Depending upon who you ask -- and what color shirt they're wearing -- you'll get different opinions on who won Friday's thrilling game between Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech. As time expired, Hokies kicker John Love lined up to attempt a potential game-winning 36-yard field goal. The kick couldn't have been closer, appearing to sail over the left upright, but it was ruled no good, and the Panthers held on for a 35-33 win.
In the aftermath of that game, video of the kick has become something of a Rorschach test. Depending upon your perspective or college football allegiance, you could see different results. One video from behind the uprights appears to show Love's kick sneaking through the upright for a successful field goal.
That was certainly the reaction from the Virginia Tech fans sitting in that section. The back angle of the #VirginiaTech field goal vs Pitt. It was in. pic.twitter.com/pJnE9LYYhB Other angles from the other end of Lane Stadium seems to prove that the officials made the correct call.
Love's kick hooks left, and it just sails wide over the left upright. Former NFL referee Terry McAulay weighed in with his perspective on social media, and he said there is no way to review the kick because there wouldn't be a definitely camera angle. McAulay noted that the two people with the best view of whether the attempt was good -- the official under the upright and someone directly behind him -- reacted as if it were a miss.
There is literally no camera angle that definitively tells us where the ball is the moment it reaches the plane of the uprights. That’s why this has never been reviewable. That being said, the person with the best angle who is standing under the upright and the person standing… https://t.co/YQlHWHsIkX In his postgame press conference, Virginia Tech coach James Franklin was asked about his perspective of the kick.
Franklin said he truly didn't know whether it was good, but the official ruling is the only thing that matters. "To be honest with you, from my angle, I don't know," Franklin said, per USA Today. "I think John Love is the best kicker in the country.
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