NBC Denies Role as 'Official Arbiter' in Michigan Clock Controversy

In the closing moments of a September 2026 college football game, a single Hail Mary pass became a mirror held up to the invisible architecture of officiating — revealing that the clock fans watched and the clock officials consulted were not the same clock. Michigan's victory over Western Michigan was upheld, but the legitimacy of the decision rested on information no one outside the replay booth could see. NBC declined responsibility for the discrepancy, and Western Michigan's president offered a measured but pointed challenge to the Big Ten's review process, leaving the broader question unan