College Football Playoff issues statement on ending of Michigan-Western Michigan game after WMU’s requested review
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The most controversial ending of the 2026 college football season thus far was the last-second Hail Mary victory by the Michigan Wolverines over the Western Michigan Broncos in Week 1.
After it looked like time expired on the Wolverines during their final drive, Big Ten officials controversially gave Michigan a lifeline by putting 1 second back on the clock. Star quarterback Bryce Underwood proceeded to connect with wideout JJ Buchanan in the end zone on the last play of the game, snatching away victory from WMU in the most devastating fashion.
Western Michigan and the MAC were both naturally outraged by how the game ended, and immediately appealed to both the NCAA and the College Football Playoff Committee to review what they, and many others, viewed as a robbery. According to The Athletic’s Chris Vannini, the CFP Selection Committee issued an official statement Thursday afternoon, saying it does not have the authority to change the official outcome of games.
“The CFP has reviewed the letter from the Mid-American Conference,” the statement said. “While we appreciate the concerns that were raised, the CFP does not have the authority to change or otherwise alter the outcome of games played during the regular season.”
The statement also said that, while they can’t change the outcome of the game, they evaluate teams based on their body of work over an entire season, and take multiple factors into account when making their selections. They also said that the performance of each team will be evaluated alongside their performances in all of their remaining contests.
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