Instant replay in college football was supposed to be like the infallibility of the pope. Wait, bad example.

On the other hand, there’s a connection to be made between the two.

Referees make a mistake, and then they get a signal from the people above (who are all-knowing and can see everything) that this call needs to be reviewed.

Eventually, the field referee relays the message of the decision to the viewing public. The pope gets a signal from the big guy upstairs (let’s call him God) and then gives the public the official ruling. We’ve now found out that both systems have extreme flaws.

Three years ago, the NCAA decided that to eliminate the “mistakes” in college football was necessary in a sport where one single loss in an 11-game season ruins a school’s chance at a national championship.

Therefore, instant replay was born, and it was good.

You can bet Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops probably needs to visit confession after probably taking the Lord’s name in vain multiply times after witnessing the tape of his Sooners’ late-second loss at Oregon.

“We can’t sit here and say okay,” Stoops said in his weekly press conference. “It’s unacceptable and inexcusable, to them (the players) and to us, because we can’t get it back, and they earned it.”

Last Saturday with Oklahoma up 33-27, Oregon set up for an onside kick with under two minutes to play.

On the play, Oregon’s Brian Paysinger jumped in front of Oklahoma’s Malcolm Kelly and appeared to knock the ball forward to a group of players from both teams. This is interference, as the ball needs to travel 10 yards on an onside kick for the team to recover and Oregon’s kick went about eight yards. Oklahoma should’ve gotten the ball where the Oregon player touched it, but that’s not all.

Eventually, Oklahoma’s Allen Patrick recovered the ball and handed it to the official. At the end of all the craziness, the officials pointed that it was Oregon’s ball. They could’ve forgotten which direction Oklahoma was headed, but in that case, I hope they had somebody else drive them home.

Either way, they looked at the video of the kick (they can’t review the recovery because that would just make sense) and then explained there was no indisputable video evidence to overturn the call.

Under that logic, somebody who robs a convenience store should use the “there’s no indisputable evidence that this is me on the surveillance video” argument and therefore, since he’s innocent until proven guilty, should be let go.

Two plays later, an Oklahoma defender tipped a pass by Oregon’s Dennis Dixon, and Sooners safety Darien Williams should not have been flagged for pass interference on a play that set up the Ducks’ winning score. The ball did a helicopter after being tipped, which again was seen on video.

The call on the field stood. It was at this point, play-by-play announcer, NFL Hall of Famer and Oregon graduate Dan Fouts lost his mind.

“I don’t know what these officials are looking at,” Fouts said during the telecast. “This is ridiculous.”

Oklahoma earned the right to complain (which they’ve done), Oregon has the responsibility to apologize (which they’ve done) and the Pac Ten along with the NCAA must abolish the system entirely (which they won’t do).

First off, instant replay is the worst five to 10 minutes of broadcasting time in history.

In the NFL, you’re literally watching on your television a referee watch television. This is what Rod Serling had in mind when he created the Twilight Zone. At least as of this year, the NFL goes to commercial because they recognize ads and halftime are only acceptable times to leave your seat in order to get food, drink or use the bathroom.

This Saturday ends the argument that well, if we had instant replay, it would eliminate blown calls. If the zebras aren’t going to use the technology correctly, it’s a waste of time to have it at all. Oklahoma now knows in this case, the call was going to be wrong no matter what, replay or no replay.

Players make mistakes. Officials should be able to do the same. To error is human, to forgive is divine as said by Alexander Pope. Not that one. He’s infallible, remember, just like we think instant replay is.