Game Thread: CFP SEMIFINAL: Clemson (13-0) vs Ohio State (13-0) 8pm ET ESPN

[dtgold88]

Tough calls. I actually agree with the targeting call though. Just keep your head up and there won't be any issues. The rules there to protect defensive players as well.

so basically if you are a QB moving forward about to be sacked just duck into the defenders helmet and get yourself 15 yards and the defender ejected?

 

[dtgold88]

Here's the whole play:


He clearly lowered his head right before contact. Don't lower your head and you won't have problems. They need to have more leeway in what is and isn't an ejection but that's not the rule.

It's really not debatable.

 

[osubuckeye89]

They won't because of all the long term effects of getting hit on a consistent basis in the head. Clemson may have won, but Trevor Lawrence took a hell of a beating in this game.

Their solution is automatically punishing the defensive player......even when clearly a unintentional bang bang football play. Seems more of a ref power grab than “protecting safety”

 

[Across The Field]

Believe it or not, when I was growing up, you were taught to drive your head and then your shoulder into the ball carrier.

It's just natural to protect your head and face when being hit, so the ball carrier lowers his head. You don't think about it, it just happens. Something has to be done about this rule.

What we saw last night would be like if you were driving on the highway and suddenly the speed limit dropped from 65 MPH to 30 MPH and you got a speeding ticket. Is it technically the rule? You can interpret it that way, yes. Does it make any sense at all? Absolutely not. It it an absolutely horrible call that dramatically affected the outcome of the game.

 

[dtgold88]

That’s funny, you actually spoke with the replay official in the booth? I haven’t seen anything where the official that overturned it also called it a catch.

He acknowledged it was 3 steps, but said in real time it didn't matter.

That would be incorrect. 3 (or 2) steps is 2-3 steps.

 

[olympicoscar]

What we saw last night would be like if you were driving on the highway and suddenly the speed limit dropped from 65 MPH to 30 MPH and you got a speeding ticket. Is it technically the rule? You can interpret it that way, yes. Does it make any sense at all? Absolutely not. It it an absolutely horrible call that dramatically affected the outcome of the game.

That was the key play of the game.

 

[michaeljordan_fan]

The problem was he was treated the same exact way that the OU player was treated, even though one was clearly targeting and an attempt to hurt the other player while the other was a bang-bang play with no intent to harm that wound up incidentally being helmet to helmet, and on the QB no less. If Wade made that exact same hit on Etienne, there's no penalty at all. Lawrence should get an Emmy for his acting job, because without it, it probably doesn't get called either.

Lack of intent doesn't mean it isn't a penalty.

 

[fknhippie]

That was one of the better games I've seen this year.

 

[Chewbaccer]

What we saw last night would be like if you were driving on the highway and suddenly the speed limit dropped from 65 MPH to 30 MPH and you got a speeding ticket. Is it technically the rule? You can interpret it that way, yes. Does it make any sense at all? Absolutely not. It it an absolutely horrible call that dramatically affected the outcome of the game.

That isn't a good comparison since it's illegal for speed limits to increase or decrease by increments of more than 10 MPH.

You'd beat that ticket every time.

 

[dtgold88]

Look at this:

He is so clearly going for the wrap, but Lawrence completely dropped his helmet down at the last second. His shoulder made contact with Lawrence's shoulder, and then the helmets hit. It's a hit that happens to ball carriers dozens of times every week. It was an extremely weak call.

Ooh. The facepalm. which we know in Hooplaville translates to "I cannot refute this".

 

[michaeljordan_fan]

Here's what the refs had to say about both calls:

"Referee Kevin Williamson stood behind the call, telling a pool reporter, "This was a crown-of-the-helmet targeting foul. Initial contact was with the crown of the helmet. Then he wrapped up for the tackle. So at that point, targeting was properly called."

"Williamson also stood behind the overturned fumble, saying, "After the video, instant replay in the stadium as well as back at the video center, they both looked at it slow and fast and they determined when he moved, the ball was becoming loose in his hands and he did not complete the process of the catch."

 

[dtgold88]

Come on, you can't make helmet to helmet contact. That's modern football. You really can't do it to a QB. You can hate the rule, but that was a correct call under it.

The fumble reversal was bullshit, the targeting was not IMO

OK....but could be argued the QB caused the helmet to helmet contact. In fact, this really isn't debatable.

 

[dtgold88]

The bigger problem I had with the ejection was how fast Lawrence was able to return to the game. There's no way he went through protocol testing and it looked like he may not have been sure what day it was after that hit.

He did his job as he got the refs to look at the hit and even make a bogus call.....even got many here to see video evidence the call was wrong and still believe they got it.

 

[osubuckeye89]

Lawrence clearly dipped his head at the last moment which creates the helmet to helmet . But the “it’s the rules” morons put the bogus expectation on the defender to re adjust himself accordingly instantly in a fraction of a second.

 

[fknhippie]

He acknowledged it was 3 steps, but said in real time it didn't matter.

That would be incorrect. 3 (or 2) steps is 2-3 steps.

It was two or three steps...with a lot of assistance. As a neutral observer, I didn't think it was a catch.

 

[michaeljordan_fan]

OK....but could be argued the QB caused the helmet to helmet contact. In fact, this really isn't debatable.

Leading with the crown of the helmet and hitting the player anywhere can be called for targeting according to the rules.

 

[WizardHawk]

OK....but could be argued the QB caused the helmet to helmet contact. In fact, this really isn't debatable.

And that doesn't change a thing. You aren't watching football if you haven't seen targeting called many times a year where the player lowered their head before impact and were still hit by an incoming defender that then gets taken out.

Again, every time this comes up fans of the team on the losing end want to debate the wrong elements. Hate the rule, not the call.

 

[Across The Field]

That isn't a good comparison since it's illegal for speed limits to increase or decrease by increments of more than 10 MPH.

You'd beat that ticket every time.

Ugh. It was a hypothetical.

 

[michaeljordan_fan]

He did his job as he got the refs to look at the hit and even make a bogus call.....even got many here to see video evidence the call was wrong and still believe they got it.

Video evidence showed him leading with the crown of the helmet...doesn't matter what Lawrence did.

 

[fknhippie]

Lawrence clearly dipped his head at the last moment which creates the helmet to helmet . But the “it’s the rules” morons put the bogus expectation on the defender to re adjust himself accordingly instantly in a fraction of a second.

I can understand the penalty, but not the ejection. The ejection should only be when it's evident the hit was intended to be malicious and avoidable.