Clemson won the national championship on Monday night, using the late-game heroics of QB Deshaun Watson and WR Hunter Renfrow.
However, the deciding play had many Alabama fans up in arms, as they believe an offensive pass-interference penalty should have been assessed to Clemson.
The controversial play, which can be seen below, has plenty of contact, but it’s tough to tell who was the main aggressor:
#ALLIN Fans in case you missed what happened! Pay close attention to detail! The old famous pick play. #NationalChampionship #ClemvsBama pic.twitter.com/AzcDdWvySS
— Corey Howard (@choward_media) January 10, 2017
Clearly, though, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney believes there should have been a flag — on Alabama. The title-winning coach told the Associated Press on Tuesday that he felt the Crimson Tide committed a penalty on the play:
“Yes, it’s a rub play, it’s a pick play,” Swinney said Tuesday. “Artavis was actually trying to go pick the guy, but he couldn’t get there because he got tackled. I mean, literally, the guy tackles him.”
Swinney admitted that the play called for Artavis Scott was supposed to run a pick play, but couldn’t get there due to the Alabama penalty. However, he added, the ensuing pileup worked perfectly to spring Renfrow for a touchdown:
“I mean, if you really watch the play, we never even got a chance to really rub the guy (Brown),” Swinney said. “But he had to play over the top. That’s the way the play is designed.”
Obviously, as it was the final offensive play in a closely contested national championship game, the no-call will be discussed all offseason and remembered for a long time.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
