MAC has filed an appeal with the NCAA and CFP on behalf of WMU that WMU should be declared winner as b1g failed to follow established NCAA Replay Prot

Marshall2323 · 2026-09-17T12:38:48-0500

Tom McAndrew said:
I think you guys are reading too much into this, as well as confusing things a bit.

It is acknowledged that the instant replay protocols were not properly followed. This is magnified by the improper procedure taking place at the very end of the game, and the outcome of the game would have been different if the correct protocol was followed.

But the incorrect following of protocols is really not any different than a ref missing a penalty that should have been called, on a play that resulted in a score. Or a ref incorrectly ruling a ball was a catch when it had hit the turf, or vice-versa, on the last drive of a game (especially on 4th down).

I'm not involved in college football officiating or league administration, or the same things at the high school level. However, I am involved in those things for a few other sports. And in each of these sports, there are either competition rules, or league rules, or state rules, etc. that specify that the decisions of the officials on the field are final. I know of situations where a rule was improperly applied at the end of the game that decided which team advanced to the state playoffs, and an appeal was made, and the governing body in so many words said we're sorry about what happened to you, and a mistake was made, but the decision made on the field by the official(s) is final, and can't be overturned, or re-played.

I'm certainly not a fan of Michigan. And for once, I would like to see them treated properly by officials, or the B1G, or be properly punished for illegal actions. But I fully expected that nothing would come of the appeal filed by the MAC, as I was pretty certain there was no mechanism to change the outcome after the game was played to completion.

Many sports have the same rule. Once the officials leave the court/field the outcome is not subject to appeal. I recently had a high school basketball game that ended regulation in a tie. The visiting team had called a timeout to ask the officials to determine why a basket was not counted. The home score is official and did not show the disputed goal in their book. The game ended in a tie and the visiting team lost. Subsequent revue of video proved that the visiting team won in regulation. Nothing could be done.

Marshall2323 · 2026-09-17T12:42:39-0500

I think the lying. cheating. weasels (officials) who knew when they made the call that Michigan would make the high percentage play and win should be given credit for their foresight.

FGDreadnought · 2026-09-17T13:11:42-0500

Marshall2323 said:
Many sports have the same rule. Once the officials leave the court/field the outcome is not subject to appeal. I recently had a high school basketball game that ended regulation in a tie. The visiting team had called a timeout to ask the officials to determine why a basket was not counted. The home score is official and did not show the disputed goal in their book. The game ended in a tie and the visiting team lost. Subsequent revue of video proved that the visiting team won in regulation. Nothing could be done.

Thanks for the explanation Tom. While I do not like it one bit I can understand it better now. If you play UM in any sport you better have an insurmountable lead as the final seconds tick off or you will jeopardize your victory.

Connorpozlee · 2026-09-17T13:12:30-0500

This was a very unique situation. It was the last play of the game. The other last play of the game should never have happened if the proper procedures had been followed. This isn’t a situation like when Nebraska (is that the right team? Oklahoma?) had twelve players on the field and scored the winning TD. You could think they wouldn’t have scored that TD if they only had 11, but you don’t know it and can’t prove it. In this case the game was over, rightfully. Then because they ignored (forgot?) their own procedure, they allowed an illegitimate play to be run. I don’t think there has to be an explicit rule written somewhere that states plays that are run after a game is over don’t count and the result of that game is what the score was when the game clock was officially at zeroes according to their own rulebook. I would add that the NCAA has changed results after games have been completed. Teams have had wins vacated.
The bigger problem is that I think it’s probably unanimously believed that if the positions were reversed, Western Michigan doesn’t get another play there.

Marshall2323 · 2026-09-17T13:16:26-0500

FGDreadnought said:
Thanks for the explanation Tom. While I do not like it one bit I can understand it better now. If you play UM in any sport you better have an insurmountable lead as the final seconds tick off or you will jeopardize your victory.

Can't disagree. I do have to wonder how many of the officials involved actually made the decision because they thought Michigan would complete the hail mary.

Erial_Lion · 2026-09-17T13:22:48-0500

Many seem to have placed blame on the on-field officials, however I see nothing that they did wrong (or could have done differently). This was a screw-up by the replay official (and/or whoever he was working with to feed him the videos). I don't buy into this being a grand conspiracy, the Big Ten pushing them to come to an incorrect outcome, the ref intentionally making an error, etc...it was a human(s) screwing up (and unfortunately for the replay official, a very unlikely event happened to completely compound the screw-up). But this screw-up is inexcusable in that it wasn't missing a bang-bang call...a technical error like this can't happen. And as such, I'd guess that the official(s) were reprimanded accordingly.

Lots of people also seem to blame gambling for anything that happens these days...if gambling was involved here, it would have been the worst fix in sports history. It's like the NFL call this week in the Detroit/New Orleans game that was correctly ruled an incomplete pass...many don't understand that rule, so immediately think it's a conspiracy, that gambling had to be involved, that Mike Pereira is an idiot or the NFL made up rules on the fly, etc.

Efejle · 2026-09-17T13:26:04-0500

Imagine the value of playing an unbeaten Michigan later this season...it only kicks in if Penn State can enter Michigan stadium with one loss instead of two ..but if it can go in with only one loss ..a win all but locks up a shot at the CFP, and a loss is a GOOD loss

Like I said, this could be the doppelganger of 1994 and the Colorado hail Mary that we thought would never come.

Gotta handle business though

JoePaMajorCFBrecord409Ws · 2026-09-17T14:15:05-0500

Erial_Lion said:
Many seem to have placed blame on the on-field officials, however I see nothing that they did wrong (or could have done differently). This was a screw-up by the replay official (and/or whoever he was working with to feed him the videos). I don't buy into this being a grand conspiracy, the Big Ten pushing them to come to an incorrect outcome, the ref intentionally making an error, etc...it was a human(s) screwing up (and unfortunately for the replay official, a very unlikely event happened to completely compound the screw-up). But this screw-up is inexcusable in that it wasn't missing a bang-bang call...a technical error like this can't happen. And as such, I'd guess that the official(s) were reprimanded accordingly.

Lots of people also seem to blame gambling for anything that happens these days...if gambling was involved here, it would have been the worst fix in sports history. It's like the NFL call this week in the Detroit/New Orleans game that was correctly ruled an incomplete pass...many don't understand that rule, so immediately think it's a conspiracy, that gambling had to be involved, that Mike Pereira is an idiot or the NFL made up rules on the fly, etc.

So you're saying the Officials would have done the exact same thing had it been WMU running the last play rather than scUM? You funny! This post is more good evidence of just how far up the bushleague b1g's butt you've jammed your head. You lame b1g shills are amusing if nothing else.

MtNittany · 2026-09-17T14:47:19-0500

Knickslions69 said:
...games going 4 hours NFL can’t get here fast enough

Honestly, I'd like PSU games to last longer. Run more plays please. The Temple game went by faster than a Bob Gibson/Tom Seaver matchup.

Erial_Lion · 2026-09-17T15:31:48-0500

JoePaMajorCFBrecord409Ws said:
So you're saying the Officials would have done the exact same thing had it been WMU running the last play rather than scUM? You funny! This post is more good evidence of just how far up the bushleague b1g's butt you've jammed your head. You lame b1g shills are amusing if nothing else.

I believe so, but we'll never know. But if this was a fix as you seem to want to claim, this was the most poorly executed fix I've ever seen.

I guess I'll have to take your word for it, since you always give such an objective/neutral take.

PSUForever · 2026-09-17T21:16:08-0500

JoePaMajorCFBrecord409Ws said:
I liked how the corrupt b1g a-holes and their sycophant, homer media tried to claim that the memo issued by the NCAA directly after the incident detailing the correct "Protocol" was a "new protocol" issued by the NCAA that did not exist prior. Complete ******** - the Release by the NCAA was merely to get extremely granular so it was clear that the proper Protocol was not used in the scUM-WMU game -- it wasn't new. Just more of the b1g hacks and their shills attempting to cover their tracks and obfuscating. I have a feeling that this is why the NCAA specifically stated, in no uncertain terms, in the appeal response that the correct protocol was not followed (i.e., the b1g's initial and subsequent responses are nothing but horsecrap and self-serving spin) and WMU got robbed by the b1g and it's corrupt officiating office.

I did not know the B10 is trying to spin this as some sort of new protocol. What a$$ wipes! The MAC commissioner already flagged that the correct protocol was not followed, hence the appeal that was of course denied. There was no new protocol just the wrong one used to screw WMU and protect the Cheaters.

This reminds me of the line from Animal House after they trashed Flounder's car...."You screwed up, you trusted us". Only difference is WMU had no choice but to trust that the refs and B10 conference would have a shred of integrity. Wrong.

Erial_Lion · 2026-09-17T21:39:44-0500

PSUForever said:
I did not know the B10 is trying to spin this as some sort of new protocol. What a$$ wipes! The MAC commissioner already flagged that the correct protocol was not followed, hence the appeal that was of course denied. There was no new protocol just the wrong one used to screw WMU and protect the Cheaters.

It’s not a spin…it’s true. The NCAA didn't spell out the exact procedure for everything in their rules. They more firmly standardized everything after this F up.

(although I do find the headline a bit misleading...it's not a "change" as much as an "emphasis" or "clarification".)

NCAA changes replay timing protocol after Michigan's controversial win vs. Western Michigan

Under the new standardized protocol, the Broncos would have pulled off the upset of Michigan last week

www.cbssports.com

Erial_Lion · 2026-09-17T21:50:11-0500

A good article on the whole situation...

Did Big Ten rig the clock for Michigan? No, but it botched it | Opinion

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?

www.usatoday.com

Beyond all else, my issue is with the ambiguity of the play...it was obviously very close, so there was no way that the "clear and obvious" standard should have been met to overturn the call.

PSUForever · 2026-09-17T23:56:21-0500

So as best I can tell there are two competing points of view on this mess. The Big Ten is saying there is is the official clock that is a different clock from the game clock. The NCAA and WMU/MAC saying you need to use the game clock and that is the official clock.

This is a joke. No one knows the rules but one thing is certain, Michigan gets every break. They are clearly protected and given preferential treatment.

JoePaMajorCFBrecord409Ws · 2026-09-18T00:16:27-0500

Erial_Lion said:
A good article on the whole situation...

Did Big Ten rig the clock for Michigan? No, but it botched it | Opinion

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?

www.usatoday.com

Beyond all else, my issue is with the ambiguity of the play...it was obviously very close, so there was no way that the "clear and obvious" standard should have been met to overturn the call.

What's absurdly laughable about this article (and your endless shilling for the corrupt b1g scumbags) is the notion that this is the exact same thing the b1g Review Office would have done had it been WMU executing the last play in regulation rather than scUM. Just beyond laughable to claim this bunch of homer, hack scumbags would have blatantly followed the incorrect Protocols (i.e., cheated) to grant WMU an additional offensive play that was outside the NCAA RULEBOOK in an attempt to beat scUM in the b1g outhouse. Just so beyond laughable, it's ridiculous. That play never goes to some absurd "review" if it was WMU executing the final play because it was beyond obvious on the game clock televised by the broadcaster that the game was over. The only reason the b1g clowns stepped in (i.e., the "b1g Review Office") to review a gameclock that had clearly expired was because it was scUM that had failed on the last play. Just laughable to claim these scumbags are unbiased in their incompetence - they are very competent self-serving homer scumbags contrary to your claims.

JoePaMajorCFBrecord409Ws · 2026-09-18T00:41:46-0500

PSUForever said:
So as best I can tell there are two competing points of view on this mess. The Big Ten is saying there is is the official clock that is a different clock from the game clock. The NCAA and WMU/MAC saying you need to use the game clock and that is the official clock.

This is a joke. No one knows the rules but one thing is certain, Michigan gets every break. They are clearly protected and given preferential treatment.

Wrong. The NCAA absolutely is in charge of the Rulebook, not the b1g so your notion that the b1g is entitled to their opinion as to whether the correct Protocol (i.e., NCAA Rule) was followed is simply incorrect. The NCAA made this quite clear in their response to WMU's Appeal - the NCAA stated in no uncertain terms that the b1g Officiating Office failed to follow the correct NCAA Rulebook Protocol for this situation and thereby changed, and "Certified", what should have been the correct result. However, once a game result is "Certified" by the game Referee (the blatantly incorrect "Official Review" is considered within the "Game Clock" even though it clearly wasn't and the NCAA has officially stated it didn't occur inside the "Game Clock") the NCAA is powerless to change the Certified Result.

In any event, the b1g is not the maker or final arbiter of the defacto Rulebook - the NCAA is the maker of the Rulebook and they have bluntly stated that the b1g did not correctly follow the RULEBOOK in regards to this situation and used an incorrect "Review Protocol" outside the NCAA Rulebook which changed the result of the game which should have been a WMU win.

MAC has filed an appeal with the NCAA and CFP on behalf of WMU that WMU should be declared winner as b1g failed to follow established NCAA Replay Prot

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