Joel Klatt believes Michael Taaffe hit was '1000% targeting'

Joel Klatt is in agreement with the many college football fans who were outraged by the no-call for targeting on Texas late in Wednesday’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Arizona State.

With the game tied and around one minute remaining, the Longhorns came up with a stop on third down that would likely force the Sun Devils to punt. However, safety Michael Taaffe appeared to make helmet-to-helmet contact on the play and it was sent to the booth for review.

If the referees ruled it targeting, Arizona State would have received a first down and moved into Texas territory. Instead, they determined it was not targeting and the Longhorns got the ball back as the contest went to overtime.

Klatt was passionate in his argument that that was ultimately the wrong call on a recent episode of The Joel Klatt Show.

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“It’s 100 percent targeting and I hate targeting,” the FOX Sports analyst said. “I’ve been one of the biggest opponents of targeting in college football. But as a rule, that was 1,000 percent targeting. There’s no other way to evaluate that. It was a defenseless player that got contacted forcibly in his head or neck area, period. There’s zero chance that that can come out of the review and them say, ‘That’s not targeting.’ Because it is by rule.

“What I don’t love about the targeting rule is that we’re ejecting the player. So what’s happened is is that the penalty is so penal to the individual that we’ve tried in review in officiating to keep players in the game, which I’m a fan of. …The biggest issue here is that if that’s the second quarter, that’s 100 percent a targeting. If that’s the third quarter, that’s 100 percent a targeting. I believe it was not called targeting for the sole reason that it would have given Arizona State a first down late in the game with the chance to win the game on that drive. If it’s not in that spot of the game, that’s 100 percent a targeting call.”

Klatt wasn’t the only talking head to disagree with the call, as other such as SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt also voiced their opinion that it was indeed targeting. ASU coach Kenny Dillingham told reporters after the game that he didn’t know what targeting is and didn’t want to comment on the play.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark wasn’t so subtle in pushing back against the call, releasing a statement demanding higher standards from CFP officials.

Joel Klatt would go on to say that he is normally of the belief that officials should try their best not to interfere in a close game late unless it is absolutely necessary. However, because the review had already been initiated, they had a duty to make the right call and failed to do so.

“Unless it’s egregious, I tend to lean in the, ‘let’s let them play late,’ which is exactly what was going on in this game,” he said. “The official didn’t throw the flag on the field. Now, the official on the field has a far different job than the review official in the booth. Once that play is in the review, it should have been called a targeting because then it’s letter of the law. Now you don’t have the nuance. It is or it isn’t. You’re reviewing it and it was. So that call going against Arizona State was awful.”

Regardless of what should have happened, the game is final and the result cannot be changed. Texas went on to survive in double OT and will play Ohio State on Friday for a trip to the national championship.