted. While his credibility as an analyst only adds further weight to the controversy, it won’t change the outcome for Ryan Day and Ohio State.

[Joel Klatt]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann