The Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs played one of the single best games of the 2026 college football season Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Unfortunately, that's not what people will remember the most about the latest Alabama-Georgia heavyweight clash.
Longtime college football voice Paul Finebaum was among the many viewers who didn't hold back when offering opinions on the officiating controversy in Alabama's 20-17 loss to Georgia.
During his weekly Sunday morning appearance on ESPN's "The Matt Barrie Show," Finebaum tore into referee Kyle Olson and his crew, which missed several calls that went against the Crimson Tide.
The biggest was a late no-call on a pass interference by Georgia defensive back KJ Bolden against Alabama
receiver Rico Scott, which forced the Crimson Tide into third-and-10 from the Bulldogs' 34-yard line with 3:20 to play instead of an automatic first down.
ESPN's broadcast, in fact, was so certain that a pass interference call would be forthcoming that the network's on-screen graphic indicating a flag had been thrown briefly appeared on screen.
It was one of many calls Olson's crew either missed, waved off or overturned.
Those calls included a missed facemask that Alabama running back EJ Crowell took from Bolden earlier in the game, an interception by linebacker QB Reese deep in Bulldogs territory that was overturned on review, and a no-targeting call on Demello Jones after a tackle of Ryan Coleman-Williams in the fourth quarter.
Missed penalties or not, Alabama's defense had enough trouble getting stops on third down all night. Georgia converted seven of 13 attempts, and Gunner Stockton was lethal on third downs. The Crimson Tide also allowed 206 rushing yards to a Bulldogs team without star running back Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens.
The officiating is nevertheless what's on everyone's minds in the aftermath of the latest Alabama-Georgia thriller.
'Absolutely terrible': Paul Finebaum tears into SEC refs after Alabama loss to Georgia
The no-call against Bolden is the play Finebaum specifically took issue with following an otherwise great battle between Alabama and Georgia, who certainly looked like the SEC's two best teams in Week 6.
"I know everybody says, 'You guys are SEC (homers) and you're never going to criticize the officials.' Well, I'm not going to stand in the way of telling the truth here, and that was in my mind an absolutely terrible call.
"I would like the SEC office, when the sun comes up Monday morning, to try to explain it. They tried on TV, and at first it was awkward and then they got around to telling what I think everybody in America knew: that was pass interference."
Pass interference no-call changed the outcome of Alabama vs. Georgia, Paul Finebaum says
Finebaum even went as far as to say there was little doubt the no-call on Bolden changed the outcome of Saturday's game.
"Would it have changed the outcome of the game? Yeah, I don’t think there’s any question it would have. It was a terrible call. When you're the best conference in college football, and you say you're the best conference, don't screw around with one of the biggest plays in one of the biggest games of the year. That's supposed to be an A crew. Act like an A crew, and don't blow calls that could very well determine the outcome of the game."
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer draws praise for sideline reaction to SEC officiating mess, personal foul penalty
Finebaum also credited DeBoer for both his reaction to the no-call on Keelon Russell's pass to Rico Scott and later, DeBoer berating cornerback Dijon Lee on the sidelines. ABC cameras caught Lee repeatedly trying to punch a Georgia player late in the game.
His antics resulted in a personal foul and allowed Georgia to take a knee and run out the clock.
"One of my concerns about him has been the stoic demeanor," Finebaum said of DeBoer. "But both of those calls -- especially the no call -- he won a lot of support by just going crazy, which he should have."
Finebaum said of Lee's personal foul:
"I compliment Kalen DeBoer again. That was just inexcusable in the moment. I really applaud him for saying, 'Hey, you just cost us the game.'"
Even with the loss, Alabama (5-1 overall, 3-1 SEC) remained No. 6 in Sunday's new AP Top 25 and No. 7 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Georgia (6-0, 4-0) moved to No. 1.
Watch Finebaum's full comments below:
Alabama football schedule 2026
Alabama faces the 12th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville in Week 7 of the 2026 college football season. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC.
All times Central.
- Sept. 5: vs. East Carolina Pirates (W, 48-10)
- Sept. 12: at Kentucky Wildcats (W, 45-17)
- Sept. 19: vs. Florida State Seminoles (W, 50-36)
- Sept. 26: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (W, 49-18)
- Oct. 3: at Mississippi State Bulldogs (W, 56-23)
- Oct. 10: vs. Georgia Bulldogs (L, 20-17)
- Oct. 17: at Tennessee Volunteers, 2:30 p.m., ABC
- Oct. 24: vs. Texas A&M Aggies, TBA
- Nov. 7: at LSU Tigers, TBA
- Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt Commodores, TBA
- Nov. 21: vs. Chattanooga Mocs, 1 p.m., SEC Network+
- Nov. 28: vs. Auburn Tigers, TBA
Record: 5-1 overall, 3-1 SEC.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Paul Finebaum rips SEC for officiating mess in Alabama vs Georgia game
