Fifth Down game sportsmanship is forgotten

Central Michigan upsets #22 Oklahoma State 30-27 on a Hail May-plus-lateral final play of the game Saturday (9/10). The previous play was a fourth-down intentional grounding call against Oklahoma State, which was leading 27-24. The referees turned the ball over to CMU and allowed one last (spectacular) untimed play which by the rules the referees should not have allowed. This is the one instance - final play of game changes the outcome - where an uber-official could overturn the last play (except rules say when the refs declare the game over, it's final) or the winning team could return the victory to the other team. That was what Cornell did three-quarters of a century ago in the Fifth Down game against Dartmouth. [cornellalumnimagazine.com]

Sporting News
Don't expect the next step. Barring another miracle, Central Michigan won't forfeit this game. That would be a first at almost any level. The Seahawks didn't forfeit the Fail Mary game to the Packers. The Hurricanes didn't forfeit to the Blue Devils last season. The Buffaloes didn't forfeit the "Fifth Down Game" to the Tigers. Why should Central Michigan give this one back? Because sportsmanship? That seems unlikely.

Not exactly a first at any level.