Michigan's record remains unblemished after surviving a Week 1 scare against Western Michigan. The team's reputation does not.
That extra second added to the clock after time had expired might've been enough to spare Michigan the embarrassment of a massive home upset in Kyle Whittingham's team debut, but it didn't erase what everyone already saw with their own eyes: WMU beat Michigan.
That result won't be reflected by actual record-keeping after the Wolverines succeeded on their second-chance Hail Mary that increasingly seems like the right call after initial confusion over whether it should've been allowed. It does appear there was a clock discrepancy.
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But that it took a last-second heave
at all, let alone two, for Michigan to beat a WMU team with 12 points is a ding on the ol' CFP resume... and reason enough for Michigan to slide in this week's poll rankings.
Heck, there's a real argument for the Wolverines to be dropped from the top-25 altogether.
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At the very least, though, they should see a steep drop from their No. 16 ranking of the past week after scoring just six points through 59 minutes and 59 seconds of a game against Western Michigan, who more than doubled Michigan's time of possession. The Wolverines might be 1-0 on paper, but judging by how they looked against the Broncos, that undefeated record won't hold up long.
NFL Opening Week power rankings
The NFL season kicks off tomorrow with a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, which means FTW's opening week power rankings face a potential shake-up right away. The reigning champion Seahawks are the No. 1 team entering the 2026 season:
"The king stays the king, especially after committing more than half a billion dollars in contract value to retain more returning talent than all but one Super Bowl winner in the last decade (behind only the 2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers). The question is whether there's enough depth among the skill players to keep this offense flying — but if not, hoooo buddy, that defense looks terrifying."
Check out the full rankings to see where every team landed to start the year, including the Pats and revamped Los Angeles Rams.
Quick hits: NFL win totals ... FSU trolled ... and more
- NFL win total projections for all 32 teams by FTW's expert staff
- 2026 fantasy football cheat sheet, including sleepers, busts and best team names
- Florida State was savagely trolled by a rival after the power outage versus SMU
- Trinidad Chambliss did something no FBS or NFL player has done in 30 years
- Tyler Smith's injury could have a real impact on Javonte Williams in fantasy football
- Caitlin Clark made the worst kind of history in Team USA's win over Italy
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This article originally appeared on For The Win: A lucky win shouldn't stop Michigan from sliding in poll rankings
