The Mid-American Conference is switching its course and appealing Western Michigan's loss to Michigan in Week 1, the conference announced Tuesday, Sept. 8.
The MAC claimed in an announcement that Big Ten officials and the replay booth didn't use the proper protocol when adding one second of clock back to the game, which led to Bryce Underwood's 47-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to JJ Buchanan as time expired.
"The established replay protocol requires that the game clock displayed on the program feed be used in determining whether time remained," MAC commissioner John Steinbrecher said in the announcement. "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. Had the protocol been properly followed and the program-feed clock been used, no additional play would have been awarded, and Western Michigan would have won the game, 12–7."
The decision cost Western Michigan of a 12-7 win on the road at Michigan, ranked No. 16 in the US LBM Coaches Poll at the time. The Broncos held the Wolverines scoreless for nearly the entire game after Michigan scored on the opening drive.
It's a switch from Western Michigan's stance after the game, as president Russ Kavalhana said after the game there was no path to an appeal.
"I've looked into this pretty closely. I used to be a federal prosecutor. I don't discern anything unfair or untoward in this process," Kavalhuna told reporters.
Western Michigan received seven votes in the most-recent Coaches Poll prior to Week 2 of the season, while Michigan fell eight spots from No. 16 to No. 24.
"As a result, the Mid-American Conference has submitted formal appeals to the NCAA FBS Oversight Committee and the College Football Playoff," Steinbrecher said. "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."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MAC appeals WMU loss to Michigan, asks NCAA oversight, CFP to count it as win
