Western Michigan suffered a controversial loss Saturday night at the “Big House” against the Michigan Wolverines.
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood threw a Hail Mary out of the end zone as time expired, seemingly giving the MAC school an upset victory for the ages. Instead, the referees added one final second and Underwood responded with a perfect pass to JJ Buchanan to pull off the miraculous win.
Western Michigan was left in shock and is now pursuing all potential options before accepting this defeat.
Western Michigan Administration Speaks Out After Michigan Loss
ESPN’s Pete Thamel is covering the fallout from the controversial finish and shared a video of WMU’s President speaking out after the game. Thamel noted that is an incredibly rare move after a college football game.
The school’s administration went further as the WMU interim athletic director shared a statement with ESPN, per Thamel.
“Western Michigan interim athletic director Elaine Russell tells ESPN that they are working alongside commissioner Jon Steinbrecher and the MAC conference office,” Thamel wrote. “They are all waiting on video review from the Big Ten office.”
This seems to indicate Western Michigan is potentially looking to appeal the finish of the game. A simple look at the clock shows time ran out and the game was over. Yet for some reason, the referees added one second on the clock that allowed Michigan to win the game on a Hail Mary.
Western Michigan officials speaking out after the game shows this is not just a set of throwaway comments. They are seriously pursuing any and all options after feeling robbed in Ann Arbor.
What Comes Next for WMU?
This is an incredibly difficult situation for the school and for the Big Ten and MAC. Overturning a result, especially in today’s modern era of college football, may result in the situation heading to court.
The Big Ten actually responded with a statement early Sunday morning on this situation. The crux of the statement focuses on a WMU defender being out-of-bounds and touching the ball with time left on the clock. That is the official stance whether college football fans agree or not.
The fact the conference came out with this statement seems to put the situation to bed. However, WMU officials are clearly pursuing all potential options and this could be a story that extends beyond Week 1 of the 2026 college football season.
Western Michigan Taking Steps to Review Controversial Michigan Finish