Alabama football fans are bracing themselves for yet another questionable officiating performance this Saturday, and they have every right to be nervous. The 2025 season has already been plagued by a series of controversial calls that have left the Crimson Tide faithful scratching their heads. It all started with the opener in which Ryan Williams was left concussed after a hit by Earl Little Jr., but somehow it was not deemed to be targeting after review. And now, the fans are yet again scared about fighting zebras on the field against Missouri.

Charlie Potter just announced on X, “Today’s SEC officiating crew for Alabama at Missouri will be led by head referee… Jason Autrey.” And now, fans are expecting more of the same drama that they’ve witnessed up until now. Supporters of both fanbases have recognized Autrey’s name and know that the game will likely be defined as much by flags and reviews as by actual football. Moreover, given Alabama’s rough run with officiating this year, Saturday’s contest feels like it’s already compromised against them.

Jason Autrey has become one of the most controversial figures in SEC officiating, and that’s saying something in a conference where fans are already hypercritical of the men in stripes. What makes Autrey’s case particularly troubling is his background, or lack thereof. According to critics, Autrey works as a public works director in Florida and has never played a single down of organized football in his life. He started his career by running the clock at middle school games and has managed to climb up the ranks to become a head official in the SEC.

His resume of controversy reads like a greatest hits compilation of officiating disasters. In 2020, his crew botched a call on a Bo Nix spike against Arkansas, calling it an incomplete pass when it clearly wasn’t. This mistake was so egregious that it resulted in crew suspensions.

In 2022, he was part of the Auburn-Alabama game, where a punt was incorrectly ruled as not being touched. But perhaps his most infamous moment came during the 2022 Tennessee-Alabama game at Neyland Stadium, a contest that still makes Alabama fans see red. In that game, Autrey’s crew missed multiple targeting calls against Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and, most controversially, called pass interference on Kool-Aid McKinstry that wiped out what should have been a game-sealing interception with Alabama leading 49-42 in the fourth quarter.

So now, Autrey will be taking the center stage again today. And this is a marquee matchup between Alabama and Missouri. Given everything that has happened this season and throughout Autrey’s controversial career, fans deem it impossible that this game would be one of those normal games that flow smoothly with good officiating. And it’s not just Alabama that should be worried; Missouri is not safe from non-calls/wrong calls either.

Fans react with dread and resignation

The moment Charlie Potter’s announcement hit social media, Alabama fans went into full panic mode, and you can’t really blame them. One fan perfectly captured the mood with a lengthy prediction that felt like a prophecy of doom. “The last few games they’ve barely been penalized. Watch how many more times they get hit with a questionable call today. This crew is the worst in the league, and every game they’ve had with them has been like that since 22 Tennessee. This worries me more than anything I’ve seen.”

The numbers back up the first part. Alabama has been relatively clean recently, with just four penalties against Georgia and three against Vanderbilt, which only fuels the fear that Autrey’s crew will find a way to make up for lost time. 

The 2022 Tennessee game reference kept coming up. Another fan asked concerningly, “Is this the same ref from the 2022 Bama-Tenn game?” He knew what the answer would be. That 49-52 loss to Tennessee has been for the history books, both for the Tide fans and for Autrey’s officiating. And there was also a free flow of sarcasm, with a fan saying, “Congratulations to Missouri for defeating Alabama,” treating the game like the conclusion had already been decided. 

But the most honest reaction was not a sarcastic reply; it was genuine curiosity, with a fan commenting, “Never understood why he is still a ref.” Another fan summed up the collective sentiment with brutal efficiency: “Well, we know how that will go,” a five-word encapsulation of the helplessness that Alabama supporters feel heading into this matchup. When the announcement of a referee generates more worry than the opponent’s roster, something has gone seriously wrong with the officiating system.