For the second week in a row, Big Ten officials told Ryan Day that a penalty that nullified an Ohio State touchdown should not have been called.
This week, the erroneous penalty call came on what would have been a 4-yard touchdown run by Miyan Williams in the fourth quarter. Chip Trayanum appeared to make a clean lead block from the fullback position to lead Williams to a touchdown run for the third time in two games, but Trayanum was called for a holding penalty.
That penalty cost Ohio State seven points, as the drive ended with a turnover on downs after Devin Brown was sacked on 4th-and-goal.
Holding on Chip Trayanum takes back a Miyan Williams TD pic.twitter.com/cPVMFOrdpI
— Brodie (@BrodieKnowsBall) September 11, 2023
Asked directly about that penalty call on Tuesday, Day said he was told it should not have been a hold.
“I got feedback that that probably was not a hold,” Day said.
While the Buckeyes would have won by 35 points instead of 28 if Williams’ touchdown hadn’t been called back, Day said Ohio State can’t dwell on the missed calls and must focus on executing better.
“It's part of the game,” Day said. “We'll worry about just getting our hands tighter and inside and doing a better job on third down.”
In its season opener, Ohio State also had a touchdown taken off the board due to a penalty that Big Ten officials later said shouldn’t have been called. What would have been a touchdown catch for Marvin Harrison Jr. was called back for an illegal touching penalty because Harrison stepped out of bounds before catching the pass, but Big Ten officials told Day after the fact that the penalty should not have been called because Harrison was pushed out of bounds.
A Marvin Harrison Jr. TD was wiped out after he stepped out of bounds well before the catch.
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) September 2, 2023
Ohio State still went on to score a TD in the drive and leads Indiana 20-3. pic.twitter.com/K63KjUz2FT
There was also a controversial non-call in the second quarter of the Youngstown State game when a YSU defensive back pushed down Harrison, yet no defensive pass interference was called. Had Harrison not been pushed, he likely would have caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from Devin Brown, which would have bolstered his statistics to eight catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns while also improving Brown’s numbers to 8-of-13 for 141 yards and a touchdown.
Should this have been called pass interference on Marvin Harrison Jrs defender?
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) September 9, 2023
It was not called. pic.twitter.com/Au4AQYCaT5
Ohio State still scored a touchdown on that drive, though, with TreVeyon Henderson running the ball into the end zone from 13 yards out.
