Clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve when Ohio State kick floats wide of upright vs Georgia
This was a remarkable moment and a remarkable piece of live television for anyone in the Eastern United States who was trying to ring in the new year while also following the thrilling Ohio State-Georgia College Football Playoff semifinal to its ultimate conclusion.
Let’s keep one point in mind here: When Ohio State took a 41-35 lead over Georgia by kicking a field goal, the chances of overtime went down to like one percent. With the score 38-35, the chances were still high. Georgia could kick a field goal and tie it. With the score 41-35, Georgia was either going to get a go-ahead seven-point tally or not score. If Georgia did get seven points, Ohio State was either going to win with a field goal, 44-42, or lose 42-41. We obviously got the latter scenario. The game was going to end in regulation, one way or another.
Meanwhile, 2022 was ending and the ball was dropping in Times Square in New York. ESPN had the playoff semifinal, while Disney-owned ABC had the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve show live from New York.
Timothy Burke, who has been sharing audio and video feeds of memorable sports and TV moments for over a decade, was at his very best, putting together the different audio and video feeds of both the Ohio State-Georgia game and the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square.
Some of you surely noted that the climactic Ohio State field goal and the ball dropping in New York happened pretty much at the same time.
How close together were these moments? Even closer than you might have realized. This is absolutely remarkable. If you haven’t seen this, it’s the first must-watch moment of 2023 in the East. For those of us in the West, it was the last great TV moment of 2022.
Here you go, with some explanations from Timothy Burke on the precise timing of the events:
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE
By request, here is the multicam view of the feed from Times Square, All-22, and ESPN, Georgia, and Ohio State radio calls, as it happened onscreen live: pic.twitter.com/k775T4VNTo
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 1, 2023
SLIGHT DELAY BETWEEN THE ACTUAL EVENT AND WHEN PEOPLE SAW IT ON TELEVISION
every video is timestamped to the second when it starts recording, and I know when "midnight" is because it's evident in the video from times square. so that's how we knew how to sync it. https://t.co/yhEQ5tz9L4
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 1, 2023
THIS WAS THE LAST GREAT MOMENT OF 2022 (IN REAL TIME), BUT PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE SEEN IT ON TV IN 2023
(on television. in real life, it took place entirely in 2022. probably by 10 seconds or so.) https://t.co/RjpJhp9hrZ
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 1, 2023
LITERALLY LIVE VERSUS BROADCAST TRANSMISSION DEPENDING ON TV/CABLE PROVIDER
Here's one done manually. Whether the kick came before, during, or after midnight where you are depends on how you get your cable TV and how much latency there is. https://t.co/FrDvchM7cx
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 1, 2023
THIS VIDEO SHOWS A 3-SECOND GAP BETWEEN OSU'S MISSED KICK AND TIMES SQUARE ERUPTING AT THE START OF 2023
Hotel bar in Atlanta… Georgia wins at midnight! Wild! @12SportsAZ #HappyNewYear #HappyNewYear2023 #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/ckos01zX2T
— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) January 1, 2023
AMAZING ADDED DETAIL: OHIO SPORTS BETTING BECAME LEGAL AT MIDNIGHT ON JANUARY 1, RIGHT WHEN OHIO STATE LOST
Also just another layer to the Ohio sports betting launch, the Peach Bowl going down to the wire meant there was no New Years countdown, just a room full of sad people groaning at the missed FG, then this program began.
— Michelle Alfini (@MichelleAlf) January 1, 2023
OH MY GOD
Reaction from the VIPs at Cincinnati’s sports betting launch. pic.twitter.com/KBigUI92u3
— Michelle Alfini (@MichelleAlf) January 1, 2023
PEOPLE WEIGH IN ON THEIR EXPERIENCES OF THE MOMENT
Well anyway I was at the game looking at my Apple Watch and the kick itself was about at 11:59:50
— Scooter G. (@OscarLeGrinch) January 1, 2023
MORE DETAILS
Shockingly close to right at the stroke of midnight. I was paying attention because A) I was trying to decide if I would make a break for it to watch the Peach Drop outside or B) if we lost I wanted it to happen in 2022 so it could be last year. Hollywood timing.
— Scooter G. (@OscarLeGrinch) January 1, 2023
IT WAS REALLY CLOSE
Sports are often delayed by about 3 seconds on tv. This is hard to tell. But they did say 3,2,1 it’s New Years right as the ball was snapped
— Nola DuBose (@parks91369) January 1, 2023
PETE ROSE!
Legal sports betting is less than two hours away in Ohio and just after midnight, Pete Rose will make his way up to this window and place the first bet in the Hard Rock Sportsbook. pic.twitter.com/TwprbDZPAq
— Michelle Alfini (@MichelleAlf) January 1, 2023
THIS ALMOST HAPPENED, BUT NOT QUITE
Last week I chatted w/ @BobWankelCB about the dawn of mobile sports betting in Ohio and its midnight debut. He laid out a potential scenario where Buckeye bettors could lay wagers on a potential game-winning kick in the OSU vs. GA game if the game ran late. Bob is clairvoyant.
— Joe Noga (@JoeNogaCLE) January 1, 2023
CONFLUENCE OF EVENTS
Watching Ohio State’s kicker shank the game-winning kick against Georgia right at midnight on New Year’s Eve. pic.twitter.com/77qZRaZdIv
— Proton Don (@proton_don) January 1, 2023
CONTENT
I can’t believe that Ohio State really lost right at midnight. I feel bad for the kicker, but this is tremendous content for everyone else. Happy New Year, everyone.
— Luis Paez-Pumar (@lppny) January 1, 2023
MAYBE NOT CINDERELLA, BUT CERTAINLY AN UNDERDOG STORY
Bit on the nose to have a Cinderella story come to an end at the stroke of midnight, but I’ll allow it since it’s the holiday.
— ⬅️ Real Name (@FutureHasbeen) January 1, 2023
