College Football Fans Accuse Referees of Favoring Indiana During Ohio State Game

Ohio State’s 19-15 win over Indiana on Saturday in Bloomington ended the Hoosiers’ 22-game winning streak, yet Buckeyes fans spent the afternoon accusing Big Ten officials of tilting the top-five showdown toward the home team.

The loudest complaints centered on a roughing-the-passer flag against Ohio State cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. that extended Indiana’s final drive and a no-call on a deep shot to star receiver Jeremiah Smith that fans insisted was pass interference.

Why did the Mathews penalty spark outrage?

Buckeyes safety Jaylen McClain, cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. — Ohio State safety Jaylen McClain (8) and cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. (7) celebrate after a missed field goal by the Indiana Hoosiers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Indiana trailed 19-15 and was driving when officials flagged Mathews for hitting quarterback Josh Hoover, who was already playing through a right arm injury after landing on his elbow on an earlier scramble. Officials waved off targeting, but the 15 yards came at the two-minute mark and gave Indiana new life.

Ben DiNucci, who played quarterback for Indiana coach Curt Cignetti at James Madison in 2019, wrote on X that it “has to be the softest roughing the passer call I’ve ever seen on Josh Hoover.”

Other Ohio State fans went further. One X user posted, “Refs absolutely rigging this for Indiana.”

The drive ended when Hoover found Nick Marsh alone in the end zone on fourth down with just over a minute left, but Marsh couldn’t keep his foot inbounds.

Jeremiah Smith pass interference no-call

Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith — Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) catches a touchdown pass in front of Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Jamari Sharpe (22) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Smith complaint came earlier, when quarterback Julian Sayin underthrew a wide-open Smith downfield, and no flag came on a play Buckeyes fans viewed as clear interference. A clip posted with the caption, “NO PASS INTERFERENCE ?”, drew more than 234,000 views.

That frustration had been building before kickoff. The Columbus Dispatch reported earlier this month that Smith had gone 10 games without drawing a pass interference flag, and Ohio State coach Ryan Day argued the junior’s frame hides contact.

“When you’re that big and that strong, a foul doesn’t look the same,” Day said.

Indiana also followed the plan Nick Saban laid out Saturday morning, when he said the best way to slow Smith was to affect the quarterback. Sayin finished 15 of 29 for 235 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions before leaving in the fourth quarter with a right arm injury. Day already told the media Sayin will be out "several weeks."

Did the officials favor Indiana?

The flags didn’t fall only one way. A first-half roughing call on Indiana’s Kellan Wyatt moved Ohio State to the Indiana 11 on the drive Bo Jackson finished with a fourth-down touchdown run before halftime. And after Sayin’s exit, Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones was flagged for a late hit on backup quarterback Luke Fahey. In the end, seven penalties for 50 yards were called against Ohio State. There were four penalties for 42 yards against Indiana.

Some Ohio State voices used that as proof the Buckeyes beat everything in front of them. College football analyst Brandon Walker posted that Indiana “had the refs, home field, an all time bad showing by Sayin and then Sayin getting hurt and they still couldn’t win.”

Indiana fans weren’t satisfied either. “Horrible game by the refs. Horrible game by Hoover,” one Hoosiers supporter wrote.

Sayin entered the day No. 1 in the Big Ten quarterback rankings, and he returned to the sideline with his throwing arm in a sling. Both teams now sit at 6-1, and Indiana faces Michigan on Oct. 24 at noon ET on FOX.

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