Controversial calls are a staple of any sporting event. Every fan of every team in every sport no doubt has one or two instances that jump to mind when you talk about the officials making a contested ruling that changed the outcome of the game.
For Texas A&M football, there are almost too many to name in recent history. Probably the most infamous was Quartney Davis supposedly fumbling the ball out of bounds against Clemson, which seems to have cost the Aggies that game.
Even this past season, there were a couple of times against teams like South Carolina where the Aggies seemed to convert on short yardage, only for the officials to rule them short. It's controversial rulings of that latter type that the NFL is looking to eliminate with one of their latest changes.
NFL set to replace first-down chains with electronic measurement— And college football should follow in their footsteps
The Shield is set to debut a long-awaited change, replacing the old spot and measure system with an electronic one.
NFL Replacing 1st-Down Chains with Electronic Measurement this Season pic.twitter.com/Pdn2pYPGCn
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) February 26, 2025
College fans are proud of the ways in which their game is different than the sometimes overly sterile professional product. The pageantry and passion in college football, as well as the excitement factor, just can't be replicated in the pros.
That said, this latest change is something that the college game should bring in immediately. There are few feelings more frustrating than referees essentially guessing on spots and unable or unwilling to overturn them due to the video evidence available.
This is a technology that is readily available already, and it would simply improve the quality of the product so much— not only by making things more fair, but also by eliminating the boring time spent waiting for the result of this kind of review. As much as is practical, the college game should adopt this change as soon as possible.
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