Being an NCAA Division 1 football official is not an easy job and mistakes happen.
According to retired college football official, Dan Capron, the officiating crew for the 2018 National Championship game missed a call on a play, that could have changed the outcome of the game, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“We had a miss,” Capron said. “Alabama was on the ropes. They were deep in their own territory and they’re punting. The punt gets blocked. There’s a flag on the ground because the line judge had Georgia offside. Oh, boy. He (the player, Tyler Simmons) actually had a running start and timed it (properly). He wasn’t offside.”
“But that wasn’t my call. The blocking backs, a split-second before the snap, moved. That was a false start. That should have been my call. It still wouldn’t have been a blocked punt but instead a five-yard penalty against the offense. You never want to make a mistake of any kind in such a high-profile atmosphere.”
The play Capron is referring to happen during the Tide’s opening drive of the second half. Georgia forced Alabama to punt. The punt was blocked by Georgia wide receiver, Tyler Simmons, who was flagged for being offside.
Alabama went on to defeat the Georgia Bulldogs, 26-23, on the infamous 2nd and 26 play in overtime to claim its 17th National Championship.
While there is no way to know for sure, this play could have changed how the rest of the game played out.
