‘I see them refs got paid today,’ says Michigan player after loss to Ohio State

Michigan’s loss to Ohio State on Saturday left Jim Harbaugh “bitterly disappointed” with the game’s officials over a couple of calls and non-calls the UM coach hated. Harbaugh thought the game’s officials let Ohio State get away with things they flagged Michigan for doing, and his displeasure was obvious all afternoon.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Michigan’s players didn’t air out the refs right after the game with the media, like Harbaugh did. They weren’t on camera berating them, like Harbaugh was. But on Twitter, a couple of them vented anyway, later on.

Cornerback Jourdan Lewis, responding to an Ohio State assistant’s jab at Michigan (or Harbaugh?) over arguments about a game-deciding fourth-down spot:

Cornerback Channing Stribbling saw this tweet ...

... and offered this take:

Lewis is not wrong. College football officials, unlike college football players, are compensated with liquid dollars for the work they do. They were paid, or at least they will be paid eventually. Let’s just take this as an evaluation of fair labor practices?

Defensive end Chase Winovich retweeted this:

Here’s extended video of Harbaugh ripping the refs:

To some extent, Michigan isn’t wrong to be angry. The J.T. Barrett fourth-down spot that set up Curtis Samuel’s overtime, game-winning touchdown could’ve gone either way without much argument. Michigan happened to be on the short end. The Wolverines had seven penalties for 59 yards called on them, compared to two and six on the other side. These things make competitors angry.

There’s no evidence that the refs were really out to get Michigan, though. Going after their integrity is wrong, even while being furious about such a crushing result isn’t.