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Ohio State was left befuddled over two critical calls against the Buckeyes during their College Football Playoff semifinal loss to the Clemson Tigers on Saturday night.
The first was a targeting penalty against Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade in the second quarter that kept the Tigers’ touchdown drive alive when the Buckeyes were leading 16-0; the penalty call was made on a booth review.
The second was an Ohio State fumble recovery that was returned for a touchdown but was overturned upon booth review.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day didn’t blame the calls for the loss but lamented the plays.
“We played hard, we played bold, but certainly [there] were a lot of plays in that game that didn't go our way and [are] very hard to swallow right now,” Day told reporters in the postgame news conference, as ESPN reported. “Gonna have to really take a look at the film and figure out what really happened on some of those plays, because in a game like this, where the margin of error is so tiny, one play can alter the game... didn't seem like we got any of those plays.”
Ohio State coach Ryan Day speaking during a news conference after Clemson's 29-23 win in the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal Saturday. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Referees had decided to let the booth review Wade’s play and it was later determined that a targeting penalty had occurred and Wade was ejected from the game. He wasn’t made available to reporters afterward. Clemson scored two plays later.
“This was a crown-of-the-helmet targeting foul. Initial contact was with the crown of the helmet. Then, he wrapped up for the tackle, so at that point, targeting was properly called,” referee Kevin Williamson, who has been mainly an SEC official, told a pool reporter at the end of the game.
Ohio State would have regained the lead in the third quarter had Jeff Okudah’s trip of Clemson’s Justyn Ross and Jordan Fuller’s recovery for a touchdown stuck. A replay review determined that Ross hadn’t completed the catch and the touchdown was overturned.
“We had a lot of good looks on it,” Williamson said. “We put on fast motion and slow motion. The player did not complete the process of the catch, so, therefore, the pass was incomplete. After the video, instant replay in the stadium as well as back at the video center, they both looked at it slow and fast and they determined when he moved, the ball was becoming loose in his hands and he did not complete the process of the catch.”
CLEMSON TOPS OHIO STATE 29-23, WILL FACE LSU FOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Fuller told reporters he had a feeling the touchdown was going to be overturned.
“It's tough,” he said. “Especially, because it was on third down and we were about to get off the field, and they get a first down off that and they get a [pass interference] right after. Just completely shifted momentum at that point.”
Day explained that he was “too emotional to talk about the overturned plays.
“I know there were some plays that were called on the field and were overturned, and when they overturn it, there has to be indisputable evidence if that's what they deemed it was. It's going to be something we're gonna have to take a look at,” he continued.
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“The thing about those plays are, certainly the catch that was returned for a touchdown was such a huge play in the game. ... Not crying about it, but at the same time, those were big plays that didn't go our way, and [there are] a range of emotions about that.”
Clemson is set to move on and play LSU for what could be the Tigers' second straight national championship.