Same video, slow motion this....freeze and watch the frames from .06. It's a grab. No, the rest of the world doesn't hate you. If that were true, how could you possibly explain 2003? The world really hates USC. *sarcasm* I will say that the more you opine this "world is against us" motto, the more likely it is to become true.
If that was the LSU QB getting his facemask pulled that his head shifted with the grab and we'd gotten the call would you think it was a bullshit call? That game happened when I was a year old, but I've often heard about the call and after seeing it I can see the irritation, but it doesn't appear to be fictitious. That's not anywhere in the same realm as not giving PP7 the interception against Bama, not calling Sternberger for his obvious fumble last year at aTm or the lack of PI/helmet-to-helmet in the Saints-Rams game, etc.. those are egregious errors. This is just a disputed call.
The facemask was a bad call but if you get a chance to see the 1979 game the most egregious no call was the offsides on the final drive. 2 maybe 3 USC lineman stand up in a blocking posture before the ball is snapped, Pac 10 line judge ignores it.
Check out the movement or offsides on the right side of the USC line on the same play with the phantom facemask call.
