The college football world is still reacting to Alabama’s heartbreaking loss to Georgia amid the controversial ending. ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum called out the officiating in the SEC rivalry game.
Finebaum labeled the potential missed pass interference call against Georgia safety KJ Bolden who collided with Bama receiver Rico Scott as “disgraceful” in an interview with WBRC News.
“There ought to be a way to broaden the rules of football where you can send it upstairs and say, ‘Let’s look at this,’” Finebaum noted in the October 12, 2026, interview.
“You have the facilities in place to look at every single play in the NFL, you can challenge. [Saturday] would have certainly been a challenge,” Finebaum continued.
“College football, especially in the SEC, needs to open its eyes about the rules and not let something like that happen again.”
Here’s a look at the controversial play that still has Alabama fans angry.
Kalen DeBoer on Georgia-Alabama Refs: ‘We Can’t Put the Game in That Situation Where the Officials Come Into Play’
After the loss, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer attempted to take the high road regarding the officiating. DeBoer emphasized a desire to avoid putting the game in the officials’ hands.
“We can’t put the game in that situation where the officials come into play,” DeBoer noted, per AL.com. “And so, we just got to control the things we can control.
“… I mean, they just didn’t feel, I guess, it was pass interference. So, no, that’s all you’re going to get.”
Paul Finebaum Calls Out Refs After Georgia-Alabama Game Amid Controversy
Finebaum was not as diplomatic about the missed call as DeBoer. The ESPN analyst is dumbfounded as to how the referees missed the call.
“You don’t even have to be an expert,” Finebaum noted. “You just have to have some pedestrian knowledge of college football to know that was just beyond the pale.
“How the back judge, who was a couple feet away, could have missed it?”
Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer on Dijon Lee Jr.’s Personal Foul vs. Georgia: ‘We Preach Emotional Maturity’
Not as controversial was the personal foul on Dijon Lee Jr. which also contributed to Georgia’s win over Alabama. DeBoer went viral for expressing his displeasure to Lee on the sideline following the penalty.
“We preach emotional maturity, and I really feel strong that across the board we had that with our team and would’ve never expected that to happen,” DeBoer said of the personal foul, per ESPN. “You got to give yourself a chance.
“You’re out there giving everything you got. You just got to give yourself a chance. And so, emotional maturity is what it comes down to,” DeBoer continued.
“And we’ve been pretty good at that going on the last two years. Obviously, the moment comes up like we had just now, we didn’t respond the right way.”
Paul Finebaum Sends ‘Disgraceful’ Message on Georgia-Alabama Controversy