The Mid-American Conference officially appealed the outcome of that wild Michigan-Western Michigan game this week, flat-out asking the NCAA and College Football Playoff bigwigs to declare the Broncos the actual winners. Remember that insane 13-12 Michigan victory on a Hail Mary? Turns out, according to the MAC, it never should’ve even happened.
The Clock Controversy!
Okay, so let’s get into it. Michigan “won” on a last-second Hail Mary from Bryce Underwood, but only after the replay official mysteriously put one extra second back on the game clock. Here’s the kicker: the stadium clock and the one everyone watching on TV saw had already hit absolute zero after Underwood’s first Hail Mary sailed out of bounds. The Big Ten initially tried to smooth things over, claiming their internal replay system had a “separate clock” showing time hadn’t expired. Western Michigan and the MAC actually bought that for a hot second. But no longer!
The Protocol Nightmare
MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher isn’t holding back now. He dropped a statement saying, “After further study and investigation, it is now evident that replay protocol was not properly followed.” Boom! Steinbrecher says the established rules demand they use the game clock *displayed on the program feed* , you know, the one WE ALL SAW , to determine if time was left. But instead, the Big Ten replay crew went with some “embedded” clock in their own system. That’s how that extra second popped up, giving Michigan another shot. This wasn’t some judgment call, Steinbrecher emphasized, it was a straight-up “error in the application of the established replay protocol.” Had they followed the actual rules, he says, “no additional play would have been awarded, and Western Michigan would have won the game, 12,7.” Twelve to seven! That’s a huge difference!
What Now, NCAA?
Western Michigan president Russ Kavalhuna initially said he didn’t “discern anything unfair or untoward” with the Big Ten’s call, even chatting with Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti on Saturday night. But that tune has changed, big time. The MAC is now demanding the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee and the CFP recognize Western Michigan as the *real* winner for their rankings, evaluations, and selection deliberations. This ain’t small potatoes either, folks. Michigan was ranked No. 16 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll and then completely dropped out of the rankings Tuesday. This whole mess has serious implications for both teams, and the integrity of the game clock itself. What’s the NCAA gonna do? We’re all waiting to see if they’ll actually flip this result.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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