The decision? Indisputable video evidence showed that this was not a catch. Actually, that wasn't the call. The replay officials reversed the call and later explained that because the ball moved after Grimes' hand hit the ground, the only logical inference to be drawn is that the ball hit the ground. Now, I'm no engineer, but I'm fairly sure that the energy from a hand hitting the ground can transfer through the hand and make the ball move, even if the ball doesn't impact the ground. Regardless, though, the standard for overturning the call on the field is "indisputable video evidence", not "a logical argument can conceivably be constructed explaining a set of circumstances where the call on the field was incorrect."
Keep in mind, too, that this isn't the first documented disaster by Pac 10 replay reviews. Two weeks ago, this unspeakably bad call in the UW-OSU game earned the replay officials a one-game suspension, and the Oregon-Oklahoma onside kick call remains eternally puzzling. Okay, bad calls are a part of the game, but when year in and year out, one set of replay officials consistently sets the benchmark for incompetence, it might be time to have a look at what's going on.
High-def screencaps after the jump:




