(I just bought a new computer yesterday, so I'll be here more often again - hooray!!!)
For starters, let me say that IN MY VIEW, I actually thought that for the most part the refs did exactly what refs should do - they let them play the game of football and settle it on the field. There were some missed calls in both directions, but I would remind everyone that we now live in the era of the ubiquitous camera. I actually thought that the so-called out of bounds on the 80-yard TD pass for UGA was the right call. Missed calls both directions and right about equal. I also thought it important that they DID get the right calls on the late game PIs, for example.
I've said this before, and I'll say it again: RARELY, not matter how egregious the call, does an official determine the outcome of a football game. One COULD argue that the Clemson game last year was one of those rare cases.....because calling the pick there with the clock going out and the game is over and Alabama wins. At the same time, I'm amused by fans who will overlook upwards of 100 missed blocks (mistakes) or tackles in a game by the players for their team and focus on ONE mistake by an official.
It's a game played by human beings who have human traits and watched by humans as well. You have to overcome THEIR mistakes just like your own. Furthermore, over the course of time bad calls are going to even out anyway. And here's the thing with most of us: I honestly don't think we really "care" about whether he "called that hold" or not......just so long as it is called the same in both directions (e.g. is fair). I recall Johnny Bench saying the only time catchers ever really get mad at umpires is when the ump has been calling the same pitch a strike for six innings and you set up the slugger on the other team with a perfectly placed pitch for strike three......and the ump suddenly calls it a ball.
We don't expect perfection - we DO expect consistency. If a certain type of defense is NOT okay for Minkah, don't turn around and let the opposing DB get away with mugging the wideout.