College Football Playoff makes its position clear on Michigan, Western Michigan result

The College Football Playoff gave its answer on Thursday, nine days after Mid-American Conference commissioner Jon A. Steinbrecher wrote to both the CFP and the NCAA asking that Western Michigan be recognized as the winner of its Sept. 5 game at Michigan.

In a statement to The Athletic, the playoff said it does not have the authority to change or otherwise alter the outcome of a game played during the regular season.

The NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee had reached the same conclusion on Wednesday, while siding with the MAC on the substance of the complaint. That committee found instant replay protocols were not followed on the second-to-last play and said the outcome would have been different had they been.

Michigan won 13-12 after Big Ten replay officials put one second back on the clock, and Bryce Underwood's second Hail Mary attempt found JJ Buchanan in the end zone.

The playoff added:

"The CFP Selection Committee evaluates all teams on a comprehensive body of work over a full season, driven by how teams perform in each game. The Committee's evaluation is informed by a broad range of inputs, not just wins and losses. These measures and data points include Opponent Team Strength, Schedule Strength and Record Strength, with rankings determined by comparing the full profile rather than any single metric."