Ohio State’s Ryan Day Suggests Rule Change Regarding Severity Of Targeting Penalty

Day would like to see a 30-minute penalty from the time of the infraction rather than the current rule.

Ohio State will be without redshirt sophomore linebacker Steele Chambers for the first half of Saturday’s game at Nebraska (12 p.m. on FOX), as he was called for targeting on the first play after halftime in last week’s win over Penn State.

Given the timing of the call, Chambers will miss nearly four full quarters of game time despite the rule being designed to hold a player out for just two. And that’s why head coach Ryan Day would be in favor of changing the rule.

“It’s a unique situation in that it was the first play of the second half,” Day said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “It really brought light, in my eyes, to the fact that there is some inequity on this rule where the first play of the second half or the last play of the second half, that’s significantly different.

“In my mind, the rule should be changed to a 30-minute penalty as opposed to the number of halves because when you do it shouldn’t be the determining factor on how the penalty is assessed.”

Day was clearly upset with the call on the field, as the helmet-to-helmet contact was only the result of Chambers tackling quarterback Sean Clifford at the same time that he was sliding to the ground rather than being malicious in intent.

“I just feel like in real time, it’s a very difficult call,” Day said. “I think if you’re Steele in that spot, someone’s running full speed at you and then goes down on their knees, in real time, that’s very, very difficult.

“I think that the rule is in place for the right reasons, to protect our players, so I absolutely support it. But I also think that there’s a difference between what’s going on in real time and what’s showing up on replay.”

The Buckeyes, who are already down to just six scholarship linebackers on the roster, will now ask more out of USC transfer Palaie Gaoteote and redshirt sophomore Tommy Eichenberg to fill the void left by Chambers.

“We’re playing with a different style of defense now with three safeties, so the numbers have changed with that,” Day said, “but ‘EA’ is going to have to come in there and step up, Tommy is going to have to get in there. Coach (Al) Washington will move those guys around, and then they’ll get Steele back in the second half.”

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