The NCAA football rules committee has issued guidance to close a loophole that allowed second-ranked Oregon to exploit an illegal substitution penalty late in its victory over Ohio State to take time off the clock. With Ohio State driving on its final possession of the game and just seconds left, Oregon was flagged for having too many defenders on the field. While the Buckeyes gained 5 yards, the move took four seconds off the clock and Ohio State didn’t have time to call a timeout for a potential game-winning field goal. The NCAA coordinator of football officials says in a statement the new guidance looks to “take away any gain for the defense” from committing an intentional penalty.
