Nebraska's Courtney Osborne's Hit on Blaine Gabbert - A Shot Sequence
by Jon Johnston on Nov 1, 2010 5:50 PM CDT
in Nebraska Husker Football
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PrintMy last article was a series of individual shots of game action of Nebraska's last game against Missouri as fellow members of the Big 12 conference.
After the jump is a four-shot sequence of Courtney Osborne's hit on Blaine Gabbert as provided by Dennis Hubbard, a play that has created a fair amount of controversy.
- Did the officials miss the call that it was a fumble? From these shots, it appears pretty clear that the ball was out.
- Missouri's Gary Pinkel has asked the Big 12 office to review Courtney Osborne's hit, to see if it's legal (the obvious implication that another Husker player should be suspended).
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The Osborne hit on Gabbert was poorly officiated all the way around.
There should have been a personal foul called against Osborne for a helmet-to-helmet hit according to the current rules protecting quarterbacks. Following that no call was a clear fumble recovered by Nebraska and advanced for a defensive touchdown that was mysteriously reviewed and ruled a dead play due to Gabbert having his forward momentum stopped (which doesn’t even begin to make sense). The only way to worsen the handling of this play would be to suspend Osborne for a hit that was not intentionally dirty.
In the following image (from the St. Louis Post website) it is clear that Osborne was looking at his target (and thus, not spearing with the crown of his helmet) AND that the helmet-to-helmet contact was largely a result of Gabbert bending his knees. I have seen a “before” picture that further illustrates this point by showing Gabbert towering over Osborne only to be the same height come the initiation of contact.
by George W. Beadle on Nov 1, 2010 6:11 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
If
You look at clip from the moment of contact, which would be the Post-Dispatch clip show above, not the clips chosen for this post, it is clear that it was Courtney’s helmet that hit Gabbert first and that it’d be damn near impossible for him to have seen anything but Gabbert’s shoes at that moment. Rules are rules, and dumb or not, they ought to be followed or changed. You can’t ignore them because you think that they’re dumb.
Let’s be honest anyway, either way Missouri loses, but the two questionable calls during the game were decided in Nebraska’s favor before the reviews were blown. On this play it should have been helmer to helmet and a first down, no need to even discuss the fumble if that had been done properly. On Gabberts goal line play on third down when he MIGHT have fumbled, there should have been a face mask and a first down with no need to discuss the fumble or lack thereof. Even without that first down on the .5 yard line Missouri undoubtedly wouldn’t score! So yeah, maybe the replays were make up callls, those make calls were better for Nebraska than the first down penalties that should have been called.
what specific rule
are you referring to. quote it, please.
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by Jon Johnston on Nov 1, 2010 10:17 PM CDT up reply actions
forget this
I did it below.
there was no illegal hit, unless you’d like to find something different and point that out.
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by Jon Johnston on Nov 1, 2010 10:20 PM CDT up reply actions
DID YOU EVEN WATCH THE GODDAMNED GAME?!
The goaline “facemask” was at the end of a long scramble. The play resulted in a first down. He fumbled, Nebraska got screwed on the replay. The “false start/offsides” that Nebraska got called on Nebraska on the very next play was utter bullshit. The cowering Gabbert fumble that you’re bitching about (the h2h hit) wasn’t leading, or truly helmet to helmet, it was a fumble that should have been 6 for Nebraska.
@GochFaceKiller on Twitter
by Screwface on Nov 1, 2010 10:24 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
You can't win here man
They will call you troll and blast you for just stating your opinion. these are the same people that go to other sites and do the same thing. Just ask anti-husker and ntt27.
And he did lead with his head. And these geniuses can talk about the rules and no rules but there is a reason the Big 12 is going after these hits. Oh yeah, it’s to get back at Nebraska for leaving the Big 12. You gotta understand husker fan….that’s all they know and all they have.
Looked Clean
From all angles here it looks like a clean hit. If Gabbert lowered his head, what was Osborne to do, not hit him? Bullstuffing! There is going to be the occasional incidental helmet to helmet contact. We don’t need to turn this into flag football.
And the ball was out. Fumble.
I am boycotting the Vikings until they fire Brad Childress.
Gabbert Should Be Suspended
For making Osborne fall down. I mean, seriously, Osborne could have been hurt, hitting the turf like that. All because a quarterback chose NOT to get out of his way. What the heck is Pinkel coaching his quarterbacks to do? Hurt someone?
Anyone have Beebes number?
by UltimaRatioRegum on Nov 1, 2010 8:33 PM CDT reply actions
Gabbert also initiated helmet-to-helmet contact by ducking
instead of, you know, actually trying to get out of the way or something.
by George W. Beadle on Nov 1, 2010 10:48 PM CDT up reply actions
That
is the exact same conclusion I repeatedly come to.
by HuskerINtheArmy on Nov 1, 2010 9:47 PM CDT up reply actions
After the confusion of this play,
I went to the NCAA website and read the relevant rules. There are two possible reasons for a flag here.
1. “Spearing,” or leading with the crown of the helmet is prohibited in all cases. Obviously didn’t happen.
2. Targeting a defenseless player. The only case in which this can apply to a quarterback is when they’ve just passed or handed the ball off to another player and then made no further attempt to participate in the play. Also, I believe it’s only a foul when the defenseless player is targeted above the shoulders. Obviously didn’t happen.
And that’s it. I couldn’t find a single rule prohibiting helmet-to-helmet contact in all cases. And I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but the helmet contact only took place because Gabbert reacted to the missile of death Osbourne heading his way and crouched down a bit trying to live run. Clearly not a penalty, therefore clearly no reason to stop the play, therefore clearly a Nebraska TD.
by Andy Davis on Nov 1, 2010 9:45 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Thank you!
Finally someone has done some research. Since last week I’ve been tired of arm chair officials concluding that all h2h contact is absolutely forbidden! The ONLY thing those people have listened to is Ed Cunningham’s weekly monologue.
by HuskerINtheArmy on Nov 1, 2010 9:50 PM CDT up reply actions
Look
Your team lost the game. I hate Mizzou, I hate the douchebaggy assnozzels that root for them, I hate the even bigger douchebaggy assnozzels that cover them.
They lost, it was a clean hit. If your QB wasn’t a pussy and didn’t cower, he doesn’t get jacked upside his head.
Even David Ubben said it was a clean hit. He graduated from Mizzou, and doesn’t apologize for it.
GO TROLL SOMEWHERE ELSE! Your team sucks, they lost, you suck, and I’m 99.9% sure you’re a loser.
@GochFaceKiller on Twitter
by Screwface on Nov 1, 2010 10:18 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Oh, the irony....
It is a delicious irony that you call me “loser,” at the end of a post in which you lose your mind over a stranger on the Internet questioning whether or not a football play was legal or illegal. A football play, mind you, that you had no part in.
As for whether or not Missouri sucks, let’s see at the end of the season. Right now we each have one loss, and ours is a LOT more attractive than yours both in location and opponent.
You don't know that Screwface isn't Courtney Osborne.
The picture and bio would just be to cause confusion.
by George W. Beadle on Nov 2, 2010 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions
I didn't call all Mizzou fans...
Douchebaggy assnozzles, I just said I hate the douchebaggy assnozzles that root for them. I hate the douchebaggy assnozzles that root for every team, including Nebraska. Bill C, GHD, RPT, Sleepy Floyd and even Gaknar are all good dudes. Mpfische is a troll, he’s been trolling this page every day for the past week.
I have no specific problem with you.
But I still think Mizzou sucks.
@GochFaceKiller on Twitter
by Screwface on Nov 2, 2010 11:43 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Re-read the rule
Just because the helmets hit first, and honestly I think it’s the facemasks that hit, it’s not the crown. Even the NCAA defines the crown as the “top” of the helmet. Looking the above picture I would not call that the top of the helmet.
If Gabbert doesn't
brace for the hit(read: shit himself and go down before the hit), there is no helmet to helmet contact.
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.
In the picture I posted previously
Gabbert clearly has his eyes closed and a “I just crapped my pants” look on his face. Almost as priceless as the following:
by George W. Beadle on Nov 1, 2010 10:52 PM CDT up reply actions
Uh oh...
Somebody get Bebee on the phone. That player doesn’t appear to have his eyes open and looking while he’s crying.
Those tears, well, they look malicious in intent.
by HerpieHusker on Nov 1, 2010 11:12 PM CDT up reply actions
No, you are wrong.
He did not hit him with the crown of his helmet nor was he remotely close to “looking at his shoes” when he hit gabbert. On the replays osbourne hit gabbert with his forehead, nowhere near the crown of the helmet.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand why Pinkel is doing this, thats fine, but nothing will happen to C. Osbourne for he did nothing wrong. Down the road, maybe rules need to be implemented to prevent this from happening, but currently, nothing wrong happened.
You've been owned
Clearly not spearing, or leading with the crown of the helmet, and not an illegal hit. Should have been 7 more points for Nebraska.
Misery got owned.
38-17.*
- = Actual Score In A Just World Not Ruled By Bitter Baby Beebe
specifically
here’s the full information on the definition of a defenseless player:
PROTECTION OF DEFENSELESS PLAYERS—In 2008, the committee
introduced a separate rule prohibiting initiating contact with and targeting a
defenseless opponent (Rule 9-1-3).
The following are situations in which defenseless players are susceptible to
serious injury:
• The quarterback moving down the line of scrimmage who has handed or
pitched the ball to a teammate, and then makes no attempt to participate
further in the play;
• The kicker who is in the act of kicking the ball, or who has not had a
reasonable length of time to regain his balance after the kick;
• The passer who is in the act of throwing the ball, or who has not had a
reasonable length of time to participate in the play again after releasing the
ball;
• The pass receiver whose concentration is on the ball;
• The pass receiver who has clearly relaxed when the pass is no longer
catchable;
• The kick receiver whose attention is on the downward flight of the ball;
• The kick receiver who has just touched the ball;
• The player who has relaxed once the ball has become dead; and
• The player who is obviously out of the play.
And then the definition of what’s being called “helmet to helmet” collision – which actually means the top of the helmet, i.e., spearing.
Initiating Contact/Targeting an Opponent
ARTICLE 3. a. No player shall initiate contact and target an opponent with
the crown (top) of his helmet. When in question, it is a foul.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
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Corn Nation!
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by Jon Johnston on Nov 1, 2010 10:19 PM CDT up reply actions
Thanks Jon
That settles it then. Osborne clearly did not lead with the top of his helmet, and Gabbert clearly did not meet the definition of a defenseless player. So Cunningham and Tiger Nation can stuff it.
Oh and one more thing:
Nebraska defeats Mizzou 38*-17
*Big 12 refs suck.
"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that 10-1 is not a losing season." - Tom Osborne
Jon
didn’t you ban this person(mpfische) before?,,, like last week when he/she was lipping off??!
Matthew 11:28-30
Homer Simpson: "Mmmmm,Beeeeer!!"
No
I let it slide a little bit….. I banned someone else, though.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
Twitter!
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Why do you continuously ban people?
This guy is just stating his opinion and because he isn’t a HUSKER suckup you call him troll and ban him. Ah the irony
Good Grief...
We win. You lose.
Whatever happened to taking your ball and going home? I guess in Missouri the loser hangs around afterward to bitch and moan like a menstruating housewife.
You only look like a bunch of pussies whining about a hit like that. Pick your battles….
(sorry to any females I may have insulted in the making of this post)
Holy shitballs batman
Um, weren’t you all the same people whining about that Texas game and how if we didn’t drop this and if we didn’t do that we would have one? Same goes for you man. Is there still 1 second on that clock?
If Courtney Osborne should be suspended for anything
it’s for knocking Alfonzo Dennard out of the game.
Reporter: "What would it take to get you to spend three or four days outside, on concrete?"
Joe Paterno: "Depends what she looks like."
by Cornbadger on Nov 1, 2010 11:28 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Lol
Even if is Osborne is suspended we don’t miss a step as Dennards backup Ciante Evans looks like the real deal. His play in the endzone was Big Time for a true freshman. I was worried we had too many guys leaving in the secondary after this year, but after the last game I am confident we will be just as good. Our depth at DB is insane all of those guys look great. Hell Courtney Osborne isn’t even listed on the depth chart on the offcial Husker site…. Dennard, Smith, Cassidy, and Evans next year hell yeah I’ll take it. Who knows what kind of other talent will blossom in the next year from our DBs. GO HUSKERS!
Hey, Cornbadger
You must be, like, my long-lost cousin! You know, the corn…and the Wisconsin…
by Cheeseandcorn on Nov 2, 2010 12:20 AM CDT up reply actions
I also think its great
that our backups are getting national coverage for bone crushing hits. All these Missouri fans crying about shit wanting people suspended. Go ahead and do it he is like our 3rd string safety or nickel guy(not taking anything away from Osborne the guy looks like a great player). Opposing fans are just embarrassing themselves and their team when all they can say is “your players should be suspended for hitting ours too hard”. after they get whipped by us. I love it.
Playing devil's advocate here.
When in question, it is a foul.
Isn’t this the whole reason why the rule and gray area exsists? Honestly, it can be debated till the end of time whether or not it was a legal or illegal hit. But if the ref’s where in question about it, they should have thrown the flag. Does this make Nebraska look like a dirty team? No, we have the 95 season for that (sorry, couldn’t resist). It comes down to the ref. It was ulitmate call to throw the flag or not. He didn’t, the play was ended and we moved on and took care of business. It was the ref’s decision to throw it. He has more exprience in football than any of us have, unless you are division 1 ref yourself. I am not. I am merely a fan, and I take what the officals say because they are the ones making the calls. Either way it was an extremely poor officated game for both teams. I do believe we can come to that.
I just hope Beebe doesn’t suspend Osbourne without saying that atleast the ref’s blew the fumble call and suspending that crew for a game.
by Look_A_Red_Squirrel on Nov 2, 2010 1:03 AM CDT reply actions
If the call was questionable
the flag should not be thrown.
We did a series earlier on how officiating is handled, and my buddy the line judge flatly stated that if they throw a flag, there’d darn well better be a penalty there. They are downgraded for throwing flags if there’s nothing there, so the error would go on behalf of calling a foul.
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Overall
The officiating just sucked. I was read some of the live game thread over at Rock M Nation on Saturday night and they were complaining about the officiating just as much as we were. If anyone should be suspended it should be the officials for blatant bad calls on both sides of the ball.
They were indeed terrible across the board,
as were the officials for the Texas game. All due respect to Jon’s buddy (and, by the say, I LOVED that series and think you should do something similar every year, Jon), officiating on the whole has been really bad this year.
"...when the devil says to you: do not drink, answer him: I will drink, and right freely, just because you tell me not to."
— Martin Luther
Seconded
I seems no one has been happy with the officiating this year, except, as usual, Texas.
On other boards the teams that have played Texas are also complaining bout the calls, or lack thereof.
by UltimaRatioRegum on Nov 2, 2010 2:32 PM CDT up reply actions
This is terrible, terrible, terrible tackling
If the guy got his butt down, and actually tackled the way you’re supposed to, this never would have happened? If you’re going in, standing straight up like that, you get whatever you deserve.
These coaches have to get these players to do some of the basics…
In the open field...
against a 220lb running back? Perhaps. However, and from someone who HAS played plenty of football, you are taught to be as tall as you can in the moments the QB is clutching the ball, clearly getting ready to throw. Gabbert got caught sleeping in the backfield with a narrow field of vision, that was the only mistake.
That was a great tackle.
The Experts on ESPNU,
none of them associated with Nebraska and only one being a defensive player, all agreed that it is a clean hit and placed the blame for the incidental helmet-to-helmet contact on Gabbert ducking.
by George W. Beadle on Nov 2, 2010 4:40 PM CDT up reply actions
The only expert diagnosis I will accept
is straight from Dr. Lou.
Reporter: "What would it take to get you to spend three or four days outside, on concrete?"
Joe Paterno: "Depends what she looks like."
Scary, pathetic fans/coach
The Gabbert hit was clearly a penalty. Sure you can pull frames that make it look a bit better but there was no question it was head to head. Yeah, the announcer called it out for the 2nd week in a row and it seems like he was correct the first week as the league confirmed. Does anyone care that the OSU player was needlessly seriously injured by a cheap shot? Even worse the player gloating after an illegal hit and then the denials and blindness of the fans/coach. It’s sick and makes me not want to watch if this is what you call football.
Does anyone think it’s ironic that a Neb player knocked out another Neb player. Ooops.
On the goal-line fumble/facemask. The obvious facemask would have eliminated any fumble. The play was reviewed and they said his knee was down. I saw it in the 2nd replay view.
Geez – is Neb not capable of committing a penalty? The Coach is a yelling/spitting fool but at least he is an equal opportunity yeller (players and refs). If your kids can read lips they should not watch Neb football.
by TrueFootballFan on Nov 3, 2010 10:00 PM CDT reply actions
NO! NO! NO!
Nebraska does not commit penalties. Nebraska does not get beat – it beats itself(HA THAT’S FUNNY) or the refs beat them. NEBRASKA DOES NOT LOSE TO ANYONE – it only loses to itself. Unless of course Calahan is the coach. Well then he is blamed for ruining the program and blah blah blah.
My name is six5hunter and I am douchbag and a troll.
from the crowd. “HI SIX5HUNTER” now get the fuck out….you’re banned!
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