I've watched it start to finish a dozen times, even blown up so I can see it better. That is a textbook case of offensive pass interference. Could have been called on either receiver. They had NO intention of trying to run a pass route. They were blocking straight downfield well before the pass was thrown, and continued to do so through the end of the play. A junior high school official could have made that call.

#20 from ND was being held like crazy by FSU, watch the video.

Of course he is. I mean, be objective. Even if you think it was some kind of illegal pick, you can't deny he is being held. I mean, that's like saying water isn't wet. You can see it.

Okay. http://i.imgur.com/O9ofq7Z.gif

@SCMark - You can argue all day that it was a textbook case of offensive PI and I won't fight you because it doesn't really matter. What no one is talking about is the textbook case of unsportsmanlike conduct when the FSU player takes his helmet off in the endzone seconds after the ND score. Play should have resulted in offsetting 15-yard penalties. ND wins.
The refs got this one wrong in the end no matter if you agree or disagree with the offensive PI.

Offsetting would lead to replay of down

Valid. I was making a good assumption that we would have score again. But my post stands corrected.

What makes your assumption valid besides the fact your are an ND fan?

Removing your helmet on the field is an automatic penalty, . . so there is that.

The question is why do you assume they would score if the penalty was given. Also it's not necessarily a penalty, someone on this thread posted the rule.

Grasping for straws.

You lost.

The refs held your hands all the way down the field on your first scoring drive, INCLUDING ANOTHER PICK PLAY to get Robinson away from PJ -- since he can't, without such plays -- the bogus spot, the bogus pass interference on Darby, the facemask by Hunter that WASN'T.

ND fans should just be glad they didn't get blown out and are still alive for the playoff, instead of making up scenarios to discredit an FSU win. FSU knows how to win despite being outplayed. ND isn't there yet.

Will you shut up already? We get it, you're thrilled that your team won. Try and use that vaunted FSU education and understand that the last penalty was actually a very controversial call that some people think is BS. It's hardly ever called, and, as others have noted above, both ND receivers were being held themselves. You can see Procise's shirtsleeve stretching. If the situation were reversed there is zero chance that referee would throw a flag.

And I hardly think pointing out an egregious missed penalty that occurred directly in front of the line judge is "grasping at straws". Not when the outcome of the game hangs in the balance.

Oh and ND owned your team in every statistical category. Before you go spouting off about how we should be "glad we didn't get blown out", please refer to the box score you idiot. If anything, your sorry team is lucky to escape with a win.

Must be nice to have your own conference and refs that will bail you out.

And not at all thrilled. Pissed that it was close when it shouldn't have been. But keep telling yourself you got something on me, little boy.

You don't get to say anyone owned ANYTHING when YOU LOST. LMAO

Yes, that's true. And I have to admit that I misread your comment above. You said:

"FSU knows how to win despite being outplayed."

I didn't see that. On this we can agree.

Nope, shut the fuck up and stop whining BITCH.

Brilliant riposte. Exactly what I expected.

You're welcome, then.

And no, you are not academically or class-superior. You're still a little pissant.

Technically the penalties wouldn't be offsetting because one of them occurred during the play and one after the play so they would both be enforced. Yes the outcome would be the same, but not because of the reason you gave.

#8 & #9 on FSU aren't guarding #88 on ND. #26 is. #26 is lost. If it's a pick call, then it's #26 who's the one to be picked. He's not. It's a blown coverage. That's why he got yelled at by his own guy, #9. Bail out call.

If the ref's calling it a pick, the someone needs to be picked. You can't be picked when you're guarding someone else. It's beyond common sense.

If it's pass interference--an even weaker call with this play--then the defender needs to have a chance at the ball. No one is even close, because they're guarding their own guys.

Finally, if it's holding--the weakest scenario--then, #8 shouldn't be holding #20 on ND if he wants to call to go his way.

You are correct. There are two ways to play that situation (three eligible receivers on one side of the field) in goal line D with three DBs. You can play inside-out, where every DB takes responsibility for inside first and flows to outside coverage. If FSU had played it that way, it would have ended up with Robinson in a jump ball against FSU's #3. #26 seemed to be playing it that way as he stayed inside. The other two seemed to play it the other way, front-to-back. With that DBs take direct responsibility for locking up with a receiver. FSU's #3 and #8 clearly seem to take this approach, aggressively taking away slants from #20 and #7. In that defense, #26 has to get over the top or find a lane through the clutter to get to Robinson. To the extent that play is a "pick," it is designed to pick #26. But #26 didn't even try. Which again leads me to believe he was playing a different defense than #3 and #8. In the end, nobody covered Robinson and it was an easy TD.

The way FSU blew the D, you are right. #7 and #20 for ND didn't have to do anything other than let FSU's #3 and #8 cover them. Sometimes no route the right route. Regardless, it shouldn't have been a penalty.

Robinson was not going to get away from Williams without a pick. Maybe you need another night to sleep on it and get over it LMAO

WHAT? NOBODY covered Robinson. The only way Williams gets to Robinson is by NOT covering the guy did cover, and by making the decision immediately -- which would have left a receiver uncovered. It was 3 on 2, because #26 wasn't playing the same defense. That's just the way it was.

Uhh...I think everyone knows...and, all be dad-gum, it was the wrong call. That's what all the arguing's about. Do you register?

Right. And #26 took off his helmet--unsportsman like cond.--which would have been off-setting penalties: ball at the 3. It's easier to score from 3 yards than 18. BTW #7 tried to slant and #3 held him up. Then #3 tried to get to the ball, but #7 was in his path due to the fact #3 cut him off. I know you want to see this as a nefarious scheme by ND which was exposed. You probably dislike ND. I don't know. I don't care. But #88 was wide open on the merits of the play call itself. If it was a foul as you allege and #20 and #7 did their best to clear themselves from #8 and #3, then #88 still scores with on coming defensive pressure rather than waltzing in. Continue to enjoy the "victory".

No it wasn't. It was a blown coverage by FSU. There are two ways to play that situation on defense. Front-to-back or inside-out. Two FSU DBs played one way and the other (#26) played differently. The two guys theoretically picked took themselves out of the play by aggressively taking away the slant. #26 stayed inside too. Nobody had responsibility for Robinson. Two FSU guys moved late toward Robinson, but it was way too late to do anything about it. They had to cover their guys #7 and #20, respectively. Either the guy covering #7 made a mistake by jumping inside, or #26 was completely playing the wrong defense. The latter seems most likely. Either way, it wasn't PI. Not remotely. Anyone who has ever played even JR High football will recognize it.

But there aren't. I mean, are you watching the play? #8 AGGRESSIVELY locks up with #20. It's press coverage, designed to take away the quick slant first. #8 initiates contact and holds on with both hands (which is almost certainly the correct play in that defense). #3 jumps inside on a shoulder move by #7, sealing himself off of the play. The ND players were almost comically careful to keep their hands out of the play and to take short deliberate steps to avoid any possible calls. It was a BS flag. No tampon or anything. It was just a BS call that bailed a team out of a blown coverage. It happens.

Thank you for linking that video. I mentioned it in another post. It is the best angle to show that there was NO pass interference. It leaves no doubt that #8 locks up and holds #20 at the LOS and #20 does nothing other than keep his hands off #8 and slowly, deliberately move forward. It also shows quite well that #3 took himself inside of #7 based on a shoulder shimmy. I had hoped to link to the video to make my case, but I couldn't remember where I saw it. Thanks for doing that for me. Awesome.

I didn't even watch the ND/Alabama game. So no tears or anything. I'm not much of a fan of either ND or FSU. I just feel strongly about this call being wrong, and I think many people are missing the point about it.

You see it with your own eyes and still dont believe it???possibly the easiest call of the game!!!

holy shit - if you've viewed it a dozen times then you can't help but see the outside defender makes his move to the inside before any contact was made and in effect cuts off the receiver. He had no intention of going after the intended receiver. And that was where the penalty was called, not on the inside receiver. And it is so blatantly obvious that the defender on the inside receiver is trying to jam him at the line of scrimmage, which is legal for a DB within 5 yards of the LOS. However, unless the ND receiver is holding him, which he obviously isn't, he makes absolutely zero effort to disengage and go after the intended receiver, but that would be stupid, because he would then leave that man open for the TD. He took four slides backward before he let go of the receiver. After all, this all occurred "well before the pass was thrown." He did his job by forcibly tying up the receiver. Not one of those three DBs made any effort at all to cover the intended receiver at all. All three of them took themselves out of the play. The third guy #26, had no clue what was going on. FSU screwed up the coverage royally and got away with it. The side judge, who was right there on top off the didn't even think about throwing the flag. That came from somebody from 25 yards away who just assumed it had to be a pick because the receiver was so wide open. You can bet your last dollar if that had been FSU on offensive, no way that call would have been made, not in Tallahassee.
Do you assume that just because a defender goes down in basketball it's always a charge? Or if a baserunner or fielder contact each other it has to be obstruction or interference? Seriously man, take a thirteenth view, and tell me I'm not right. I'm an Iowa grad, and must admit I hate the corruption at FSU, but I really think the official just made an assumption on the play.

you must be new here

You say you watched it a dozen times. Watch it one more time and this time frame by frame it and pay attention to where Jalen Ramsey #8 FSU wraps his arms around C.J. Prosise #20 ND before he even crosses the line of scrimmage and holds on to him till the play is over. If anything... the pass interface call should have been called on Green, not Prosise.

Then watch this view, you will change your mind!!! http://www.wsbt.com/sports/...

watch it from this angle - http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Looks like #8 held #20 all the way into the end zone and impeded #20's route.

sounds like you are in jr high with that analysis.

Can't spell "BigLeadSports" without biased.

That's just wrong. The guy covering #20 played aggressive press coverage. He took any possible quick slant away. Good for him. No PI. And it has nothing to do with Robinson being left uncovered. The guy covering #7 jumped on a shoulder turn. Again, he took away any slant. Hooray for him. No PI. That said, those guys were covering #20 and #7. Robinson was left alone. #26 is just standing around also protecting against slants. It was a busted coverage by FSU. They got bailed out by a fake penalty. That's pretty much it.

You must be high. None of ND's receivers even attempted to run their routes. You can't block DB's downfield when making a forward pass. "Bailed out by a fake penalty" HA! HAHAHAHAHAAHAHA

You do realize that offensive Pass Interference calls do *not* require the ball to actually be thrown in the direction of the defenders that are interfered with, right?

Wait, what am I talking about, of course you don't.

Of course I do. Read my post again. It wasn't PI. I was explaining what happened on the play. FSU's #8 initiated contact with ND's #20 and just held on to him. No PI. FSU's #3 jumped inside on a shoulder dip and sealed himself from any conceivable pursuit outside. No PI. The additional point is that whatever contact occurred between the #8, #3, #20, #7 had no impact on the play. FSU blew coverage. In a 3 on 3 situation, two guys locked up man on while a third guy hovered inside leaving a WR uncovered.

Instead of reading posts, maybe you should read the rule book. Just a suggestion.

Yes that would show this is a bad call.