Joel Klatt explains why he believes ‘officials cost Alabama the game’ vs. Georgia
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Joel Klatt isn’t sure Georgia beat Alabama without a little help from the referees.
“Georgia fans are going to be irate at this … comment, but all of us who are not dyed-in-the-wool Dawg fans, Georgia gets an incredible whistle,” Klatt said on the latest edition of his “Joel Klatt Show” podcast. “In some of the biggest moments and most crucial moments of tight ball games, man, Georgia gets an incredible whistle.”
The FOX Sports lead college football analyst pointed to the fourth quarter, with the Crimson Tide trailing 20-17 and looking to tie or take the lead with the ball at the UGA 34. It turned into one of the biggest talking points of the game, as KJ Bolden ran into Rico Scott in the end zone but wasn’t called for pass interference. (Bolden himself said on Monday that he’d expect a PI if the same had happened to Georgia.)
On the next play, Keelon Russell was sacked, and the Tide were forced to punt. They wouldn’t get the ball back.
“Can you make a strong argument that the officials cost Alabama the game? Absolutely,” Klatt said. “It is as clear a pass interference as I can remember seeing. How is that not called?”
Despite the loss, Klatt feels that Alabama could find itself holding up the College Football Playoff trophy in Las Vegas in January.
“Can you make a strong case that the two teams we saw play in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night are the two best teams that we’ve seen in college football? I think you can make a strong case for that,” he said. Bama can absolutely win the national championship.”
Georgia gets an incredible whistle – and it decided Saturday's game.@joelklatt pic.twitter.com/EMyRfkLxXZ
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) October 13, 2026
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
