The Michigan Wolverines kicked off the Kyle Whittingham era in Ann Arbor with one of the most controversial endings in college football history. In Week 1, Whittingham appeared to lose his first game as Michigan’s head coach 12-7 to the Western Michigan Broncos when Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood’s Hail Mary attempt soared out the back of the end zone as the clock hit triple zeroes.
However, video review determined that one second remained when the ball was touched out of bounds, giving Michigan one last chance. Underwood took full advantage of his second life, connecting with JJ Buchanan for a touchdown and sealing a 13-12 win for Michigan.
Despite an appeal from the MAC and an admission from the FBS oversight committee that “Had the protocols been followed, the outcome of the game would have been different,” college football’s ruling bodies ultimately determined that nothing could be done to overturn the result.
Michigan rode the momentum from its Week 1 miracle into back-to-back wins over the Oklahoma Sooners and UTEP Miners, leading to a top-25 matchup with the Iowa Hawkeyes for Week 4. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, things came full circle on Saturday, with Hawkeyes quarterback Hank Brown connecting on a back-shoulder pass to receiver Reece Vander Zee on the final play of the game, winning the game 20-19 for Iowa.
As emotional as Saturday’s win was for Iowa, longtime head coach Kirk Ferentz now has the tall task of refocusing his group for its second consecutive top-25 matchup, with his No. 14 Hawkeyes hosting the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes in a game that will have massive College Football Playoff implications for both programs. The stakes are so colossal, in fact, that ESPN’s College GameDay will be at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday for the first time since 2006, ending four consecutive weeks of ESPN’s flagship college football show attending SEC sites.
As it turns out, Iowa’s last play stunner was just the outcome GameDay host Rece Davis was hoping for.
“I didn’t want Iowa to beat Michigan because I wanted Michigan to lose, or because I’m some big Iowa fan,” Davis said on Sunday’s episode of the College GameDay Podcast.
“I root for the show, and it was going to be really, really good for the show if Iowa won on Saturday. They did. And now, a big showdown with Ohio State coming up next week.”
Ironically, GameDay’s last time in Iowa City was also for a top-15 matchup with Ohio State. On that day, the Buckeyes throttled the Hawkeyes 38-17 in front of a sold-out Kinnick crowd. The Iowa faithful hope that this time around, the raucous atmosphere around the game and GameDay will help spur the Hawkeyes to arguably the most impressive start in program history.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.