Random Thoughts After CFB Semi-finals

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1) The Targeting Rule is a mess. While I am all for safety and think an act that is intentionally dirty merits an ejection, the bowl games have offered a glimpse of how officials from different conferences interpret the rule. It is all over the place. I almost want to say just eliminate the rule and move on but that isn't realistic.

2) Why are players changing jerseys? I can count at least 3 games this week where there was an issue with players changing jerseys to have an eligible number. Understand you cannot have two players with the same number on the field but this has never seemed to be an issue until this bowl season?

3) Kids can't tackle. I am probably going too old school here, but these kids cannot tackle. I see more players trying to throw guys down, grab jerseys or play some version of zone defense instead of forming up and tackling.

4) More sideline penalties. Cannot believe I am saying this but I am finding myself actually liking it when a coach gets a sideline penalty. There is a sideline boundary for a reason. Coaches have ignored it for years. And while there is value in "working" officials at some point enough is enough and it just becomes a show (Saban) and a distraction.
 
1) The Targeting Rule is a mess. While I am all for safety and think an act that is intentionally dirty merits an ejection, the bowl games have offered a glimpse of how officials from different conferences interpret the rule. It is all over the place. I almost want to say just eliminate the rule and move on but that isn't realistic.

2) Why are players changing jerseys? I can count at least 3 games this week where there was an issue with players changing jerseys to have an eligible number. Understand you cannot have two players with the same number on the field but this has never seemed to be an issue until this bowl season?

3) Kids can't tackle. I am probably going too old school here, but these kids cannot tackle. I see more players trying to throw guys down, grab jerseys or play some version of zone defense instead of forming up and tackling.

4) More sideline penalties. Cannot believe I am saying this but I am finding myself actually liking it when a coach gets a sideline penalty. There is a sideline boundary for a reason. Coaches have ignored it for years. And while there is value in "working" officials at some point enough is enough and it just becomes a show (Saban) and a distraction.

Michigan's tackling was pretty awful.
 
1) No team is guaranteed super-ultra unbeatable. They might look the part during the season, said team beats everyone in the regular season on both sides of the ball, and then the media hypes up said team(s), and then said team(s) look very beatable. Call it injured key players, bad calls, no calls, whatever you want, but some teams had the shit scared out of themselves last night.

2) Say what you want about the teams that didn't "belong" in the playoff. You think another team should have been in the CFP. Well, that team didn't do what needed to be done to get there. Who else belonged there besides Georgia? Who else would have survived Georgia's schedule and gone undefeated? Michigan shouldn't have been there? Name a team that would have come back from that many down to at least make it close. Especially facing the Heisman runner-up. And with that many no-calls by the refs or badly reviewed calls. Ohio State shouldn't have been there? You saw what they did last night, right? No other team has done that to Georgia (in Georgia's backyard) this season. TCU shouldn't have been there? You saw what they did to Michigan's run game. What other team would have put up 35 points in the second half against Michigan?

3) Those were two fine CFP games. We have had blowouts before, and people were unhappy. Now, we have two close games, and people are unhappy. Say there was too much offense? Well, I think offensive schemes have a one-up on defenses these days, especially teams that can throw and have great receivers. We have seen great defenses in the past give up a ton of yards. A couple of years ago or so, Alabama gave up a ton of yards and points to Kiffin's Ole Miss team. I feel like stopping the run is pretty good for some teams, but the passing is very difficult to stop.

4) I never played a down of organized football in my life, but I feel that cornerback has to be the toughest position to play. Watch out for the WR or TE breaking, going for an out route, adjusting to an underthrown ball, having your back turned in man coverage, and the mobile QB takes off, getting your head around to go after a pass, etc.
 
Also I swear Ohio State has NEVER had a targeting call go positively in our favor. I seriously can’t think of one. Outside of the blatant dirty hit by the Clemson LBer. But if it’s in any way close it seems to always favor the other team against us
 
1) The Targeting Rule is a mess. While I am all for safety and think an act that is intentionally dirty merits an ejection, the bowl games have offered a glimpse of how officials from different conferences interpret the rule. It is all over the place. I almost want to say just eliminate the rule and move on but that isn't realistic.

2) Why are players changing jerseys? I can count at least 3 games this week where there was an issue with players changing jerseys to have an eligible number. Understand you cannot have two players with the same number on the field but this has never seemed to be an issue until this bowl season?

3) Kids can't tackle. I am probably going too old school here, but these kids cannot tackle. I see more players trying to throw guys down, grab jerseys or play some version of zone defense instead of forming up and tackling.

4) More sideline penalties. Cannot believe I am saying this but I am finding myself actually liking it when a coach gets a sideline penalty. There is a sideline boundary for a reason. Coaches have ignored it for years. And while there is value in "working" officials at some point enough is enough and it just becomes a show (Saban) and a distraction.
5) replay needs to change or go away entirely. It ruins the experience way too often. I can accept the call on the field being wrong I can’t accept replay being wrong so often. Either remove it from the game, or do something like give each coach 1 replay challenge per half. The nonsense we’re getting now cannot continue.
 
3) Kids can't tackle. I am probably going too old school here, but these kids cannot tackle. I see more players trying to throw guys down, grab jerseys or play some version of zone defense instead of forming up and tackling.

4) More sideline penalties. Cannot believe I am saying this but I am finding myself actually liking it when a coach gets a sideline penalty. There is a sideline boundary for a reason. Coaches have ignored it for years. And while there is value in "working" officials at some point enough is enough and it just becomes a show (Saban) and a distraction.
# 3 is a combination of your issue number 1 and a de-emphasis on contact in practice. Nobody wants to get injured practicing but if you don’t practice it at as close to simulated game speed it’s going to catch up with you.

#4 Shane Beamer cost his team by flipping the field for getting a penalty for flipping out on a blindside block that was a legit call. I’m sure it pissed him off because it negated a short field for him but his tirade moved the ball well back behind the 50. And for that I was truly grateful.
 
Michigan's tackling was pretty awful.



3rd down conversions. TCU was 8 for 16 whereas Michigan was 3 for 13.

Have to convert on 3 downs at this level of play at the end of season.

That's a lot of ended drives.....
 
Here's the question that came to my mind yesterday. Is there really a significant difference between the #2 and #3 ranked teams and say other top 40ish teams? The #2 CFP ranked team needed a last minute field goal to beat Illinois. The #3 ranked team needed a last minute field goal to beat Baylor. I guess the answer to the question is there very well could be over the course of a season. But there really isn't for a single game. Which is why I'm looking forward to the 12 team playoff.
 
1) The Targeting Rule is a mess. While I am all for safety and think an act that is intentionally dirty merits an ejection, the bowl games have offered a glimpse of how officials from different conferences interpret the rule. It is all over the place. I almost want to say just eliminate the rule and move on but that isn't realistic.


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Here's the question that came to my mind yesterday. Is there really a significant difference between the #2 and #3 ranked teams and say other top 40ish teams? The #2 CFP ranked team needed a last minute field goal to beat Illinois. The #3 ranked team needed a last minute field goal to beat Baylor. I guess the answer to the question is there very well could be over the course of a season. But there really isn't for a single game. Which is why I'm looking forward to the 12 team playoff.
And the #1 ranked team was trailing the entire game substantially to a team that kicked into the CFP.
 
Well keep in mind the stage these young players are now suddenly thrown onto. It's a whole lot of stuff for them to contend with and probably easy to lose focus on the task at hand. Sometimes it's all the distractions before the game that overwhelms these guys.
 
Get rid of....

targeting - it is a dangerous collision sport with miliseconds to react in a lot of instances. Seeing countless players ejected for unavoidable hits or just bang bang plays is absurd. This should stay ONLY in circumstances of flagrant hits.... but we have unsportsmans for that.

blindside blocks - a player blocking a player from getting to the ball carrier that results in a rough hit because the chasing player didn't keep his head on a swivle should not result in a penalty. The blocking player is doing what is supposed to be done in that case. IT IS A COLLISION SPORT, stop pretending it isn't.

We all love the big hits, don't pretend you don't. None of us want anyone to get hurt, but the big hits is a part of the sport and a highly entertaining part of the sport. If it was 2 hand touch, IDGAF if it's your school or not, no one wants to watch that. Stop with the virtue-signaling nonsense.

Also intentional grounding... if you can spike the ball to avoid or negate a part of the game, then you should not receive a penalty for "intentional grounding" to avoid a sack (i.e. a part of the game). That is exactly what a spike is and intentional grounding/incomplete pass that is in the box and not passed the LOS.


all 3 of those penalties should be removed from the sport.
 
Michigan comically gave their game away.

Ohio State vs. Georgia was a great game. UGA likely wins the title easily now
 
Regarding players changing jerseys - there is some rule about certain numbers being required for certain positions. For instance, in order to play on the line from tackle to tackle, your jersey number must be between 50 and 79 (except for kick plays like a FG or Punt).
 
3rd down conversions. TCU was 8 for 16 whereas Michigan was 3 for 13.

Have to convert on 3 downs at this level of play at the end of season.

That's a lot of ended drives.....

that too
 
Michigan comically gave their game away.

Ohio State vs. Georgia was a great game. UGA likely wins the title easily now
Are you trying to say giving up two pick sixes and turning it over at the 1 yard line twice is funny? Ok.........it sort of was, but I will say this -- as soon as they overturned the TD pass to Roman Wilson, which I STILL don't see how they did, I turned to my buddy and said we are screwing this up somehow. And just like that -- we fumbled the next snap. FUUUUUUCK!!!!!
 
5) replay needs to change or go away entirely. It ruins the experience way too often. I can accept the call on the field being wrong I can’t accept replay being wrong so often. Either remove it from the game, or do something like give each coach 1 replay challenge per half. The nonsense we’re getting now cannot continue.
Not happening, it would be an absolute mess because the officials use it as a crutch now. I personally like knowing the calls are correct for the most part.
 
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