| NFC NORTH |
| DETROITThe Lions will attempt to patch up their offensive line tonight against the Bills. Colton Pouncy of The Athletic: The Detroit Lions will be shorthanded in the trenches against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night. First-round pick and starting right tackle Blake Miller (knee) and starting left guard Christian Mahogany (hip) were ruled out for Thursday night’s game in Buffalo. Additionally, cornerback D.J. Reed is questionable with a foot injury after being added to the practice report Tuesday. This is brutal news for an already hurt offensive line. Starting center Cade Mays is out until October with a wrist injury, though Juice Scruggs filled in admirably for him in Week 1. Mahogany left the Saints game with what was initially deemed a knee injury, but it was later reassessed as a hip injury. Veteran guard Ben Bartch took over for Mahogany and performed well. Now, Detroit’s offensive line depth will be tested again as Miller sits with a knee injury. The irony is that Miller never missed a game at Clemson — and he couldn’t recall missing a game at any level because of injury. Veteran tackle Larry Borom is expected to get the start in his absence. Scruggs, Bartch and Borom were all offseason acquisitions, brought in to bolster Detroit’s offensive line depth as reserves. But two weeks into the season, all three will have started a game. It’s not ideal, but Scruggs and Bartch played well in the opener, as the Lions allowed a pressure rate of 22 percent — second-lowest in Week 1. The Lions will lose athleticism in Miller, but if Borom can hold his own, the offense can still have a productive night. As for Reed, there’s reason to wonder about his availability. He was not given an injury designation until Tuesday — just two days before the game. Considering the Bills recorded a league-high explosive play rate of 21.2 percent against a Texans defense viewed as one of the best in the NFL, you have to wonder what the secondary could potentially look like without Reed. If he can’t go, perhaps we’ll see Roger McCreary, Khalil Dorsey, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. or Nick Whiteside at corner. |
| NFC WEST |
| SEATTLESeattle coach Mike Macdonald admits he went through a tough time in the months after he took over the reins of the Seahawks. Brady Henderson of ESPN.com: Two years before his Seahawks won Super Bowl LX, Mike Macdonald was mired in what he described as the most difficult stretch of his life. In a recent appearance on “In Depth With Graham Bensinger,” the Seahawks’ third-year head coach detailed the personal struggles he went through for months after Seattle hired him in January 2024, saying they were such that he had a hard time getting out of bed. “It was paralyzing,” Macdonald said in an interview that took place over the summer and was released Wednesday. “It was hard to move.” Macdonald, 39, stopped short of saying he was dealing with depression. “It was an extremely difficult time,” he said. “I’ve never felt like that in my life. I was sick. I’d go home, I’d get in bed as soon as I got home. I wouldn’t get out of bed until I went to work. I’d be late going to work. In the weekend, I wouldn’t get out of bed all weekend. I’d just sit in bed. It was crazy. But is it depression? I don’t know. Maybe. I find it hard to self-diagnose depression. There’s serious cases of depression that are clinically diagnosed.” Macdonald, previously the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator, became the NFL’s youngest head coach when the Seahawks hired him to replace Pete Carroll. The root of Macdonald’s struggles, he said, was the pressure he had put on himself when he became a head coach for the first time. He and his wife, Stephanie, were also reeling from the sudden, unexpected death of their 4-year-old dog. “It’s not good enough to not be the best,” Macdonald said. “But that takes time to get there, and it’s a process, and if you’re not willing to take it incrementally and take some punches along the way because you made decisions quickly — I just wanted to be right all the time and I didn’t know what right was, and I put a lot of pressure on myself to be right. “That was the weight I was carrying. There’s a burden that I felt like I was holding because we weren’t where we wanted to be, and I wasn’t clear on what to do. That can be a lonely, tough feeling.” Macdonald told Bensinger that his two sisters and his wife were the people he talked to about his struggles. He also began to prioritize his physical health and return to a regular routine. “If I could get some physical, personal wins, then I could just start stacking those things,” he said. “But I’d take two hourlong walks, I’d call some of the players. But I need to get out. So I’d work out, walk, try to try to eat better. I was drinking a lot. “That was probably the toughest, most difficult stretch of my life, honestly — that first few months.” It wasn’t until some point during the 2024 season, Macdonald said, that he walked up to general manager John Schneider and told him that he was feeling like himself again. The Seahawks went 10-7 in 2024, missing the playoffs, before going 14-3 during the 2025 regular season and then claiming the franchise’s second Super Bowl title. “I joke with the coaches now, I was not a great leader my first year,” Macdonald said. “It sucks to say that, but I just fell short in so many different ways — an awareness and a trust and a communication style, just wasn’t the best version of myself. It’s not easy to say that, but it’s the truth.” Macdonald was asked whether he’s happy now. “Um, I have joy,” he said, pausing twice during his answer. “Am I always happy, um, I think I’m happy.” |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYTE TRAVIS KELCE had a 59-yard reception and an uncalled hold in the season opener. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce got away with a hold on Patrick Mahomes’ 15-yard touchdown run on Monday night. Kelce acknowledged on his New Heights podcast that he could have been called for holding Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga on the play, which gave the Chiefs a 7-0 lead in a game they would go on to win 31-10. “It was definitely a questionable play,” Kelce said. “That’s one of those where you get up slowly like, ‘Please don’t be any laundry on the field.’ I had the man up by his neck Can’t do it. Can’t do it. Almost cost us. That would’ve been Patrick Mahomes’ second rushing touchdown called back in two plays, it was the same thing. That would’ve taken us out of the red zone. That was risky business. You know what? Sometimes you’re just living right.” Kelce’s hold was shown on the TV broadcast, but none of the officials on the field had a good view of it, and holding isn’t reviewable on replay. Kelce got away with one. He probably can afford it, but Kelce is the victim of a crime scheme. Alejandro Avila of Outkick: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, 36, was officially identified as a victim in a $35 million Ponzi scheme run by a Texas fund manager. During a Tuesday sentencing hearing in a St. Louis federal courtroom, prosecutors named Kelce among those defrauded by 38-year-old Siddharth Jawahar. Jawahar operated Swiftarc Capital LLC, an investment firm that collapsed into a federal wire fraud investigation. HALL OF FAME RECEIVER TERRELL OWENS ACCUSES LONGTIME MANAGER OF ‘STEALING’ FROM HIM: ‘LIAR AND A THIEF’ According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Jawahar raised more than $35 million from investors between July 2016 and December 2023. Instead of managing a diversified portfolio, he allocated roughly 99% of client capital into a single stock, Philip Morris Pakistan. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce heads off the field following an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Las Vegas, on Jan. 4, 2026. (David Becker/AP Photo)Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce get cozy As that position tanked, Jawahar hid the losses, issued falsified statements and used funds from new investors to pay out earlier clients. Federal prosecutors noted Jawahar actually invested roughly $10 million of the total funds raised. He spent the remainder funding personal luxuries, including private jet charters, upscale apartments in Austin and New York, high-end dining and exclusive private club memberships. Court filings did not specify the exact financial loss suffered by Kelce. Kelce was not the only professional athlete caught up in the operation. A 2021 Forbes report previously linked Swiftarc funds to several NBA players, including Gary Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Mason Plumlee. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the third quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images) Jawahar pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud in January 2026. U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone sentenced Jawahar to 11 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $31.35 million in restitution. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CINCINNATIQB JOE BURROW is banged up, but ready to compete Sunday against the fearsome Texans front. Chris Cwik of YahooSports.com: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has proven to be an MVP-caliber talent, but only in the seasons in which he’s been able to stay on the field. Over his career, Burrow has missed significant time with knee, wrist and foot injuries. So the alarm bells were raised Wednesday, when Burrow didn’t do much throwing during the open portion of Bengals’ practice. But Burrow calmed fears after practice, saying he’s dealing with back tightness and “normal game day soreness.” He then made it clear that he’ll play against the Houston Texans in Week 2. Burrow went so far as to say it was “ridiculous” to suggest he wouldn’t take the field Sunday. Burrow, however, would not commit to how much he would take part in practices the rest of the week. The Bengals later listed him as limited during Wednesday’s session. It’s unclear exactly when Burrow sustained the injury, though he did take a big hit near his throwing shoulder on a scramble at the end of the first half Sunday. Burrow said Wednesday he couldn’t think of a particular play in which he sustained his injury. He said he felt his back tightness after Sunday’s game and was comfortable with taking a big hit on a scramble late in the second quarter because it kept the team’s drive alive. Burrow did not miss any snaps after that play, and completed 11-of-15 passes for 121 yards in the second half of the Bengals’ 33-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. Burrow also threw a pick-6 in the second half, though did not appear limited as the Bengals closed out the win. He finished the contest 25 of 35, with 254 passing yards. He threw one touchdown and one interception in the victory. Given his injury history — Burrow missed six games as a rookie after tearing his ACL, missed six games with a wrist injury in 2023 and was limited to just eight games last season with a foot injury — the fact that Burrow is already dealing with an ailment should be a cause for concern among fans. In the three seasons in which Burrow has played every game, he’s won two Comeback Player of the Year awards, made two Pro Bowls and finished fourth in the MVP voting twice. While it’s concerning that Burrow is already battling an ailment, his back tightness doesn’t sound too serious. The Texans’ defense should provide a significant challenge to Burrow and the rest of the Bengals’ offense in Week 2, so it’s in his best interest to get his body right before taking the field Sunday. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| INDIANAPOLISThere isn’t much doubt that WR KEENAN ALLEN was drunk as the proverbial skunk when he was pulled over – and he has now been charged with what Indiana calls OUI. Stephen Holder of ESPN.com: Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen was formally charged this week with two misdemeanor offenses stemming from his drunk-driving arrest in downtown Indianapolis last month. Allen, 34, was arrested by Indianapolis police on Aug. 30 and preliminarily charged. On Tuesday, prosecutors officially filed charges of operating a vehicle with alcohol concentration equivalent to .15 or more and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by ESPN, Allen’s blood-alcohol level was tested at .224, triggering a more serious Class A misdemeanor charge per Indiana law. Operating while intoxicated is considered a Class C misdemeanor. According to the affidavit, an Indianapolis police sergeant encountered Allen at 1 a.m. after conducting a traffic investigation at the same intersection. Allen, the report states, parked in a no-parking zone, prompting the officer to address the matter. The officer stated he went to speak with Allen and, after Allen exited the vehicle, smelled a strong odor of alcohol. Keenan Allen, who had six catches for 32 yards in his Colts debut Sunday, is facing two misdemeanor OWI charges stemming from an Aug. 30 arrest. Jeffrey Brown/Icon SportswireA lieutenant then retrieved a portable breath test device after Allen agreed to be tested, the report states. Officers said Allen was initially short-winded and they were unable to get a reading. At 1:22 a.m., officers said they received the .224 reading from Allen. He was then taken into custody and transported to the Indianapolis Criminal Justice Center where further investigation was done. A field-sobriety test was conducted, according to officers, and Allen displayed multiple indications of intoxication, they said. Allen, according to officers, missed multiple steps when asked to walk heel-to-toe. A blood draw was conducted at 2:08 a.m. The affidavit did not reveal the results of the blood test, which is done at a lab. Allen is not expected to miss playing time while the case proceeds through the courts. Coach Shane Steichen on Wednesday reiterated that the Colts are allowing the legal process to play out, with the NFL expected to handle any potential discipline in accordance with its policy overseeing substance abuse and alcohol. NFL rules allow for a three-game suspension for violations of the substance-abuse policy. It also provides for stiffer penalties in the event a player is intoxicated at higher levels, as Allen was. The league has typically taken action in drunk-driving scenarios after the adjudication of a case. The next event on the docket in the case, an attorney conference, is scheduled for Oct. 26. Allen, 34, joined the Colts in August on a one-year deal. He had six catches for 32 yards in the Colts’ Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He has been selected to six Pro Bowls in his career, which includes 12 seasons with the Chargers. To add insult to indictment, the Chargers have “unretired” Keenan’s number for itinerant WR MARQUES VALDES-SCANTLING. Gavino Borquez of YahooSports.com explains that there was a reason that Valdes-Scantling was assigned Allen’s #13. Wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling sparked immediate controversy during his first practice with the Chargers. Valdes-Scantling, signed to the practice squad after a string of injuries, raised eyebrows across the fanbase by choosing No. 13, which is deeply tied to franchise history. The number was worn for over a decade by wide receiver Keenan Allen, who holds the franchise’s all-time receptions record. According to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, the choice came from mathematical necessity rather than a deliberate snub. The NFL’s strict jersey-numbering rules, combined with the team’s current roster, left Valdes-Scantling with almost no options. * 0 through 10 are entirely claimed by active players. * 14, 18, and 19 are officially honored or retired numbers. * 80 through 89 are fully occupied, except for No. 85, previously worn by Chargers legend Antonio Gates. * In the standard 10 through 19 range for wide receivers, the only open slots left on the roster were 13 and 17. No. 17 was worn by former quarterback Philip Rivers. So either Rivers, Gates or Allen had to be disrespected and we think everyone would agree that other two are higher in the Chagers Pantheon of Heroes than Allen. |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOTim Graham of The Athletic explores the Bills’ horde of support North of the Border. Michael Hoecht was born in Canada on the shore of Lake Ontario, which President Trump recently ordered U.S. federal agencies to call Lake America. About 90 miles southeast of Oakville, Ontario, Hoecht will play for what he considers his hometown team on Thursday night. He’s an outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills, who will open Highmark Stadium against another border team, the Detroit Lions. As part of the pregame festivities, the Bills decided to stage the U.S. and Canadian anthems. The one-off decision has confused some fans and drawn criticism from commentators who questioned why a U.S.-based team would perform Canada’s anthem amid the countries’ trade dispute. “Not everything,” Hoecht said this week in the Bills’ locker room, “has to be a thing.” The Bills’ front office finds itself in a weird place. Sports teams frequently frame financial decisions as goodwill. In this case, however, one person’s kind gesture can be interpreted as a political provocation. No, inviting Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies to perform their national anthem in a stadium visible from across Lake Erie wasn’t about social or geopolitical harmony, the Bills insist. (“Moana” star Auliʻi Cravalho will follow with “The Star-Spangled Banner.”) “For us, it’s all about the business,” said Pete Guelli, Bills president of business operations. “This is part of a broader marketing effort into Southern Ontario and Toronto. It’s been a critical part of our business model, and it’s going to continue to be. This has been in the works prior to anything that’s come up on the (geopolitical) front.” At a time of great rancor, the Bills want to remind a large fraction of their fans that they’re welcome. But the expected side effect can be soothing too. “The Bills have already acknowledged the fanbase is important and that they’re trying to grow the fanbase,” said Andrew Nicholls, a Midland, Ontario, native who teaches British, Canadian and European history at Buffalo State. “Nothing wrong with that. And if you tie it to the fact so many of your fans cross the border to see your team in your new stadium, making them feel at home is nice. I can see both scenarios being true at once.” Trade talks between the U.S. and Canada collapsed last month. Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian imports. Prime Minister Mark Carney enacted retaliatory tariffs. The U.S. will ban imports of certain Canadian goods outright beginning Sept. 29. Since late 2024, Trump has repeatedly suggested Canada could become the 51st state and referred to then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “Governor Trudeau.” “This destruction of our historic alliance has made Canadians really, really mad and also scared as a country,” Toronto Star columnist Bruce Arthur said. “I don’t know that there’s ever any coming back from that because it has been such an eruption. But this kind of gesture still matters. “The more points of light we see like this in what we feel as an emerging and terrifying darkness, the more we are reminded that one day this can be repaired, we view it with fondness.” The Bills’ campaign into Canada has been years in the making. NFL bylaws define a club’s territory as everything within a 75-mile radius around its stadium. That includes Toronto, Canada’s largest city. About 21 percent of Canada’s population lives within Buffalo’s designated market. From 2008 through 2013, the Bills Toronto Series relocated eight Buffalo home games — six regular season, two preseason — to the Rogers Centre. The experiment was a PR disaster, but after a hiatus that included Terry Pegula buying the club after Ralph Wilson’s death, the Bills started courting Canadians again. “Buffalo’s a small market,” Guelli said, “but when you combine it with the Greater Toronto Area, it’s a top-five NFL market. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 percent of our PSL holders are Canadian. Our waiting list is closer to 20 percent. “We’ve built a multibillion-dollar stadium and firmed up this team in our market for the next 30-plus years; Canada was an important part of that and always will be.” In December 2024, the Bills sold minority stakes to Toronto Raptors legends Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady and former Toronto FC star Jozy Altidore. Last year, the NFL awarded Buffalo marketing rights to all of Canada through the league’s Global Markets Program. The Bills also partnered with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to grow youth football, including joint camps with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts. Canada’s pull is obvious to Western New Yorkers. This season, the Bills expanded their radio network to TSN affiliates in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, with national availability through iHeartRadio Canada. In a team-sponsored stunt Wednesday morning on the Niagara River, former Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick made a “cross-border completion” to old mate Stevie Johnson from one boat to another. “A lot of Canadians make up a large portion of our fans,” Bills receiver and Brampton, Ontario, native Joshua Palmer said. “The anthem is a nice gesture. It only makes sense to show your gratitude.” Five months ago, a previous Buffalo rendition of “O Canada” made international headlines. Before a playoff game between the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres in KeyBank Center, singer Cami Clune’s microphone died. Sabres fans, who have heard dual national anthems since the team’s inception in 1970, finished the song for her, word for word. “I don’t think the Bills are trying to change humanity,” Arthur said. “Even if they’re doing this to make money, that doesn’t mean it also can’t be something bigger. What has a great chance of taking us back to where we were is a shared humanity. “It’s a football game on a Thursday. It’s not the beginning, end or apex of the world, but it’s something.” |
| THIS AND THAT |
| NFL BARS WOULD-BE COLLEGIANSThe NFL hit the two “pros” who tried to play college football on Wednesday when they informed the member clubs that they had placed themselves in Neverland for 2026 – they can’t play college, they can’t try to play in the NFL. Chris Vannini of The Athletic: The two ex-NFL signees who joined LSU’s fall camp roster amid a legal fight but were not rostered for games cannot visit or join an NFL team this season, the league told its teams in a Wednesday memo obtained by The Athletic. The news comes one day after defensive end Zxavian Harris reportedly worked out for the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday. “The following players who were eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft returned to college and participated with their college football team after the opening of NFL training camp, and therefore, they are ineligible to visit, try out with, or be signed by NFL clubs during the 2026 NFL season,” the memo read, listing only Harris and tight end Dae’Quan Wright and noting teams can be fined for violations. The league previously sent a memo to teams last month saying any player who went through the 2026 draft process and returned to school would not be permitted to join an NFL team this season. Coming out of Ole Miss, Harris and Wright signed undrafted free-agent contracts with NFL teams but were cut in August. Dozens of college athletes sued the NCAA this summer in an attempt to get a fifth year of playing eligibility after the NCAA changed its rules, and Harris and Wright were part of such a case in Louisiana. They had enrolled at LSU and were practicing with the Tigers in fall camp. A judge ruled in favor of the players, but the SEC and other conferences voted to clarify rules banning teams from bringing in players who had signed pro contracts. Players who won court rulings but had not signed a contract (such as only receiving a mini-camp tryout) were permitted to return. The conferences planned strict penalties against schools and coaches if anyone rostered an ex-signee. Harris and Wright were the only ex-NFL signees attempting to return, putting the focus on LSU and the SEC, as the conference filed a lawsuit against the school and officials. LSU ultimately did not include Wright or Harris on its final 105-man roster, ending their chances of returning to college football. Now, they won’t be able to return to the NFL this season either. “The players are finalizing their legal plans and will likely take action within the next week,” said attorney Ryan Downton, who has represented Harris and Wright in what started as a lawsuit challenging NCAA eligibility rules, expanded to include the SEC and could now also target LSU. The news is somewhat similar to the NFL’s recent decision not to allow former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby in a Supplemental Draft. Sorsby was banned from college football for betting on his team at Indiana and other violations. He sued and won a temporary local ruling to prevent the NCAA from banning him, but after the Big 12 conference filed its own suit, Sorsby declared for the NFL. The league denied Sorsby, citing a lack of personal accountability, and said he would have to wait until the 2027 NFL Draft. Harris and Wright won’t go through the draft process again. Neither will players who went through the 2026 draft process, returned to school and do play this season, NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said last month. They will all be considered free agents. |
| JOE BUCK EXTENDS WITH ESPNESPN locks up Joe Buck with a big money deal. Will Troy Aikman follow? Andrew Marchand of The Athletic: ESPN’s Joe Buck has agreed to a new contract worth more than $100 million that will keep him as the voice of “Monday Night Football” into the next decade, according to sources who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the agreement. The six-year extension is for around $108 million, the sources said, and means that Buck will not only call ESPN’s first Super Bowl in February, but he will also be on the mic for the network’s next one in 2031. Buck’s yearly salary will rise from $15 million to around $18 million, according to the sources. He is in the final season of his current five-year, $75 million deal. Buck’s partner, Troy Aikman, remains unsigned. Aikman’s five-year, $90 million contract with ESPN ends after the Super Bowl. Buck and Aikman are in their 25th season together, which is the longest-running television booth pairing in NFL history. “With this historic season for ESPN now underway, our entire focus is on bringing fans the best possible football coverage, culminating with our first Super Bowl,” ESPN executive vice president of communications Josh Krulewitz said. “To that end, we won’t be addressing talent contract specifics publicly before the Super Bowl.” Five years ago, Buck and Aikman were two of the biggest moves during the 2022 offseason, the most frenzied in NFL broadcasting history. After Aikman and Buck left Fox for five-year ESPN deals worth a combined $165 million, Fox promoted Kevin Burkhardt to its No. 1 team and then inked Tom Brady to a 10-year, $375 million contract. Joe Davis succeeded Buck as Fox’s play-by-play voice for the World Series. Fox has the rights to the Fall Classic for the next three seasons, including this October. Buck called a record 24 World Series on Fox. |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN “WINS”, MICHIGAN STILL SAID TO BE 2-0A select NCAA Committee stated that Big Ten replay officials failed to follow the proper protocols when they put an extra second on the clock on September 5 that allowed the pride of the Big Ten, Michigan, to claim a victory over Western Michigan of the MAC. But the committee says it was powerless to overturn the injustice and that Michigan can still list itself as 2-0. Jake Trotter of ESPN.com The NCAA’s FBS oversight committee said Wednesday that it “does not have the authority” to overturn the result of Western Michigan’s controversial loss to Michigan on Sept. 5. The committee, however, also said that instant replay protocols “were not followed” by the Big Ten, and that had protocols been followed, “the outcome of the game would have been different.” Michigan won 13-12 on a Hail Mary touchdown pass after Big Ten replay officials put one second back on the clock. The stadium clock and the one shown on the NBC broadcast showed zeros before quarterback Bryce Underwood’s first Hail Mary was touched outside the back of the end zone. In letters sent Sept. 8 to the NCAA and the College Football Playoff, Mid-American Conference commissioner Jon A. Steinbrecher said “replay protocol was not properly followed” and asked that Western Michigan be recognized as the “actual winner.” “The final outcome was directly affected by a replay officiating error resulting from the failure to follow an established and specific protocol governing precisely this type of end-of-half timing situation,” he wrote. That added second prevented Western Michigan, the defending MAC champion, from defeating the Wolverines for the first time in program history. Days later, the NCAA issued new guidance “to establish a standard timing protocol that ensures consistency in the administration of all college football games.” ESPN obtained a copy of a memo from NCAA national coordinator of officials Ron Snodgrass, which was approved by the NCAA’s secretary rules editor, Matt Young. “The official time for all college football games is the time displayed on the in-stadium game clock,” the memo said. “When a replay review requires time to be restored or otherwise adjusted, the replay official’s decision will be based on the embedded game clock contained within the program feed. If the broadcaster is unable to provide an embedded game clock, the replay official will use the game-clock graphic displayed as part of the broadcast feed. “This timing protocol should be followed consistently at all institutions and game sites.” Michigan is 2-0 after defeating Oklahoma last weekend. Western Michigan (1-1) is coming off a 49-14 win over Monmouth. |
