Well, that was quick. And there will be no ducking the consequences next time after getting away with one last weekend.
The NCAA football rules committee issued guidance Wednesday to close a loophole that allowed Oregon to exploit an illegal substitution penalty late in its victory over Ohio State last Saturday to take time off the clock.
With visiting Ohio State driving on its final possession of the game and just seconds left on the clock in the Big Ten matchup, Oregon was flagged for having too many defenders on the field, drawing a 5-yard penalty. While the Buckeyes gained 5 yards, the move took four seconds off the clock.
The Ducks went on to win 32-31, improving to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in league play to set up a move from No. 3 to No. 2 behind Texas in this week’s AP Top 25 poll. Ohio State (5-1, 2-1) dropped two spots to fourth.
“After the Two-Minute Timeout in either half, if the defense commits a substitution foul and 12 or more players are on the field and participate in a down, officials will penalize the defense for the foul and at the option of the offended team, reset the game clock back to the time displayed at the snap,” the guidance read.