Illegal pick play?
 

In the Clemson-Alabama game, there appeared to be some pick plays, but the one that stands out was Clemson's final score when the wide receiver goes in and there is contact by the DB. It appeared that the wide receiver initiated the contact since he never tried to avoid the defender, and it is difficult to determine where contact was initiated....it looks so close to the line of scrimmage....but nevertheless it freed up the inside receiver for the winning score.

Sure looked like a pick to me.


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Not Just A Pick
 

To me that was way more blatant than a pick play, that was a good old fashioned block. The receiver just plain blocked the DB.

It was not illegal IMO. The defender engaged the receiver immediately and the receiver never extended this arms or even used his arms to run a route. This contact is all on the defender. And you can see the defender wrap the receiver at the snap. Not calling OPI there at all. That is how you execute that play and it was done properly.

Peace

If anything it was defensive holding for the DB throwing down the receiver.

Sure, his intention was to block, but the DB reached out and threw the receiver to the ground before he could.

Yea, I had no problem with the last play. The defender grabbed him and threw him down. Now the previous Clemson TD? Egregious OPI, but the final play was fine.

The receiver sold that one well. Almost too well, to be honest.

I'm not sure of the officiating take-away for that -- stay with your key longer?

Agreed. That was not OPI.

That would have been the SJ's key. From his angle I would think it might be difficult to determine where the contact occurred so he would need help from the H? But the H has the inside receiver who eventually caught the pass. Bottom line, I think it was a good no call. It just looked bad and if I remember, there was at least one more scoring pass play where there was an apparent illegal pick that was not called.

Not OPI. Receiver was not blocking and defender did throw the receiver to the ground. Excellent coaching and the receiver executed properly.
I will be surprised if Coach Saban questions this play, because there were many other issues to be concerned about that led to Clemson being in a position to win this game.

I knew this would get posted...

And I knew the seasoned officials would immediately dismiss it as legal.

I agree with those that had a much bigger problem with the previous TD. I think the pick play is a mechanical hole in both the NCAA and NFL systems.

What does "mechanical hole" mean? That the officials' mechanics are such as to make it too difficult a call? Gap in coverage? Even with as many officials as they have?

Try it in the games I'm used to, with 3-official crews. The only saving grace there is that there's not much passing in most divisions. The past couple seasons in the Warriors they were doing it on scrimmage plays w U & L on the wings, R in the O backfield.

VI. Before the ball is thrown, wide receiver A88 slants to the inside
where linebacker B1 attempts to block him. A88 uses his hands to
shove B1 away. RULING: Team A foul, offensive pass interference, if
the legal forward pass crosses the neutral zone. If B1’s initial contact
was below the waist and beyond the neutral zone, Team B also has
fouled and the live-ball fouls offset

V.. Before the ball is thrown, wide receiver A88 moves four yards
downfield directly toward and in front of the defender, B1. At
this spot, B1 pushes A88, who then uses his hands to contact B1.
RULING: Team A foul, offensive pass interference, if the legal
forward pass is beyond the neutral zone. Penalty—15 yards from the
previous spot

Nice try, but neither of these things happened on the last TD.