Michigan drops from AP Top 25 after controversial win over Western Michigan

Michigan dropped out of The Associated Press' Top 25 college football rankings Tuesday following its controversial 13-12 victory over Western Michigan that ended on a controversial Hail Mary touchdown by the Wolverines.

By dropping out of the AP Top 25 after being ranked No. 16 in the preseason poll, Michigan now holds the dubious honor of becoming the highest-ranked team to drop out of the following week's AP poll after a victory since the rankings expanded to 25 teams in 1989, according to CBS Sports Research.

In a statement Tuesday from the MAC, the league asked the NCAA FBS Oversight Committee and College Football Playoff to consider recognizing the Broncos as the actual winner of the contest during the evaluation and deliberation process when ranking teams for the postseason this fall.

Western Michigan voiced support for MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher's actions on Tuesday.

Acceptance over outrage: Inside how Western Michigan leaders dealt with controversial loss to Michigan

Brandon Marcello

"Being bitter doesn't make you better and this should not be mistaken for weakness or agreement," WMU president Russ Kavalhuna said in a statement. "We can show respect for the game while also asking serious questions; I've done both, and I'll keep doing both."

Highest-ranked team to drop out of AP Top 25 after win since 1989

Year

Team

Previous ranking

Opponent

2026

Michigan

No. 16

Western Michigan

2014

Nebraska

No. 19

McNeese

2014

North Carolina

No. 21

San Diego State

2009

Iowa

No. 22

Northern Iowa

Western Michigan jumped 14 spots after its close loss, moving up to No. 32 this week, according to the Broncos' point total in the "receiving votes" category beyond the Top 25.

Seven voters included the Broncos in this week's rankings, including one ballot that slotted Western Michigan at No. 23.

Hollow victory for Michigan

"This game will go down in history, Michigan history," Wolverines coach Kyle Whittingham said in the aftermath of his less-than-inspiring debut. "I don't know if it's in a positive way, but it'll go down in history for certain. And bottom line is we're 1-0, but the reality is we have got a lot to fix, a lot of things to address.

"You know, the things that we didn't do well. ... we didn't play the run well on defense, we didn't run the ball well on offense, we lost the turnover margin three-zip, we didn't make enough first downs, and all this is squarely on my shoulders."

Whittingham said there was no "hooting and hollering" inside the home team's locker room at Michigan Stadium after the victory. Instead, his players know there's much to fix and get corrected before No. 11 Oklahoma arrives in Ann Arbor later this week.

Clock controversy won't end soon

In the final seconds of Saturday's game, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood hurled a pass toward the back of the end zone that sailed out of play as the broadcast's game clock expired, signaling the end of the contest and what appeared to be a 12-7 win for Western Michigan.

However, after Broncos players and members of the coaching staff ran onto the field in celebration, the officiating crew announced that the game's final play was under review. Another second was added to the game clock, giving Michigan and Underwood another final heave which proved fatal for the Broncos.

NBC, the network that broadcasted the game, defended the Big Ten's interpretation of how the game ended with a statement Sunday at halftime of Washington's win over Washington State.

"Now, the official time of the game is kept by the Big Ten," NBC host John Fanta said. "Our cameras are not the official arbiter of timekeeping within the game. That is the Big Ten's and game officials' responsibility. After the game last night, the Big Ten released a statement and raw video from its replay process that showed how and why the decision was made."

NBC's TV broadcast clock expired to 00:00, differentiating from the Big Ten's official game clock which was at 00:01.

Big Ten officials said the game clock and broadcast clock were not synced, which started the controversy.