Know this about the college football officials who draw your ire on Saturdays: Their every move is scrutinized.
From the moment they leave home for a game, they're on company time. That means no beer with Friday dinner. And if their game is in Las Vegas, no restaurant attached to a casino.
Once they step onto the field, if they chitchat with a coach or athletic director from School A, they're expected to give equal time to School B.
Bill Carollo, the Big Ten's coordinator of football officials, has heard coaches gripe about refs who seem to be waving to members of the crowd on one side of the stadium before a game.
Aha! I knew that zebra had friends on the other side!
And then Carollo informs the coach: The official was signaling to a crew member in the press box that his beeper was working.
Carollo met with the Tribune for three hours last week at Big Ten headquarters in Rosemont, Ill., to offer insight into the profession, review the season and break down some controversial plays.
Should a replay review have overturned J.T. Barrett's awkward fourth-and-1 scamper in the Ohio State-Michigan game? Should Ohio natives have been allowed to officiate the game? We'll get to that.
But first ...
