AP Voters Give Western Michigan Poll Points After Controversial Michigan Finish

Western Michigan may have left Michigan Stadium on the short end of the scoreboard, but the Broncos came away from Saturday’s game with something unexpected: votes in the latest AP Top 25 poll.

According to the poll released Monday, Western Michigan picked up 12 points in the overall voting, with seven of the poll’s voters slotting the Broncos somewhere in their top 25. That’s a notable show of support for a MAC program so early in the season — and it comes in the same week Michigan dropped out of the top 25 entirely.

The voting breakdown is striking. While Michigan accumulated 69 points across the full panel, five of the seven voters who ranked Western Michigan left the Wolverines off their ballots completely. The other two placed Michigan slightly higher than the Broncos. The split suggests some voters saw the way the game ended — a second was added to the clock before Michigan’s game-winning Hail Mary, a decision that drew immediate scrutiny — as reason enough to penalize the Wolverines.

The MAC has reportedly appealed the outcome of the game, meaning Western Michigan’s on-field result could still change. Even if the appeal goes nowhere, the Broncos’ reputation appears to have benefited from the narrow defeat, and the poll points signal that voters see the program as a potential contender in the MAC this season.

The game was broadcast nationally on NBC, part of Comcast‘s (NASDAQ: CMCSA) Big Ten coverage package. Comcast’s media division has leaned into college football as a cornerstone of its weekend programming, and a contested finish like this one only amplifies attention on its telecasts. Comcast shares traded at $26.27 in Tuesday’s session, down 1.2% from a prior close of $26.59, giving the media and telecom giant a market capitalization of roughly $92.5 billion.

For Western Michigan, the week brought national exposure few mid-major programs receive in September. Whether the poll votes reflect sympathy over the finish or genuine belief in the roster, the Broncos head into the rest of their schedule carrying more national credibility than they had before kickoff in Ann Arbor.

Michigan, meanwhile, remains the bigger storyline despite escaping with a win. Falling out of the AP Top 25 after a home victory over a MAC opponent underscores how closely voters scrutinized the final moments — and how much weight they gave the officiating controversy.

What to watch

Key developments in the coming days and weeks include:

• Whether the MAC’s appeal of the game’s result gains traction or leads to any formal review of the clock management.
• Any statements from the Big Ten or officiating crews addressing the added second.
• Western Michigan’s performance in upcoming conference play, which could determine whether the poll votes were a one-week gesture or a sustained ranking case.
• Michigan’s next poll placement as the season progresses.

Source: original release