The Mid-American Conference has appealed the outcome of Saturday night's game between Western Michigan and Michigan, asking the NCAA and College Football Playoff to recognize the Broncos as the winners of the controversial contest.
In a letter sent Tuesday, MAC commissioner Jon A. Steinbrecher said "replay protocol was not properly followed" at the conclusion of the game.
Michigan won 13-12 on Bryce Underwood's Hail Mary touchdown pass after the replay official put one second back on the clock. The stadium clock and the one shown on television showed zeros after Underwood's first Hail Mary was thrown out the back of the end zone.
"I recognize that the Oversight Committee does not ordinarily alter results recorded on the field," Steinbrecher wrote in the letter to the NCAA. "Nevertheless, the circumstances of this game are extraordinary. The final outcome was directly affected by a replay officiating error resulting from the failure to follow an established and specific protocol governing precisely this type of end-of-half timing situation."
The Big Ten, meanwhile, has not changed its stance.
"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," the Big Ten said in a statement later Tuesday. "We will have no further comment on the matter."
The NCAA, in an email to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, stated that its football playing rules do not include a mechanism to overturn the outcome of a game. Also, the FBS oversight committee "does not have the authority" to reverse an outcome.
According to Article 3 of the NCAA rulebook, scores are final when the head referee "declares that the game is ended." Also, regarding final rulings in games, Article 9 states: "No rule decision may be changed after the ball is next legally snapped, legally free-kicked or the second or fourth periods have ended."
ESPN obtained a copy of a memo from NCAA national coordinator of officials Ron Snodgrass that will be used as guidance moving forward "to establish a standard timing protocol that ensures consistency in the administration" of all games.
"The official time for all college football games is the time displayed on the in-stadium game clock," read the memo, which was approved by NCAA's secretary-rules editor, Matt Young. "When a replay review requires time to be restored or otherwise adjusted, the replay official's decision will be based on the embedded game clock contained within the program feed."
Had that guidance been in place and followed Saturday, Western Michigan would've won the game.
"There was no ill intent," Steinbrecher told ESPN's Heather Dinich on Tuesday night. "It was a mistake in the protocol. It was unfortunate that it occurred. It changed the outcome of a game that would have been a tremendous victory for Western Michigan."
Steinbrecher also sent a letter to CFP executive director Rich Clark, requesting the selection committee recognize Western Michigan "as the actual winner" for purposes of its evaluation and deliberations.
The CFP said in a statement that it "received the Mid-American Conference's appeal letter and is in the process of reviewing. We do not have additional comments on the matter at this time."
Western Michigan president Russ Kavalhuna said in a statement that Steinbrecher and the MAC took "important action today in college football."
"Some have read our actions as weak," Kavalhuna said. "However, supporting student-athletes and their growth during a time of adversity is strength. Being bitter doesn't make you better and this should not be mistaken for weakness or agreement. We can show respect for the game while also asking serious questions; I've done both, and I'll keep doing both."
TV replays showed the clock hitting zero with the ball still in the air on Underwood's initial pass, which went beyond the end zone and into the arms of Western Michigan safety Micah Davis. But Big Ten replay officials put a second back on the clock, giving the Wolverines another play.
With one second remaining, Underwood launched another pass that was hauled in by JJ Buchanan for a 47-yard touchdown.
A Michigan spokesperson said Tuesday that the Big Ten "handles all replay reviews and discussion."
"We don't have any involvement in replay as an institution," spokesperson David Ablauf said.
Steinbrecher initially told ESPN on Sunday that he "had confidence in the integrity of the process and integrity of the people involved. The process was followed, and given that, you have to go with that decision."
But Steinbrecher countered that in Tuesday's statement, saying: "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."
Steinbrecher added that "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 in the application of the established replay protocol governing this specific end-of-game timing situation. Had the protocol been properly followed and the program-feed clock been used, no additional play would have been awarded."
Michigan was ranked No. 16 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll but dropped out of the rankings Tuesday.
Two hours after the game, the Big Ten issued a statement, saying "It was determined [Davis] started his jump from an established out-of-bounds position [left foot] and made contact with the ball with one second remaining on the clock. A side-by-side view of the play and the game clock, using a direct shot of the game clock in the stadium, was used to determine the final ruling."
The extra second prevented Western Michigan, the defending MAC champion, from defeating the Wolverines for the first time in program history. Instead, the Broncos fell to 0-9 all time against Michigan.
Western Michigan coach Lance Taylor said during his weekly news conference Tuesday that his team "will grow" from the loss.
"We'll be better and stronger because of it and we've turned the page," Taylor said.
