Fans Blast College Football Overtime Rules After Eight-OT Georgia-Georgia Tech Battle

Georgia and Georgia Tech exchanged 2-point conversion attempts to determine the game's winner.

Georgia Governor Kemp hands Georgia coach Smart the governor cup after Georgia beat Georgia Tech in eight overtimes. / Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Georgia needed eight overtimes to survive an upset scare against Georgia Tech and keep their College Football Playoff chances alive. While the thriller at Sanford Stadium provided great cinema, it also brought college football's overtime rules into question.

In the first overtime period, each team gets a possession at the opponent's 25-yard line. If the game is still tied, another period is played with the same parameters. However, if the game is still tied after two overtimes, we have a "2-point conversion-off" where both teams alternate 2-point conversion attempts to determine a winner.

The process is certainly fun, but it's probably not the best way to end a football game. The ending of the 44-42 Georgia marathon win over Georgia Tech brought the validity of college football's overtime rules front and center:

Well that was awesome, even if I’m not wild about the 2-point OT rule.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 30, 2024

JJ Watt chimed in:

This is wildly exciting, but not a good way to decide a football game.

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) November 30, 2024

And plenty of others with thoughts on whether the rule should change or how to improve the existing format:

I can not believe this game has resorted to two teams failing at a mini game like we’re deciding a winner of Mario Party

Please revert the OT rules

— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) November 30, 2024

College football fans - “NFL needs real OT rules”

College football OT: “At the 3rd OT we have a 2 point conversion off!!!” pic.twitter.com/OAbyJeq93k

— NBA Slime (@TerryFranconia) November 30, 2024

2 rule change suggestions for college overtime:

1. stop walking up and down the field to change sides

2. stop giving them new timeouts before each 2-pt try OT

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) November 30, 2024

6th OT college football rules should be this pic.twitter.com/oAZEI9Rsfj

— Master (@MasterTes) November 30, 2024

Immediate changes needed to college football OT rules.

No timeouts after the first OT.
Stop changing ends.

— Kyle Lamb (@kylamb8) November 30, 2024

the old OT rules were just fine.

— Billy D. (@fourdtough) November 30, 2024

JJ, as usual, nails it. https://t.co/UvUJ0P9Oau

— Adam Schein (@AdamSchein) November 30, 2024

Still can't believe we totally changed the CFB overtime rules because of one Texas A&M-LSU outlier game.

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) November 30, 2024

The Bulldogs have secured a spot in the SEC Championship game on Dec. 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Georgia is set to battle the winner of Saturday's matchup between Texas and Texas A&M. The heartbreaking loss dropped the Yellow Jackets to 7-5 as they now await to see where they will head for their bowl game.

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