The Michigan Wolverines defeated the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday night in controversial fashion. Michigan appeared to lose 12-7 at the end of regulation after Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood’s Hail Mary attempt landed out of bounds as the clock hit zero.
However, game officials paused the Broncos’ ensuing celebration for video review, and ultimately ruled that one second was left on the clock when the ball was touched out of bounds, giving Michigan one last chance to convert on a Hail Mary.
Moments later, Underwood connected with star wide receiver JJ Buchanan for a touchdown, sealing a 13-12 victory for Michigan. The ruling prompted widespread outrage, leading to the Big Ten releasing a statement, including the official video review; NBC to pin responsibility for keeping the game clock on the Big Ten; and even Western Michigan head coach Lance Taylor and president Russ Kavalhuna to address things on CNN, where Kavalhuna confirmed that, at his request, the Big Ten showed him the video it used in the ruling that showed “a second left on the clock.”
The MAC, however, is not nearly as satisfied with the result as Kavalhuna appears to be, and has formally started the appeals process.
“The MAC has issued a statement saying ‘it is now evident that replay protocol was not properly followed’ during the Michigan game,” ESPN’s Heather Dinich reported on Tuesday.
The MAC has issued a statement saying “it is now evident that replay protocol was not properly followed” during the Michigan game. The league has submitted formal appeals to the NCAA FBS oversight committee and the CFP asking they recognize Western Michigan as the actual winner.
— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) September 8, 2026
“The league has submitted formal appeals to the NCAA FBS oversight committee and the CFP, asking they recognize Western Michigan as the actual winner.”
The MAC may just find the requisite support from the NCAA, as Jeff Sagarin, an official NCAA-recognized National Championship selector, has already elected to recognize a 12-7 win for Western Michigan.
Jeff Sagarin, an official NCAA-recognized National Championship selector, chooses to recognize Western Michigan’s 12-7 win over Michigan in his ratings this season. pic.twitter.com/ldes5lAKiB
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 8, 2026
Sagarin and the MAC aren’t the only parties who feel WMU won the game; ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and Paul Finebaum shared similar sentiments on Monday.
“Stephen A. is correct: Michigan lost this game,” Finebaum said. “If you reverse the teams, Michigan wins. It’s just the way it goes. This is an absolute screwing of a second-tier, in terms of conference, team. They’re not a second-tier team; they were better than Michigan on Saturday night. And it really is a shame. I’m not going to get carried away and compare it to a tragedy, because we have real tragedies going on in the world right now, but in the parlance of college football it’s absolutely unnecessary.”
“There’s no question this outcome should have been 12-7,” Smith concluded. “It shouldn’t have happened. It’s definitely an egregious mistake on the part of the officials or whoever is responsible for it. I’m not buying it one bit. I know what the hell I saw. Michigan lost this da*n game. It’s a shame that the outcome was the outcome.”
It’ll be interesting to see what happens next.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.