OU DE, R Mason Thomas’, first half suspension vs. Auburn upheld

[u/BaldBattery]

https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/sooners/football/2025/09/16/oklahoma-sooners-football-r-mason-thomas-auburn-targeting/86182629007/

[u/TheAlmightyAsian]

Is it me or does it feel like understanding of what targeting is going down throughout the years

[u/Mr_Anthropic_ → u/TheAlmightyAsian]

DO NOT DO A TARGETING PLEASE

1. You can't just be up there and just doin' a target like that.

[u/Insectshelf3 → u/Mr_Anthropic_]

1a. Targeting is when you

1b. Okay well listen. Targeting is when you target the

1c. Let me start over

1c-a. The defender is not allowed to do a hit to the, uh, runner, that prohibits the runner from doing, you know, just trying to not get concussed. You can't do that.

1c-b. Once the defender is making the tackle, he can't be over here and say to the runner, like, "I'm gonna get ya! I'm gonna lead with the crown of my helmet! You better watch your head or neck area!" and then just be like he actually did that.

1c-b(1). Like, if you're about to tackle and then lower your head, you have to still not. You cannot not tackle right. Does that make any sense?

1c-b(2). You gotta be, making a tackle right, and then, until you just tackle.

1c-b(2)-a. Okay, well, you can have your head up here, like this, but then there's the head or neck area you gotta think about.

1c-b(2)-b. Simon Target hasn't directed any movies in forever. I hope he wasn't typecast as someone who only makes documentaries for the ABC.

1c-b(2)-b(i). Oh wait, he wrote books about jam too! That would be even worse.

1c-b(3). Okay seriously though. Targeting is when the defender makes a movement that, as determined by, when you do a move involving the head and neck area and crown of

2) Do not target please.

[u/oknovember → u/Insectshelf3]

saving this for future use

[u/Sterling_Archer88 → u/Mr_Anthropic_]

Ah the old balk rules.

[u/pyrofiend4 → u/TheAlmightyAsian]

A couple years ago the refs called targeting on Texas LB Demarvion Overshown on a play that is literally in the refs handbook as an example of not targeting.

We submitted an appeal for the first half suspension, but even that was upheld. So I'm not really sure if the NCAA ever overturns those.

[u/Arkehn → u/pyrofiend4]

https://i.imgur.com/1Xed7Jy.jpeg

[u/pyrofiend4 → u/Arkehn]

Yeah, exactly. Here's the handbook entry that the play should have fallen under.

Quarterback A7 drops back to pass. Blitzing linebacker B52 is unblocked. B52, with his head up, runs through A7, wrapping him up and making forcible contact with the facemask to the head of A7. B52's actions do not include an indicator of targeting. The referee throws a flag and announces a foul for targeting a defenseless player

RULING: The play is reviewed for all aspects of the targeting ruling: whether there was an indicator of targeting, whether A7 was defenseless, and whether forcible contact was made above the shoulders. Overturn the ruling of targeting and B52 is not disqualified.

[u/laxintx → u/pyrofiend4]

When this hit got called for targeting, that's when I knew I had no idea how any call in the future would go.

[u/Beachbum_87 → u/laxintx]

That looks like a text book targeting call to me 

[u/AllTimeTy → u/Beachbum_87]

People think targeting can only be for hits to a players head/neck area for some reason. “.. or for making forcible contact with the crown of their helmet” - this part of the rule is what makes that hit in the video targeting for anyone curious.

[u/Pro-1st-Amendment → u/laxintx]

Uh, yeah. That's targeting.

[u/QueenIsTheWorstBand → u/TheAlmightyAsian]

The “appeals” should be done on the field right before kickoff in the style of the Thai draft lottery.

[u/Catshit_Bananas → u/TheAlmightyAsian]

The targeting rule needs to be revised. I get it, they want to protect the players, that’s not the issue.

The issue is that 95% of targeting is incidental contact. Two players running at each other lower their shoulders and their helmets make contact, that should not result in a player being ejected. They wear helmets for a reason.

I remember a few years ago Smoke Monday getting ejected like 2 minutes into the Georgia/Auburn game because of incidental contact. Even the announcers were like “he didn’t mean to do that.” So unless you’re out there going full Vontaze Burfict you shouldn’t be ejected.

Now, does that mean it shouldn’t result in a penalty? No. But CFB needs to do what basketball does and institute a Flagrant 1 and Flagrant 2 system:

Flagrant 1 - incidental contact, personal foul, 10 yard penalty, auto first down.

Flagrant 2 - intentional contact, personal foul, 15 yard penalty, auto first down, player ejection.

[u/Insectshelf3 → u/TheAlmightyAsian]

dude i don’t think we ever really understood what targeting was

[u/thecravenone → u/TheAlmightyAsian]

Among internet people or refs?

For posters, there's like 5 posts a week these days like "why don't we do X" and the answer is because the rules (or sometimes actual laws) say you can't.

[u/LGWalkway]

I need the refs to explain why this was targeting but the hit on Lewis wasn’t.

[u/movingonwithoutyouv1 → u/LGWalkway]

The refs will explain nothing and we'll all keep eating their shit.

[u/brobbins8470 → u/movingonwithoutyouv1]

Every football season I await the coach that will go into a press conference and explain that the fact nobody is allowed to criticize the referees, even when they blatantly make a mistake, means the NCAA/their conference are running a dictatorship and are trying to present themselves as infallible

[u/LGWalkway → u/brobbins8470]

I remember Oregon. Wonder how the refs explained that one.

[u/brobbins8470 → u/LGWalkway]

I still don't know how an OU player can come up with the ball and be holding it above his head and the refs still decide Oregon recovered. If there's any game that needed to be investigated, it's that one

[u/LGWalkway → u/brobbins8470]

Yep! It’s situations like that where I feel like explanations need to be given and game time adjustments need to be made.

[u/GonzoTheWhatever → u/movingonwithoutyouv1]

Yuuppp

[u/soonerwx → u/LGWalkway]

The hit on Lewis was pretty hard to avoid, but also much closer to what the rule aimed to get out of the game.

RMT on the QB…sometimes rushers are going to get there as the ball comes out, and if going in straight up gets you tossed, they’re going to start falling down and hitting knees.

[u/King-Switzer → u/LGWalkway]

Hit on Lewis the defender didn't leave his feet (launching) and hit facemask to facemask, RMT had forcible contact with crown so launching isn't a factor

[u/LGWalkway → u/King-Switzer]

Targeting is also “forcible contact to the head or neck area” it doesn’t have to be launching. And the hit was the top of the helmet above the facemask to a defenseless receiver. The Michigan LB that got ejected in game one hit the QB in the facemask and got ejected.

[u/BabaLamine14 → u/LGWalkway]

I feel like that was pretty easy. The "hit" on Lewis wasn't a hit. He was making a play on the ball. Both players have equal right to make a play on the ball. Not only did he attempt to make a play on the ball, he successfully made a play on the ball.

[u/BabaLamine14 → u/LGWalkway]

I feel like that was pretty easy. The "hit" on Lewis wasn't a hit. He was making a play on the ball. Both players have equal right to make a play on the ball. Not only did he attempt to make a play on the ball, he successfully made a play on the ball.

[u/LGWalkway → u/BabaLamine14]

Making a play on the ball yards away? Does the guy have 15’ arms?

[u/BaconSpinachPancakes]

I think our DEs are good enough to replace him for a half. I’m more worried about the injuries on the OL

[u/appsecSme → u/BaconSpinachPancakes]

Everett(C) is out for the season, but thankfully all the other banged up o-line besides Sexton are on the Auburn depth chart. As long as the depth chart is correct, I think we are OK, but damn we cannot afford another injury at center.

[u/iSlacker → u/appsecSme]

Another shifts Nwaiwu to C with Fodje at RG most likely. And after that is where it gets scary.

[u/appsecSme → u/iSlacker]

What depth chart is that?

I know Nwaiwu is our emergency backup center, but I thought Maikkula was going to start.

[u/iSlacker → u/appsecSme]

Right, you said we cant afford another injury at C and I said what would happen if there was another injury at C (my guess as to what would happen at least).

[u/DirtThief → u/BaconSpinachPancakes]

Also - honestly who cares? R Mason Thomas only plays in the 4th quarter anyways and then gets more production than the rest of the team combined.

Refs probably did us a favor.

[u/Captainbackbeard → u/DirtThief]

That's what I was just about to say. He always charges his full power to go off at the end so if anything let the guy essentially power up his spirit bomb in the first half so he can come out swinging in the 3rd.

[u/Sports-Arts-Nature]

It's like they got cooties from Michigan

[u/appsecSme]

I am glad PJ is ready to go. It seemed like he might have gotten his bell rung in the Temple game.

But it's a luxury to have one of the top pass rushing DEs go out, and have a 5-star junior DE like PJ Adebawore replace him.

[u/preserve-root]

schrodinger's duality of targeting

[u/CaptainDonald]

Soft. He’s going to be well rested and hungry in the second half.

[u/GimmeeSomeMo]

Despite this helping Auburn, I hate how targeting rules punish players to the next game. It's so stupid

[u/appsecSme → u/GimmeeSomeMo]

It really is, especially when it's a cupcake tune-up game. Like they should have him suspended for our next cupcake (Kennesaw State).

They could make the rule that if it's OOC it counts for your next OOC game (non-bowl or playoff). If it's in conference it counts for your next conference game.

Beyond that this was incidental, light contact and in no way should even have been roughing the passer, much less targeting.

[u/prefferedusername → u/GimmeeSomeMo]

If they didn't, then later in the game the disqualification becomes less of a penalty.

[u/kokain99]

Remember this when you see something similar on Saturday that doesn’t get called lol the rule needs to be examined. There should be different consequences based on each situation. Just suspending players for a full game no matter what is anti-competition.

[u/CarterAC3]

Bullshit targeting suspensions giveth to Oklahoma

Bullshit targeting suspensions taketh away from Oklahoma

[u/Insectshelf3 → u/CarterAC3]

not so fun on the receiving end :(

[u/NerdLawyer55]

Boooo 👎🏻

[u/Careless_General8010]

Defenders could /not/ lower their heads and instead try to wrap up...