Mike Williams, Clemson hosed with no targeting call on Alabama (Video)

Clemson receiver Mike Williams took a big helmet-to-helmet hit, but Alabama seemingly escaped a second targeting call of the night.

If the Clemson Tigers were going to rectify their loss in the title game last year to the Alabama Crimson Tide, they were going to need their superbly talented offense to step up in a big way. One player that needed to do so would certainly be first-round draft prospect, wide receiver Mike Williams. However, that’s hard for him to do when he’s not on the field.

During the first quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship game, though, Williams made a catch and had his ankles wrapped up. As he was trying to fight for more yardage, though, the big wideout found himself in a bit of trouble.

Alabama’s Tony Brown came charging in to try and light up the Tigers receiver and effectively did just that. However, upon further inspection, the hit may have not been the cleanest. Brown appeared to launch himself at the receiver who was almost wholly defenseless with his legs being tied up by another defender. Even worse, Brown made helmet-to-helmet contact with the big blow, forcing Williams out of the game:

However, targeting was not called on the play—despite the fact that looks to be the textbook definition of the call. Brown launches himself at the head of Williams and makes big contact. Yet there was nothing called.

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In an isolated incident, this might not seem like much. However, this was the second time in the first quarter of this game that the referees appeared to either let Alabama get away with or that they simply missed a targeting call. For all the conspiracy theorists that talk about Alabama getting favorable treatment for officials, this must be like Christmas. Obviously officiating a football game at this level is difficult. But missing these two calls is egregious at best.