How the Michigan Punter's Australian Rules Football Past Factored into the Michigan State Ending

Blake O’Neill, the Michigan punter, is a 6-foot-2 Australian with a nice smile and a big leg. He’s done some modeling! He had an 80-yard punt against Michigan State! But all anyone will remember is the game-ending gaffe, when O’Neill dropped the snap, feebly attempted to punt the ball, lost it, and Michigan State ran it back for the game-winning score.

One of the biggest questions – and there were many – why didn’t O’Neill just fall on the botched snap? Michigan State would have to win on a Hail Mary!

And that’s where O’Neill’s Australian rules football past might come in. Via CBS Sports:

"Chapman believes O’Neill’s instincts from Australian rules football caused him, upon dropping the ball, to still try to pick it up and kick instead of falling on the ball. “Yeah, he probably should have jumped on it, but jumping on the ball is not what we do here. We pick it up and we move it forward by hand or foot. If the ball is on the ground and two teammates jump on you (in Australian rules football), it can be called holding the ball — I get penalized and you receive the ball because I didn’t attempt to get the ball out and continue the game on.”"

The man quoted above is O’Neill’s trainer in Australia. His explanation makes total sense. Of course, that’s no solace to Michigan fans, who had been suddenly dreaming of a potential playoff trip this year. That’s still possible, though the chances are remote: Michigan would need to beat Ohio State, have Ohio State beat Michigan State, and then … ah, hell. The Big 10 tiebreakers say that overall record is important, and Michigan has the loss to Utah.