The first half of the Oklahoma vs. Alabama rematch within the first spherical of the College Football Playoff had nearly all the pieces.
That features a weird first penalty of the evening for the Crimson Tide that just about noticed its second-half momentum fully washed out.
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The penalty got here on third-and-5 on the Oklahoma 47-yard line with 22 seconds remaining within the half, when a member of the Alabama teaching workers was referred to as for “sideline interference” after bumping into an official on the sphere in Norman. It gave the Sooners a recent set of downs and introduced them nearer to area purpose vary as a substitute of placing them right into a fourth-and-4 after a 1-yard carry from quarterback John Mateer.
REQUIRED READING: Oklahoma vs Alabama score, live updates: CFP game underway in Norman
It would not find yourself costing Alabama, although, because the Crimson Tide protection acquired some stops and Oklahoma determined to let the clock run out as a substitute of taking a shot down the sphere or punting.
Alabama scored 17 unanswered factors within the second quarter — highlighted by a 50-yard pick-6 from Zabien Brown — to tie the sport up at 17-17 at halftime towards Oklahoma, which beat the Crimson Tide within the common season.
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Here’s why Alabama was handed a penalty close to the tip of the primary half:
Why was Alabama penalized?
It’s reasonably simple: a member of Alabama’s workers ran into one of many sideline officers.
ESPN rule analyst Bill LeMonnier agreed with the decision from the official in the course of the ABC broadcast by mentioning that a part of the sphere is the referee’s “territory.” ABC’s broadcast caught Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer displaying frustration with the decision.
“That’s his territory. You’ve endangered me and you don’t belong there,” LeMonnier mentioned on the printed.
The winner of the Crimson Tide-Sooners recreation will advance to a CFP quarterfinal towards No. 1 Indiana within the Rose Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 1.
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This article initially appeared on USA TODAY: Why was Alabama penalized on sideline against Oklahoma in CFP?