The Florida State Seminoles have been flirting with disaster all season long, but keep finding ways to win. Saturday afternoon saw an incident that could have changed the whole dynamic for the team moving forward. Jameis Winston and an official made contact as Winston was trying to get off a quick snap. The ACC said on Sunday though that the contact was “incidental and insignificant,” and there would be no discipline.
Here is a look at the play–along with an explanation from former official Mike Pereira about why Winston should’ve been ejected from the game…
Pereira makes a pretty good case. Winston’s contact wasn’t insignificant or incidental. It is clear that Winston is trying to shove the official out of the way so he can snap the ball. The ACC is claiming that the new rule about letting the defense set up before a play is why the contact wasn’t to the level of unsportsmanlike conduct.
Winston got away with one here and he has to know that. Florida State and their chances to win a second straight championship may have gone up in smoke if the official throws the flag the way he should have. Every expert that has talked about this has said Winston should have ejected. Why does the ACC feel so differently about it then?
