The Mid-American Conference (MAC) initiated a formal appeal on Tuesday seeking to have Western Michigan University recognized as the victor in its recent contest against Michigan. The game concluded with a 13-12 Michigan win following a last-second touchdown pass from Bryce Underwood to JJ Buchanan, a play that has drawn intense scrutiny regarding officiating protocols. The Wolverines defeated the Broncos 13-12 on a final-play Hail Mary pass from Bryce Underwood to JJ Buchanan – a play that many believe shouldn’t have happened.
The NCAA promptly denied the request, citing its official football rulebook: “When the referee declares that the game is ended, the score is final.” Furthermore, the regulations stipulate that no rule decision can be altered after the ball is next legally snapped or once the fourth period has concluded. The governing body confirmed that the Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee lacks the jurisdiction to overturn a game’s outcome. It didn’t take the NCAA long to shoot down that idea.
The controversy centers on a sequence in the closing moments of the game. With nine seconds remaining, Underwood scrambled and threw an incomplete pass that appeared to expire the game clock before hitting the hands of a defender. Although both the stadium and broadcast clocks showed zeroes, officials utilized a review process to determine if any time remained. They eventually identified a separate, unsynchronized clock within the replay system that indicated one second was still on the clock. Despite replays showing the clock appeared to have hit:00 before the play was over, a replay review by officials determined there was one second left. That extra second allowed for one more play to be called.
MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher publicly stated that the Big Ten conference failed to follow established replay protocols during this review. According to the MAC’s appeal, officials were required to rely exclusively on the game clock displayed on the program feed—which had already expired. By instead using the unsynchronized replay-system clock, the officiating crew incorrectly awarded an additional play. The MAC was clear that the review itself was appropriate, in a letter to the NCAA. The issue is how the replay review was conducted and whether the established protocol governing an end-of-half timing situation was followed. The two clock feeds were not synchronized,” the letter states.
“This was not a judgment regarding the proper amount of time to place on the clock. It was an error in the application of the established replay protocol,” Steinbrecher noted. He argued that had the broadcast-feed clock been utilized, the game would have ended with a 12-7 victory for Western Michigan. Consequently, the MAC requested that the NCAA and the College Football Playoff committee formally acknowledge the Broncos as the winners for the purpose of rankings and selection criteria.
The Big Ten defended its decision in the hours following the game by releasing video evidence and an explanation regarding the previously unseen clock. Despite the ongoing debate and the public focus on the final sequence, Michigan remains the credited winner. The fallout has seen the Wolverines drop out of the AP Top 25 rankings ahead of their upcoming matchup against No. 11 Oklahoma.
