The Western Michigan Broncos thought they had pulled off one of the biggest upsets in college football history on Saturday night against the No. 16 Michigan Wolverines.
However, after knocking down a Hail Mary attempt from Michigan in the back of the end zone while holding a 12-7 lead, the referees decided to put one second back on the clock after it initially hit triple zeros. That gave the Wolverines one more attempt.
On that attempt, quarterback Bryce Underwood connected with wide receiver JJ Buchanan to give Michigan a 13-12 victory.
It created one of the most controversial endings in recent college football history, as the general consensus outside of Ann Arbor is that the referees never should have put another second on the clock.
THE MOST RIGGED ENDING EVER
WHERE IS THE EXTRA SECOND? THE BALL IS STILL IN THE AIR.
WESTERN MICHIGAN WON THAT GAME. pic.twitter.com/JtIo61jcnx
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) September 6, 2026
Western Michigan Coach Speaks Out
After the game, Western Michigan head coach Lance Taylor addressed the final play and decided to take the high road.
“So I have not seen the clip. Several people have mentioned it to me that the game was over,” Taylor said. “I think our commissioner has already reached out… I thought that this crew tonight did a really nice job handling multiple close calls and review situations.
“At the end of the day, you don’t always control those situations. Is there a second left on the clock? We can’t control whether there’s a second left on the clock. We went out the first time, we defended perfectly
“I know when I looked up at the clock, it was past zero before we touched it. I knew that they would review it… Unfortunately, we did not defend it well the second time.”
Western Michigan head coach Lance Taylor on the final play of tonight’s game: pic.twitter.com/WJEBAGHaG8
— Drew Lenard (@drew_lenardd) September 6, 2026
How Big of a Favorite Was Michigan?
The Wolverines entered the game as massive 29.5-point favorites, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, and ultimately paid Western Michigan $1.5 million to come to Ann Arbor and play the game.
What would’ve been one of the biggest upsets in college football history instead turned into one of the most scrutinized outcomes in recent college football history.
Western Michigan Coach Makes Strong Statement on Controversial Loss to Michigan