No. 16 Michigan kicked off its 2026 season with an insane 13-12 victory over Western Michigan on Saturday, a game that absolutely went down to the wire with a controversial finish that’s got everyone talking. It’s just the latest example of how, no matter how much tech we throw at college football, how many cameras are rolling, or how many refs are on the field or in the command center, errors still compound, and pure chaos somehow always reigns.
Chaos Reigns, Even With All The Cameras
That Michigan game was a wild, last-second nail-biter. Think about it: a 13-12 final score to start the season? That’s college football in a nutshell. It’s never simple, it’s never clean, and it always seems to find a way to make us question everything. This win against Western Michigan is just another chapter in a long, storied history of college football finishes that leave you either celebrating like crazy or completely losing your mind, depending on which side you’re on. You gotta love it, or hate it, or both.
The Infamous Hall of Shame
This ain’t Michigan’s first rodeo with controversy, and it sure as heck isn’t college football’s. Remember back to 1990? Colorado beat Missouri 33-31 in what has to be the original administrative malfeasance in the game. The Buffaloes were awarded *five* downs, yeah, FIVE, when we all know the max is four. They won the game as time expired on a down that obviously should never have happened. And get this: there’s still debate about whether Colorado QB Charles Johnson even scored on that phantom down! To add insult to injury, the down-marker operator on the chain gang was a Missouri alum. Colorado rolled that luck into a 10-1-1 season, splitting a national championship with Georgia Tech. Wild.
Then you had the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game, a real classic. No. 3 Texas was fighting for a BCS title game spot, trailing Nebraska 12-10 with the clock ticking down. The Longhorns were driving, desperate for a game-winning field goal. Nebraska’s Ndomakong Suh was bearing down on Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who threw a pass out of bounds on third down. The clock hit triple zeros, the ball landed harmlessly on the turf, and Nebraska celebrated like they’d won. But Texas coach Mack Brown, shaking his head and yelling “no” at the officials, held up one finger, signaling his team had one second left. A video review proved him right! Hunter Lawrence then nailed a 46-yard field goal right through the uprights for a 13-12 victory. Texas went on to the BCS Championship Game, where they lost, but man, that finish was epic.
The 2026 college football season just kicked off with a bang, reminding us all why we’re obsessed with this crazy sport. What fresh chaos will next Saturday bring? Get ready for more wild rides, because if history is any guide, we haven’t seen anything yet.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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