one second left twice
not over ’til fat lady
reviews video
Some items without dispute from the Michigan – Western Michigan football game in Ann Arbor on September 5.
Western outplayed Michigan.
Western deserved to win.
Michigan earned the loss all on its own.
Michigan has a drug problem as Western drug Michigan up and down the field.
Bryce Underwood is not answer and may be the problem.
Michigan’s game plan over the last 50 years and multiple coaches of playing to not lose rather than playing to win produces unwatchable television and unnecessary hardship.
And …
On the next to last play of the game, a Western Michigan defender went out of bounds and returned to the field of play and touched a live ball, stopping the clock with one second left.
As reported in the New York Times, “A couple of hours after the Wolverines’ 13-12 win, the Big Ten released a statement explaining the decision, along with the video that replay officials reviewed and audio of them talking through the decision. The video, from an angle that was not shown during the broadcast, appeared to back up the decision that a defender — after he stepped out of bounds — touched the ball when there was a second left on the stadium clock.” )A couple of hours after the Wolverines’ 13-12 win, the Big Ten released a statement explaining the decision, along with the video that replay officials reviewed and audio of them talking through the decision. The video, from an angle that was not shown during the broadcast, appeared to back up the decision that a defender — after he stepped out of bounds — touched the ball when there was a second left on the stadium clock. (Why Michigan got 1 second put back on clock before controversial win vs. Western Michigan By Ralph D. Russo and Justin Williams – Sept. 5, 2026 Updated Sept. 6, 2026 8:08 am EDT).
Full disclosure, I did not watch.
Pretty much at the end of the line with Sport anyway, that first half with the latest edition of the Next Great Michigan Coach and the resurgence of the Next Great Michigan Quarterback had me shaking my head and turning the game off.
The wife and I watched our regular Saturday night Detective drama, Death in Paradise.
I admit I kept my phone handy and glanced at the score from time to time and the scoreboard showed 0:00 WMU 12 M 7 and I swiped the screen off.
Our show ends before 11 p.m. as it airs on PBS without commercial breaks so it lasts less than 1 hour and before I could stop her, the wife switches back to the game.
The screen shows an empty Michigan Stadium and the field packed with screaming fans.
I figured the visiting Western fans had rushed the field … but there were too many of them.
The fans were all in maize and blue.
What goes on here, I wondered.
After what seemed like a long time, the announcers found their voices and started to try and explain, as the New York Times put it, “Where exactly did that one second come from for Michigan?”
This morning every major news outlet is reporting that Western was robbed.
Then the BIG 10 officially announced that “As shown in the provided video of what was viewed during the replay process, 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.”
So Michigan wins.
The video replay says so.
Boy Howdy!
It’s the sporting equivalent of when Senator Al Gore once stayed overnight at monastery back in the day and along the way accepted a large campaign donation and responded to questions saying, My lawyers say I did nothing wrong.
Not picking on Mr. Gore here, its the thought that counts.
But somehow this game and its outcome and how we arrive at this outcome, is just a microcosm of life in general on so many fronts.
Life is changing and for the worse all around it seems.
The new season is here.
Let the games be played.
And always remember that in this modern era, it’s not whether you win or lose, but how the video replay can be intrepreted.
It’s not over until the fat lady reviews the video.
Anyway, on that 2nd last play, Western should have been flagged for roughing the passer.
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