Controversial calls? Yes. But how Auburn responded cost Tigers the game
Let's get it out of the way: it should have been a touchdown by Jackson Arnold on the quarterback sneak that would have put Auburn up 17-0.
It was evident that the Tigers' quarterback broke the goal line for the score, but SEC officiating being what it is, it was called a fumble, and, after a lengthy delay, the call was upheld. It was a brutal call, one of many that have come against Hugh Freeze's team so far this season.
But here's what some might not mention: the Tigers still held a 10-0 lead, and Georgia was on its 1-yard line with less than two minutes to go. Auburn was still in a good spot, having dominated the entire first half against the No. 10 Bulldogs.
The final 32 minutes went as they have in the previous several seasons. Auburn's offense, which had the Bulldogs on their heels for most of the first half, sputtered. The running lanes disappeared, and when Arnold had a chance to make a big throw to Eric Singleton Jr., who was wide open down the middle of the field, he overthrew him.
It was a microcosm of what has ailed the Tigers since before the term "Covid-19" entered anyone's vocabulary: outstanding effort, hanging in games, but never being able to come out on top. What was an electric Jordan-Hare Stadium before Georgia, with much help from the officials, took over, ended up silent.
In the first 28 minutes, Auburn had put up 228 yards of offense. The Tigers ended with 277, and 25 of those came in garbage time.
There will be a lot of talk about the call that cost Auburn the touchdown, but in the end, the Tigers failed to take advantage of their chances when they were presented. The defense kept Georgia to 13 points until the final two minutes of the game, and over and over, Arnold and company had opportunities to drive down the field to either take the lead or tie it with a field goal.
They didn't come close.
In the end, it was a third straight loss, albeit to three teams ranked in the top 10, but also three straight missed chances for Freeze and Auburn to make a statement. It also extended Georgia's domination over the Tigers to nine straight games in which the Bulldogs won despite looking all but out of it in the first half.
Needless to say, it was a brutal loss in front of a home crowd wanting and willing the Tigers to a victory. It was a devastating defeat that some will blame on SEC officiating, while signs point toward bigger problems.
How will Auburn respond with another ranked team coming to the Plains next week? For Freeze and company, it definitely needs to be better than how they did in the final 32 minutes against the Bulldogs.