Don't ask Nebraska fans about Penn State's 1982 national title. Just don't do it.

[Saunders]

You can watch the whole game here. (If you want to start with PSU's game-winning drive, click here.) The loss still gnawed at Tom Osborne decades later. And it basically decided the 1982 national title on September 25. Granted, that wasn't actually decided until the end -- Georgia was unbeaten until Penn State beat the Dawgs for the title in the Sugar Bowl -- but without any truly elite (i.e. 99th percentile) team, PSU and NU were the class of 1982, and they played the tightest game imaginable, decided by a last-second score (and aided by a couple of calls that were between iffy and atrocious).

http://www.footballstudyhall.com/2016/5/26/11764420/1982-college-football-season-penn-state-nebraska

 

[NUance]

One of the worst calls in the history of college football. Maybe THE worst. I still wonder whether that ref was crooked. I mean, how could he *possibly* make an honest mistake like that? There's just no way. He was right on top of the play with a perfect view. And the other ref should have been able to see the OB catch. Total bullsh#t. The refs literally gift wrapped the game for Joe Paterno.

 

[RunMickeyRun02]

We sure took out our frustration a year later didn't we?

It was all that Husker style heart break, close calls, bad calls, the unfairness of always playing the Florida teams in Florida and on and on that made the 94 season so much sweeter. At least for me.

 

[MichiganDad3]

I wonder is the ref was a "friend" of Sandusky?

 

[Hooked on Huskers]

I bought my custom t-shirt in late '80s ...... Beaver field layout. L shaped instead of normal 53x120yds rectangle field !!!!! Worn out years ago (destination: paint rag).

Not exactly but similar idea .........

"Karma" was 2012 PSU/NU game. THE LINK

 

[Redux]

Unfortunately the 82 call resulted in a MNC, the 12 call not so much.

 

[TonyStalloni]

The above video doesn't show the TD that won the game. If I'm remembering it correctly the ball bounced in front of the receiver or he dropped then trapped it to the ground and it was called good by the ref. Someone won a ton of money on that game.

 

[knapplc]

The above video doesn't show the TD that won the game. If I'm remembering it correctly the ball bounced in front of the receiver or he dropped then trapped it to the ground and it was called good by the ref. Someone won a ton of money on that game.

You remember correctly. That was almost as bad of a call as the OOB catch.

 

[Redux]

Someone was paid a ton of money on that game.

FIFY

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

The funny thing about that shirt is that it's actually incorrect. Drawing the line that way means the ball carrier would have to travel further to cross the goal line.

 

[Mierin]

On top of that the TD call was WAY closer and happened in a meaningless game.

 

[Redux]

Wow, can't believe I never noticed that before.

We are a dumb fanbase.

 

[drfish]

I believe the point is that the official ruled that it was fumbled into the endzone before crossing the goal-line on review the play stood as called. The PSU contention is that the runner had already broken the plane of the goal line prior to fumbling and therefore PSU should have gotten a TD not an TO. Moving the line further into the endzone is the correct way to draw it, implying that at the moment that the PSU player had the ball across the goal line, the goal line was actually a few inches further south in that place at that moment.

I believe there is a quantum physics explanation for this phenomenon, but I don't seem to recall what it is at the moment

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

Well see now here's where my memory is coming back to me. The shirt is correct, because Penn State had the ball. I though Nebraska had the ball. I'm an idiot.

You know what'll make me feel better. Giving me all your +1s. Please +1 this idiot (me).

 

[desertshox]

you'll have to change your name to It'sNotaFakecmID for that.