No one can blame Hugh Freeze if he's still fuming following the heartbreaking Auburn football loss to Georgia on Saturday. This was a game the Tigers dominated early, but some questionable calls no question got in the way of an upset being posted. Remember the Jackson Arnold fumble?
Of course you do. Late in the first half, Arnold appeared to score to give the Tigers a 16-0 lead, with a PAT on the way to make it 17-0. However, a fumble was called and all hell broke loose. If you ask Georgia fans, the ball was punched out early.
However, ESPN and Booger McFarland have given us a new look at the play and there's no question that the tip of the ball crossed the goal line. This should have been a touchdown for the Tigers, but instead Georgia got the ball and connected on a field goal to make things 10-3 before half. This was an inexcusable decision from the refs:
Corrupt, fraudulent, venal, underhanded, deceitful, crooked, tainted, dysfunctional and compromised all describe the current state of @SECOfficiating under the direction of SEC coordinator of football officials John McDaid and SEC commissioner @GregSankey pic.twitter.com/FpSLNAT4EB
— Power of Dixieland (@PwrofDixieland) October 12, 2025
Auburn football was robbed of a TD against Georgia in the rough loss
"Yeah, first of all let's understand the rule," McFarland said. "The ball just has to break this white line. The tip of the ball has to touch the tip of that white line. If it does, it's a touchdown. If you freeze that play, he still has control. There's the white line, there's the tip of the ball - it breaks the plane. The entire ball doesn't have to cross. The tip of the ball has to touch the tip of the white line. If it does, it's a touchdown. If I'm Hugh Freeze, I'd be upset. It's a 10-point swing. It should have been 17-0."
Open and shut case. It's easy to agree with McFarland here. From our chair, Arnold indeed got the tip of the ball over the line and he should have been given a TD on this play. That wasn't the case and this play even went to a review, with the call on the field being confirmed. What?
It's incredible that even after a booth review, the TD wasn't put on the board. Kirby Smart continues to get called out for the timeout debacle in the fourth quarter too, which was a bad look for him and the Bulldogs as a whole. This kind of stuff should never happen in a game.
Freeze is essentially coaching for his job this season and mistakes from the officials like this shouldn't be playing a role in the way that it is for the Tigers. Plain and simple, Arnold scored and Auburn got screwed here. Greg Sankey needs to fix his officiating problem and fast.