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College football analysts are ripping the officials in Nebraska-Ohio State game for targeting penalty
Published:
The college football world is furious about a targeting call that took place in the second half of Nebraska’s game vs. Ohio State on Saturday.
Nebraska safety Deontai Williams was ejected for this hit on a Buckeye receiver:
https://twitter.com/jgroc/status/1320075508105793542?s=20
The play was reviewed and targeting was confirmed, much to the dismay of FOX broadcasters Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt. Here’s their reaction to the decision:
"Hey college football, what do you want him to do?"@joelklatt was not a fan of that last targeting call on Nebraska pic.twitter.com/hheMmZ07Eg
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 24, 2020
“He is doing everything he can to go low,” Klatt said. “I know it looks bad, but he’s trying to under the head or neck area. He’s trying to lead with his shoulder. Hey college football, what do you want him to do? What do you want him to do? He can’t go two-hand touch on that. That is a poor call and now Nebraska’s defensive secondary is decimated.”
It wasn’t just Klatt who didn’t like the call, which was the second targeting call on the Huskers in the game. Plenty of other college football fans and media had something to say about it:
Despite missing 7 weeks, Nebraska now leads college football in targeting.
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) October 24, 2020
I’m worried Nebraska is gonna lose more people to targeting than covid
— Rizzer (@rizzy_riley) October 24, 2020
We can’t call targeting on every hard hit …
— Raekwon McMillan (@Kwon_daTRUTH) October 24, 2020
I hate the targeting rule
— Reggie Bush (@ReggieBush) October 24, 2020
That’s not targeting. He turned his whole body to avoid helmet to helmet and hit him shoulder to shoulder #NEBvsOSU
— Charles Woodson (@CharlesWoodson) October 24, 2020
Targeting shouldn't be this subjective
— Damon Benning (@damonbenning) October 24, 2020
So, honest question. When do we quit playing flag football? The announcers nailed it: targeting is a bad rule for the game of football.
— Dr. Rob Zatechka (@DocTalkSports) October 24, 2020
So shoulder in the chest is targeting? So he should go for his knees? Absolute garbage.
How the hell are you supposed to tackle sometime?
— Bill Schammert (@BillSchammert) October 24, 2020
Nebraska looked like it might challenge Ohio State early on, but the Buckeyes are handling their business and held a 38-17 lead in the fourth quarter when the second ejection took place.
Williams will not be eligible for the first half of the Huskers’ next contest, which is against Wisconsin at home next weekend.
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.