Ohio State has certainly been on the wrong side of many controversial targeting calls. Two of the most debated calls came on the biggest stage and many Buckeye fans would argue it cost OSU a shot at a national championship … twice.
Of course, no one play determines the outcome of a game, but Shaun Wade’s ejection in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl for a hit on Clemson quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, and the overturned targeting call that put Marvin Harrison Jr. out of the Peach Bowl seemed to turn the tide against Ohio State. The questionable call to many against the Bulldogs to end last season certainly changed the momentum. OSU had to settle for a field goal instead of being first and goal as it would ultimately lead to a one-point loss to Georgia. Oh, how things could’ve been different.
Ryan Day hasn’t said much on the topic but recently shared his thoughts with Joel Klatt on The Joel Klatt Show.
“We’re getting so much into the weeds on this that we’ve lost where we started on it. What was the reason why we did this? To protect young men, Day told Klatt. “And so if someone is launching at someone’s head and he’s lying on the ground, that’s not what we want here… there has to be some sort of common sense… and then if it’s egregious one way or the other, that is when the instant replay comes in to play… we have to go back to the common sense of why the rule was even put in place.”
You can see Day’s full comments below courtesy of The Joel Klatt Show Twitter feed.
Ryan Day discusses where he stands with the targeting rule and how he would fix it 👀
"I think the first thing is it has to be common sense." pic.twitter.com/LC9VNuUvYZ
— The Joel Klatt Show: A CFB Pod (@JoelKlattShow) July 10, 2023
I think most would agree that the targeting rule is a good thing in protecting the health and well-being of players. The problem comes with the inconsistency of calling the foul. It’s a judgment call that happens in a split second and even with instant replay, slow motion doesn’t always give an accurate look.
Hopefully, something will be done moving forward, that will continue to keep player safety at the forefront and at the same time figure out a way to make the ruling more consistent.
Ryan Day is correct … a little common sense when it comes to the rule would go a long way. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but here’s to hoping common sense will prevail and Ohio State won’t be on the wrong side of any more controversial targeting calls anytime in the near future.
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