Michigan escaped Western Michigan 13-12 Saturday night, but the final score doesn’t tell the story of one of the wildest endings of the college football season.
The Wolverines appeared to have suffered one of the biggest upsets in program history before a controversial replay decision gave them one final opportunity. Bryce Underwood then connected with JJ Buchanan on a 47-yard Hail Mary, turning a potential Western Michigan victory into a stunning Michigan comeback.
Western Michigan Had the Game Won
Michigan entered the game as a massive favorite, but Western Michigan controlled much of the night.
The Broncos led 12-7 late in the fourth quarter and had an opportunity to finish off the upset after Underwood fumbled with 1:40 remaining. Western Michigan kicked a field goal to extend its lead and appeared to have done enough to pull off the shocking victory.
Michigan got one final possession with 35 seconds remaining.
Underwood moved the Wolverines into position for a last-second Hail Mary.
The first attempt appeared to end the game.
Then Everything Changed
Underwood’s initial Hail Mary sailed beyond the end zone. The television broadcast showed the clock reaching zero, and Western Michigan players immediately began celebrating.
Then the officials stepped in.
After replay review, officials determined that Western Michigan defensive back Micah Davis had touched the football while he was established out of bounds with one second remaining. Under NCAA rules, that contact stopped the clock, meaning Michigan was awarded another play.
That’s where the controversy exploded.
The Big Ten later released replay footage supporting the decision, saying the officials used a synchronized stadium-clock camera and determined that Davis touched the ball with one second remaining.
Why People Are Still Questioning It
The problem is that the television replays appeared to tell a different story.
NBC’s broadcast showed the clock at zero while the ball was still in the air, leading its rules analyst to question how officials could determine there was actually one second remaining when Davis touched the ball.
That’s why this isn’t simply a debate about whether the ball touched Davis.
The bigger question is which clock and replay evidence should be trusted.
The Big Ten has stood behind the ruling, while Western Michigan officials have questioned the transparency of the replay process. Still, Western Michigan ultimately decided not to appeal the result.
Michigan Had Plenty of Problems Too
It’s easy to focus entirely on the officials, but Michigan didn’t exactly dominate its way into the controversy.
The Wolverines turned the ball over three times, struggled to sustain drives and were out-possessed by more than 20 minutes. Underwood completed just 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception while also losing a fumble.
Western Michigan, meanwhile, held the ball for more than 40 minutes and limited Michigan’s offense for most of the night.
So even though Michigan officially won, there are serious questions heading into Week 2.
Western Michigan Deserves Credit
Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that Western Michigan showed it belonged on the field with Michigan.
The Broncos were minutes away from pulling off a historic upset before a controversial replay decision changed everything.
Even more impressively, head coach Lance Taylor refused to blame the officials, saying his team had opportunities earlier in the game to secure the victory. Western Michigan president Russ Kavalhuna also said the school would move forward rather than challenge the result.
Michigan is 1-0, but Western Michigan may have exposed some major problems. And while the Big Ten says the officials got the final call right, the controversy surrounding that extra second isn’t going away anytime soon.
