To start, I'll say I am in no way in favor of ejecting a player for a single hit. That being said, if there is a rule, it should be enforced evenly, and Bama has already had one player ejected. So I cannot understand how there be any interpretation of the hit on Smith that doesn't constitute targeting. Just to lay it out, I'm going to show the rule and how I read it:
Targeting and Making Forcible Contact to Head or Neck Area of a Defenseless Player
ARTICLE 4. No player shall target and make forcible contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent (See Note 2 below) with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder. This foul requires that there be at least one indicator of targeting (See Note 1 below). When in question, it is a foul (Rules 2-27-14 and 9-6). (A.R. 9-1-4-I-VI)
Note 1: "Targeting" means that a player takes aim at an opponent for purposes of attacking with forcible contact that goes beyond making a legal tackle or a legal block or playing the ball. Some indicators of targeting include but are not limited to:
- Launch-a player leaving his feet to attack an opponent by an upward and forward thrust of the body to make forcible contact in the head or neck area
- A crouch followed by an upward and forward thrust to attack with forcible contact at the head or neck area, even though one or both feet are still on the ground
- Leading with helmet, shoulder, forearm, fist, hand or elbow to attack with forcible contact at the head or neck area
- Lowering the head before attacking by initiating forcible contact with the crown of the helmet
Note 2: Defenseless player (Rule 2-27-14). When in question, a player is defenseless. Examples of defenseless players include but are not limited to:
- A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass.
- A receiver attempting to catch a forward pass or in position to receive a backward pass, or one who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a ball carrier.
- A kicker in the act of or just after kicking a ball, or during the kick or the return.
- A kick returner attempting to catch or recover a kick, or one who has completed a catch or recovery and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a ball carrier.
- A player on the ground.
- A player obviously out of the play.
- A player who receives a blind-side block.
- A ball carrier already in the grasp of an opponent and whose forward progress has been stopped.
- A quarterback any time after a change of possession A ball carrier who has obviously given himself up and is sliding feetfirst.
I bolded the 3 conditions that I believe were met that would define the hit as targeting. You could argue about the first condition, but the video clearly showed him leading with the helmet, and he lowered his head and made impact helmet to helmet.
I also noted the rule about defenseless. I thought they had made some determination that he wasn't defenseless or that there was something because he initially bobbled the catch that gave the defensive player a pass. But the rule doesn't say anything about how long the catch takes. Instead, it explicitly states "has not had time to protect himself". From the video, I don't know how anyone could argue he was doing anything other than focusing on the ball and was completely unable to protect himself.
The good news is that he wasn't hurt, and it didn't matter this time. But I am really interested in the garbage explanation that will be spun out by the league to explain this, if they address it at all.
