Oh Paul Zeise, we have been down this road before (1, 2, 3). Despite once again mocking Rutgers football on Tuesday, I was going to let that one slide. But my nemesis just had to go say something even dumber.
The 2007 game was a total sham (20-16) as the offensive pass interference call against Oderick Turner at the end of the game was a travesty. It was one of the worst calls I've seen in all my years of covering college football. Pitt should have won the game but they didn't.
Was Zeise on the PPG beat in 2005, when Big East refs desperately tried to hand Pittsburgh the game (but Wannstedt wouldn't let them)?
I remember the 2007 call. It was blatant offensive pass interference. The Pitt receiver pushed off a Rutgers DB in the end zone. That's how he was open enough to hall in the pass. Let's check with the NCAA rule book.
Offensive pass interference by a Team A player beyond the neutral zone during a legal forward pass play in which a forward pass crosses the neutral zone is contact that interferes with a Team B eligible player. It is the responsibility of the offensive player to avoid the opponents.
It's one thing if their fans continue to hold on to this profoundly mistaken belief, but supposedly objective journalists shouldn't be spouting complete nonsense.