The NCAA has weighed in on Michigan's controversial win over Western Michigan on September 5. The announcement didn't provide any relief for Broncos fans.
Meanwhile, the Wolverines are heavy favorites this weekend and the Spartans will face their toughest opponent so far this season.
Michigan Public sports commentator John U. Bacon joined Morning Edition host Doug Tribou to discuss that and why Detroit Red Wings fans might be feeling a bit down at the moment.
Football this weekend:
UTEP at Michigan - Sat., 3:30 p.m.
Michigan State at Notre Dame - Sat., 7:30 p.m.
Doug Tribou: Just to further clarify the earlier clarifications, the NCAA announced Wednesday that the Michigan football team should not have been given an extra second that allowed it to beat Western Michigan on a Hail Mary pass two weeks ago.
The NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee said that proper replay protocols were not followed, but also reiterated that there's no mechanism for overturning the result of a game. I’m sure Broncos fans really appreciated that reminder…
John U. Bacon: Yes, I'm sure they did, Doug. First of all, this is a game that will not end, by the way. We'll be talking about it again next week. But yes, the ruling is: you guys got completely screwed, and also, officially we cannot do anything about it. So, enjoy.
DT: [Laughs] Last weekend, Michigan beat 11th-ranked Oklahoma. What changes did you notice from Michigan in Week 2?
JUB: Well, simply enough, the defense was outstanding in this game, and the Oklahoma Sooners are a very good team. But the offense did not kill itself. They were not outstanding, but they did not make any self-inflicted wounds, basically, to help the Sooners' cause. But it was the defense that won that game.
DT: Up next, the Wolverines will host the University of Texas at El Paso at the Big House. Michigan is a heavy, heavy favorite in this one. What should Michigan be working on in their last game before they get into Big Ten conference play?
JUB: You are correct. They are favored by five touchdowns, Doug. So I would call that heavy, heavy favorites. Maybe a third heavy would be appropriate here. Oklahoma beat UTEP the previous week 51-0. And of course Michigan just beat Oklahoma. So this looks pretty good for Michigan.
They need to work on their offense. This is a great chance for them to get [Wolverines quarterback] Bryce Underwood loose with some different systems, some different play calling, and get him ready for the tougher games ahead.
"The ruling is: you guys got completely screwed, and also, officially we cannot do anything about it. So, enjoy."John U. Bacon summarizing the NCAA's announcement that Western Michigan's last-second loss to Michigan will stand
DT: Michigan State is 2-0 after wins over Toledo and Eastern Michigan. The Spartans are unranked. And they’ll face a tough challenge on Saturday night when they travel to South Bend, Ind. to face Notre Dame. The Irish are ranked third in the nation. What can the Spartans do — on the road in a tough environment — to handle a tough opponent?
JUB: There are things they can do — and you are right, they are deep underdogs. They are 30-point underdogs to Notre Dame and that's probably about right. But keep in mind Pat Fitzgerald is now the head coach of Michigan State. As a Northwestern player, he beat Notre Dame at Notre Dame, and as a Northwestern coach, he beat Notre Dame at Notre Dame. Underdogs both times. So you can't play scared in this game, and the Spartans will not under Pat Fitzgerald.
The biggest key by far is: they have to play great defense to give their offense a chance. They will not win this game 40-35. Their only chance is to win it 17-14. So defense will be the key.
DT: In July, Detroit Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman stepped down from his position. He’s now serving as a senior advisor to team CEO Chris Ilitch. In the two months since, the team was conducting a search for Yzerman’s replacement. Then this week, just before the start of training camp, the team announced an interim general manager, Shawn Horcoff, who has been serving as the team's player development director.
Horcoff had already been handling GM duties since Yzerman stepped down, so the announcement that the de facto interim GM is now the official interim GM came as something of a surprise. NHL GM jobs are pretty highly sought after. That's pretty rarefied air in the hockey-executive world. What’s going on here?
JUB: Boy, that is a great question. Doug, we don't have enough time to figure out all this stuff. But what is not going on here is a championship franchise acting like a championship franchise. Just last week, Dylan Larkin, their longtime captain [and a] Michigan guy, they took off his "C" for captain. So, that's never been done — I don't think — in Detroit history. That's pretty crazy.
Then they just announced he's going to miss training camp due to an upper-body injury. Doug, that is so vague that I'm pretty sure it applies to you, me and all our listeners. So that could be anything. It's probably a dodge [during Larkin's ongoing trade request].
Then they fire the legendary Yzerman, and you have no one else ready to replace him two months later? So the best I can call this is the disarray of incompetence, which, by the way, is also a fragrance I'm working on.
DT: [Laughs] All right, we'll end it on that high note. John, thanks a lot.
JUB: Doug, have a nice weekend. Because why not?
Editor's note: Some quotes in this article have been lightly edited for length and clarity. You can play the full audio of the interview near the top of this page.
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