Clemson LB James Skalski was ejected from CFP game, and people railed against the targeting rule

When Clemson and LSU played in the 2019-20 national championship game, Clemson’s James Skalski was ejected for targeting. And now, for his second straight game in the College Football Playoff, the star linebacker was kicked out of the game for targeting.

With about six minutes remaining in the second quarter of Friday’s second College Football Playoff semifinal, the Sugar Bowl, Skalski led with his head as he dealt Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields a brutal hit on a 3rd-and-13 play. Fields appeared to be injured by the tackle — though it didn’t stop him from continuing in the first half — and officials reviewed the play before determining that this was targeting and ejecting Skalski.

College football rules dictate that if a player leads with the crown of his helmet while making contact, it’s targeting.

Skalski’s ejection is a big loss for Clemson’s defense. And to make matters worse for the Tigers, Fields returned and quickly threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Olave, giving the Buckeyes a 28-14 lead. Despite being seven-point underdogs in this playoff game, they went into halftime with a 35-14 lead over the Tigers.

Targeting calls, and their subsequent immediate ejections, continue to be a contentious topic among college football fans, leading to heated debates and often deserved criticism of the rules. And Skalski’s hit on Fields was no different for college football Twitter.

Some people absolutely believe that was targeting, some think it absolutely was not. But plenty of people just used this Sugar Bowl moment to air their grievances about the rulebook itself and demand adjustments to the targeting rule.