Pac-10's officials policy will be topic at Oct. 12 meeting

This week's debate over The Call has brought renewed attention to instant replay in college football and the officials who consider it.

The Pac-10 has a rule that its league's officials work all games in its home stadiums. Following the blown call on an onside kick in Oregon's 34-33 victory over Oklahoma last Saturday, coach Bob Stoops was threatening to cancel a game against Washington in 2008 if the policy isn't changed.

Conference spokesman Jim Muldoon said the Pac-10 will put its policy of using league officials for nonconference games before its athletic directors at their next meeting on Oct. 12.

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr suggested that perhaps a pool of officials unaffiliated with any conference might be the best solution.

Coach Mike Bellotti, whose team benefited by the bad call, is in favor of video replay and would entertain a neutral official to handle it.

"I believe that all the replay officials, every official is basically honest," Bellotti said. "I think if they make a mistake it's because they don't see it or can't see it."

Stoops also supports instant replay, despite its failings for the Sooners in this instance.

"I still think it's good. Even if the right call isn't made, at least it puts it out there for all to see what was and what wasn't. There is no denying that," he said.

Southern Cal coach Pete Carroll remains against instant replay altogether.

"Instant replay has a percentage where it's successful and percentage when it's not," he said. "I don't have a percentage to give you, I would just prefer not to have it."

Official takes leave

Gordon Riese, the instant replay official who failed to overturn The Call has been granted a leave of absence for the remainder of the football season by the Pac-10.

Riese already had been suspended for a game by the league. Because Pac-10 replay officials work in crews, replay assistant Roger Judd also will not work any more games.