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Cody took helmut off during play while blocked ball was still rolling around as a live ball. I started writing this before announcer just noticed it. Don't blame them might never have made it out of the stadium

Well, if Texas didn't look like the #3 team last week, Alabama didn't look like the #1 team this week.

Stallion wrote:Cody took helmut off during play while blocked ball was still rolling around as a live ball. I started writing this before announcer just noticed it. Don't blame them might never have made it out of the stadium

True, but that is considered a dead-ball foul even if it happens during the play. So it would not have done Tennessee any good anyway.

Game cannot end on a defensive penalty. 15 yards and opportunity to kick again.

mrydel wrote:Game cannot end on a defensive penalty. 15 yards and opportunity to kick again.

Wrong. I just told you, this is assessed as a dead ball foul. The result of the play was Alabama ball, first down. So if Tennessee accepted, Alabama would just kneel down 15 yards further back.

I do not see how it is a dead ball foul when the foul occured while the play was in progess. I am not doubting you, just questioning. The helmet was pulled off while the ball was still bouncing around the field and the whistle had not yet blow the play dead. Had an Alabama player muffed the coverage of the ball, Tennessee could have advanced it, been given 15 yards and then kicked again.

Comparing these two situations might illustrate it better:

1) While a running back is running for a touchdown, one of his linemen holds and is flagged for it.

2) While a running back is running for a touchdown, he taunts the defense and yells obscenities at them and is flagged for it.

In situation 1, the offense does not get the touchdown, in situation 2 they do get the touchdown and the penalty is marked off after that. Both transgressions happened during the play, but the "unsportsmanlike" is assessed as a dead ball foul.

Gary Danielson does not know the rules that well. On Tennessee's onside kick he said the kicking team can block after the ball hits the ground. That would only be true if it hit the ground past the 10 yards. The kicking team can only block if it is eligible to touch the ball (if someone on the receiving team has already touched it for example).