Do ACC Officials Favor FSU over Miami? A Historical Look

Let me start this post by stating something I have regularly made clear: I have the greatest respect for the FSU program, coaches and players. Florida State unlike the other "big three" program has built its program and tradition the right way and has always been a classy program: a program that didn't drop Miami from the schedule in order to win more titles as the schools in Gainesville and South Bend did. Moreover, Bobby Bowden unlike Lou Holtz, Urban Meyer and others has been in his own way an admirer of Miami's success.

But something continues to bother me every time Miami plays FSU and ACC officials referee the game. It started in the 1992 matchup between the teams where Corey Sawyer and Tamarick Vannover both returned kicks that set up scores. In both cases obvious block in back were missed on the plays. In addition, a clear Miami touchdown according to the rule book was ruled a safety giving Dan Mowery the chance to tie the game late: His FG as we know went wide right but it was a shocking officiating error that even made Wide Right II possible.

In the 1994 game under the lights at the Orange Bowl several minor calls seemed to go against Miami and in favor of FSU. But after Ryan Collins bootleg scramble right before halftime, that game was never in doubt.

Fast forward to 2000. Miami opens up a 17-0 lead in the first half. Chris Weinke has a remarkable second half to bring FSU back into the game, in fact into a late lead. But in that matchup several strange calls occurred: most notable a pass interference penalty on Leonard Myers when he was actually shoved by Atrews Bell on a 3rd down. This led to FSU's TD that cut the lead to 24-20. Now had that call not been made, it is possible that Jeremy Shockey's legend would never have been born some minutes later, because Miami would have already locked up the game.

In 2002, Kyle Cobia was called for a phantom chop block on a huge play downfield to Roscoe Parrish. Miami would have been in position to take a 21-20 lead had the play stood but instead punted to FSU who went down the field and pushed their lead to 27-14. Of course Miami came back and then Xavier Betia missed a potential game winning FG wide left, but as was the case in 1992 and 2000 FSU's missed FGs which win them so much sympathy may never have been an issue if the right calls had been made earlier in the game.

In 2005, Florida State completed a goal line stand after Miami went 96 yards to get to the FSU 2 yard line. Brian Monroe as we know dropped the snap and Jon Peattie, who had beaten FSU with a 52 yard FG in the 2004 Orange Bowl wasn't give the opportunity to tie the game on a short FG. But right after the play Ernie Sims who at the time was facing criminal charges and should not have been playing threw his helmet into the air: by rule that's a 15 yard personal foul penalty: even if it is post possession, the half the distance to the goal line penalty given the time left on the clock may have resulted in Miami getting the ball back with about :30-:35 seconds left.