College Football Playoff Game Thread - ND/Clem & Bama/Okla

RedOctober3829

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
55,298
deep inside Guido territory
You know what is crazy about Clemson right now? Dabo is not even 50 years old yet. He could continue this for a long, long time if he wanted to. In my mind, the only thing that would take him away from Clemson is if Nick Saban retired and he feels the pull of the alma mater wanting him back.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
The ACC was *so* soft this year, I'm not sure Clemson would have automatically gotten into the playoff with a loss to Syracuse. If it had gotten in with a loss, I think that would have more down to its recent reputation than its resume this year relative to Georgia's or Ohio State's.
I agree with you. I personally think Ohio State gets in over Clemson if Clemson had lost to Syracuse. Fortunately, it didn't happen, because the best team in the Country won the National Championship, and even though it wasn't really competitive, "getting it right" means about as much to me as the entertainment value.
 
ACC schools other than Clemson defeated Memphis, Temple, South Carolina and a Will Grier-less West Virginia in bowl games, and they lost to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, Cincinnati and Stanford. The only teams on that list that finished the season ranked in the Top 25 were West Virginia, which didn't look like West Virginia without Grier, and Texas A&M, which defeated NC State by 39 points. This is supposed to be a defense of the ACC as "not a soft conference"? Really?

(EDIT - forgot to include WVU.)
 
Last edited:

PaulinMyrBch

Don't touch his dog food
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2003
8,316
MYRTLE BEACH!!!!
Rules question. Are holders exempt from being down with the ball and a knee touching the ground? Because the holder, before he stood up to get sacked, had possession of the ball with his knee touching the ground. So not sure if that was a missed call or if he’s somehow exempt by rule.
 

Green (Tongued) Monster

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 2, 2016
1,004
Hanover, PA
Rules question. Are holders exempt from being down with the ball and a knee touching the ground? Because the holder, before he stood up to get sacked, had possession of the ball with his knee touching the ground. So not sure if that was a missed call or if he’s somehow exempt by rule.
As long as there is a kicker present in the formation behind the holder, the holder may possess the ball with his knee touching the ground. In college he can attempt to pass or lateral while his knee is still in contact with the ground. In high school, he must first get up before attempting the pass.
 

PaulinMyrBch

Don't touch his dog food
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2003
8,316
MYRTLE BEACH!!!!
As long as there is a kicker present in the formation behind the holder, the holder may possess the ball with his knee touching the ground. In college he can attempt to pass or lateral while his knee is still in contact with the ground. In high school, he must first get up before attempting the pass.
Thanks
 

gryoung

Member
SoSH Member
As long as there is a kicker present in the formation behind the holder, the holder may possess the ball with his knee touching the ground. In college he can attempt to pass or lateral while his knee is still in contact with the ground. In high school, he must first get up before attempting the pass.
Minor note - For High School ball, it depends on the state. Several states play by NCAA rules, although the vast majority do not.
 

Humphrey

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2010
3,163
Minor note - For High School ball, it depends on the state. Several states play by NCAA rules, although the vast majority do not.
Believe Massachusetts has been NCAA for a long time; but in 2019 will be NFHS a/k/a Federation.
 

CFB_Rules

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 29, 2016
1,603
Minor note - For High School ball, it depends on the state. Several states play by NCAA rules, although the vast majority do not.
With Mass moving to Fed rules Texas will be the lone state that uses NCAA rules instead of high school.
 

gryoung

Member
SoSH Member
I hadn't heard about this. Do you know what the big differences are, if any, between the NCAA and Fed rules?
I’ve been out of officiating for about 5 years, but if my sputtering memory is working, I remember there being something like 60 differences between NCAA and NFHS rules. Focus around safety was one theme. We only learned NCAA rules at the time I was officiating.
 

CFB_Rules

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 29, 2016
1,603
I hadn't heard about this. Do you know what the big differences are, if any, between the NCAA and Fed rules?
A few highlights:
Blocking below the waist is illegal in Fed except for lineman right after the snap.
Clock always starts on the snap regardless of time left if the ball goes out of bounds in Fed
DPI is always 15 yards in Fed, but doesn't carry an automatic 1st down (so dumb).
Any kick is an automatic touch back if it breaks the plane of the goal line in Fed (so no run backs from inside the end zone...you may think this is a recent addition for risk minimization, but it actually has been a rule since the beginning of the game and the NCAA and NFL opened up their rules to allow run backs).
High school game is 48 minutes, even in states that use NCAA rules.
NCAA uses the 40 second play clock similar to NFL, in Fed the play clock is always 25 seconds starting after the referee blows his whistle for the next play (for now...)
Fed doesn't have 10-second runoffs are any different clock rules under 2 minutes. The clock rules you use with 12 minutes on the clock are the same you use at 30 seconds.

And my favorite:
Similar to the NFL, high school allows you to free kick after a fair catch for 3 points. The NCAA eliminated the free kick-fair catch some time ago.
 

PaulinMyrBch

Don't touch his dog food
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2003
8,316
MYRTLE BEACH!!!!

Martell was the likely OSU '19 starter (if Fields didn't show up), and he's now entered the transfer portal. But Fields eligibility next year relies on him getting the waiver. So if Martell transfers and Fields get denied, that makes things pretty interesting at OSU.
 

RedOctober3829

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
55,298
deep inside Guido territory

Martell was the likely OSU '19 starter (if Fields didn't show up), and he's now entered the transfer portal. But Fields eligibility next year relies on him getting the waiver. So if Martell transfers and Fields get denied, that makes things pretty interesting at OSU.
A lot changed since Martell basically said on social media that he'd beat out Fields for the starting job.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
A few highlights:
Blocking below the waist is illegal in Fed except for lineman right after the snap.
Clock always starts on the snap regardless of time left if the ball goes out of bounds in Fed
DPI is always 15 yards in Fed, but doesn't carry an automatic 1st down (so dumb).
Any kick is an automatic touch back if it breaks the plane of the goal line in Fed (so no run backs from inside the end zone...you may think this is a recent addition for risk minimization, but it actually has been a rule since the beginning of the game and the NCAA and NFL opened up their rules to allow run backs).
High school game is 48 minutes, even in states that use NCAA rules.
NCAA uses the 40 second play clock similar to NFL, in Fed the play clock is always 25 seconds starting after the referee blows his whistle for the next play (for now...)
Fed doesn't have 10-second runoffs are any different clock rules under 2 minutes. The clock rules you use with 12 minutes on the clock are the same you use at 30 seconds.

And my favorite:
Similar to the NFL, high school allows you to free kick after a fair catch for 3 points. The NCAA eliminated the free kick-fair catch some time ago.
Thanks for this, a couple of questions if you don't mind?

I bolded the two I'm not clear on. I'm either reading the first one wrong, or missing something. When would the clock not start on the snap (assuming it was stopped to begin with)? Or are you saying, the clock always stops until the snap if the ball goes out of bounds? Like an incompletion?

I guess that also relates to the 2nd question. I always forget the NCAA rules (and NFL rules) on clock stoppages. In the NFL and NCAA, the clock stops on an incompletion and doesn't start again until the snap. But when a ball goes out of bounds, the NFL rule is the clock starts before the snap, except in the last 5 minutes of the half/game? In the NCAA, that's 2 minutes? In Fed, it never starts until the snap (bringing us back to the first question)?