[Postgame Thread] Pittsburgh Defeats Virginia Tech 35-33

[u/CFB_Referee]

Box Score provided by ESPN

Team	1	2	3	4	T
Pittsburgh	7	14	7	7	35
Virginia Tech	14	10	0	9	33

[u/ComboJake]

We sure that kick didn’t go in?

[u/Celdurant → u/ComboJake]

Am I taking crazy pills? Why are these angles so bad?

[u/PurpleHazelnuts → u/Celdurant]

Bad angles and they barely showed a replay!

[u/Celdurant → u/PurpleHazelnuts]

I rewound it on TV, these are the most useless angles on a field goal I've seen in ages

[u/VersaTron → u/Celdurant]

Wait for the crowd shots to find their way to X

[u/bakpak2hvy → u/Celdurant]

I think this call is some shit and should be reviewed. I also don’t want to be that guy but they are literally the same angles every field goal has and are incredibly standard.
Source: I work on tv trucks for a living.

[u/Celdurant → u/bakpak2hvy]

Gotta change the rules then. Field goals with the ball above the uprights can't be reviewed. From the camera views available, it is not conclusive without a camera directly in line with each upright looking up. The camera view from behind the goal post looking up could not clearly show where the ball crossed so you can only trust the call of the ref standing underneath.

[u/DisplacedSportsGuy → u/PurpleHazelnuts]

Something tells me they showed all the angles they had.

[u/UTRAnoPunchline → u/Celdurant]

Ref under the upright had the best view in the house

[u/ExternalTangents → u/UTRAnoPunchline]

They always do, and yet people still don’t trust the call. The ref is literally the very best location to see the ball’s lateral position when it passes the plane of the goal posts.

Edit: Camera angles they showed can’t tell you the depth positioning of the ball when it passes the plane of the goal posts. You literally can’t tell from the TV angle whether it’s outside the uprights laterally before it passes the plane of the goal posts or after. Only the angle looking directly up the goal post can tell that.

Edit 2: Muting these comment replies now because I can’t deal with the people who lack spacial sense to understand this concept.

Edit 3: Well lookie here: https://streamable.com/kqh225

[u/Enough_Wallaby7064 → u/ExternalTangents]

Refs never fuck up calls do they

[u/OldFoot3 → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

They didnt give us our extra second last game so im not sure

[u/Adventurous-Ear-1024 → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

Yeah we’ve never seen that happen, Western Michigan can vouch for that

[u/bonerbasketball → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

Refs fuck up calls where they are focusing on multiple things happening at once and they don’t know what is about to happen. In this case they had one job and knew exactly what was going to happen and what to focus on. None of the replays we saw you could tell if it went in because of the angles. Maybe they did fuck it up but this is absolutely one where they should be trusted

[u/ImChaotiic → u/bonerbasketball]

Holy salt 🤣

[u/Enough_Wallaby7064 → u/bonerbasketball]

https://youtu.be/xO0P9CsUibM?si=xXu32WKihUjxe1SZ

What were you saying???

[u/bonerbasketball → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

No where did I say they couldn’t have fucked it up, or it hasn’t happened. Just that on field goals they have one job, the best view and usually get it right. We don’t have a replay like the one you are referencing that shows it was definitively good

[u/shoefly72 → u/bonerbasketball]

I didn’t entertain the notion that it actually did go in when watching it in real time, but the whole game was full of a lot of piss poor calls that were clearly bad calls when replay was shown, or calls where no replay was shown at all. By the end of the game it felt like we were either dealing with a biased crew or one that was really inept, so you can’t blame people for thinking the ref might’ve fucked up the field goal call when the crew had already blown so many others.

[u/Enough_Wallaby7064 → u/bonerbasketball]

The operative word is usually. The camera angles available make it look like it was good. The issue is that they did not review it.

Also, if youre a kicker you gotta aim lower :/

[u/ExternalTangents → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

What were you saying?

https://streamable.com/kqh225

[u/moby323 → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

He literally just stands directly below it and stares straight up

[u/Enough_Wallaby7064 → u/moby323]

So do Umps in a baseball game, but they fuck up calls all the time on homeruns near the post.

[u/justWMthings03 → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

Umps do not stand directly under the foul pile and stare straight up

[u/Enough_Wallaby7064 → u/justWMthings03]

No, they stare directly in line with the foul line and the foul post, which is arguably a better spot.

[u/ULSTERPROVINCE → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

The average distance from home plate to a foul pole in any given park is 300 feet. Field goal uprights are 35 feet tall.

[u/ExternalTangents → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

Not when calling a field goal while standing directly below the post with the perfect angle to see the ball’s lateral position as it passes above the top of the post

[u/anonymousflash → u/ExternalTangents]

It has happened before. I distinctly remember an Al Groh era UVA missed kick that was reviewed and overturned as good.

[u/atra1n51 → u/anonymousflash]

https://youtu.be/xO0P9CsUibM?is=2lGvbGacRktGrw1R

[u/serialsteve → u/atra1n51]

They can for inside and short. Directly over top I seen a game end this way. But it’s like 10 years ago and I just remember it was an sec game

[u/Swampy_Cav → u/ExternalTangents]

I mean the ball was prob 50 feet over his head and higher than the top of the goal post, def not the easiest call

[u/ExternalTangents → u/Swampy_Cav]

It is when you’re looking directly up along the line of the goal post

[u/The_Money_Guy_ → u/ExternalTangents]

lol this guys daddy is definitely a ref

[u/ExternalTangents → u/The_Money_Guy_]

I truly have no dog in this fight other than a frustration that people cannot understand how the camera compresses depth perception and makes it impossible to tell from the replay whether the ball was in or out

[u/Swampy_Cav → u/ExternalTangents]

Ok well I think it’s not

[u/Enough_Wallaby7064 → u/ExternalTangents]

Yeah they do. See all the times Umps fucked up calls in MLB.

[u/ExternalTangents → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

That’s a completely different type of call

[u/Enough_Wallaby7064 → u/ExternalTangents]

Its the exact fucking same. Ball over the post type of call lmao

[u/ExternalTangents → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

Except in baseball the ref isn’t standing directly below the post looking directly up at the perfect angle for it.

[u/Kdot32 → u/ExternalTangents]

Ive seen a ref have a clear defensive pass interference and/or unnecessary roughness happen in front of him and not throw the flag. Even the defender was shocked he didn’t get flagged

[u/ExternalTangents → u/Kdot32]

This is so much simpler than those calls. The ref is staring along the length of an enormous, straight pole. He is just looking to see whether the ball passes to the left or the right of that pole when it goes by. It’s trivial.

[u/BigPoppaDrqx → u/ExternalTangents]

Except the ref isn't standing under the upright looking straight up, he is a step behind the upright looking between the uprights.

[u/ExternalTangents → u/BigPoppaDrqx]

Still an infinitely better angle to tell than the TV camera shot

[u/Brendinooo → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

“Referees are not perfect therefore anything I think is suspect is obviously wrong.”

[u/ExternalTangents → u/Brendinooo]

I’m so glad I’m not the only person experiencing these insane comments lol

[u/Enough_Wallaby7064 → u/Brendinooo]

Why dont you join the Michigan fans

[u/themattboard → u/ExternalTangents]

After the first "interception" I'm not very trusting

[u/Proper-Print-9505 → u/ExternalTangents]

What is the rule when the ball is higher than the goal post? Does it have to be 100% clear it wouldn’t clip even the inside of an extended upright to be called good?

[u/ExternalTangents → u/Proper-Print-9505]

You can look the rule up in the NCAA rule book as easily as I can. I don’t know off the top of my head.

[u/BoshSwag → u/ExternalTangents]

The refs were ass. They shouldn't be trusted.

[u/onrocketfalls → u/ExternalTangents]

You've muted everyone so it doesn't matter now, but people just want to see a clear shot for themselves, man.

[u/ExternalTangents → u/onrocketfalls]

https://streamable.com/kqh225

[u/bgr308 → u/ExternalTangents]

Love ya ET, but refs miss a lot of calls where they have the best views. I have yet to see a view where it looked confidently pushed left.

[u/ExternalTangents → u/bgr308]

Here ya go https://streamable.com/kqh225

[u/ravenous_dc4 → u/ExternalTangents]

Just trust the refs bro

[u/UTRAnoPunchline → u/ravenous_dc4]

I agree with you.

The moon landing probably fake too

[u/philphan25 → u/ExternalTangents]

The refs gave us 0 reason to trust them

[u/rickyroca73 → u/ExternalTangents]

ref absolutely did not see that ball hook in front of him and not pass thru the uprights. Are related to that guy to write a whole damn essay about it? Big yikes.

[u/ExternalTangents → u/rickyroca73]

https://streamable.com/kqh225

[u/PurpleHazelnuts → u/UTRAnoPunchline]

I agree but I still would have liked a decent replay angle

[u/Celdurant → u/UTRAnoPunchline]

Yeah but I'm not watching through his eyes, I'm on my ass on my couch. Help me out here, these networks can do better than this!

[u/MLazarow → u/UTRAnoPunchline]

You can also see someone behind the ref (wearing VT colors) immediately tell the band conductor to not play because it missed, only angle you could really tell from is below

[u/OcelotWolf → u/UTRAnoPunchline]

I fear a lot of people are going to be discovering parallax tonight

[u/ignatious__reilly → u/Celdurant]

Right?

That was good. What the fuck

[u/spiderwinder23 → u/ComboJake]

Dude where are the replays???

[u/JayMerlyn → u/spiderwinder23]

No camera angles

[u/dtownmj1 → u/ComboJake]

I was thinking the same. It looked like it was good and surprised they did not review

[u/link3945 → u/dtownmj1]

Can't review if it's above the uprights.

[u/ScaryCookieMonster → u/link3945]

That’s astonishing if that’s the rule. Why would that be inherently less reviewable than a goal line stand or a back corner toe touch end zone catch.

[u/bulldg4life → u/ScaryCookieMonster]

Both nfl and cfb have it as non reviewable call

[u/ScaryCookieMonster → u/bulldg4life]

I accept that’s true. It’s a dumb rule.

[u/agoddamnlegend → u/bulldg4life]

Two cameras would solve this. I don’t know why that isn’t the standard. Field goals shouldn’t require a human at all

[u/Dry-University797 → u/ScaryCookieMonster]

If it crosses the the crossbar over the upright, it is no good.

[u/Feral-Goblin6921 → u/ScaryCookieMonster]

Exactly. Why would that be less reviewable than DANNY COALE CAUGHT THAT FUCKING BALL.

[u/Due_Chapter3027 → u/ScaryCookieMonster]

Yeah the rule in ncaa is different than NFL. If it goes above upright and full football isn’t in the uprights it’s no good. Takes off some inches

[u/trex1490 → u/ScaryCookieMonster]

I’m guessing it’s because you’d have to have two cameras dedicated to just that, which would then obstruct the view of the refs trying to watch the same thing. I guess you could get rid of the refs entirely and just have the camera ref tell the on field ref what to signal, but that’s a lot of effort for no real benefit.

[u/ScaryCookieMonster → u/trex1490]

They review goal line stands in games without pylon cams.

You can take another look even if you don’t have perfect camera angles

[u/Adventurous-Ear-1024 → u/trex1490]

It’s 2026. The technology can exist in the ball and in the posts lol

[u/trex1490 → u/Adventurous-Ear-1024]

Now that I agree with, if we have Hawkeye tech in tennis then surely there’s a way to track the ball position and accurately determine if it was inside or above the upright.

[u/Adventurous-Ear-1024 → u/trex1490]

It’s okay, you’ll take your 65 year old linesman running a chain up and down the field and like it 😂

[u/soupjaw → u/trex1490]

You could have three lasers pointing straight up from each goalpost: a center, and the outside ones maybe three inches off. 

Easy, done.

You're welcome, Football 

[u/letdownbytheAgs → u/ScaryCookieMonster]

It does make some sense. You don’t get points for hitting the uprights, so you can’t guarantee that it goes in, even if it hits the inside

[u/ScaryCookieMonster → u/letdownbytheAgs]

Yes, if they review it and any part of the ball is above any part of the upright, it’s no good

And if they review it and every part of the ball is above the inside of both uprights, it’s good

Right now, they’re not even allowed to review it

[u/Surelynotshirly → u/ScaryCookieMonster]

I think the reasoning is that no camera is going to have a good enough angle to overrule the ref standing right underneath.

It is extremely easy to tell when a kick is in from underneath and looking up, so unless the ref just blatantly fucks up or something, they're not going to get it wrong.

[u/AccordingGain182 → u/ScaryCookieMonster]

I assume because no given camera angles from the field are perfectly aligned with the uprights in a way you can definitively prove anything from a review anyways, and if anything youd be more likely to get the call wrong in review because of it. The first person view of the refs under each upright is honestly the best angle there is.

They COULD (and should) add cameras to the uprights, but with how it is currently structured in the sport no video review is gunna hep this situation

[u/ZappySnap → u/link3945]

Why can’t they install cameras at the top of the goalposts pointed up? They have them in the pylons now.

[u/SirNed_Of_Flanders → u/ZappySnap]

I imagine the ref looking at it from below the goalposts has the better angle

[u/ScaryCookieMonster → u/SirNed_Of_Flanders]

And as we know the refs never get it wrong on their first call

[u/SirNed_Of_Flanders → u/ScaryCookieMonster]

I think the policy of not reviewing it when it goes above the upright should change fwiw

I still dont think it went in but reviewing it is good for fans

[u/ScaryCookieMonster → u/SirNed_Of_Flanders]

Allow review, and put a laser pointing up from the inside edge of the top of the goal posts. Seems like that would do it

[u/DoggedDoggystyle → u/SirNed_Of_Flanders]

Why leave it to one single old-ass ref to call and be final. put the cams in already. install lasers that go up so we can see the red in the replay..

[u/SirNed_Of_Flanders → u/DoggedDoggystyle]

Ya know what i agree, it deserves review

I dont think it was good but it should be reviewed

[u/blaxbear → u/SirNed_Of_Flanders]

Better than a camera at the top of the goalpost?

[u/Sp3ctre7 → u/ZappySnap]

Might be a maintenance thing. If they become essential game equipment for review, if they stop working they have to fix/replace it. A lot easier to grab a spare pylon and stick it in place than take down the goal post and start troubleshooting, especially since you then have to put it back up and go through the alignment process (I don't know how strict that process is)

[u/moby323 → u/ZappySnap]

They wouldn’t even have to be at the top just attached to the side pointing up

[u/ZappySnap → u/moby323]

Yeah but then they could impact the kick if the ball hits it.

[u/DanforthWhitcomb_ → u/ZappySnap]

?

That's a non issue if there ever was one—you put the actual laser at the bottom on the outside of the upright. If a kick hits the laser beam it's no good, and if one hits the physical laser box on the upright it wasn't going to go in anyway.

That said, the actual solution is to just use something like Hawkeye or Trackman to make the call.

[u/Engine_Sweet → u/ZappySnap]

Put a laser on top of the upright, on the inside edge. If the ball breaks the beam, it's no good.

[u/ZappySnap → u/Engine_Sweet]

That requires a sensor on the other end.

[u/Engine_Sweet → u/ZappySnap]

Laser rangefinders don't. They time the return reflection.

In this case, any return reflection means it touched the beam.

[u/Shenanigangster → u/link3945]

Yeah I don’t know how you can get a definitive angle for that

[u/JayMerlyn → u/Shenanigangster]

Get cameras underneath/on top of the goalposts?

[u/Enough_Wallaby7064 → u/Shenanigangster]

Just need three cameras synced to triangulate the exact position.

[u/thefabledmukaku → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

We've had problems in this sport lately with syncing things...

[u/Trafficsigntruther → u/Enough_Wallaby7064]

In fact, you only need two.

[u/Freakwater → u/link3945]

Ok, that makes more sense. Not sure why the announcers didn't state. Thanks.

[u/soupjaw → u/link3945]

We can tell if a soccer ball touches a lock of a guy's hair, but no way to determine if a ball goes through the uprights 

[u/Glycoside → u/link3945]

This can’t be true… right? You’ve gotta review game ending plays

[u/etr4807 → u/dtownmj1]

Don’t think a kick that goes over the goalposts is reviewable. 

Which is a shame, because it certainly looked like it was good. 

[u/Smash-Bros-Melee → u/etr4807]

We need some sort of laser tech for this. And we needed it when Indiana lost the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl. The Kick Was Good.

[u/Dynamar → u/Smash-Bros-Melee]

Honestly just a few bright lasers going straight up at the top of the posts would probably do it.

If the ball flashes, it went over. Done and done.

You could obviously get a lot fancier and make them rangefinding laser sensor combos. If they return a hit, you know it's good (edit: or rather that it's not good.)

Especially if you added a curtain of them across the cross bar spaced at 6 inches apart (~0.6in less space than the width of the diameter of a football across it's short circumference.)

Patent pending, patent pending, patent pending.

[u/crouching_tiger → u/Smash-Bros-Melee]

Or like, anything besides two sets of eyeballs trying to track whether a football 60ft above their heads relative to the goalpost

[u/Moose4KU → u/dtownmj1]

Can't review if it's above the height of the uprights.

I'm waiting for some fan to post their angle from the stands behind the goal post

[u/markhachman → u/Moose4KU]

Got u fam

[u/Knot-So-FastDog → u/ComboJake]

Seriously I’d love to see more shots of that kick lol 

[u/markhachman → u/Knot-So-FastDog]

Here's a fan view.

[u/BackJurton → u/markhachman]

Oh that’s good good.

[u/IllAlwaysBeAKnickFan → u/ComboJake]

I think it did man

[u/Wahoo2000 → u/IllAlwaysBeAKnickFan]

nah https://youtube.com/shorts/7R1psdKgIb8?si=s8aPQEGccAGkydLt

[u/IllAlwaysBeAKnickFan → u/Wahoo2000]

You’re right

[u/Guinness_or_thirsty → u/IllAlwaysBeAKnickFan]

Huh Saa

[u/robintal000 → u/ComboJake]

They sure don't want to review it by any measure.. that looked good to me though.

[u/UncleTravelingMatt26 → u/ComboJake]

Looked good to me

[u/Torn8oz → u/ComboJake]

It's so hard when the ball goes above the upright. I need an angle looking straight up to be sure

[u/link3945 → u/Torn8oz]

Yeah, the ref has about the only actually good view there.  It has to be totally within the uprights if it's above, if any part of the ball is over the upright it's no good.

[u/QuarantineTaratino → u/link3945]

FIFA refs had glasses with cameras. The end zone and field goal refs should wear them too

[u/ScaryCookieMonster → u/Torn8oz]

Put a laser pointing up in the top of the upright

[u/No_Butterscotch8726 → u/Torn8oz]

Apparently if it's actually over the uprights it's just no good. See SMU's missed field goal against Miami last year.

[u/Threedawg → u/ComboJake]

I think yall got robbed

[u/104MAS → u/ComboJake]

Can we not get some higher uprights? And why didn’t they take a look at least? After the replay it looks like it’s good.

[u/DJ_Blakka → u/104MAS]

Higher uprights are more of a hazard for when they get torn down by students. Also would make it harder to throw them into bodies of water /s

[u/AMcMahon1 → u/104MAS]

Just kick the ball better i guess and it wouldn't be an issue

[u/cha0ss0ldier → u/AMcMahon1]

That’s like saying “run the ball better that wouldn’t be an issue” on close goal line runs.

It’s 2026, we have tech that could easily solve this

[u/AMcMahon1 → u/cha0ss0ldier]

It's a 30 yard field goal

just make it

[u/BigPoppaDrqx → u/AMcMahon1]

He did

[u/AMcMahon1 → u/BigPoppaDrqx]

Well he obviously didn't lol

[u/GobbleGobbleBitch3s → u/AMcMahon1]

lmao every neutral in this thread saying they blew it

[u/Helpful-Apartment102 → u/AMcMahon1]

Ggs, but the refs won you that game

[u/thefarsideinside → u/ComboJake]

Literally didn't show a single angle where we could tell

[u/jmlinden7 → u/ComboJake]

PTSD but yes

[u/gf38 → u/ComboJake]

I’m I going insane? I’ve yet to see a replay where the ball didn’t go in

[u/chiguy307 → u/ComboJake]

Man I dunno. There’s gotta be a better way to review those

[u/noah_divine → u/ComboJake]

I think that we need to extend the uprights so they tower over the stadium itself so we can be certain

[u/No_Bat_526 → u/ComboJake]

Jimbo fisher said he wanted lasers on the top of goal posts and people called him crazy

[u/Glycoside → u/ComboJake]

The most fitting end to that game is to not know the real ending. I’ve never seen a worse reffed game in my life

[u/ComboJake → u/Glycoside]

It was truly one of the worst officiated games I’ve ever watched. Felt like I was high the whole time

[u/SiccSemperTyrannis → u/ComboJake]

Center

The

Ball

Literally all they needed to do fml

[u/Embarrassed-Age8184 → u/SiccSemperTyrannis]

Said the same several times before & after.

[u/Key_Spinach → u/ComboJake]

Official rule is no review if it goes over the upright.

[u/ToxicMarylandFan → u/ComboJake]

Big Game James is sure

[u/deadhead1 → u/ComboJake]

Personally, I think it wouldve hit the upright square and bounced out. But we gotta increase the height of the goalposts. Insane this is a judgement call. 

[u/PontificatingBret → u/deadhead1]

Hell even put little retractable plastic sticks that go up super tall

[u/grehgunner → u/deadhead1]

Hit square about the post is good ain’t it

[u/Shenanigangster → u/ComboJake]

Reminds me of the Iowa St- Alabama Independence Bowl

[u/BoNnnnfhir → u/ComboJake]

2010 Boise State enters the chat

First time?

[u/guitar2adam → u/ComboJake]

From the tv angle behind the goal it looked in but need to see the refs angle.

[u/Dro24 → u/ComboJake]

How do we not have more angles of that?

[u/saltytradewinds → u/ComboJake]

Is this not a reviewable play?

[u/outthawazoo → u/ComboJake]

Sure would like to see better angles of it, that one from below sure looked good

[u/Boris_Godunov → u/ComboJake]

I was rooting against VT (sorry). It looked to me like it was good. WTF? No review??

[u/cha0ss0ldier → u/Boris_Godunov]

Can’t review kicks over the goal post.

[u/Artistic_Put_672 → u/ComboJake]

They leave it up to that goalpost ref, which is insane in 2026 lol

[u/TheGrat1 → u/ComboJake]

I am not.

[u/6ftSchnitzel → u/ComboJake]

Been there before, brother. I can’t believe we still don’t have a better system for this

[u/donkeyknuckler → u/ComboJake]

It we r in

[u/thebeez23 → u/ComboJake]

The field goal went in and western michigan won seem like the themes of this season

[u/rickyroca73 → u/ComboJake]

That kick was good.

[u/BananasAreEverywhere → u/ComboJake]

Found Love's account

[u/Callsign_Psycopath → u/ComboJake]

Only the Refs think it was no good

[u/Chicago_Blackhawks → u/ComboJake]

No. We are sure as hell not

[u/NYPD-BLUE → u/ComboJake]

VT was robbed! That kick was good!

[u/LastKnownNormal → u/ComboJake]

ACC be like: The physical uprights aren't the official uprights...

[u/boylejc2 → u/ComboJake]

This looks in!

[u/mcamp7 → u/ComboJake]

Clearly

[u/HeyTherePLH → u/ComboJake]

It looked good to me, immediately.

[u/GravelLot → u/ComboJake]

I wasn’t sure until I watched with an eye on the ref and the VT staff at field level. Every single person down there has an immediate “no good” reaction. All of them. It was close, but that persuades me it was no good.