Last week, we had the pleasure of watching one of the most entertaining games of the College Football Playoff era, with Texas outlasting Arizona State in a 39-31 double-overtime thriller.
While the game itself certainly stands on its own merit, one of the biggest storylines that has lingered since the score went final is a controversial no-targeting call late in the fourth quarter.
You can catch up on all of the details on that here, but in summation, a fairly straightforward targeting penalty should’ve been called, and Arizona State should’ve had the ball on the Texas 37-yard line with around a minute left in the game. Instead, they were forced to punt it away.
Nonetheless, the game is over now and Texas is getting set to face a red-hot Ohio State team in the Good Year Cotton Bowl Classic. Michael Taaffe, the safety who laid the controversial hit on Melquan Stovall, met with media ahead of that matchup and was, of course, asked about the hit.
He addressed it, in detail, during a media Zoom call on Sunday.
“To discuss that hit, I think first thank God that I don’t have to have my foundation in the opinion of others, the approval of man, or the game of football because the things that were thrown my way after that game on text — people that were finding my phone number — or on social media, I don’t think anyone should have to go through,” Taaffe said. “Thank God I don’t put my trust in what others say about me.”
“Second thing, I said a prayer for that guy. I know No. 5, it took him a long time to get up from that hit. I know it’s football but I wanted to pray for him. I hope he’s doing okay. You never want to see anybody go down on the football field.
“The third thing is I’ve always been taught all my life, whenever you’re tackling, to tackle with your eyes up. If your head is ever down, then your neck is going to get injured. I always try to tackle with my eyes up, and I always try to wrap. I think that’s what I did on that play. I had my eyes up and I wrapped. I left it up to the officials.
“I’ve probably got to get my pad level down a little bit more, but I tackled with my eyes open and I wrapped. When your eyes are up and you’re wrapping, that’s fundamental football. That’s what you’ve been taught since the second grade.”
The Longhorns and Buckeyes are set to kickoff at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN, live from Arlington, Texas, on Friday, January 10. Ohio State is currently a six-point favorite in that matchup.
