Big 12 Commish Calls for Review of CFP Refs After ASU-Texas Targeting Controversy

Texas defeated Arizona State in double-overtime during Wednesday’s College Football Playoff quarterfinals game, but the Sun Devils may have had the chance to win it at the end of regulation if officials called targeting when Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe hit wide receiver Melquan Stovall on a tackle.

Officials reviewed the play and said it was not targeting, and Texas eventually won in the extra time.

As Nicole Auerbach of NBC Sports relayed, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark called for a review of CFP officiating in the aftermath.

“Moving forward, we need to address CFP officiating to ensure national standards are developed,” Yormark said. “These standards will be crucial to the CFP’s future, and I look forward to discussing them with my fellow committee members when we meet next.”

Stovall was tackled five yards short of a first down on a third-down play at the Arizona State 48-yard line with just more than one minute remaining in the game. Had targeting been called, the Sun Devils would have moved into Texas territory with a chance to pick up a few more yards and attempt a game-winning field goal.

Instead, they had to punt the ball back to Texas, which then moved into field-goal range before Bert Auburn missed his attempt.

Yet the SEC representative ended up prevailing when Quinn Ewers threw a touchdown pass to Matthew Golden on 4th-and-13 in the first overtime and Gunnar Helm for a score in the second overtime. Arizona State couldn’t match the touchdown in the second overtime, ending its chance at a national title.

The targeting controversy overshadowed what could have been an all-time classic game.

It seemed like the Longhorns were going to cruise when they built a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter, but star Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo threw a touchdown pass and then ran for another score down the stretch. The Big 12 representative was successful on both ensuing two-point conversions to tie the game.

Skattebo also scored in the first overtime and finished with 143 rushing yards, 99 receiving yards and three total touchdowns in an incredible performance.

Much of the postgame conversation would have been about Skattebo had the Sun Devils won. Instead, it focused on the targeting controversy, which even drew the attention of former NFL referee and current CBS Sports rules analyst Gene Steratore:

Texas ended up being the beneficiary of a critical non-call and is now two wins away from winning the national championship during the inaugural 12-team CFP.

Next up for the Longhorns is a de facto home game in the showdown with Ohio State in the semifinals in Arlington, Texas.