This rule is getting more and more ridiculous. I understand the reason for the rule--good intentions there. But too many times kids are being kicked out of games where it was clear there was no intent to harm. In Rip's case, the defender lowered his head--actually, if Rip had been the one to go down, the call could have gone the other way.
Meanwhile, we've got Texas players taking cheap shots on Shepard on a punt return, and on the very play where Rip gets kicked out, TK goes to the ground and then has a late hit forearm shiver delivered to his back to put him out of the game. On replay, two of those certainly looked like intent to harm, and it wasn't the one where the player was kicked out.
I understand the need to protect players, but a rule that if helmet hits helmet isn't necessarily it. If that were the case, why isn't the whole offensive and defensive line kicked out after every play?