This story was updated to add new information .
Ohio State’s 32-31 loss on Saturday at Oregon came down to the smallest possible margin, with Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard going down at the Ducks ’ 26-yard line a fraction of a second too late for his team to call a timeout and set up a potential game-winning field goal.
It was the play before that, though, that generated the most conversation online in the immediate aftermath of Ohio State’s setback.
Did Oregon coach Dan Lanning intentionally put 12 players on the field to lessen the chance of a big play but, more importantly, shave some precious remaining seconds off the clock?
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It appears to be the case.
When asked during his Monday news conference about whether the illegal alignment was on purpose, Lanning, unable to contain a smile, explained the focus he and his team put on specific, often overlooked late-game situations.
"We spend an inordinate amount of time on situations ... there are some situations that don't show up very often in college football, but this was one that, obviously, was something that we had worked on," Lanning said . "You can see the result."
Without explicitly saying as much, the answer seems clear: Yes, it was intentional.
Leading by a point after a go-ahead field goal the previous drive, Oregon had an extra defender on the field when Ohio State lined up for a third-and-25 at the Ducks’ 43 following a much-discussed offensive pass interference call on Buckeyes freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith and a Howard incompletion.
With 12 players on the other side, a Howard pass to Smith at the Oregon 30 was broken up, but the referees noticed the extra man lining up for the Ducks. It negated the play for Ohio State and moved it up five yards, but according to the NCAA football rulebook the penalty is a live-ball foul, meaning that time is not put back on the clock and Ohio State had only six seconds remaining to try to get into field-goal range or score a game-winning touchdown.
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Lanning’s gambit paid off. Oregon got an extra player on the field and took four seconds off the clock while moving Ohio State only from the 43 to the 38, still outside the range of kicker Jayden Fielding, whose career-long is 47 yards. By the time Howard slid and the game ended, the trade was worthwhile. Four seconds for five yards.
The move may come with some ramifications. Yahoo Sports reported Tuesday that the NCAA Football Playing Rules Committee is actively “engaged” in examining the play for possible action. Steve Shaw, the NCAA secretary rules editor, said to the outlet that the Big Ten officiating crew handled the play correctly, but that the rules committee is looking for ways to address the play, which could include an interpretation bulletin that would direct officials on how to deal with such plays in future games.
With the loss, the Buckeyes dropped three spots to No. 5 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Coach Ryan Day’s team remains very much alive in the race for a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, but its margin for error has been greatly reduced, particularly with three of its final six games coming against ranked opponents.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Oregon's Dan Lanning effectively confirms Ducks' 12-men penalty vs Ohio State was intentional
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