Craig Carton’s Critique of Michigan Fans’ Celebration

Craig Carton took aim at Michigan Wolverines fans for their celebration following a contentious win over the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday night.

It’s clear that Michigan had to rely on a stroke of luck to edge past Western Michigan, finishing 13-12. In a dramatic twist, with just one second left on the clock, Bryce Underwood got a second chance thanks to officials ruling that a Western Michigan defender had touched his previous throw. Underwood capitalized on the opportunity, connecting with J.J. Buchanan for the winning touchdown.

But is that enough reason to rush the field and celebrate like they just defeated Ohio State? Carton firmly disagrees and expressed his view more eloquently than I could.

“The thing that bothers me more than the hubris of adding a second to the game and giving Michigan another opportunity to win that game was the fact that there were 110,000 people at Michigan for that game and at the end of the game they stormed the field like they were Western Michigan knocking off a Big Ten team on the road,” Carton remarked. He went on to say, “It just was a good reminder that even though Michigan is considered a prestigious educational institution, the reality is that they’re a bunch of morons.”

He continued, “Now, we already know Michigan has a questionable athletic program. It’s been established that there are issues like coaches having inappropriate relationships and sign-stealing behaviors. But what I learned on Saturday night is that the 18-27-year-olds at Michigan are, well, not the brightest. Storming the field after barely winning against a team you were heavily favored to beat speaks volumes about the type of students that attend Michigan.”

“This isn’t a game to celebrate if you’re a Michigan fan or alumni,” Carton asserted. “It should serve as a warning about what’s in store for the rest of the season. Michigan football is in a sorry state. They’re paying their quarterback $10 million a year, and I would perform better.”

Carton pointed out that Michigan entered the game ranked 16th and faced Western Michigan, a team that has never beaten a top 20 opponent in the Associated Press poll. “That’s not a game to throw a party for,” he said. “That just highlights the shortcomings ahead for Wolverine football.”

He concluded, “What we witnessed was a program that relied on dubious tactics to gain a narrow victory over a Mid-American Conference team. And yet, the fans rushed the field as if they had achieved something significant. In reality, they just embarrassed themselves.”

Western Michigan has only been ranked in the AP poll once, back in 2016, which certainly adds irony to this situation. A win against a storied program like Michigan would have been monumental for them.

After the game, both the Big Ten and Mid-American Conference released statements regarding the clock controversy, affirming that a Broncos defender did touch the ball while out of bounds with one second remaining.

For now, Michigan has to refocus as they prepare for a noon ET matchup against Oklahoma, amidst ongoing questions about Underwood’s future as starting quarterback.