The Michigan Wolverines avoided disaster Saturday night with a last-second Hail Mary win over Western Michigan. Yet the final play itself is not what has college football fans talking today.
The referees decided to put one second back on the clock after the initial Hail Mary attempt that went out of the end zone as time seemingly expired. The explanation was that a WMU player touched the ball while out of bounds, thus stopping the clock instantly. However, the television broadcast showed zeros on the clock.
The finish was so controversial the Big Ten Conference had to release a statement, while the Mid-American Conference got involved as well.
MAC Responds to Big Ten Review
The MAC released a statement early Sunday morning agreeing with the Big Ten’s review. That is, agreeing with the claim the official clock showed one second left when the ball was touched.
“The Big Ten explained that the ball touched a player who was out of bounds before the clock reached 00:00, resulting in one addition play being awarded,” the statement read. “The Big Ten subsequently provided video and audio of the replay, which confirmed the explanation provided to us.”
The statement was shared by the conference’s Commissioner, which likely puts this issue to rest. Michigan will get the win and Western Michigan is left in shock after thinking they pulled off the massive upset.
This was the likely outcome all along as truly protesting the finish would be a tough task for WMU. Fans are just left wondering what video the Big Ten has that wasn’t shown on the broadcast.
Michigan Avoids Disaster Saturday Night
Michigan QB Bryce Underwood had a night to forget until the final play of the game. Yet he was able to throw a perfect pass and his team escaped with the win.
The entire team must move on quickly and not linger on any fallout from this controversial finish. That is because a tough Oklahoma Sooners team is coming to Ann Arbor next week. Michigan will not be able to get away with the type of performance shown on the field Saturday night.
Meanwhile, WMU will have to move on as well to avoid letting this finish derail the rest of the season. Given the way they played, the Broncos look like a top contender in the MAC this season.
WMU takes on Monmouth next week in a game that should mark an easy win to get them back on track. They will have the chance to prove their mettle against a tough opponent once again in several weeks when Boise State travels to Kalamazoo.
MAC Responds to Controversial Michigan-Western Michigan Finish