Western Michigan is not a program that receives much attention during the average college football season. That all changed in Week 1 this season when the team suffered a controversial, last-second loss to Michigan. The last second itself was the root of the controversy.
The NCAA admitted officials made the wrong call, but the result was not going to be overturned. Yet that didn’t stop some AP Poll voters from acknowledging WMU after the result.
The Broncos had a golden opportunity Saturday against Boise State to pick up a win against arguably the best fellow G6 opponent and get into the driver’s seat for a potential College Football Playoff berth.
The end result, however, was not what anyone in Kalamazoo had in mind. Boise State took home the 32-7 win in a game that was one-sided throughout.
Western Michigan Likely Out of CFP Conversation
The College Football Playoff features one spot reserved for the highest-ranked “Group of 6” team. That means any team not in the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, or Big 12. Notre Dame also has its own set of rules to qualify.
This leaves schools such as WMU and Boise State competing for that one spot. The two teams entered the week unranked, but did receive some votes in the AP Top 25 rankings. Other G6 teams receiving votes included Tulsa, North Dakota State, and James Madison.
This game essentially served as an early playoff game against two top G6 contenders. Boise State’s blowout win officially bumps the team up into the top G6 spot, while Western Michigan will now try to win out, win the MAC, and hope for chaos.
Moving on From Controversial Week 1 Finish
Western Michigan fans may never let the loss to Michigan go, and rightfully so. That would have been a program-defining win, and some still consider it one even if the NCAA won’t change the final result.
The loss does not technically eliminate WMU, but does make the road that much harder. At this point they would have to win out and win the MAC as a starting point. They would then need to hope teams like Boise State, Tulsa, North Dakota State, and James Madison, among others, suffer several ugly losses the rest of the way.
That seems like a lot to ask, especially with the way WMU looked Saturday. The focus may now shift to Michigan and how this impacts the team’s CFP resume moving forward.
Western Michigan’s Potential CFP Case Closed by Boise State