Do the footballs used by college teams get heavier at the players approach the goal line? Hotter? Start emitting an electric shock? Become radioactive? I jest, of course. The real question is why do so many college football players intentionally drop the ball as soon as possible upon scoring or almost scoring a touchdown?
In November, 2014, a Utah player dropped the ball before crossing the end zone. An Oregon player picked it up and ran 100 yards for a touchdown. Video can be seen here: http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/11845079/oregon-ducks-return-fumble-100-yards-utah-utes The fumble was upheld, and the Oregon touchdown counted.
On September 10, 2016, a Clemson player dropped the ball just before crossing the goal line. Video can be seen here: http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/09/watch_clemson_player_drop_ball.html The play was ruled a touchback, and the opponent received the football.
Last weekend, an Oklahoma player returned a kickoff for a touchdown and dropped the ball just before he crossed the goal line. You can see the video here: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/oklahomas-joe-mixon-dropped-the-ball-before-crossing-the-goal-line-021231491.html The play was ruled a touchdown.
To be honest, watching live, I did not notice the early drop. But the broadcast team did, and they showed the replay, almost incredulous that the play was not reviewed. Then they said something that made me incredulous, and I paraphrase: even if they had overturned the touchdown, Oklahoma would have had possession at the one-yard line. That seemed inconceivable to me, but only for about three and a half hours. In the event, the touchdown counted, but it would have needed to be worth 27 points for Oklahoma to have defeated the Buckeyes.
Later that night, or early Sunday morning, if you prefer, the same thing happened again. Late in the game, while protecting a lead, a UC Berkeley player popped through the line on third and short and sprinted for the end zone. Video here: http://thebiglead.com/2016/09/18/video-cals-vic-enwere-drops-ball-before-crossing-goal-line/ He dropped the ball before crossing the goal line. A Texas player picked up the ball within 2-3 seconds. After review, Cal was awarded the ball at the one-yard line because the Texas player did not immediately recover the ball. I saw this play live at approximately 2:30 EST and was outraged by the ruling that Texas had not recovered the ball. It was borderline absurd.
It’s almost a joke to see just an ill-advised play happen so often. The players work too hard all week and during the games to so freely squander the opportunity to score for their team and their school. And yet they keep doing it and none of it is accidental. It is quite obvious in watching the videos that in each circumstance, the player voluntarily relinquished control of the football.
On the other extreme, Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith put every football he scored an NFL touchdown with in a bag so he could take it home. Every single touchdown-scoring football, that’s 175 footballs. Only one NFL player scored more touchdowns. http://a.espncdn.com/nfl/news/2002/1114/1460831.html Some of the footballs have been auctioned for charity, though most of them remain in boxes. https://passtheword.wordpress.com/2006/11/20/emmitt-smiths-money-ball/ None were dropped before Smith reached the goal line.
Cam Newton, the outstanding QB for the Carolina Panthers, hands every ball that he scores with to a child in the stands. http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/carolina-panthers-young-fans-cam-newton-ted-ginn-touchdown-ball-excitement-012416 Other Panthers do the same thing. The kids are understandably ecstatic. And the players do not drop the ball before reaching the goal line.
Keeping or giving away footballs would likely get college players in trouble with the NCAA, so I’m not advocating that. But the players should follow the lead of these NFL greats and not drop the ball before reaching the goal line. As an extra incentive, the NCAA Rules Committee could pass the following rule to take effect immediately: any player about to score an unimpeded touchdown, who voluntarily relinquished control of the ball before crossing the goal line, shall be ejected from the game and the opposing team shall take possession of the ball at the 50-yard line.
I suspect that coaches will stress the stupidity of wasting scoring opportunities so vehemently that the football-dropping epidemic will abate. I know it will if the rule I propose is enacted.