With Alabama trailing by three late in the fourth quarter, Georgia defensive back KJ Bolden made contact with wide receiver Rico Scott before the ball arrived. No flag came, and ESPN rules analyst Matt Austin indicated that pass interference should have been called.
Was it a blown no-call? Absolutely. That was pass interference. KJ Bolden got there early. The flag should have come out. You have every reason to be upset, Alabama fans.
Now that we've established that, Georgia fans have something we've been waiting years to tell you.
Welcome to the club.
For years, Georgia fans have suffered at the hands of the officials in big matchups against Alabama. Nobody is crying collusion or that refs were "paid off", but the fact is that when these two teams met in the past, it was probably a good prop bet that a generous call would go Alabama's way and change the course of the game.
So, should Georgia fans feel guilty or feel like the win should have an asterisk next to it? Absolutely not.
Georgia fans have been waiting years for Alabama to understand this pain
Georgia fans don't need a lecture about how one missed call can change a football game. We've spent most of the last two decades collecting examples against Alabama.
You want pain and frustration, Alabama fans? Let's start with the 2018 National Championship Game.
With Georgia absolutely dominating the game, wide receiver Tyler Simmons blocked an Alabama punt, only to have an offside penalty wipe it out. Simmons timed his rush to the line of scrimmage perfectly, and yet the yellow laundry still hit the field.
Replays raised serious questions about the call, and two years after the fact, the official who was in charge that night openly admitted his crew got it wrong. Georgia ultimately lost the national championship in overtime. Would that blocked punt have changed the outcome? There's no way of knowing 100 percent that it would have, but let's be honest...
It would have.
This is why, to this day, Georgia fans still invoke the phrase “Tyler Simmons was onside.”
Another egregious non-call came early on in this heated rivalry. In the 2012 SEC Championship Game after throwing an interception, Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray was blindsided by Alabama defensive tackle Quinton Dial.
The unnecessary roughness (probably targeting) call that never came wouldn't have overturned the interception, but it certainly would have changed Alabama's field position and perhaps prevented the field goal the Crimson Tide kicked as the half closed out.
Alabama won by four, with Georgia desperately trying to score a go-ahead touchdown as the game clock expired. If the lead is only one, Georgia is likely kicking a game-winning field goal instead of scrambling for a miracle.
You want more? We've got more.
Over the years, Georgia fans have watched elite pass rushers such as Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, and Nolan Smith frequently appear to be wrapped up or tackled by Alabama offensive linemen without drawing flags.
The same was true in this 2026 matchup, as multiple times Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Hall found himself the victim of being held in open camera view.
The history of frustration isn't limited to these examples, but they certainly establish the pattern that when the ball bounced, it usually bounced Alabama's way, and all Georgia fans could do was complain and agonize.
Alabama fans are furious because a missed flag may have cost them a chance to win a game. Georgia fans remember missed flags in games where the trophy was practically within reach.
Alabama fans get to complain and agonize about a regular-season loss
Consider yourselves lucky, Alabama
Yes, it was pass interference. Yes, Alabama has a right to complain. But Georgia fans aren't obligated to provide sympathy after years of hearing their own complaints dismissed or even ridiculed.
So go ahead, Alabama fans. Complain about the officials. Replay the missed pass interference a hundred times. Wonder what might have happened if the flag had been thrown. Gnash and wail on social media. Georgia fans understand that feeling better than you might think.
The difference is that Alabama still has a season ahead of it. There are more games to play, more opportunities to win, and potentially more championships to chase for both teams. Georgia didn't get that luxury in January 2018.
So yes, Alabama fans, your team suffered a bad call.
Welcome to the club, and consider yourselves lucky it wasn't for a national championship.
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