I don’t think the Big Ten rigged it. I think the Big Ten botched it.
Sorry, conspiracy theorists, but we gave the Big Ten’s replay brain trust too much credit if we ever thought they pulled off a calculated heist or a clever sleight of hand at the end ofthe Western Michigan-Michigan game.
Human error, not conspiracy, is the most likely answer.
So, no, the Big Ten didn’t rig it. It made a bollocks of it. It robbed Western Michigan of an upset victory against Michigan.
The Big Ten put this in motion not via Machiavellian maneuvers, but through an art as old as time: An ounce of power, plus a dash of stupidity.
As controversy smoldered over the phantom second, the Big Ten tried to tamp it down by releasing a Zapruder film and a garish-looking statement that looked suited to an R.L. Stine “Goosebumps” novel.
Absurdity, not conspiracy.
Here’s what the Big Ten cannot escape: It made a mess of this situation.
The MAC finally noticed. Its commissioner says the Big Ten misapplied rules when it added a second that could only be seen from the confines of a replay booth, instead of deferring to the televised game clock that showed triple zeros and Western Michigan leading 12-7.
Apparently, the clock the Big Ten replay crew used wasn’t properly synced with the clock shown on the NBC broadcast.
Second shooter conspiracy theorists, meet the second clock.
In this case, the second clock definitely existed, and now it’s a question of whether the right clock was properly applied.
The Big Ten replay crew deferred to its clock, added one second to the dial, and sent the teams back onto the field, allowing Michigan a second attempt at a Hail Mary.
You know the rest. Michigan escaped 13-12.
MAC commish: Big Ten botches the clock situation
Now, days later, MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher has accused the Big Ten’s replay crew of misapplying protocol.
“Replay protocol was not properly followed in determining whether time remained on the game clock at the conclusion of the (game),” Steinbrecher said in a statement.
“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.”
Not rigged, but robbed.
Not a conspiracy, but folly.
No masterminds, just jesters.
Steinbrecher botched this, too, by the way. He initially accepted the Big Ten's explanation for its rule application and allowed himself to be bamboozled.
Only days later did Steinbrecher wake up and realize he’s the commissioner of the MAC, and he doesn't work PR for the Big Ten. He belatedly stood up for Western Michigan and called out the Big Ten’s botch job.
Big Ten creates a mess of Western Michigan-Michigan game
Whether the Big Ten properly followed replay protocol or not, it nonetheless made a mess of this.
How can a multibillion-dollar conference fail in such a basic but important task like properly syncing the clock used in the replay booth with the one seen by millions of viewers on TV?
The Big Ten didn’t rig it, but they made some fans believe in the deep state by failing to dot the T’s, cross the I’s, and sync the clock that a select few would see with the one millions see on television and inside the stadium.
The MAC, according to Steinbrecher, submitted a formal appeal to the FBS Oversight Committee and the College Football Playoff and requesting those groups recognize Western Michigan as the victor. How quaint.
What, are there no good judges available in Kalamazoo, Michigan who graduated with a law degree from Ohio State or Michigan State? Hit Michigan from a restraining order that prohibits the Wolverines or the Big Ten from recognizing this as anything but a loss for U-M, a win for Western Michigan, and a big, fat black eye for the Big Ten. Better yet, seek a declaration of incompetency.
What’s more likely, the Big Ten pulled off a slick parlor trick at a moment’s notice to save Michigan, or that incompetence abounds within College Sports Inc?
When you hear hoofbeats, think fiasco, not collusion.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist. Listen to his podcast, "College Football Unfiltered." Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Did Big Ten rig the clock for Michigan? No, but it botched it | Opinion
