Josh Pate had some strong words for the Big Ten after the controversial decision during the Michigan-Western Michigan game that led to the Wolverines pulling off a win after nearly getting upset by the Mid-American Conference foe.

The decision to put one second back on the clock in the fourth quarter allowed Michigan a second Hail Mary chance to win the game, which they did. Pate said during “Josh Pate’s College Football Show” that he’s heard from “several officials and several referees,” who were not buying the explanation given. 

“I would love for someone in the league office to look me in the eye and tell me if Western Michigan was at midfield heaving a prayer up and that exact same set of circumstances were to have played out, that this is the way it would have gone down,” Pate said during his show.

Michigan wide receiver JJ Buchanan catches for a touchdown against Western Michigan to win the game 13-12 as time expires during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“I have been on the phone with several officials and several referees this morning who wanted to make sure that they articulated how much of a [cover your ass] move this is, how big of a pile of garbage that is from the Big Ten league office, and how egregious, like beyond the pale, horrifically bad the machinations of the way that was handled last night were.”

The stray one second that officials put back on the clock has been the talk of college football. Many have questioned where it came from, with NBC, which was carrying the broadcast, even having its own rules analyst questioning it. 

Western Michigan and the MAC have accepted the ruling following a statement by the Big Ten and the conference releasing video of the process it went through internally to review the play. 

Still, NBC addressed the controversy as well on Sunday night during halftime of the Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State, with John Fanta being the one to deliver it. 

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham walks off the field after Michigan beat Western Michigan on a Hail Mary touchdown pass with time expired at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, September 5, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Now, the official time of the game is kept by the Big Ten,” Fanta said on air. “Our cameras are not the official arbiter of timekeeping within the game. That is the Big Ten and game officials’ responsibility. After the game last night, the Big Ten released a statement and raw video from its replay process that showed how and why the decision was made.”

While all parties involved seemed keen to move past the controversy, it doesn’t seem like the college football world is ready yet to end the debate over what happened on Saturday night in Ann Arbor.