NBC broadcaster John Fanta has addressed the controversial ending to the Michigan versus Western Michigan football game, where a discrepancy between the official game clock and the one shown on television fueled conspiracy theories.
Western Michigan appeared to secure a significant upset victory by batting down a Hail Mary pass as time expired. However, officials reinstated one second to the clock, allowing Michigan to attempt another play. Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood completed a 47-yard pass to J.J. Buchanan as time ran out for a second time, resulting in a 13-12 win for Michigan and sparking widespread debate.
Fans took to social media, with many alleging the game was manipulated in favor of Michigan, one of college football's most prominent programs. The Big Ten subsequently released audio and footage of officials making the timing decision, but viewers noted differences between the clock used by officials and the one displayed on NBC's broadcast.
During halftime of a subsequent broadcast on Sunday night, Fanta explained that the official game time is maintained by the Big Ten, not the network's cameras. He stated that the Big Ten had released a statement and video evidence detailing the ruling process.
The released footage showed officials determining that Western Michigan player Micah Davis had jumped from out of bounds when he touched the ball, which would end the play. Raw footage indicated one second remained on the clock at that moment, contrary to what was visible to viewers on NBC.
The Big Ten's statement confirmed that video review determined Western Michigan's No. 18 had contacted the ball with one second remaining while having started from an out-of-bounds position. It added that a side-by-side view of the play and the stadium's game clock was used for the ruling. The conference asserted that all broadcast cameras used for replay are synced using a strobe system approximately 85 minutes before kickoff.
The conference cited NCAA football rule 4-2-3-a, which defines a ball not in player control as out of bounds when it touches the ground, a player, an official, or anything out-of-bounds or on or outside a boundary line.
Despite the explanation, some fans questioned the alignment of the official clock and the broadcast clock. Michigan fan Dave Portnoy dismissed the cheating allegations, stating that integrity and character are paramount at Michigan. MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher and Western Michigan officials accepted the Big Ten's explanation after seeking further clarification, with Steinbrecher commending both teams and the Big Ten's responsiveness.
NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay proposed that the disparity might stem from the Hawkeye system used for first downs having a different sync than the stadium clock shown on television. He noted that on their broadcast clock, the ball appeared to still be in the air when it reached zero, questioning how the Big Ten arrived at one second remaining.
