Jay Bilas hammers lengthy review process in Michigan vs Arkansas, calls for major rule change

In the waning moments of an absolutely compelling game between Arkansas and Michigan on Tuesday night, the officials headed to the monitor to review an out-of-bounds call. That instantly drew criticism from analyst Jay Bilas, who was calling the game for ESPN.

Bilas went off on the entire replay system and the need to revamp it.

“Here’s my view of this. We need to stop this,” Jay Bilas said. “We live with this call for 38 minutes and then it’s the Zapruder film for the last two. My belief is you should give each team one challenge, just like they do in the NBA. Give them a challenge. If they’re right they keep it, and then that’s it. That’s it.”

That rule proposal would dramatically alter the way games end in college, bringing it more in line with the NBA. In college, some games can invoke multiple replay reviews in the final minutes, seriously extending the actual time it takes to complete a game.

Around the game all the time, Jay Bilas has been to more than a few games that have been impacted.

He’s not the only one who has voiced that complaint, though. Plenty of viewers also wish the review process was a little more expeditious.

“This takes forever and it’s just crazy,” Jay Bilas said. “For 38 minutes that’s Michigan’s ball, no question. And the officials will tell you, ‘Nope, we got it right, he knocked it out.’ In the last two minutes it really is the Zapruder film, like slowing it down frame, by frame, by frame. It slows it down and it takes forever and it’s killing us.”

As for the game itself, the contest was fantastic. Michigan took a 15-point lead in the first half, only to watch a massive reversal early in the second half as Arkansas took a double-digit lead.

Then, despite taking as much as an 18-point lead in the second half, Arkansas let the game get to within one possession down the stretch.

Ultimately, a last-second shot attempt for Michigan came off the front iron, and Arkansas walked away with an 89-87 win. Viewers walked away with Jay Bilas’ suggestion for the replay system ringing in their ears.