ESPN
If Western Michigan vs Michigan had been played under NFL rules, Western Michigan would have won the game, according NFL rules analyst Mike Pereira.
Over the weekend. the Wolverines were given an extra second on the clock after a failed Hail Mary play to run another play which led to a game-winning touchdown.
The refs CLEARLY rigged this game.
There were ZERO seconds left on the clock. pic.twitter.com/RimoVVzufp
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) September 6, 2026
NBC would later admit that their clock was not synced to the actual game clock which showed that there was still one second left in the game when the ball was ruled out of bounds.
“The official time of the game is kept by the Big Ten. Our cameras are not the official arbiter of timekeeping within the game.”
John Fanta gives a statement/explanation on behalf of NBC about the Western Michigan-Michigan controversy, the Big Ten, and the clock discrepancy. pic.twitter.com/jn8O6MQaRl
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 6, 2026
Pereira, a former NFL referee, spoke with The Athletic and said the NFL would habe used the TV clock if there was a discrepancy between the clocks.
Via The Athletic
“It is my understanding that if there is a discrepancy between the video and replay command center versus the television network video that everybody sees, that replay is to use the TV video. And that is the same protocol in the NFL, in the UFL. It’s the same. You use the footage that everybody sees if there is a discrepancy,” Pereira said.