Big 12 admits replay error that cost Notre Dame one play

College Football’s Big 12 conference conceded that time remained when the final pass hit the ground, and promised a “complete review” of its end-of-game process before next week’s games.

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr threw incomplete to Jaden Greathouse in the end zone on the last snap of a 28-24 BYU win. By rule, one second should have been put back on the clock, which would have given the Irish one more play from the BYU 8-yard line, needing a touchdown.

The league said the play was “incorrectly cleared by the replay officiating crew,” and the statement made no attempt to soften it.

Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira had already seen the problem live. After checking with the Big 12 replay center, he said there should have been another play for Notre Dame. NBC’s Terry McAulay made a similar point, per RG.

On Monday, Pereira went further and called the ending embarrassing for all officiating, according to Awful Announcing.

Notre Dame was at the mercy of someone else’s officiating crew

Because the Irish are an independent, their games are officiated by the opponent’s conference, so the Big 12 had control of both the field crew and replay in Provo. This is also the second high-profile clock ruling this season, ESPN noted.

The first came in the Michigan-Western Michigan opener, when a Big Ten ruling that one second remained let Michigan win on a Hail Mary.

Two controversies in a season isn’t a trend yet, but it’s enough to make people ask whether replay procedures for clock issues are clear enough. The Big 12 seems to agree, since it’s reviewing the process rather than just apologizing.

The result stands, and the review is what to watch next

Nothing in the conference’s statement suggests the outcome will change, and I wouldn’t expect it to. BYU was the better team for most of the night, as SI argued, and Notre Dame still had to score from the 8 against a defense that had been holding it. Marcus Freeman wasn’t asked about the clock after the game, per Yahoo, so the Irish haven’t weighed in publicly.

The more interesting question is what the review produces. If the league changes how replay crews check the stadium clock on the final play, the fix could matter in a close game next week. The conference has told everyone to expect a decision before then.

For the standings, the immediate effect is limited. BYU is 6-0 and ranked second in the AP poll, and Notre Dame is 6-1 and fourth.

But a late, wrong call in a game of this size is exactly what playoff-committee arguments are made of, and every team in the race will be watching how the Big 12 responds.

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This story was originally published by Lindy's Sports on Oct 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Lindy's Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.