It is a pick play. That is what a rub is really, except a "rub" plays within the literal rules. The spirit of the rules both are pick plays. This was a rub because the outside receiver gets jammed by his corner. The problem is, he's going directly at the insider corner. Had the outside corner NOT jammed then maybe the Clemson receiver does initiate the contact with the inside Bama defender. We will never know. The Clemson receiver does not initiate the contact with the Bama defense. He is jammed and thus it is a rub and no flag should be thrown. It looks egregious and illegal, because it is against the spirit of the rules however it works within the strict confines of the literal rule as it is written. The Alabama defense was too aggressive here. Play off your man and you both have a chance to read the routes and defend accordingly. Clemson knows how grabby and hyper aggressive Saban corners are and used it against him. Corner jams. Clemson receiver runs an inside slant hard and meets the inside Bama corner. Collision not solely initiated by the Clemson player as he was being jammed at the point of contact. Legal play. Touchdown. Clemson wins.
It's called a rub route. It's legal, was executed perfectly, the Bama CB pulled the Clemson receiver down and this is the worst thread in the history of this website.
