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https://twitter.com/i/status/1188224475998773250 (https://twitter.com/i/status/1188224475998773250)

Amazing that JJ held on to the ball. He was de-cleated about the same time he caught it.

Yet again, an illustration of just how screwed up the rules are. Darel Middleton is ejected and the South Carolina defender suffers no consequences for a hit that was completely needless and way more dangerous than Middleton's hit. I am sick to death of seeing players ejected every week because of some rigid rule definitions when their actions are clean and do not place other players in harm's way. It is completely out of hand and it's ruining the game.

That was a savage hit. I think it was clean, but savage. Amazing catch by JJ. If he drops the ball after the hit its incomplete.

How was it a needless hit?  If he jars the ball loose it's not a TD and it's 4th down.  I don't get complaining about that hit at all.

I didn't say it was absolutely an illegal hit — although it absolutely should've been reviewed for possible targeting. But I think your comment just goes to show how none of us really fully understand the targeting rule.

Here's the broadest definition of targeting by the NCAA: "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." In that situation, the defender (Roderick) appears to meet that definition. Not only that, but the defenseless player rule applies to Jennings in that situation because he has not had control of the ball long enough to defend himself from a vicious lick like that. You don't get a free shot at a defenseless player just because making contact might cause him to drop the ball. That's not how the rules work. If Roderick comes in with his arms out, wraps up Jennings to take him to the turf, and the ball comes free, that's legit. Roderick didn't do that. He lead with the shoulder and launched himself at a defenseless player with no intent of wrapping up.

My point, however, was not about whether it was a legal or illegal hit. It was how our priorities are out of whack, and it's the same argument I've been making all season. We're ejecting players for non-dangerous hits because they meet some rigid definition that's been preset, yet we're ignoring truly dangerous plays that actually are hurting players. Middleton's hit wasn't going to injure Hilinski in a hundred years, but he's ejected. Last week, Brian Maurer is knocked out of play indefinitely by a completely senseless and malicious hit that doesn't violate the rules. Two weeks ago, To'o To'o is ejected for a hit that was unnecessary but really not dangerous in the least...this week, Jennings — a defenseless player who is in the act of making a catch — is rocked and it isn't illegal?

To take it a step further: the new rule in football this year penalizes blind-side blocks, where defenseless defenders who are pursuing the play are nailed by blockers that they don't see coming. How is that any different than the hit Jennings took? There's a new emphasis on protecting defenseless players, and in that situation Jennings is a defenseless player because he's trying to haul in the pass.

Good post Creek Walker and there isn't a person in the know (NCAA) that could explain it to us. If you asked 10 times you'd get 10 different answers.

I think if they’re being honest- really, REALLY honest- they’d tell you that the color of the offender’s jersey has as much to do with it as anything. :frown:

Yeah I agree and good post Creek.  The hits they call and the hits they don't are completely out of whack.

Overall, SEC officiating seems like league officials go out and pick a bunch of random guys, let them read a rulebook for thirty minutes and throw them striped shirts and send them out there.  But these head referred are guys we've seem for years, so it's just mind boggling.

Also that sequence where SC was on the goal line and they had to review like 4 straight plays was like a parody on SNL.

To me, the hit is with the shoulder to the upper arm/shoulder area on JJ. I just don't see the problem with it. It was brutal, though. As I said earlier, JJ was amazing in his ability to keep possession.

I think Pruitt has created some of this with the way he's constantly in their ears. I just don't think he's very well liked by the stripes. Of course, no one rode the officials harder than Butch Jones and I don't recall a single game in his tenure that had as many blatantly missed calls as the last two games have had.

SEC officiating is just weird. Among P5 conferences it's second only to the Pac 10 in terms of how bad it seems to be. You'd think a conference of this stature would work on getting it right.

It may very well have been a legal hit. I've watched it several times and it's hard to tell, but it does seem to be a hit to the shoulders. I think the bigger issue is the defenseless player issue but would it have been enough to flag? I'll be the first to admit that I don't fully understand the targeting rules. Still, though, my bigger issue is with the inconsistencies that the targeting rule has created when it comes to the issue of player safety. I'm honestly sick to death of seeing players ejected for clean plays where they weren't trying to make bone-crushing hits but were just trying to make stops. Now that it's effecting us more (3 ejections the last 3 games) it just hits home a little more. That play by Middleton was what we would've used to refer to as almost perfect form. Now it's an ejection.

Something that is not being discussed within this play is the actual targeting that went on when the SC player basically drove the top of his helmet into the middle of JG's chest (which by definition is targeting by the "leading with the crown of the helmet").  I for one don't want players to be injured on either team wearing orange or the opponents, but it does seem like we are getting to be playing "patty finger football" in that if a player in an attempt to make a play is attempting to tackle an opponent and the player being tackled responds with a lowering of the headgear in an attempt to minimize the contact that the tackler is being flagged for targeting (see Bituli tackle at the 2 on the Alabama player that he was ejected for).  I also think we have some officials in the SEC that are not ready for the scrutiny as well.  I noticed in watching the game that they missed several blatant holds on the TD right before the half by SC. I also noticed that there were several instances that the blatant holds in the passing game.  Seems like the adherence to the rules is for the Bamas and UGAs in the conference and if you are not in the top 2 then katie bar the door.  (See LSU/Auburn as well)

I see that point. If it is targeting, that's the reasoning.

You aren't alone in your understanding of the rule. It is very subjective and therein lies the problem, imo.

I would not disagree with this. Middleton went in with his head up - which is what they are taught to do. He just got the QB in the face gear with his facemask and that was his downfall, I think.

With the CTE issues of today's game, I believe that you have to make that call but the next question becomes "What is the defender to do in that situation?"