the conferences pay a ref fee into the NCAA.  This way we get rid of the notion of conference refs and bias (Pac12 being the perfect example).  Then they could be reffing a USC vs Texas game one week and a SDST vs Toledo game the next or a BYU vs Liberty game.  The NCAA could then have better oversight and control to prevent or weed out any type of ref bias or just general incompetence.  

I'm in the camp that he was behind the LOS and if they use the same standard they give to QB's regarding the LOS, it is when the entire body of the person is past the LOS not any part nor the ball.