In the 1979 Rose Bowl, with USC leading Michigan 7-3 and on the Wolverines' three-yard line, Charles White got the call and launched himself over the pile of linemen before him, a move made popular (and prolific) by Sam Cunningham, who scored four TDs in the Trojans' 1973 Rose Bowl victory over Ohio State.
As White left the ground, he was met by Michigan linebacker and co-captain (and fellow Bloomfield Hills Andover grad) Jerry Meter. Mete's shoulder hit White's arm at the two and immediately dislodged the ball, which fell about five feet from the goal line. As the Wolverines scurried to recover the ball, White continued his trajectory and landed empty-handed in the end zone.
As was the case in the Seahawks' last-second "touchdown", the Rose Bowl referees sent out mixed signals. One ref signaled touchdown USC, while another signaled first down, Michigan. The ball never actually crossed the goal line at all, didn't come within a yard of it, ever. Yet Southern Cal was awarded a touchdown.
Just as the blown call in Seattle was the difference between victory and defeat, this blown call was the very difference in a 17-10 victory that propelled USC to a share of the 1978 national championship. Or, the very difference in a 17-10 defeat that denied Michigan a share of the 1978 national championship. Depends how you look at it.
With all their similarities, one thing separates these two catastrophic calls. One is seen as nothing more than a bunch of Michigan fans whining, while the other is being considered as one of the worst injustice in the history of professional football.
