Social Media Erupts After Refs Bail Out Texas In Peach Bowl Against Arizona St.

The first five games of the newly expanded College Football Playoff were quite anticlimactic, with all of them ending in favorites winning by double-digits. It appeared that the Peach Bowl, the CFP quarterfinal between Texas and Arizona State, was headed for the same fate. 

The Longhorns entered the game as 13-point favorites and quickly established dominance over a Sun Devils team that many considered inferior. Texas raced out to a 17-3 lead that it took into halftime. 

Arizona State started a comeback in the third quarter, cutting into the deficit with a safety and a field goal. But the Longhorns appeared to shut the door in the fourth quarter. 

If you decided to turn the game off at that point, you might be surprised to find out that Texas merely closed the door, but didn't lock it. They allowed the Sun Devils to score two touchdowns and convert two two-point conversions to tie the game. 

Still, Texas had a chance to take a three-point lead in the final two minutes. But kicker Bert Auburn missed a 48-yard field goal. 

That gave the Sun Devils the ball back in a tie game with a chance to win. Arizona State converted one first down, but was stopped on the ensuing set of downs. Or were they? 

ASU receiver Melquan Stovall caught a pass about five yards shy of a first down on third down. Except, it appeared that a Texas defender committed a targeting foul, which would have come with a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down. 

Social media users lost their minds after referees elected not to call targeting on a Texas player in the Peach Bowl against Arizona State.

(Getty Images)

Referees went to the replay booth to review the play, but decided that the helmet-to-helmet hit didn't qualify as targeting. That seemed odd, given that it looked like textbook targeting. 

Of course, social media quickly reacted to the no-call, with some accusing the refs of favoring the highly-favored, and much more popular, Texas Longhorns. 

Texas ended up with another chance to win the game, but Auburn missed again. Football God paying them back, perhaps? Or maybe Auburn was distracted? 

The game went to overtime, where Arizona State and Texas traded touchdowns on each of their first possessions. 

However, Texas also scored a touchdown on its second possession in OT and converted the two-point conversion. 

Arizona State couldn't answer and that was it. The favored Longhorns survived, thanks in part to some questionable officiating. 

Texas awaits the winner of the Rose Bowl between Oregon and Ohio State.