The Ohio State Buckeyes third-starting cornerback Shaun Wade was ejected for targeting on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. It was a game-changing call.
As Wade blitzed on Lawrence, both the he and defensive end Chase Young collapsed on Lawrence.
Sadly, the ref viewed the play as dirty andd has ruled Wade out for the remainder of the most important game of his career. Wade was a highly impactful player, and his absence will be missed. Even more, it kept a Clemson drive alive that resulted in a touchdown.
The Buckeyes will now heavily rely on Jordan Fuller, Damon Arnette Jr., and Jeff Okudah. With the game now within a field goal, Wade’s absence is as crucial as ever.
That said, here’s a look at the play that Wade received a targeting call on.
Trevor Lawrence was slow to get up after this hit from Shaun Wade and Chase Young.
Wade was called for targeting and ejected. #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/YXJIqTnUqY
— ESPN (@espn) December 29, 2019
It was excruciating to see for Ohio State fans. And one has to wonder if this is really what the spirit of targeting is all about?