Michigan’s place in the AP Poll took a hit after a rocky opener, and the punishment was swift: the Wolverines fell from No. 16 all the way out of the Top 25.
That drop came after an ugly, controversial win over Western Michigan, one Michigan only escaped with thanks to a Bryce Underwood Hail Mary touchdown pass. The offense never really found its footing. Underwood, the offensive line and the run game all came away with disappointing results, and even a solid defensive effort couldn’t keep the Broncos from nearly pulling off the upset.
For Michigan, the message from voters was clear. A narrow escape against Western Michigan wasn’t enough to hold onto a ranking, and the Wolverines now sit outside the poll heading into a schedule that could quickly swing their standing either way.
Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Ohio State remains at No. 1 after its 56-3 rout of Ball State. The other conference teams in the poll are Indiana at No.
5, Oregon at No. 6, USC at No.
14, Penn State at No. 16, Washington at No. 19 and Iowa at No.
Teams receiving votes included Boise State with 86, Florida with 83, Michigan with 69, Arizona with 33, Memphis with 23, South Carolina with 19, Western Michigan with 12, Pittsburgh with 11, Navy with 10, UCLA with 7, Virginia Tech with 6, Illinois with 6, James Madison with 4, Minnesota with 4, Colorado with 3, Auburn with 2, Arizona State with 2 and Vanderbilt with 2.
In Other News...
Michigans Opener Already Sparked A Response Fans Will Notice Against Oklahoma
Rod Moore did not sugarcoat Michigans season-opening showing against Western Michigan, calling it well below the standard the Wolverines expect. The reaction inside the program was immediate, too, with team captains calling an emergency player-only meeting to address what went wrong and to reset the tone before the schedule tightens up.
The response showed up on the practice field, where the defense ramped up its physical intensity in preparation for Oklahoma. Edge defender Dom Nichols also drew attention for both his strong play and his work ethic, a reminder that Michigan is trying to turn a flat opener into a sharper, more urgent version of itself before a much bigger test arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Win Is Now At Center Of A Stunning Official Fight
The final sequence of Michigans 13-12 win over Western Michigan has turned into more than a narrow nonconference finish. A reviewed Hail Mary added one second back onto the clock, and that extra snap led to the game-winning catch that kept the Wolverines on top. The Big Ten later backed the decision after its own video review, treating the ending as a properly administered piece of officiating in a game that was already tense enough on the field.
Now the dispute has moved from the scoreboard to the offices that govern the sport. The Mid-American Conference has formally appealed to the NCAA FBS Oversight Committee and the College Football Playoff, asking them to recognize Western Michigan as the winner. For Michigan, the result stands for now, but the unusual fight over a single second has made this one of the more talked-about finishes of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Win Sparked A Debate Fans Should Care About
Michigans disputed 13-12 win over Western Michigan did more than send people scrambling through the rule book. It also reignited a familiar gripe about how college football handles the last moments of a close game, with ESPNs Rece Davis arguing that fans would be better served by a single shared game clock and by live access to replay officials conversations so the process feels less opaque.
The sequence at the end of the game made the frustration easy to understand: the broadcast clock hit zero, but replay officials restored one second after using a synchronized system, and Michigan turned that final snap into the touchdown that decided it. Officials and conference representatives backed up the replay process, and Western Michigan president Richard N. Yensen acknowledged the clocks did not match while saying he did not view the outcome as unfair, but the larger transparency debate is unlikely to fade soon. [Read more 🡒]