The Michigan Wolverines secured a 13-12 victory over Western Michigan on a game-winning Hail Mary in what was one of the most controversial endings in recent college football history.
Michigan threw an incomplete pass on the play prior, with the clock hitting triple zeros while Western Michigan held a 12-7 lead. The referees reviewed the play and decided to put one more second back on the clock, despite many believing the clock had already hit zero.
That gave Michigan another opportunity. Quarterback Bryce Underwood made the most of it, connecting with wide receiver JJ Buchanan on a 47-yard touchdown to win the game and avoid what would’ve been a historic upset.
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Big Ten Releases Statement
Not long after the game, amid all the controversy and criticism surrounding the ending, the Big Ten Conference released a statement. As expected, the conference backed Michigan and the officials’ decision on the field.
“Following video review, it was determined Western Michigan’s #18 started his jump from an established out-of-bounds position (left foot) and made contact with the ball with one second remaining on the clock,” the Big Ten wrote.
“As shown in the provided video of what was viewed during the replay process, a side-by-side view of the play and the game clock, using a direct shot of the game clock in the stadium, was used to determine the final ruling.
“Eighty-five minutes prior to the game, all broadcast cameras used for the replay system, including the camera on the game clock, are synced using a strobe system to ensure all cameras are aligned.
“Per NCAA Football rule 4-2-3-a, A ball not in player control, other than a kick that scores a field goal, is out of bounds when it touches the ground, a player, a game official or anything else that is out-of-bound, or that is on or outside a boundary line.” and thus the clock is stopped.”
A statement regarding the results of tonight’s game between Michigan and Western Michigan. pic.twitter.com/DzJVN2ZLTc
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) September 6, 2026
How Big of a Favorite Was Michigan?
The Wolverines entered the contest as massive 29.5-point favorites over WMU, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
They also paid the Broncos $1.5 million to come to Ann Arbor for a Week 1 matchup, expecting an easy win to kickstart their season. Instead, the game turned out to be the complete opposite.
Big Ten Releases Statement on Controversial Ending in Michigan-WMU Game