MAC Reverses Course: Wants Western Michigan to be Recognized as Winner vs. Michigan Football

As everyone knows, there was plenty of controversy in Ann Arbor late Saturday night. The Wolverines appeared to lose to Western Michigan as Bryce Underwood's Hail Mary sailed through the end zone as time expired.

But there was a review on the field and the Big Ten determined there should be one second placed back on the clock. Following that second being put back on the clock, Underwood's second Hail Mary attempt rang true and JJ Buchanan came down with the pass in the end zone, giving Michigan the win.

The Wolverines won 13-12, but media and analysts have been bashing what transpired in Ann Arbor. Despite the Big Ten giving its statement as to why another second should be added, a lot of people don't fully understand.

And the Mid-American Conference is now one of them. After giving an original statement saying, "[The MAC] appreciates the collaborative efforts of the Big Ten office and its prompt response", the MAC is now requesting that both the NCAA and the College Football Committee recognize Western Michigan as the winner.

The MAC's official statement

"After further study and investigation, it is now evident that replay protocol was not properly followed in determining whether time remained on the game clock at the conclusion of the Western Michigan vs. Michigan football game," MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher wrote.

"The established replay protocol requires that the game clock displayed on the program feed be used in determining whether time remained. Instead, the Big Ten Conference replay crew relied upon the clock feed embedded within its replay system. As a result, one second was placed back on the game clock and an additional play was awarded.

"This was not a judgment regarding the proper amount of time to place on the clock. It was an error in the application of the established replay protocol governing this specific end-of-game timing situation.....

"As a result, the Mid-American Conference has submitted formal appeals to the NCAA FBS Oversight Committee and the College Football Playoff. The MAC is requesting that those bodies recognize Western Michigan as the actual winner of the game for purposes of their respective rankings, evaluations and selection deliberations, and take such other corrective action as may be within their authority."

What this means for Michigan

Following Michigan's win over WMU, the Wolverines have dropped out of the AP Top 25 rankings. It's clear the voters don't view Michigan in a good light with how poorly the Wolverines played.

Michigan is going to get the win, which it has, but if this goes through the way the MAC wants it to, then the CFP could either view both teams as winning the game, or view the Wolverines as the loser in the contest.

It's hard to believe Michigan will contend for the CFP this season, especially after seeing the Wolverines play this past weekend. But as everyone who loves sports knows, crazier things can happen. Bryce Underwood could turn a corner and play up to his potential. Chances are slim, but never say never in football.

And if Michigan isn't credited with this win, in the committee's eyes, then that would be a major stain on the Wolverines' record. A close win over WMU isn't good. But a loss would be devastating. We will see how this all shakes out in the next few days.

Sign up for the Michigan Wolverines on SI newsletter for more free coverage

Add us as a preferred source on Google