ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The University of Michigan football team needed a miracle Saturday night against Western Michigan. It got one – although the miracle wasn’t the Hail Mary. It was finding an extra second on a clock millions of television viewers had just watched hit zero.

That newly discovered second gave Michigan another Hail Mary attempt, and quarterback Bryce Underwood made it count, connecting with wide receiver JJ Buchanan for a 47-yard touchdown that turned what first appeared to be a 12-7 WMU upset into a controversial 13-12 University of Michigan victory.

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Officials ruled WMU’s Micah Davis started his jump during the first Hail Mary attempt from an established out-of-bounds position and touched the ball with one second remaining. Under NCAA rules, that stopped the clock – which allowed Underwood to connect with Buchanan in the next play and the controversial win.

Big Ten: Trust Our Clock

The Big Ten said its replay used a direct shot of the stadium clock. It said replay cameras, including the camera on that clock, are strobe-synced about 85 minutes before kickoff. That is not the same as the NBC on-screen clock, which NBC later said is not the official timekeeper.

The MAC subsequently said it requested clarification and that Big Ten-provided video and audio confirmed the ruling.

WMU President Russ Kavalhuna said the school looked into possible recourse but was told there is no appeal process and ultimately decided to move forward.

However, most people who watched the game live – and most who have seen it since – have not changed their view of who won.

NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay questioned how officials found the extra second, while social-media commenters accused the Big Ten of manufacturing a “phantom second.” Others suggested WMU accepted the explanation because it does not want to jeopardize lucrative invitations to play Big Ten schools.

Conferences Stand by the Call

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The Big Ten Conference says the second existed.

The MAC (Mid-American Conference) says it has seen the evidence.

The public isn’t buying it.

The Internet’s verdict? Nice try.

Eli Peters, former quarterback for the University of Toledo Rockets, said on X something echoed by many others, “The clock was set to exactly 9 seconds before the last play. It’s an impossibility for the TV copy to not be accurate and if the TV copy of the game is inaccurate just eliminate score bugs from television broadcasts since they are illegitimate.”

Many are saying they are done supporting MAC sporting events if the conference won’t stand up for its own schools and ensure fair play. Others were stunned that the MAC appeared willing to accept the explanation without further pushback.

Not Michigan’s First Controversy

For skeptics, the disputed extra second follows several turbulent years for Michigan football: multiple NCAA investigations and violations, the scouting and sign-stealing scheme, coach penalties, and other staff controversies that kept the program in the headlines. Michigan has not spent the last few years accumulating public trust, and this latest episode will not help.