NCAA's FBS Oversight Committee confirms that had replay 'protocols been followed,' Western Michigan would have beaten Michigan
Yahoo Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- The NCAA's FBS Oversight Committee confirmed that if proper replay protocols had been followed, Western Michigan would have won their Week 1 game against Michigan.
- Despite this, the committee stated it does not have the authority to overturn the game's result once the referee has declared it final, per NCAA football rules.
- The controversy arose because the Big Ten added an extra second to the clock after Michigan's initial Hail Mary attempt, using a stadium clock instead of the embedded replay clock showing 0:00.
- The NCAA has since implemented a standard timing protocol mandating that the embedded game clock in the program feed be used for all replay reviews to ensure consistency.
- Western Michigan and the Mid-American Conference initially accepted the game's outcome but later requested recognition of Western Michigan as the winner due to the replay protocol breach, though the NCAA has closed the matter.
