Berry Tramel NewsOK.com Blogging Community

Replay has not been kind to the Oklahoma football Sooners. Lubbock, Texas. Eugene, Ore. Replay had a chance to right wrongs each of the past two seasons and both times failed. But what goes around comes around, and Thursday night, in far-off Soprano Land, replay paid one back to OU.

Rutgers beat South Florida 30-27, a huge decision in OU’s hopes for making New Orleans’ Big Bowl in January. South Florida was unbeaten, and this was by far its toughest remaining test. But South Florida would have won this game, maybe going away, if not for an overturned call. South Florida, leading 17-10, blocked a field goal in the second quarter, and Trae Williams eventually recovered the bounding ball and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown.

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano asked for a review, and replay officials ruled USF’s Tyrone McKenzie lateraled the football forward on the return. That sent the Bulls back around midfield, and
South Florida ended up not scoring. Was it a good call? Tough. Very tough. On the play, a
Rutgers player knocked the ball out of McKenzie’s left arm, and his right hand swatted it forward. It certainly could be seen as intentional, but the ball was free, and forever we’ve seen the ball do crazy things when it’s floating free.

A huge reversal. No way does Rutgers recover from a 24-10 hole. And maybe no way OU otherwise gets past South Florida in the BCS rankings.