I think some of the outrage over this whole clock episode stems from the (mis)understanding that many seem to have that there is some separate, secret clock somewhere at Big 10 HQ and this decision was made by referencing that "secret clock"

Posted on September 9, 2026 at 08:29:59 AM by WestSideBlue

There is no "secret clock." The only clock everyone is referencing is the stadium scoreboard clock. The difference is that NBC's video footage recording the image of the scoreboard clock was not properly synced to the action on the field, while the image of the scoreboard clock the Hawkeye system was capturing IS properly synced to the action. That is the whole point of the very expensive Hawkeye system. But the clock it is syncing to is the same one all the players, coaches and fans at the game are looking at and basing decisions on. The only clock that is wrong is the one NBC is broadcasting out to everyone else, and the biggest cause of this whole debacle is the fact that NBC has not and will not clearly admit that.

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I think some of the outrage over this whole clock episode stems from the (mis)understanding that many seem to have that there is some separate, secret clock somewhere at Big 10 HQ and this decision was made by referencing that "secret clock" - By WestSideBlue September 9, 2026 at 08:29:59 AM
- Further, Terry McAulay very confidently asserted that when NBC showed the scoreboard clock, it was properly synced. He was wrong.* - By LewisBullox September 9, 2026 at 09:17:53 AM
  - Terry McAulay: Often in error, never in doubt * - By WestSideBlue September 9, 2026 at 09:20:44 AM
- Just to be clear, the NBC cameras are also tied into the Hawkeye system, aren't they? - By syrfan September 9, 2026 at 09:14:33 AM
  - My understanding is they sync to the Hawkeye system before the game but are not tied to it after that - By WestSideBlue September 9, 2026 at 09:19:55 AM
    - They sync at the start of each quarter, and are “supposed to sync” after an official clock adjustment - By mgaelster September 9, 2026 at 09:58:21 AM
- It’s more simple than that. The critical fact is that people don’t understand the stadium clock - the one every player and coach is basing decisions upon, as you note - showed 1 second at the time when Micah Davis (from Dexter, btw) touched the ball. - By weebay September 9, 2026 at 08:54:38 AM
- Yes. It would have helped if the B10 could have written a clear, concise explanation* - By Rich September 9, 2026 at 08:34:03 AM
- The whole thing is quite dumb. There were 9 seconds on the play clock. The play took fewer than 9 seconds. This is very easy to double check. The TV people had the wrong time.* - By Bluebuck September 9, 2026 at 08:33:01 AM
  - I also agree with this. The fact that time was reset to nine seconds before the play makes this a "clean laboratory" so to speak. By timing the play, we should have a (mostly) airtight answer, with the only small variability coming from starting the timer with the snap.* - By weebay September 9, 2026 at 10:10:00 AM

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I think some of the outrage over this whole clock episode stems from the (mis)understanding that many seem to have that there is some separate, secret clock somewhere at Big 10 HQ and this decision was made by referencing that "secret clock"