What's the controversy about the final play in the NC game?

Snuffy Smith

All-American
Sep 12, 2012
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The Florida State defender initiated contact on that play. As noted above, nothing to be done now, tip your hat and prepare for next year.
Exactly- it really has nothing to do with who initiates the contact. It is totally a judgement as to whether the receiver is "active or passive" in the pick. The rule is interpreted similar to the basketball rule - but technically it is that an offense player cannot engage in a block past the line of scrimmage on a pass play until the pass is completed.


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yesitsmed23

1st Team
Aug 28, 2008
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Huntsville, AL
Not picks. The receivers have every right to run their routes, without impedance to a certain point. On the first, Clemson's tight end ran a short slant and turned to receive a pass - perfectly legal.

On the second, the Alabama defender clearly makes the initial (this is key) contact with the inside receiver and drags him into the end zone. That defender should have switched to the outside receiver. If anything, that one should have been defensive pass interference or holding.
Bruh I don't know what you think you saw on the second play, or the first, but both Clemson players initiated the contact, not our DBs. Nobody dragged anyone into the end zone, he went for our DBs knees clear as day and the only reason our DBs hands were on him is to keep him from taking his legs out. You got to be wearing a Clemson shirt right now LOL.
 

Special K

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Not picks. The receivers have every right to run their routes, without impedance to a certain point. On the first, Clemson's tight end ran a short slant and turned to receive a pass - perfectly legal.

On the second, the Alabama defender clearly makes the initial (this is key) contact with the inside receiver and drags him into the end zone. That defender should have switched to the outside receiver. If anything, that one should have been defensive pass interference or holding.
And here come the Clemson fans to defend their team, afraid they'll have an asterisk by the championship. Relax dude. You guys won, you beat us, nobody is arguing that. If it goes to OT, I still think you win. But don't come on here spouting how irrefutable these 2 non-calls were - they were anything but that and at best were 50/50 calls. And defensive PI? Gimme a break. Talk about orange-colored glasses, geez.

NOTE TO MODS: I've looked at every post this guy has made (a whopping total of 3) and every one of them is gouging someone else challenging these non-calls. Punt in 3, 2, 1.....
 
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MBA_99

1st Team
Jan 11, 2010
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A, A
Of course it was a pick. Kiffen ran a couple of them in the last 1-2 years; maybe I recall one key TD against LSU. Announcers call it a pick/rub and chuckle. I was screaming 'pick play' from my upper deck seat but Tony Brown didn't hear me. :)
Understand, every Bama player thought run. It was really brave to call a pass because the clock could've easily run out or there could've been a tip, a drop, Watson tripping, etc.

You know what stinks? Once you have time to think about it, you realize we should have just taken both receivers to the ground. With 6 seconds to go at the 2 yardline, the field goal is now inevitable. Take a penalty, let them move the ball to the 1 yardline and kick it. Not that any of this crossed my mind in the instant it all happened.
 

CrimsonForce

Hall of Fame
Dec 20, 2012
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This is from a rules expert. Search Reddit CFB to find the thread. Agree with his analysis or not?


 

The Ols

Hall of Fame
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Watch the play....You don't need to be a referee to see their WR take out our DB BEFORE the ball is even in the air...OPI...
I'm still not understanding what some people are saying was illegal. I know this was answered above, but I don't know what a pick/rub play is or why it's "iffy."
 

TideEngineer08

TideFans Legend
Jun 9, 2009
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No, I do not agree. Our players did not initiate contact on either play. People saying this are blind or lack any shred of objectivity.

They were both illegal plays. It's not enough to get terribly upset about as to the conclusion of the game, but I will not sit here and let people get away with claiming they were perfectly legal plays or worse, that we should have been flagged for DPI. "Rules expert" or not.
 

RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
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Of course it was a pick. Kiffen ran a couple of them in the last 1-2 years; maybe I recall one key TD against LSU. Announcers call it a pick/rub and chuckle.
This is the issue at hand.

A "rub route" is legal because the WR runs a route with the sole intention of causing a trailing DB to get bumped, allowing the offensive player to get open. A "pick play" is illegal because the WR shows no sign of running a route but solely picking/blocking the DB from following the offensive player.

The play Alabama ran in the 2014 LSU game was a rub route because the WR didn't block the DB to allow Dee White to get open.

You know what stinks? Once you have time to think about it, you realize we should have just taken both receivers to the ground. With 6 seconds to go at the 2 yardline, the field goal is now inevitable. Take a penalty, let them move the ball to the 1 yardline and kick it. Not that any of this crossed my mind in the instant it all happened.
Read something the other day saying there's a rule in the rulebook that would have allowed the officials to award Clemson the TD if the officials felt Alabama purposefully committed a penalty like this. The way the article described it Alabama would have had to do it two plays in a row, though.
 

The Ols

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Sooooo, you're here to stir things up? Tired of Auburn boards? All done cleaning up Toomer's Corner are we?

Not picks. The receivers have every right to run their routes, without impedance to a certain point. On the first, Clemson's tight end ran a short slant and turned to receive a pass - perfectly legal.

On the second, the Alabama defender clearly makes the initial (this is key) contact with the inside receiver and drags him into the end zone. That defender should have switched to the outside receiver. If anything, that one should have been defensive pass interference or holding.
 

Special K

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Feb 8, 2008
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RE: the Reddit post. The problem I have with his analysis on the 2nd one is that I don't believe that picture conclusively shows AT ALL who initiated contact. Even on the first one, you have to remember we're looking at stills, not video sequences. So what are we seeing? Initial contact, or 2-3 frames after initial contact, or something else? Can't tell from the still shots because they are not in video context. Bottom line is they were, at best, bang-bang, 50/50 plays that have been called both ways over the years. Any Clemson homers coming on here to lay out a case that it was "definitely not OPI" deserve the indignation they receive and will hopefully get a nice timeout if they don't let it go.
 

CrimsonForce

Hall of Fame
Dec 20, 2012
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One more snippet from the Reddit post. The last sentence in this paragraph kind of contradicts his earlier analysis. "If the pass had gone to him rather than the outside there would be an argument for OPI." That's kind of like saying we didn't call holding on the left tackle because the running play went to the right..
 

ptw1961

1st Team
Dec 8, 2011
793
0
0
Funny that no one else saw it this way. ( Except for Dabo of course). This guy is describing the play in a way that it simply did not happen. Taking up for the officials because they knew the call was blown. Not buying this at all.
This is from a rules expert. Search Reddit CFB to find the thread. Agree with his analysis or not?


 

CrimsonForce

Hall of Fame
Dec 20, 2012
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Funny that no one else saw it this way. ( Except for Dabo of course). This guy is describing the play in a way that it simply did not happen. Taking up for the officials because they knew the call was blown. Not buying this at all.
Actually, Rogers Redding, the national coordinator of officiating, saw it that way also. I'm not sure I agree with the analysis but almost all "expert" opinion has been that the calls were correct. The only analysis I disagree with is someone stating it was clearly one way or another. It was most certainly a bang bang play. A case can be made for OPI, DPI or no call..
 

Con

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Next year when we play a team that is definitely undermanned, we should run this play at the goal line and do the exact same thing Clemson did. Let's see if they call a pic on us.

I am sure we will be working on defensing this play better and also defensing the tunnel screen better this coming year. We will see them more often now since Clemson ran them so well.
 

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