Is the pick play being flagged more?

rgw said:

Expect a pro-offense whistle but hard to judge if they will or not call picks. Pac-12 officiating is very tedious and nick-picky. Could work out for your defense on OPI but slay you on the inability to have any contact with a receiver down field.

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For everyone that thinks SEC officiating is bad, PAC-12/14 is worse. It's horrible.


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Bamabuzzard said:

I've watched Clemson a handful of times this season and they run it all game long and I've yet to see it call on them one time. When they get in third and less than ten yards but more than three to go. They're running it. It's their go to play in those situations.

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I'd love to see us do a Clemson type pick play early in the game against them. If we get away with it great... If we don't maybe the Refs will watch while Clemson does the same play.

Ole Man Dan said:

I'd love to see us do a Clemson type pick play early in the game against them. If we get away with it great... If we don't maybe the Refs will watch while Clemson does the same play.

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This is a good idea. It would test the refs and let us know whether they will call the penalty or not when it may really matter. It could possibly help us know what our limits are either running it ourselves and defending it.

MobileBama84 said:

This is a good idea. It would test the refs and let us know whether they will call the penalty or not when it may really matter. It could possibly help us know what our limits are either running it ourselves and defending it.

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I have a feeling, unfortunately, that the refs will call things on us that they won’t call on Clemson. We need a good lead so it won’t matter as much. If it comes down to a play or two, I’d imagine the refs favoring Clemson.

I also think/ hope Saban or one of his staff members is looking at film of all the PAC 12 refs to see their tendencies.

B1GTide said:

We do not know if it would have drawn a flag. We will never know. But if it had, they would have been forced to decide between a FG to tie and a potential TD on the last play of the game. In other words, even if you are flagged, you don't lose on that play. You still have a chance.

In an interview Saban said that they actually considered flagrant PI fouls to force the same decision.

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Had the refs called OPI, the ball would've been back to the 17 yard line. Something tells me Dabo/Clemson bench would've gotten a 15 yard penalty for unsportsmanlike and the ball would've gone back 15 more making it a 49 yard FG. IIRC their kickers range was about 40-45 yards. 49 Probably was too much for him and we likely would've had to defend a jump ball to the goal line.

I have a suspicion Saban and Pruitt will have something cooked up to combat the pick plays 1/1. Saban is basically unbeatable when he has 3 plus weeks AND a motivated team. Had we played Clemson 1st last year, we would've beat them. Ohio St is the only game in which we had a motivated team and we got beat.

Saban4Ever said:

I have a feeling, unfortunately, that the refs will call things on us that they won’t call on Clemson. We need a good lead so it won’t matter as much. If it comes down to a play or two, I’d imagine the refs favoring Clemson.

I also think/ hope Saban or one of his staff members is looking at film of all the PAC 12 refs to see their tendencies.

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Yeah, we just need to whoop em’ straight up Bama style!

Why in the world would the officials favor Clemson?

CrimsonForce said:

Well, that or just switch on the WRs. If there's 2 WRs to one side all the DBs have to do is switch when the WR crosses his face. Almost like playing a zone-man hybrid coverage where the DBs don't let the WRs get outside of them. Something like this would completely counter a pick play which is one of 2 passing plays that teams normally run on the goal line with the other play being a corner fade..

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This...

TigerTown said:

Why in the world would the officials favor Clemson?

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You don’t watch a lot of Bama games, do you?

Bama’s opponents are penalized fewer than any other team. Look it up.

2016 bama had 2 fouls, clemson had 4
2017 bama had 9 fouls, clemson had 3

So the winner each year had fewer penalties... and you average one more penalty a half overall, not a huge advantage. You guys think pick plays could/should have been called, Clemson fans think a couple targeting calls could have been called... and I am sure we both think a lot of holding is always missed against our respective dlines. We are fans, always will see it "our way" (and to take further think there is a vendetta against our teams).

That said...there isn't, the best team has won each game and will do so again Monday.

If we're not going to change our strategy IRT defending pick plays maybe our players should just try and sell the call vs defending a play that can't be stopped. If the DB is getting picked he should just flop instead of fighting through which almost makes it look like DPI. I'm just talking about on the goal line. Wouldn't want to do this anywhere else on the field because if they don't call it then the WR would be free to score a TD. I hate even mentioning playing like this (flopping) but it's the gamesmanship that is brought to the table when teams start running plays that can't be defended i.e. pick plays and offensive lineman down field on RPOs..

TigerTown said:

That said...there isn't, the best team has won each game and will do so again Monday.

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I disagree with this.

In 2015 I think that Clemson had the better team but got out-coached. Special teams preparation and the use of OJ Howard differently than he had been used all season to take advantage of Clemson issues led to Alabama's victory. Clemson probably had the better team.

In 2016 Alabama had a much better team than Clemson - maybe the best team that ever took the field in college football history. But injuries at critical positions beat Alabama (SDH lost in the SECCG, Eddie Jackson lost a few weeks earlier - then Bo lost when he was killing Clemson during the game).

So, IMO, the weaker team won each game. Neither team was vastly weaker, but they were weaker. The harsh reality - luck plays a huge factor when teams are fairly evenly matched. Fans don't want to hear this, but it is true.

Not sure I would say out coached...the onside kick was a great call (and execution) but in my.mind that wasn't due to being "outcoached"...the busted coverage was our safety who later even (sadly) said he had mentally checked out. Just disagree on last year, "greatest team of all time" doesn't lose that g

Obviously splitting hairs and as you say it is close...

TigerTown said:

Not sure I would say out coached...the onside kick was a great call (and execution) but in my.mind that wasn't due to being "outcoached"...the busted coverage was our safety who later even (sadly) said he had mentally checked out. Just disagree on last year, "greatest team of all time" doesn't lose that g

Obviously splitting hairs and as you say it is close...

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Unless it was the same safety all 3 or 4 times OJ Howard was completely unaccounted for then that's called being outcoached. If it was the same safety then that makes the Clemson coaching staff look even worse IRT that game..

Nope... same guy. Had been a starter since day 1 on campus pretty much. You can putit on the coach, winning and losing does come to that for sure, but I put it on a senior effort.

Hey, we coulda shoulda won anyway, but didn't. Is what it is, you guys were the better team.

TigerTown said:

Nope... same guy. Had been a starter since day 1 on campus pretty much. You can putit on the coach, winning and losing does come to that for sure, but I put it on a senior effort.

Hey, we coulda shoulda won anyway, but didn't. Is what it is, you guys were the better team.

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I will give Deshaun this. He got popped. Numerous times. Hard. And hopped up and went on the make more plays. He displayed a lot of toughness in that game.

TiderMan said:

Bama vs Clemson will have Pac 12 officials.

http://www.footballzebras.com/2017/12/03/2017-18-bowl-officiating-assignments/

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Which means they'll favor the team that passes more.

Few more tidbits from Ben Litvin... He talked about Clemson and pick plays...
https://twitter.com/Ben_Litvin

To stop that, Bama can play banjo coverage...

Ben Litvin[FONT=&quot]‏ @Ben_Litvin 1h1 hour agoMore


[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]So how can this be avoided? One solution is banjo coverage. Essentially what this means is that, if necessary, the defenders will swap who they're covering after the snap ... similar to switching a screen in basketball. It's a type of pattern matching zone coverage.[/FONT]

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Saban doesn't really use banjo coverages. His coverages are more complex, and less risky. You can beat a team deep that uses banjo coverage by taking a rub route and the having the receiver take off when the banjo defender rushes forward. Banjo coverage is perfect for use at the goal line, though.