In a watershed moment of human history, fans of Michigan and Ohio State disagree about something.
This time, it’s about J.T. Barrett’s whisker-close, double-overtime fourth-down conversion in Saturday’s epic iteration of The Game, which gave OSU the last chance it needed to win the game.
It was called on the field as a first down, and on the next play, Ohio State scored the walkoff winner.
The play looked like it was too close to reverse, and replay didn’t give us any indisputable evidence that Barrett didn’t make the line to gain. But that didn’t stop fans from both factions from arguing about the unequivocal nature of the play.
Big Ten refs at it's best. @pmac1961 @bigten When can we expect better? pic.twitter.com/87NLJdm2fh
— Mike McMahon (@Mikemcmahon16) November 27, 2016
@ZWMartin @nottheqb @SBNationCFB This angle. See the shadow of the low hand? It's behind the line. The ball is behind that. pic.twitter.com/qiJ1BSrblL
— Creeper VanDude (@Blazefire84) November 26, 2016
@Hugeshow @SBNationCFB look at his hand on the ground and then look at the ball, no first down, game over pic.twitter.com/HypBHcEotN
— william duff (@duffdaddy71) November 27, 2016
@SBNationCFB -- No worries it was kinda close to a first down... no big deal ...it's only a game...why not make the right call then? pic.twitter.com/rniBtxSaOP
— SpeedyeProducts (@speedyeproducts) November 27, 2016
@TheGambler100 @bigten @SportsCenter Explain this call! pic.twitter.com/zy06hKqhY7
— Brady Marwede (@TheGambler100) November 26, 2016
Many fans are sending the same images over and over and over.
One has tweeted over 20 times a version of this zoomed-in shot.
@chefsymon @eckert1952 Go Bucks! pic.twitter.com/NXyPnx9IVt
— Jennifer (@kennedy030405) November 27, 2016
But she’s definitely wrong, because this blown-up screenshot of an already blurry Snapchat clearly shows Barrett did not cross the line.
@buckeye4harambe @daltoneador @SBNationCFB this is the closest I've seen to straight on and he is clearly short pic.twitter.com/5svKf2Ygwu
— Tony DeMaria (@anthonycdemaria) November 27, 2016
The actual Zapruder film wishes it would have this type of clear proof, with the help of MS paint.
@SBNationCFB @SBNation pic.twitter.com/hpnUYxsP01
— #JTWasShort (@Bluekts_) November 28, 2016
I really appreciate the added production quality. It certainly adds clarity to this situation, which we lacked.
@SBNationCFB move on bums pic.twitter.com/HDxM19JTQv
— TwitrSux (@SkruTape) November 27, 2016
@Skora_Matthew @Mint_mulatto @daltoneador @jwithing @anthonycdemaria @SBNationCFB pic.twitter.com/AFvhnNZkb5
— nathan wolfe (@nlwolfe80) November 27, 2016
@bigten pic.twitter.com/wc7mkhuEJy
— Sam Noyes (@snoyes14) November 27, 2016
See, he didn’t get it if judging from the shot above.
@Lakeside252 @espn @bigten lololol pic.twitter.com/AjRl15x78Y
— Mighty Lion (@J_Kirk99) November 27, 2016
But obviously, he did get it if you’re going on that shot.
@Mint_mulatto @daltoneador @jwithing @anthonycdemaria @SBNationCFB that white dot is the white from the football. Watch it again pic.twitter.com/Ne9YlMe07V
— Matthew Skora (@Skora_Matthew) November 26, 2016
Folks, it’s so vivid I’m not sure how you’re missing it.
@Hugeshow @SBNationCFB pic.twitter.com/VpWYqxGEMZ
— Kris Werner (@RoofDaddy5) November 27, 2016
How can there be any debate about this?
@MTMcCall @JasonKirkSBN @SBNation not gonna measure? He was a foot short pic.twitter.com/YmJ524yeQb
— Jared Guardipee (@jaredguardipee) November 26, 2016
One fan used those same images for a four minute truther video.
Pay attention to the towel.
Actually, let’s blame ESPN.
(It is worth pointing out that the pesky yellow line skews the real line to gain. Since it was overtime, that line was the 15-yard line, not the yellow line.)
@Buccigross @SBNationCFB 1st down is the white line not yellow. Short without question. pic.twitter.com/hpDEHlyf25
— Patrick McCoy (@McCoy_Patrick_) November 26, 2016
More clarity her,e though, because now we know the real line to gain. Now that we’ve figured that out it can easily be determined that Barrett didn’t get the first down.
The ass is the real giveaway here, though.
We do have high-res photos of someone’s butt, which means Barrett either got or didn’t get the first down, and either did or didn’t do it via posterior.
@IHapsias @SBNationCFB @SBNation here's the ball on his butt pic.twitter.com/fCqstamDCe
— Rob (@Soakerr_) November 26, 2016
You can’t even see the line on that one, which is fine because he clearly got it because the ball is on the butt.
But as you can see here, the butt is short of the line to gain though, so he didn’t get it.
The ball hit the linemans butt, which is shoRt of the line. @bigten #HORRIBLE!!! pic.twitter.com/no6RJIcIrf
— Jon Miller (@J_Mills78) November 26, 2016
@bigten Short. Based on angle and butt of blocker (holding?) That crew is an embarrassment pic.twitter.com/viAtxZ01aF
— tim rowley (@uofmfantr) November 26, 2016
Perhaps Michigan fans should just act with more #class.
At least that’s what Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith says while joining in.
Wait... How short was @JT_theQB4th ??#HandleItWithClass ️ pic.twitter.com/oEpwJSanK5
— Zach S❌ith #Zone6 (@CoachZachSmith) November 27, 2016
Twitter sleuths are also investigating the officials themselves.
The referees were in cahoots with the Buckeyes, according to many observers. Michigan quarterback Chase Winovich retweeted the following.
"Don't worry about it, I got you in OT" pic.twitter.com/rBmbWKwnHm
— Hunter Brown (@Hunterbrown4010) November 26, 2016
That’s why they flubbed the various pass interference close calls, and it gives perfect justification for Jim Harbaugh to be pissed at the zebras. The game was rigged, sheeple. Open your third eye to see that the Illuminati wanted Ohio State to win.
It goes even deeper.
An official at a game in Ohio is from Ohio. My God.
Isn't it a conflict of interest to have an ohio-based ref officiating #TheGame, @bigten? pic.twitter.com/fISoxHZk1M
— UMich Alumni (@UMichAlumni) November 27, 2016
There you have it.
I have shown complete, clear, and concise evidence as to the direct result of J.T. Barrett’s fourth down play. As you can see here, either he made it or he didn’t.
@Hugeshow @SBNationCFB pic.twitter.com/7jsPt1k2Rf
— Nick (@NickPifer76) November 27, 2016