Comment from rules analyst basically confirms that Georgia Tech was massively robbed in loss to Georgia Bulldogs
If officials had done their job properly on Saturday night in Athens, the Georgia Yellow Jackets likely would've left Sanford Stadium with an upset win over the Georgia Bulldogs. The officials, however, made a brutal mistake that potentially cost Georgia Tech the game. With Georgia Tech leading by seven, and with just over two minutes […]
If officials had done their job properly on Saturday night in Athens, the Georgia Yellow Jackets likely would've left Sanford Stadium with an upset win over the Georgia Bulldogs.
The officials, however, made a brutal mistake that potentially cost Georgia Tech the game.
With Georgia Tech leading by seven, and with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King fumbled while attempting a quarterback run on third-and-one. The fumble was recovered by Georgia, which set up the game-tying scoring drive for the Bulldogs.
Initially, it looked like King picked up the first down and then had his forward progress stopped. The officials, however, let the play continue (which I thought was fair).
Upon watching the replay, it was clear that Georgia should've been called for targeting on King, which would've erased the turnover and gave Georgia Tech an automatic first down.
Former NFL official/current rules analyst Terry McAulay tweeted a harsh criticism of the call after the game.
"The failure to review and create a targeting foul here doesn’t just ignore the rule, I’d go so far as to say SEC replay is showing utter contempt for the targeting rule," wrote McAulay. "This has been happening all season around the country. It’s clear the rules have to change. A model that penalizes without disqualification is long overdue."
Georgia had all three timeouts left, so it's possible they could've stopped Georgia Tech and got the ball back with around 1:40 or remaining in the game (they would've had to drive the length of the field without any timeouts to tie the game). One first down from Georgia Tech after the missed targeting call likely would've ended the game for the Yellow Jackets.
We can't say for sure that Georgia Tech would've won the game if the correct call is made in that situation, but it seems highly likely that they would've.
If Georgia loses that game and then loses the SEC Championship, they're almost certainly out of the playoff. That blown call greatly impacted what the College Football Playoff will look like later this month. And it could be the reason why a team like SMU or Miami doesn't get into the tournament.
Bad calls that impact the outcomes of games have been rampant across college football this season. It's an issue that's getting worse by the week, but no one seems to be interested in trying to fix it.
The noise around officiating, however, is only going to get louder until it improves.
ESPN’s Rece Davis made a notable choice involving the Tennessee Vols with his AP Top 25 vote
Could be something to monitor
