It's hard to put the Miami loss on one play, but a terrible decision from the refs still has people talking following the brutal defeat to Indiana with the CFP title on the line. We're of course talking about the pass interference call on Miami defensive back OJ Frederique.
Malachi Toney transfer rumors quickly silenced by his mom after the Miami loss
Was there some hand fighting? Sure, but it went both ways on a key 3rd down and Indiana should have been forced to punt. Instead, the first down was given and Indiana went on to score on that drive, which had people convinced the refs gifted Indiana a free touchdown.
Mario Cristobal was understandably livid on the sidelines and he wasn't the only one. The anger is only going to grow when you take a look at the slow-motion clip below. Just how in the world was this PI on Miami? Terrible from the team in stripes:
Soft Call: #Miami just got the wrong end of this pass interference call.
— FirstDownMedia (@FirstDownMediaa) January 20, 2026
Refs were calling it good all night, but now this soft one. LET THEM PLAY pic.twitter.com/0d8NYtNGYw
Miami fans remain furious over the bogus PI call on OJ Frederique
Yeah, that's not a penalty. Again, there was hand fighting going on, but Frederique fully turned his body and he was facing Fernando Mendoza. He reached out with one hand to knock the ball down. This should have been a remarkable pass deflection for him, but instead the refs had other ideas.
The Miami defense could have kept Indiana out of the end zone on that drive, but Corey Hetherman's players should have never been put in that position in the first place. The fact that Indiana scored not long after the laundry hit the turf was just brutal.
Thankfully, the Canes were able to respond throughout the game and The U even had a chance to win things late. Unfortunately, Carson Beck's deep toss with under a minute to go was intercepted and Indiana made history. Props to the Hoosiers for posting the win - they deserved it. However, we can't help but come back to the PI decision that was 100 percent the incorrect call.
