Former Ohio State football head coach Urban Meyer is still fixated on the Buckeyes' 2016 loss to Penn State, going on record in a July 15 clip from "The Triple Option" show to claim a crucial missed call cost them the game. Meyer believes an uncalled penalty during a field goal attempt was the sole reason Ohio State couldn't tie up the Nittany Lions.
The Play That Changed Everything
Picture this: Ohio State is up 21-17 with only 4:39 left in the fourth quarter. Meyer sends out the field goal unit for a 45-yard attempt on fourth-and-7. Simple three points, right? Nope. Penn State linebacker Marcus Allen blasts through and blocks Tyler Durbin's kick. But wait, it gets worse for the Buckeyes. Cornerback Grant Haley scoops up that loose ball and takes it all the way to the house, flipping a three-point Ohio State lead into a 21-24 Penn State advantage. Brutal, right?Meyer's Beef and the Rulebook
So, what's Meyer's beef? He's pointing fingers straight at Penn State defensive tackle Ryan Bates. According to Meyer, Bates physically pulled Ohio State offensive lineman Brady Taylor out of the middle of the line, opening a clear lane for Allen to jump and block that kick. Meyer is crystal clear on the rule: “By rule, you can't physically pull the field goal protector out of the way of the guy jumping through,” he said. That's the whole ballgame. If that flag gets thrown, it changes everything.A Season Derailed by One Call?
Ohio State's season trajectory completely shifted after that. It was their only regular-season loss in 2016, and Meyer himself admitted, "My fault that we ran the field goal unit on late," and "I didn't [expletive] a lot about it." But the impact was massive. That loss cost the Buckeyes the Big Ten Championship. Penn State went on to beat Wisconsin 38-31 in the conference championship, then lost a thriller to USC 52-49 in the Rose Bowl. Even though Ohio State still snagged a No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff semifinal, they ultimately fell 31-0 to eventual champion Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. Meyer's parting shot? Officials actually acknowledged it: “They later came back and said it could have been and should have been a penalty, if I remember right,” Meyer said. “If they would've thrown that flag, obviously, we win.” To top it all off, Big Ten Coordinator of Football Officials Bill Carollo confirmed in 2017 that a rule change would have made Allen’s jump-block illegal after reaching the neutral zone a year later. “Last year, legal. This year, illegal,” Carollo told SB Nation. That's not just sour grapes. That's proof a whole season could've been different because of one moment. So, even all these years later, this play still sparks debate. It's a prime example of how one missed call, or one subtle rule interpretation, can completely derail a championship run. Meyer's still thinking about it, and honestly, so are we. It makes you wonder what other hidden truths are out there from past games, huh?This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.