MAC to appeal controversial Western Michigan loss, says replay error gave UM extra second

The Mid-American Conference asked the NCAA and College Football Playoff to recognize Western Michigan as the winner of its game against Michigan after it was determined that the replay review that gave the Wolverines an extra second to win did not follow proper protocol.

“After further study and investigation, it is now evident that replay protocol was not properly followed in determining whether time remained on the game clock at the conclusion of the Western Michigan vs. Michigan football game,” Steinbrecher said in a statement Tuesday.

There is no established formal appeals process available to overturn the result of a game in the NCAA bylaws after the score has been deemed final by game officials.

“NCAA football playing rules do not have a protocol for overturning the outcome of a game,” the NCAA said in a statement and added: “The Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee also does not have the authority to overturn the outcome of a game.”

However, MAC leadership sent letters to the NCAA’s Football Oversight Committee and College Football Playoff executive director Rich Clark, asking both to take the unusual step of having all records, rankings and postseason considerations reflect a WMU victory.

For Western Michigan and the MAC, a CFP ranking at the end of the regular season good enough to be part of the 12-team Playoff could be worth millions of dollars in revenue and exposure.

“I recognize that the Selection Committee’s responsibilities are governed by its established criteria and that the Committee does not ordinarily alter results recorded on the field. Nevertheless, the circumstances of this game are extraordinary,” Steinbrecher wrote in the letter to Clark.

As for the Big Ten Conference, it released a statement later Tuesday that read, “The Big Ten stands by the statement released following the conclusion of the Western Michigan at Michigan game and the determination made by the replay officials. We will have no further comment on the matter.”

Michigan averted a major upset Saturday night at home, 13-12 to WMU, when Bryce Underwood hit JJ Buchanan with a 47-yard touchdown pass as time expired, though it looked as if time had run out on the previous failed Hail Mary attempt. Big Ten replay officials determined a second was left on the game clock when the ball touched an out-of-bounds WMU player on what ended up being the second-to-last play of the game. They added a second back to the clock, giving Michigan one more play.

While the angles of the play that were shown on NBC’s broadcast showed the clock hitting 0:00 when the ball was touched, officials reviewing the play at the Big Ten’s replay center outside Chicago used an angle not shown on the broadcast that had no clock bug visible on the screen. The difference was fractions of a second.

The Hawk-Eye replay system used by the Big Ten has a game clock display that is synced with in-stadium clocks. A couple of hours after Saturday night’s game, the Big Ten released video and audio from the replay center of officials working through the play.

“The established replay protocol requires that the game clock displayed on the program feed be used in determining whether time remained,” Steinbrecher said in the statement.

That protocol, however, has not been spelled out in the NCAA’s Instant Replay Case Book. There is no reference to using only the embedded game clock from the broadcast feed. But there will be going forward.

A memo from NCAA national coordinator of officials Ron Snodgrass, obtained by The Athletic, went out to conferences and officials on Tuesday to provide guidance and clearly lay out the protocol.

“Recognizing the replay technology and available broadcast resources may vary among institutions, conferences, and game sites, it is necessary to establish a standard timing protocol that ensures consistency in the administration of all college football games,” the memo said.

The NCAA’s secretary-rules editor, Matt Young, approved a new rules interpretation entry to the case book that states “to be considered by the instant replay official, the game clock must be embedded in the instant replay’s program feed or the game clock graphic when accurately displayed as part of the broadcast feed.”

On Sunday, Western Michigan president Russ Kavalhuna said the explanation he was given after the game pointed to a clock discrepancy.

“I don’t discern anything unfair or untoward in this process,” Kavalhuna said.

He added there was no process to appeal or reconsider the outcome of the game. But the MAC is trying anyway in what appears to be an unprecedented move.

“Western Michigan should not be disadvantaged because the prescribed replay protocol was not followed and an unsynchronized clock was used to award a play that, under the applicable procedure, should not have occurred,” the appeals letters from the MAC said.

On Sunday, Fox rules expert Mike Pereira, a longtime NFL official, told The Athletic that college replay officials are advised to use angles of a play with a game clock embedded and visible when reviewing whether time should be put back on the clock at the end of a half.

The reasoning is to avoid the perception of impropriety that could come from making a ruling that contradicts what viewers are seeing on television.

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