Calls to Change College Football OT Rules Surge After Georgia-Georgia Tech

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Dible | Last updated Nov 30, 2024 12:38 AM ET

The Friday after Thanksgiving Day made for some exciting football, including an exceedingly rare clash between Georgia and Georgia Tech that went eight overtimes and ended in a 44-42 comeback victory for the Bulldogs.

However, the game didn't just bring drama that stretched on into the night and potentially impacted Georgia's CFB Playoff hopes in negative fashion despite the victory, it also brought with it a deluge of calls for college football to change its overtime rules.

"College Football legitimately let a 7-on-7 tournament director write the overtime rules," Josh Pate of CBS Sports wrote on X during the game. "This ends Day 1 when I'm elected."

College Football legitimately let a 7-on-7 tournament director write the overtime rules

This ends day 1 when I’m elected
— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) November 30, 2024

To break it down quickly, the initial overtime period in college football allows each team possession of the football and the option to kick an extra point or go for two points if they score a touchdown on that possession.

The second overtime period requires each team to go for two points if they score a touchdown. By the third overtime period and beyond, both teams possessions' simply become two-point tries until the tie is broken.

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

"[Two] rule change suggestions for college overtime," Warren Sharp of The Ringer posted to X. "1. Stop walking up and down the field to change sides [and] 2. Stop giving them new timeouts before each 2-point try OT."

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

"Still can't believe we totally changed the CFB overtime rules because of one Texas A&M-LSU outlier game," Chris Vannini of The Athletic added via X.

The overtime rule HAS to change during the offseason.

This is a lottery. It isn’t football.
— Ryan Brauninger (@R_Brauninger) November 30, 2024

"The overtime rule HAS to change during the offseason," college football and baseball writer Ryan Brauninger wrote on X. "This is a lottery. It isn't football."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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