Cotton Bowl Preview: Alabama Are Rightfully Favorites Vs. Cincinnati
Tennessee lost its 2021 season finale Thursday afternoon, falling to Purdue in overtime, 48-45. What was a wild, awesome and back-and-forth game ended in controversy as a forward progress whistle turned a Tennessee touchdown into a turnover on downs in overtime.
College football fans, reporters, referees and former Tennessee players all took to Twitter to express frustration or support with the controversial whistle.
Former NFL Tight End Jacob Tamme
I’ve never rooted for Tennessee in my life and that won’t start now but HOW IN THE WORLD do you blow progress dead on the 1 yd line in overtime while dude is fighting his butt off that is bruuuuuuutal wow
— Jacob Tamme (@JacobTamme) December 31, 2021
ESPN Personality Paul Finebaum
Paul Finebaum on Heupel’s debut:
“Congratulations to Josh Heupel for winning 8 games (this season), even though I know (Tennessee’s official record) says 7.
“This was a remarkable season, that blown officiating call does not take away from what he’s done from start to finish.”
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) December 31, 2021
ESPN Personality And Former Florida Quarterback Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow calling out the officials after Tennessee’s loss in Music City Bowl, notes officiating has been so inconsistent this season.
Called it “the most frustrating year covering college football” due to poor officiating.
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) December 31, 2021
Former Titans’ Linebacker Keith Bullock
Terrible call. The whistle blew after the ball crossed the plane. The Refs are horrendous across football
— keith bulluck (@kbull53) December 31, 2021
ESPN Host Elle Duncan
Robbed. His progress hasn’t stopped he was churning and churning man. WHAT AN EFFORT.
— Elle Duncan (@elleduncanESPN) December 31, 2021
Former Tennessee Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley
Unbelievable❗️❗️❗️ https://t.co/JajP81RaSf
— Emmanuel Moseley (@Mannymoseley) December 31, 2021
Former Tennessee Linebacker Quart’e Sapp
We need some answers…. I ain’t letting this go. Them boys been through too much and worked to hard.. pic.twitter.com/3XFduBLEs3
— Quart'e Sapp (@Dedicated_2Work) December 31, 2021
Fox Sports’ Aaron Torres
That non-TD, when the ball clearly crossed the goal line, could only happen to the Tennessee Vols.
I'm convinced of it
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) December 31, 2021
ESPN’s Field Yates
Tennessee got jobbed.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 31, 2021
Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd
If you picked five college football games EVERY year that were the strangest/craziest games of the year —I’m convinced @Vol_Football would be in four of them.
— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) December 31, 2021
SEC Network’s Peter Burns
That is one of the worst calls I've seen in the history of college football.
Absolute garbage in the Music City Bowl.
— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) December 31, 2021
Former Tennessee linebacker Daniel Bituli
Referees need to have post game interviews… we deserve an explanation #vols
— Daniel Bituli (@DBituli) December 31, 2021
Former NFL Official Terry McAulay
The whistle is not relevant! The ruling was his forward progress was stopped short of the goal line. It's over at that point. There is nothing Replay can do with it.
— Terry McAulay (@SNFRules) December 31, 2021
Barstool Sports Dan “Big Cat” Katz
That’s highway robbery if it isn’t overturned. Kids are giving everything out there. What an effort
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) December 31, 2021
Athlon Sports’ Kevin McGuire
Tennessee fans: That’s a TD
Purdue fans: We got lucky in that one
College football Twitter: That’s a TD#ACCRefs: Call is confirmed, no touchdown
— Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB) December 31, 2021
Chattanooga Times Free Press’ Stephen Hargis
It truly is amazing how Tennessee gets the absolute worst end of every big call.
— Stephen Hargis (@StephenHargis) December 31, 2021
Former Tennessee Basketball Star And Current Nashville Radio Host Ron Slay
The whole thing was a Shiano show!!! C'mon @MusicCityBowl y'all gotta do better https://t.co/vIMQ22JGzj
— Ron Slay (@TheRonSlay) December 31, 2021
Former NFL Receiver Chad Johnson
Refs really screwed the Vols over on that touchdown 🏈
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) December 31, 2021
Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken
Certainly looks like it should’ve been a TD https://t.co/HYUTZgBKre
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) December 31, 2021
2 Responses
ACC officials…I think one year Spurrior wanted to ban them in the FSU series. It became that bad…
We all know Tennessee won that game