Tom Murphy is an Associated Press writer covering the Arkansas Razorbacks. After watching Ohio State beat Michigan in Week 13 like the rest of us, he decided ignore the game’s outcome in his latest rankings, which are used along with those of the other AP writers, to determine the national AP rankings.
Here’s what Murphy wrote after keeping Michigan at No. 2 and bumping Ohio State down to No. 5 heading into championship weekend:
“Yes, I voted Michigan higher than Ohio State. The Wolverines essentially outplayed their arch rival on the road and I don’t think the football reached the necessary 15-yard line on J.T. Barrett’s fourth-down run in double overtime. As that was the game-decided play, I appointed myself as the replay official and deemed Michigan the winner. Now, if only the College Football Playoff selection committee would do the same.”
The kicker here is the end where he not only plays referee but also takes on the role of know-it-all, writing, “Now, if only the College Football Playoff selection committee would do the same.”
While one can easily question the spot on J.T. Barrett’s famous 4th-and-1 run in double overtime, there is absolutely no way the officials could have overturned the call on the field. It was close, either way you believe the call should have landed.
Ohio State was actually the better team for the second half and the overtime periods, in this scribe’s estimation anyway. And either way, what Murphy has done here is asinine. His vote isn’t going to change anything in the grand scheme of things, but it shows a lack of respect for the entire process to appoint himself as the replay official and say Michigan actually won.
Sour grapes are never tasty. In this case, they are downright awful.