The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Texas Longhorns 28-14 on Friday night, securing their spot in the national championship. However, during the game, the officials missed a call that caused frustration among Georgia Bulldogs fans on social media.
Georgia’s season ended the previous week with a 23-10 loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In that game, the Bulldogs were penalized after Parker Jones collided with a referee on the sideline, which nullified a 67-yard reception by Arian Smith, forcing Georgia to settle for a field goal.
In the Buckeyes’ game, Jack Sawyer stripped Quinn Ewers late in the fourth quarter, returning the ball 83 yards for a touchdown. Georgia fans quickly pointed out that several Ohio State players and coaches were on the field during Sawyer’s run, questioning why no penalty was called.
The comments from Bulldogs fans flooded X (formerly Twitter). @AbeFromanKing99 criticized the overall officiating in the 2024 College Football Playoff, stating, “What amazes me is how poor the officials they put in these playoff games are.”
Still upset over Georgia’s loss, simply wrote, “It’s all rigged” in response. @MaverickHTN raised the question many were wondering, asking why officiating standards can’t be consistent.
Although Georgia fans feel wronged by the officials, it’s hard to argue that this call would have significantly altered their outcome against Notre Dame. Now, they must focus on the offseason and prepare for the 2025 season in hopes of a stronger playoff run next year.
