A questionable taunting call on Penn State cornerback Elliot Washington II gave No. 4 Ohio State a free first down and then the lead among the top five teams on Saturday.
Washington tackled Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate after Tate slid to the ground on third down. Tate was well behind on the first down and the stop would set up an Ohio State punt. However, Washington was immediately issued a taunting warning for looking down and stepping over Tate as he stood up.
Here’s how it unfolded. You can see how quickly the referee threw the flag right next to the play. Did he hear Washington say something?
The NCAA rules against taunting are very broad and simply stepping over an opponent in this way is not an immediate issue. At best, it is an extremely weak punishment and you can make a strong case for why it should not have been imposed in the first place. Especially in a game of this magnitude.
According to the rulebook, a player can be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for “verbally taunting, taunting or ridiculing an opponent,” a delayed, excessive or choreographed action and even “bending at the waist after a good play.” While the symbolism of switching to an opponent you’ve tackled is clear, it’s also not explicitly stated as an action that in itself is worthy of a personal foul.
Ohio State scored four plays later when Will Howard hit Brandon Inniss for a 21-yard touchdown and a 14-10 lead. It was the second straight TD the Buckeyes scored after No. 3 Penn State took a 10-0 lead thanks to a pick-6 from cornerback Zion Tracy.
