We are asking the College Football Playoff to ensure that the disputed ending of the September 5, 2026 Michigan–Western Michigan game does not unfairly influence CFP rankings or selection.

This request is not about attacking the University of Michigan, its players, coaches or fans. Michigan's players did exactly what they were supposed to do when officials gave them another play.

It is about protecting the integrity of the College Football Playoff.

The Mid-American Conference has determined, after further investigation, that established replay protocol was not properly followed at the end of the Michigan–Western Michigan game.

According to the MAC, replay officials used the wrong timing source when determining whether time remained. Had the prescribed program-feed clock been used, no additional second would have been restored, no additional play would have occurred, and Western Michigan would have won the game 12–7.

Instead, Michigan was awarded another play and scored the game-winning touchdown.

The NCAA has stated that its rules do not provide a mechanism for overturning the official result of a completed game.

But the College Football Playoff faces a different question:

Should an acknowledged failure to follow replay protocol be allowed to affect which teams make the College Football Playoff?

This issue potentially affects far more than Western Michigan.

If Western Michigan competes for a conference championship and a CFP berth, an official loss resulting from this error could affect its ranking and selection.

Likewise, if Michigan is competing for an at-large CFP berth, the disputed victory could give Michigan an advantage over another team competing for the same playoff position.

Imagine Michigan finishes 10–2 and another team finishes 9–3 or 10–2. If Michigan receives the final playoff berth partly because it is credited with this victory, the consequences of the replay error would extend beyond Western Michigan. Another university, its players and its fans could lose a playoff opportunity because Michigan was credited with a win on a play that, under the established replay protocol, should never have occurred.

That would turn an officiating-procedure error in September into a College Football Playoff selection problem in December.

Fortunately, the CFP does not need to rewrite the NCAA record to prevent that result.

We ask the College Football Playoff to announce, before its rankings begin, that its Selection Committee will evaluate the Michigan–Western Michigan game in a manner that provides neither a competitive disadvantage to Western Michigan nor a competitive advantage to Michigan as a result of the replay-protocol error.

The CFP Selection Committee exists to evaluate what teams accomplish on the field. Its decisions should not be distorted by an additional play created because the prescribed replay procedure was not followed.

Making this determination now is also important.

If the CFP waits until December, any decision could appear to favor whichever teams happen to be competing for the final playoff positions. Establishing the principle now—before anyone knows whether Michigan, Western Michigan or another program will be affected—allows the CFP to address the issue fairly and consistently.

This is bigger than Michigan versus Western Michigan.

It is about every team competing for a College Football Playoff berth.

A replay-protocol error should not decide who gets into the College Football Playoff.

We respectfully ask the College Football Playoff to address this issue before its first rankings and protect the integrity of the selection process.