Big 12 Admits a Clock Error Cost Notre Dame One Last Play at BYU

Big 12 Admits Notre Dame Should Have Had One More Play at BYU

The Big 12 said one second should have been placed back on the clock at the end of Saturday night's Notre Dame-BYU game, which BYU won 28-24. Officials ruled the game over after Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr threw incomplete to Jaden Greathouse in the end zone, but replays showed the ball hit the ground with one second remaining, ESPN reported. That would have given the second-ranked Irish another play on second down.

The play was incorrectly cleared by the replay officiating crew.

The conference said it will conduct a complete review of its end-of-game officiating process in advance of next week's games. Because Notre Dame is an independent, its games are officiated by the league of its opponent. Coach Marcus Freeman called the final play "chaos" and appeared to take issue with a non-pass interference call on BYU cornerback Evan Johnson, but was not asked about the clock, ESPN reported.

Our Read: What the Clock Admission Does and Does Not Change

This is our reading of the facts above, and the result stands regardless.

• An admission is not a replay. One second can buy a single snap, and we cannot know what Notre Dame would have run or whether it would have scored. The error cost an opportunity, not a known result.
• The pattern matters more than the game. This is the second high-profile clock ruling this season. In the opener, the Big Ten ruled the stadium clock showed one second left, and Michigan beat Western Michigan on a Hail Mary. Two leagues, same weak spot.
• Independents face a structural gap. Notre Dame plays under its opponent's crew and replay rules each week, so the quality of the end-of-game process varies by conference. That is an inference from how the arrangement works, not a finding by anyone.
• The ranking stakes are real. Notre Dame entered as the No. 2 team and BYU as No. 8, so the result moves both in a playoff race even if the clock was wrong.

What to Watch After the Notre Dame-BYU Clock Ruling

• What the Big 12 changes in its replay process before next week's games.
• Whether other conferences announce their own end-of-game reviews.
• How the rankings treat Notre Dame and BYU after a result both fans and the league now question.
• Whether Freeman or the Irish say anything more about the final sequence.

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