Joel Klatt Blasts Officiating, Says Ohio State Buckeyes Were Robbed in Controversial Loss to Oregon Ducks

One of the best games of the year took place in the college football world over the weekend, with the No. 3 Oregon Ducks upsetting the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, 32-31 at home in front of a record crowd at Autzen Stadium.

It was a back-and-forth game that saw seven total lead changes, with both teams playing well enough to win and proving that they belong in the conversation as leading contenders for the national championship.

In the end, it was Dan Lanning and the Ducks who triumphed, winning the first-ever top-five matchup in Eugene.

Once the game went final, some controversy started to brew about the officiating that took place late in the fourth quarter with time winding down. It's a call that Ohio State head coach Ryan Day questioned after the fact, and now Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt is going on record as saying that it was a "poor call" that cost the Buckeyes the game.

Here's what happened: With the Buckeyes driving into Oregon territory, only needing a field goal to win, true freshman star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith caught a pass from Will Howard and advanced it to the Ducks' 18-yard-line with less than a minute remaining. However, the refs called offensive pass interference on Smith, claiming that he pushed off of Oregon CB Nikko Reed, creating enough separation for the catch.

The Buckeyes were pushed back 15 yards and had to work hard to get back into field goal range, which they ultimately were unable to do, losing after time ran out on QB Will Howard, who scrambled and was unable to stop the clock before it hit 0:00.

"I was shocked watching the game that they called the offensive pass interference," Klatt said on his podcast. "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 a clear extension ... Was there contact between Jeremiah Smith and the corner? Yes. Was it physical? Yes, there's no doubt. On the film, all night it had been physical."

There were a number of plays throughout the game that back up Klatt's point here. Both defenses were getting away with a lot of hand-fighting in coverage, and only two pass interference penalties were called in the game, one of which was nullified by an off-setting penalty.

So for the Buckeyes to lose the game in part because of this OPI in one of the most crucial moments is a fair complaint.

"He doesn't push off in order to create the space, and still the flag comes out," Klatt continued. "I thought it was a bad call, point blank ...  the fact that the flag comes out there I thought was a poor call."

While it's tough to argue against Klatt, Oregon fans would be quick to point out the numerous times when they had serious gripes against the officials, most notably on the first drive of the game. With Ohio State taking a deep shot over the middle, Ducks' linebacker Jeffrey Bassa appeared to come up with an interception while rolling over the Ohio State tight end, and Oregon celebrated the turnover. Meanwhile, the refs called it a complete pass to Ohio State, and the Buckeyes raced up to the ball and got a snap off without the officials stopping the play for a review.

The rules analyst on the broadcast confirmed that it should have been an interception, and said that the officials needed to stop the play to review it with that much uncertainty. Instead, Ohio State drove down and scored an opening touchdown a few plays later.

With a game of this magnitude, it's tough when there are certain calls that have an impact on the outcome. In the end, though, it feels safe to say that fans can feel confident in a rematch between these two teams at the Big Ten Championship Game in December.

Related: Ohio State at Oregon Draws Huge Television Audience, Highest in Big Ten Since 2008