Disputed Second Hands Michigan 13-12 Hail Mary

The Big Ten backed its crew. "Following video review, it was determined Western Michigan's #18 started his jump from an established out-of-bounds position (left foot) and made contact with the ball with one second remaining on the clock," the conference said. It cited NCAA Football rule 4-2-3-a, which makes a loose ball out of bounds when it touches anything out of bounds — stopping the clock. The conference said it used a side-by-side view of the play and a direct shot of the stadium game clock, and noted that 85 minutes before kickoff all broadcast cameras used for replay, including the clock camera, are synced with a strobe system.

Whittingham said he thought the call was right. "I was pretty sure there was 1 second left," he said, and later: "One for the history books right here." Of his quarterback's rough night, he added: "This isn't on Bryce Underwood. It's on me."

Western Michigan coach Lance Taylor took the high road but did not pretend he agreed. "So I have not seen the clip. Several people have mentioned it to me that the game was over," Taylor said. "I thought that this crew tonight did a really nice job handling multiple close calls and review situations… I know when I looked up at the clock, it was past zero before we touched it. I knew that they would review it… Unfortunately, we did not defend it well the second time."

Mid-American Conference Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said the conference and the school contacted the Big Ten office seeking clarification and were given an explanation plus video and audio that confirmed it, ESPN reported. Steinbrecher thanked the Big Ten for its prompt response.

Outside Ann Arbor, the reaction was harsher. Heavy reported the conference was accused by fans of "rigging" the finish, and described the ending as one of the most controversial in recent college football history.