Unfortunately, it was a horrible ending to one of the best games of the year. UT-Purdue has certainly been the best bowl game so far. An apparent Tennessee TD in OT is ruled invalid because forward progress is deemed stopped despite the fact that the Volunteer runner stretched the ball over the goaline BEFORE the ref whistle ending the play. Multiple replays confirmed timing of the whistle.
Game announcers surmised that the whistle does not matter if -- in the ref's discretion -- progress was stopped, even if there was a delay in blowing the whistle. Not sure about the technicalities of the rule, but to me everything should be predicated on the actual whistle not a ref saying afterward what he thought before actually getting around to blowing the whistle. Both UT and Purdue fought like warriors. This game deserved to be decided by them and not some whimsey of circumstance.