Okay, what is even going on with Ole Miss? We remember sitting and watching the Ole Miss vs Wildcats, thinking, “Hmm, Lane Kiffin sure is having a hard time” – when, hilariously, Jaxson Dart points right to the ground during a conversation with RB Matt Jones, and we kid you not, Jones looks at the sidelines and collapses. It was like watching a kid fake an injury to get out of trouble. Now, no one would’ve batted an eye if this was a “one-time thing,” but causing 11 injury stoppages during the Gamecocks showdown? That is, what Gen Z would call: incredibly sus. Naturally, to adapt to these “fake injury calls,” something had to be done, so the NCAA Rules Committee has devised a solution.
“The NCAA Rules Committee is recommending a modification to the injury timeout rule. If personnel enter the field for an injured player after the ball is spotted by officials, that player’s team is charged a TO,” Ross Delleger shares on X. To put it simply: Your player collapses = You lose a timeout. Now, on the surface, this looks like a good solution to deal with the problem, but as fans have pointed out, it creates a very discouraging situation for players actually dealing with an injury.
The NCAA Rules Committee is recommending a modification to the injury timeout rule.
If personnel enter the field for an injured player after the ball is spotted by officials, that player’s team is charged a TO.
If a team does not have a TO, 5-yard penalty is assessed. pic.twitter.com/B3InKH1uu1
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) February 28, 2025
Because if we break the new rule changes down further, it turns out that if your favorite team has run out of their TOs, they could be charged with a 5-yard penalty. Like what? Now we understand that Kiffin’s antics were exactly “sportsmanlike,” but to take it up to this level?
See, we already have an SEC guideline set that causes teams being caught faking paying up a $50,000 fine. Plus, if the shenanigans continue, then the fine could hike up to $100,000, and there will be repercussions for the HC as well.
All in all, when you pile everything up, the grass doesn’t seem that green on the other side, and CFB fans on X seem to agree.
“Outrageous call” by the NCAA?
“So you’re incentivising players to play through injuries and potentially make them worse. What could possibly go wrong,” a fan quickly pointed out on X. We have seen, many times, players going through some serious trouble in the gridiron. From ACL to hip injuries, if teams are being forced to use their TOs, coaches and players might retract from disclosing their problems and make things much worse.
Another fan echoed the same sentiment and added, “This change seems aimed at preventing teams from using injury timeouts as a strategic delay. It could discourage faking injuries but might also pressure players to stay in the game when they shouldn’t.” This change begs the question: Is it a fair adjustment, or is it too harsh?
As one more fan notes: “Wow. This is insane. No respect for injured players.” There are still chances of the NCAA reversing the rule. After all, Paul Finebaum once said the committee is “powerless” when they are pressed, but what could be a better alternative?
Well, a fan has a solution. “Or, now this may sound crazy, the injured player must sit out the rest of the series to prevent further injury or to help remedy fake injuries,” they wrote. This seems like a good “middle ground.” However, only time will tell what the true consequences of these new rules are.
The post Calls Mount Against NCAA as New Rule Targeting Lane Kiffin’s Controversial Ole Miss Antics Brutally Backfires appeared first on EssentiallySports.
