5 worst calls in college football history ft. Miami, Ohio State and more

If you ask any college football fan about the worst calls they have witnessed, many will invariably point to one that happened to their team. But college football history is littered with calls so shocking that they are universally acknowledged.

Below, we look at the five worst calls in college football history.

#5. Nebraska vs. Missouri, 1997

The famous flea kicker game had national championship ramifications. A pass to Nebraska's Shevin Wiggins was tipped, but Wiggins flea kicked it, and teammate Matt Davidson caught it and scored.

Were it to be determined to be an intentional kick, the Cornhuskers should have been penalized 15 yards, but they were awarded the game-tying score.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers went to overtime and won the matchup, which allowed them to share the national championship with Michigan. Much later, Wiggins admitted that the kick had been intentional.

#4. LSU vs. Auburn, 2006

There were several controversial moments in this Southeastern Conference slog, which was littered with poor calls.

First, LSU's Jacob Hester dropped the ball on the ground, and it rolled out of bounds, but it was ruled as a reception on the field.

The officials stated that only 'indisputable evidence' would allow the call to be overturned even though it was reviewed.

Secondly, LSU's Early Doucet was tackled before he touched the ball, but the pass interference call was overturned by the replay official, who later turned out to be an Auburn alum and a booster for the program.

As a result, The LSU Tigers lost the chance to go to an SEC championship game.

#3. Central Michigan vs. Oklahoma State - 2016

Oklahoma State had a 27-24 lead with four seconds left and decided to throw the ball away to kill time. Instead, they were charged with intentional grounding and faced the loss of a down.

The officials misinterpreted the rule that stops games from ending from a live-ball situation, except it did not apply to penalties that involved the loss of a down. Central Michigan put on a sensational move to win the matchup.

#2. Miami vs. Duke - 2015

The Duke Blue Devils thought they had won when they scored with six seconds remaining against the Hurricanes. However, Miami scored a touchdown from a kickoff return to win the contest.

Officials missed several infringements, including a player releasing the ball while he was down. The whole officiating crew was suspended for two games to show just how severe the lapse was.

#1. The worst call in college football history occurred during Ohio State vs. Miami - 2003

The Miami Hurricanes were the dominant college football power in the early 2000s. They were on course to win their second consecutive BCS National Championship matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2003.

That Fiesta Bowl will always be remembered for what happened in the last minute of the game.

On the first possession of overtime, Miami scored a touchdown, and Ohio State had to respond. Facing 4th down on the 5-yard line, Buckeyes quarterback Craig Krenzel threw an incomplete pass to Chris Gamble.

The Miami Hurricanes began celebrating, only for the referee to make probably the worst call in college football history, citing pass interference and throwing up a flag long after Miami fans had stormed the pitch.

Replays showed the ball bouncing off Gamble's shoulder pads before being touched by the Miami player. Ohio State got another shot and won the game.

Mark Stoops, now Kentucky coach, was the Hurricanes defensive backs coach, and in an interview with ESPN, he made his feelings about the call clear.

"There's not another official in the history of the game that would make that call," Stoops said.

Luckily, instant replays were introduced to college football, and this facet alone might have made the worst call in college football worth the controversy.