Jim Harbaugh Said Blake O’Neill Should Have Fallen on the Ball.
Several Las Vegas sportsbooks reported wild scenes on Saturday after a key NCAA football game turned on a bizarre last-second play. In the annual showdown between the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans, a botched punt gave an unlikely victory to the Spartans.
At Sunset Station’s sportsbook, one gambler saw his $30,000 moneyline bet on the Wolverines come to naught. Another bettor who wagered $50 on an eight-team parlay ended up winning $11,000 when MSU won the game.
Michigan vs Michigan State
The 5-1 Michigan Wolverines came into the game as a 7-point favorite with most bookmakers. The Wolverines were enjoying a storybook season under 1st-year head coach, Jim Harbaugh, the former Stanford Cardinal and San Francisco 49ers head coach who once starred at quarterback for Michigan. Harbaugh took over a program which had been in historic decline, after decades as a perennial powerhouse.
The 6-0 Michigan State Spartans had been one of the preseason Big Ten favorites, but had looked somewhat lackluster in the games leading up to the big showdown at Ann Arbor. MSU has dominated the series recently and did not want to cede the role as yearly favorite.
Spartans/Wolverines Game Recap
The Wolverines led throughout. After a scoreless 1st Quarter, Jim Harbaugh’s team scored on a Sione Houma 2-yard run early in the 2nd Quarter. Michigan took a 10-7 lead into halftime and a 20-14 lead into the 4th Quarter. A field goal put the score to 23-14, but the Spartans closed the gap with a 1-yard run from LJ Scott midway through the 4th Quarter.
Despite the score, Michigan maintained a lead and seemed to have the game well-in-hand. The Wolverines faced a 4th down snap with a few seconds remaining. All they had to do was get a clean punt away and cover the run-back to seal the victory. That didn’t happen.
The Botched Punt
Instead, Michigan’s punter, Blake O’Neill, bobbled the snap. Instead of falling on the ball, O’Neill picked it up and tried an ill-conceived punt. Instead, it was blocked and MSU’s Jalen Watts-Jackson grabbed the lose ball. Watts-Jackson ran in from midfield for a touchdown at the buzzer, giving the Spartans a 27-23 win. To make things more bizarre, Watts-Jackson broke his hip in the post-game dogpile celebration and is “Out” for the year.
Reactions at the Las Vegas Sportsbooks
When the game ended the way it did, the Las Vegas sportsbooks erupted in pandemonium. Gamblers who seconds before thought they had a big win suddenly had trash. Bettors who thought they had lost their wager now had a winning ticket.
Sportsbooks on the Las Vegas Strip, as well as Off-the-Strip sportsbooks like the Westgate SuperBook, are known for their raucous atmosphere. Casinos place their sports and racing books near the gaming floor, so gamblers can hear the noise and see the excitement. Recently, the Cosmopolitan changed its sportsbook from a second floor to the front entrance, so people walking into the casino immediately hear the sound of sports bettors. Early buzz is positive.
Chuck Esposito’s Experience
Other casinos throughout Las Vegas reported big crowd participation. Sunset Station was one of those.
Chuck Esposito, sportsbook director for Sunset Station, said the assembled roared as the game played out. He said, “I can’t remember the book being as loud for a non-championship game in any sport. If you think the crowd in Michigan was loud, you should have been in our books. Many guests are still talking about it today.”
Esposito said he heard several gamblers trying to find the ticket they had just thrown away. The director said, “I was out in the book and a guest yelled, ‘Oh my god, I threw my ticket away. I did see him in line a short time later, cashing with a big smile.”
Michigan State in the College Playoffs
Unfortunately, hindsight shows that the fluky win by the Michigan State Spartans over the Wolverines might have tainted the college playoff bracket. If the Wolverines had not botched the punt, the Spartans never would have made the Final 4, and a more worthy contestant might have played Alabama in the semifinals. The Michigan Wolverines would not have been that team, but a Pac 12 squad might have gotten the nod.
