SCREAMIN’ FROM THE CHEAP SEATS. Who am I getting a bit boisterous on today? College football and specifically the targeting rule that the NCAA must amend.

As it is interpreted now 100% of the responsibility for avoiding hits to the head as well as leading with your head falls on the defense. That needs to be reassessed and here’s why.

If you’ve ever played college football, and I did, the speed of the game is phenomenal. Everything happens in a split second especially tackling a ball carrier.

Right now a defender who is making a tackle  is required to adjust to any movement by the ball carrier no matter how late that occurs. That expectation is completely unrealistic.

If a runner chooses to lower his head right before being tackled and that causes helmet to helmet contact the onus must not be on the tackler. Time and distance must be considered because the game is not played in slow motion.

In fact for that reason any targeting call must be reviewed in game speed. That way you can clearly see if the defensive player had the time and space to adjust his tackling angle. This is not a video game. It’s played fast and should be adjudicated in that time frame as well.

I realize that there are some inherent dangers in playing football and the NCAA needs to be applauded in attempting to make the game safer for the participants. But because these penalties result in the ejection of a player they must be dealt with fairly.

How’s this for a suggestion. If the late movement of the offensive player caused the targeting contact how about ejecting them?

The first time a hotshot Heisman Trophy candidate gets thrown from the game for causing targeting every defensive player and coach will whisper finally. Let’s see how they and the NCAA deal with the fact that they are now banished for that game and possibly half of the next contest.

I’m guessing the NCAA Rules Committee will have an emergency meeting ASAP to revamp the targeting if that happens. Can’t have the star offensive player sitting on the pine right Buddy?

BOOK IT DANO!