0:00 on the Clock: Western Michigan Was Robbed and College Football Is Still Buzzing

No. 16 Michigan pulled off a wild 13-12 win over Western Michigan on Saturday night, but man, did it come with a whole heap of controversy. The Wolverines snagged victory with a Hail Mary pass on the final play, but only after officials slapped an extra second back on the clock when everyone, and I mean *everyone*, thought the game was already done. It’s hard to believe what went down, and this one has the entire college football world asking some serious questions.

The “Ghost Second” That Changed Everything

Western Michigan seemed to have locked up a historic upset just moments before the final, disputed play. Bryce Underwood’s Hail Mary attempt sailed clear out of the back of the end zone, and the NBC television broadcast clearly showed 0:00 on the clock as that play ended. The Broncos’ sideline was already emptying onto the field, celebrating a massive victory. Chants of “fire Kyle” were even heard in the background, a clear sign of what everyone thought had just happened to Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham’s debut. But then, the officiating crew went to the monitor, and somehow, they determined that one second still remained. “As I watched the first Hail Mary and the ball sailed out of the back of the end zone, I glanced at the clock, and I was pretty sure there was one second left,” Whittingham said, adding, “That, obviously, is not up to me. The refs went to replay, and they confirmed it and gave us one more opportunity.”

The Evidence Just Does Not Add Up

So, should that next play have ever happened? The replay evidence screams no. A screenshot from the game shows the clock at all zeroes while the football from that first Hail Mary was still in the air. How do you put time back on the clock when the ball is literally still in play at zero? It’s baffling. Rules analyst Terry McAulay, who NBC went to after the initial mayhem, relayed his concerns about the call. This whole review felt like nothing more than a crew checking a box, but then they came back with a monumental decision, creating an extra opportunity that just did not seem justified in the moment. The decision left the Big Ten officiating crew with serious questions to answer.

Michigan Escapes, Western Michigan Gets Gutted

With that extra second handed to them, Michigan capitalized. Bryce Underwood found JJ Buchanan for a 47-yard bomb, a historic throw and catch that punched a 13-12 victory for the Wolverines. What would have been a catastrophic start to the Kyle Whittingham era was salvaged, a narrow escape that Michigan fans will probably call miraculous, and everyone else will call a farce. Meanwhile, Western Michigan was left distraught. They thought they had it. They deserved to have it. This wasn’t just a tough loss, it was a heart-wrenching robbery, and college football is still buzzing about how such a confounding call could be made. The Big Ten officials have some explaining to do.

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Originally reported by CBS Sports.