It’s rare to see referees face consequences for a bad call. But when an error is as blatant as the one in the Kansas–Missouri Border War, action becomes unavoidable
A Big 12 officiating crew has been removed following a rules violation in Kansas' 42-31 loss to Missouri on Saturday. The violation took place in the first quarter after Missouri's first touchdown, when the Tigers were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Kansas blocked the following extra point attempt, and the ensuing kickoff was illegal. The conference officials allowed a punt to occur on a free kick in violation of Rule 2 Section 16 Article 6 of NCAA Football rules.
The officiating crew has been dismissed from its next scheduled assignment on Friday.
"We believe we have one of the best officiating programs in college football," Big 12 chief football & competition officer Scott Draper said in a news release. "When the Conference's high standard for officiating is not met, the Big 12 will take action."
While not announcing the game they were pulled from, the conference has a pair of games on Friday including Colorado vs. Houston and Kansas State vs. Arizona. Colorado vs. Houston is a conference game while Kansas State vs. Arizona isn't due to their matchup scheduled prior to Arizona joining the league as part of the realignment.
Analyst Say Kansas' Playoff Hopes Are A Longshot, But Alive
Despite an up-and-down start, some analysts still believe Kansas has a path to the College Football Playoff.
Although the Jayhawks let Missouri rally from 15 points down, the largest comeback win by an SEC team since 2016, Kansas still showed flashes of potential it can build on this season. According to a CBS article, which ranked where each Power Four team stands on the road to the playoffs the Jayhawks were described as "sitting on the shoulder" meaning “technically alive, but path is long, risky, or dependent entirely on outside chaos."
Quarterback Jalon Daniels has looked solid through three games, throwing for 679 yards. Three Jayhawk transfers have led the way in receiving. Alabama transfer Emmanuel Henderson Jr. tops the list with 183 yards, followed by Ball State’s Cam Pickett with 124 and Albany’s Levi Wentz with 103. Together, the trio has recorded five touchdowns.
One area in which the Jayhawks need to improve on is the running game. Last game, Kansas' running backs combined for just 11 yards. Without any support on the ground, the Jayhawks’ offense became one-dimensional in the border war.
Kansas will look to bounce back against its first Big 12 opponent, West Virginia. The matchup will test the Jayhawks’ resilience and ability to learn from mistakes, qualities essential for any playoff contender.