I'll start by saying I try to avoid the "the refs f'ed us again" rhetoric.  That sentiment keeps me out of game threads because I find it pretty pathetic to think the refs are always out to get you.  It's not a perfect system, and you're going to win some and lose some.

That said, there were 2 plays that I can't reconcile with each other based on the reaction of everyone commentating, including Bill Lemonnier the rules official.

Late in the first half on Texas' scoring drive, they brought Arch Manning in for a 4th and 1 run.  He got hit pretty hard and it seemed clear he was losing control of the ball as he went down (I think he might have gotten his bell rung).  Anyway, his hand was still touching the ball as his knee hit, but it was coming out of his palm before that.  In my interpretation, he may have been losing control of it before the knee touched, but the commentators and Bill all agreed he was pretty clearly down, which is what the officials ruled.

Then on a critical 3rd down halfway through the 3rd quarter Quinn was nearly brought down for a sack.  As he's going down he pitched the ball out to a RB for a 1st down run.  Again, he was clearly in the process of releasing the ball as his knee touched, but there are multiple frames where his knee is on the ground and his fingers are still touching the ball.  These seem like nearly identical scenarios, but on review all the commentators and Bill agreed he barely got it off.

Quinn Ewers BARELY got this throw off before getting tackled pic.twitter.com/qWRTcSGJJD
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 11, 2025

So what's the deal?  Are there different rules for a ball carrier vs. a passer?  How can both these be true at the same time?  If they blew a call, which one was it?