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Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson, who guided the Broncos to the College Football Playoff in 2024, is now in his fourth season at the helm. As his team readies for a Week 4 matchup at Western Michigan, Danielson shared a bold opinion about the Broncos' true record.
Western Michigan opened its season at Michigan in a game that ended in controversy. The NCAA's FBS Oversight Committee later confirmed that proper replay protocols were not followed, and had they been, the MAC program would have upset the then-No. 16 Wolverines. Since that game, Western Michigan has won its next two contests, and Danielson believes that makes them 3-0.
"I saw a little bit of what happened with the Michigan-Western Michigan game early on," Danielson said Monday. "When I went back and studied this, unbelievable. They're an undefeated football team, period, end of story."
Danielson didn't hold back when discussing the game's outcome. "I don't care all the stuff that they can and can't, but you watch that game, they absolutely beat Michigan at Michigan, and that's not hype. That is what happened." He also praised Western Michigan's head coach Lance Taylor and his staff in Kalamazoo, highlighting the defense that held Michigan to six points. "Unbelievable," he added.
Michigan officially won the game 13-12, but the victory came under heavy scrutiny. The Wolverines scored only one touchdown before a disputed Hail Mary attempt. Big Ten officials reviewed the play and added a second back on the clock after Michigan's first desperation heave fell incomplete. The replay center used a camera trained on the stadium clock showing 0:01 when Western Michigan safety Micah Davis touched the ball, even though the embedded replay feed showed triple zeroes. The Big Ten's decision allowed Michigan another untimed down, which they converted for the winning score.
In response to the controversy, the NCAA implemented a new standard timing protocol. A memo from NCAA national coordinator of officials Ron Snodgrass stated: "The official time for all college football games is the time displayed on the in-stadium game clock. 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." The protocol aims to ensure consistency across all games.
Key Analysis
Danielson's perspective carries weight given his own experience against top competition. In his first full season as head coach, he led Boise State to the College Football Playoff, where they faced Penn State in a Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal. This season, his Broncos nearly upset then-No. 2 Oregon, leading 17-7 before falling 34-27. Boise State sits at 2-1, with its only loss coming to the Ducks. Danielson hopes to guide his team back to the CFP, but first must navigate a Western Michigan squad he considers undefeated. The matchup will test whether his assessment holds true on the field.
Originally reported by yahoo.