Gameday

Michigan’s controversial win raises questions

TV/Radio commentary

Some Penn State fans of a certain age probably felt for Western Michigan and its no-time-remaining loss to Michigan last week. They know the feeling.

One added second in 2005 led to a similar loss for the Nittany Lions.

It's a Michigan thing.

And, just as 21 years ago, the broadcast coverage missed the moment.

Back then, there was no access or additional context -- just an extra second. Some confusion and indignation but mostly one more second.

More than two decades later with advances in fan expectations and broadcast technology, there was information in real time, more information after the fact and some serious class-act reaction from Western Michigan's coach and administrators.

More problematic for viewers, broadcasters and college football in general was an on-air rules analyst who was off the mark. NBC Sports offered replays from a variety of angles, along with a superimposed shot of the stadium game clock and an analyst who said the game should be over.

That all happened after Michigan's first failed last-play pass fell incomplete when time expired.

Kudos to the analyst, Terry McAuley, who strongly said the game should be over. It was clear to him -- and it's his job to say something.

But the Big Ten Conference's replay supervisor saw it differently. And apparently there's a separate official time clock from that inside the stadium and that broadcasters use. Who knew?

As a result, Michigan got another chance and won the game with a second last-play pass.

For NBC and other broadcast partners, the whole thing exposed the value of a rules analyst. If one exists only to offer insight into the process, that's one approach. If one exists to offer an opinion, and McAuley did, that's an approach that fails to serve viewers if what he suggests does not happen.

There is a solution, though, and that's not a better analyst. It's better access.

It's time to dump rules analysts employed by networks and find a way for those broadcast partners to get direct access to the folks actually enforcing the rules. That way, maybe broadcasters and fans -- in the stadium and at home -- will know what's up with game clocks and situations.

All of that would make broadcasts better, games better and college football better.

Familiar feel

A lot about the Penn State season opener and related moves probably prompted a Back to the Future feel for some the past week or so.

No, there was no DeLorean, but there was a message from Jack Ham to those inside Beaver Stadium, a Success with Honor sign in the team tunnel, a Joe Paterno-focused "experience" in the All-Sports Museum and a little less about the current Nittany Lions' head coach than his immediate predecessor during the game.

Notably, Matt Campbell was not included with the team introductions on the stadium video boards last week. Nor was he one of the first people out of the tunnel with the team.

It all just felt more about the team than him, and he said as much in a postgame session with the media, eventually framing the program and its people overall -- many of whom came with him from Iowa State -- as unified. He summarized it as not so much about him but as a "we thing."

For a fanbase that enjoys its "We Are ..." cheers, that probably played well.

Notable

≥ No amount of on-air lobbying from Pat McAfee and Nick Saban will convince me that Congress getting involved with college athletics will make it better.

≥ Penn State's game Saturday at Temple airs on ESPN2. It's the first Nittany Lions game to air on that outlet since Jan. 1, 2021. That was the Outback Bowl vs. Arkansas, a 24-10 Penn State loss.

≥ With an announced 108,489 in the stadium for the Marshall game (with a lot of visible empty seats), it seems to set the stage for a potential record crowd for the Oct. 10 White Out game vs. USC. The current record (111,030) was set Nov. 2, 2024, vs. Ohio State.

≥ You know what would be a nice addition to the Penn State pregame experience inside Beaver Stadium for the fans? Coverage of the coin toss. It would 'd be easy to do and provide a little bit of access people might appreciate. It's something Penn State might be able to get sponsored, too. Because everything seems to be for sale, maybe that would be enough to prompt its addition.

≥ It's weeks like this, when Ohio State visits Texas and Michigan hosts Oklahoma, that must make some blue-and-white fans wonder why Penn State cannot schedule a truly quality nonconference opponent. Maybe if and when the College Football Playoff expands to 24 teams, that will offer the program room to do something more compelling with its schedule. Just one interesting game a season seems possible and it might be a less costly proposition (in terms of how much a potential loss could hurt) if the playoff field is bigger.

Worth watching

Oklahoma at Michigan Noon Saturday Fox

UCF at Pitt 3:30 p.m. Saturday ESPN2

Ohio State at Texas 7:30 p.m. Saturday ABC

Iowa State at Iowa 7:30 p.m. Saturday NBC

Sampsell covers the broadcast end of Penn State football for Gameday. He can be reached at stevesampsell@gmail.com