MAC Wants Michigan-Western Michigan Result Changed After Controversial Finish

The controversy surrounding Michigan and Western Michigan has taken another dramatic turn.

The Mid-American Conference has formally appealed to the NCAA and College Football Playoff, asking that Western Michigan be recognized as the winner of its controversial season-opening game against Michigan.

Michigan officially won 13-12 after quarterback Bryce Underwood connected with JJ Buchanan on a Hail Mary touchdown with the clock appearing to have expired. But the play never would have happened if officials had not added one second back onto the clock following a replay review.

The MAC now believes that one second was added incorrectly.

MAC Claims Replay Protocol Wasn’t Followed

According to MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher, the Big Ten replay crew used the wrong clock source when determining whether time should be restored.

The MAC argues that the official game-feed clock showed time had already expired before the Western Michigan defender made contact with the ball. Had the proper clock feed been used, the conference believes no additional second would have been added.

That would have ended the game with Western Michigan winning 12-7 instead of Michigan escaping with a 13-12 victory.

The controversy has become even more significant because Western Michigan entered the season as one of the leading Group of Six contenders for a potential College Football Playoff spot.

NCAA Says It Can’t Overturn the Game

There is one major problem for the MAC.

The NCAA has already informed the conference that its rules do not provide a mechanism for overturning the final result of a completed game.

The NCAA also clarified its timing procedures following the controversy, stating that replay officials should use the embedded game clock in the program feed when determining whether time needs to be restored.

That clarification could strengthen the MAC’s argument that the wrong procedure was used in Ann Arbor, even if it does not give the NCAA the authority to change the result.

A Game That Could Have Major Consequences

The MAC isn’t simply fighting over a number in the record book.

Western Michigan’s potential playoff chances could be affected by the loss. If the Broncos finish the season with an outstanding record, the difference between starting 1-0 and 0-1 could become extremely important during CFP rankings and selection discussions.

For now, Michigan’s victory remains official.

But the MAC is making it clear that it believes Western Michigan should have won the game — and this controversy is far from over.

A game that appeared to end with a Hail Mary has now turned into one of the biggest officiating controversies of the young college football season.