Woodie Dixon, Mike Leach, Larry Scott

WOODIE DIXON is the Pac-12's general counsel and head of football, a Harvard-educated lawyer who makes more ($587,141) than Washington State President Kirk Schulz. But Dixon has no officiating experience, nor any specialized instant-replay training. Yet, the Oregonian's John Canzano writes, Dixon from his home had an instant-replay call in the WSU-USC game changed.



The Oregonian article notes Yahoo Sports obtained a copy of the replay report of the WSU-USC game. In it, replay official Gary McNanna indicated he believed a targeting call against WSU LB Logan Tago should have been upheld but Dixon overruled him; "unfortunately a third party did not agree," with the call. "And yet, somehow, Dixon intervened and overruled both the in-stadium replay official and the team working at the conference's centralized command center," writes Canzano. But that wasn't the most controversial targeting no-call from the game.



On the egregious non-call of USC linebacker Justin Porter's hit against Coug QB Gardner Minshew, Yahoo cited Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott's text to Mike Leach, where Scott texted Leach that both Dixon and VP of officiating David Coleman "were in command center and did review the play" and had determined there was no targeting.

Putting aside the fact Dixon was at home, Fox officiating expert Mike Pereira called it “one of the most obvious cases of targeting you can have.” NBC officiating expert Terry McAulay called it a “travesty” that it wasn’t called.



Had it been, WSU would have had the ball on the USC 10-yard line in the waning moments, with WSU trailing 39-36. Instead, WSU had a 38-yard field goal blocked and lost, one of two losses on the season for the Cougs that could now keep WSU out of a New Year's Six Bowl game.



"That's the one guy that should realize he shouldn't be there," Rick Neuheisel says in the Oregonian article. "The replay process should only be guys that know every rule known to man. Woodie knows that. He should not have been anywhere near that process."



Scott initially denied there had been any influence from a third party, before Yahoo obtained the report. Yahoo also obtained text messages of a tense exchange between Mike Leach and Dixon.



In a text to Dixon, Leach accused him of calling Washington State staff in the press box during the 2015 game vs. Stanford and making them turn down the band noise because they were “playing too loud.” Leach then wrote: “Why can’t I help wondering, if you’re trying to manipulate wins and losses?”



Dixon responded: “Mike don’t ever again accuse [me of] of manipulating wins and losses. Please show this text to your AD and have him give me a call.”



Leach wrote back: “I didn’t accuse you of anything. I suggest that you get on sorting out those rules that I pointed out. After all, that is your job.” A text message from Dixon to Washington State athletic director Patrick Chun obtained by Yahoo said that he’d received a “disturbing” text from Leach. But there’s no further conversation about it.



Leach, in a text to Pac-12 vice president of officiating David Coleman, wrote on Sept. 25 about the targeting no-call against USC: “Woodie is a total coward and is afraid of USC. I look forward to telling him in person.”



INCREDIBLY, DIXON CONTINUES to work within a few feet of the instant-replay command center on game days. The conference says he has a job to do as its football supervisor. Common sense would argue his mere presence indicates the Pac-12 remains oblivious, despite the damning information that has been made public and the ensuing blows to Scott's and the conference's credibility.



The conference announced Oct. 24 it had disciplined "certain Pac-12 personnel responsible for the inadequate procedures and involved in the inappropriate influencing of the replay official's decision in the USC vs. Washington State game." It didn't reveal who or what the penalties were. Conversely, four hours later, the Pac-12 issued a release stating ASU DC Danny Gonzales had been fined $5,000 for criticizing officiating the previous week.



For the full article, one well worth your time, click here.

Porter Gustin missed the 1st half tonight due to targeting in the last game... and now he's doing this?? pic.twitter.com/RMym4s5rZA — CFB Gif'er (@CFBgifer) September 22, 2018



