Great College Football Championship

[earsky]

That was some game last night.Truly,the 2 best teams going toe to toe for all the marbles.

Saban's call to onside kick and the execution by the kicker turned what looked like a defeat around.

Clemson's defense did a great job on henry for the most part,but forgot who #82 was.

thoughts...

 

[WKCard]

Agree about the great game. Take away a few serious mistakes in the secondary and special teams, Clemson could've easily came away as National Champs. Oh well!! They certainly represented our conference very well.

 

[zipp_rivals]

Absent the big plays, Clemson looked like the superior team execution-wise. But you can't pick the plays that count...

 

[nccardfan]

Execution-wise, the onsides kick was a thing of perfection and it wasn't just executed by the kicker, the receiver had to catch it after 10 yards plus keep it from going out of bounds.

 

[zipp_rivals]

And I said absent the big plays, which clearly that kick play and 2-3 others were.

When the plain vanilla offenses and defenses were involved, Clemson was the better team...

 

[nccardfan]

Plain vanilla is what Saban is and why it caught Clemson off guard.

 

[birdie king]

Agree about the great game. Take away a few serious mistakes in the secondary and special teams, Clemson could've easily came away as National Champs. Oh well!! They certainly represented our conference very well.

I second this motion. The Special Team's play were game changers - the kickoff return and the onsides kick.

 

[davecmc]

Regarding the onside kick - I am hearing rhetoric that it was illegal. An onside kick is only free to the kicking team after it travels 10 yards provided it hits the ground or a receiving team player. You can't just kick (or punt) to your own player in the air. Dabo freaked out because he said he tried the same "pop up" style onside vs Scar last year and it was deemed illegal. Anyone know the official rule in this? That play was the game changer IMHO. Clemson wins if not for the onsides kick, so was wondering the final word on if it was legal??

 

[nccardfan]

As I read it, the play is indeed legal. Only in high school does the ball need to touch the ground. Only requirement is has to go 10 yards. Article 3.a.2.

What I questioned was that I thought the Bama players were offsides as ruled in the game between UNC and Clemson, although replays show that UNC was NOT offsides and cost the Tarheels a chance. I believe the Tarheels feel that Clemson got their just reward.

 

[nccardfan]

The other thing that is interesting in this play is that it all could have been avoided if there was a Clemson player in the area. If so that player has a right to fair catch the ball even if the ball has struck the ground once and popped the ball in the air. A receiving player is entitled to complete the catch even if beyond 10 yards. The fact the kicker was able to find a "vacant" area was bizarre.

 

[CardLaw]

Absent the big plays, Clemson looked like the superior team execution-wise. But you can't pick the plays that count...

While I was watching the game, I had the same impression. Tonight I re-watched just the 1st quarter, and now I am not so sure. Clemson's running game was non-existent other than Watson scrambling. In the first Q his only yards were scrambling. Alabama's running game was better and statistically was hurt by five or six sacks of Coker. But, Alabama's OL was not exactly great due to Clemson's front seven.

Special teams were a big factor in Alabama's favor. Both teams' fronts were dominant. Both teams' secondaries were lacking. If it were not for Watson's ability to escape (or Coker's inability to escape) I think Alabama would have rolled them.

 

[cardsfan53]

As I read it, the play is indeed legal. Only in high school does the ball need to touch the ground. Only requirement is has to go 10 yards. Article 3.a.2.

What I questioned was that I thought the Bama players were offsides as ruled in the game between UNC and Clemson, although replays show that UNC was NOT offsides and cost the Tarheels a chance. I believe the Tarheels feel that Clemson got their just reward.

I may be wrong, BUT if a ball is kicked straight in the air without hitting the ground the return team can fair catch it.

 

[nccardfan]

True, but that only entitles the receiving team the ability to catch it without interference from kicking team. They still have to be able to catch it. You can't just call a fair catch and then let the ball hit the ground. There was no Clemson player in the area to catch the ball.