Michigan's Hail Mary and the Forgotten Men in the AP Poll

One second. Just one second added to the clock at Michigan's stadium. Enough for Bryce Underwood to throw the ball one last time, enough for a young man named JJ Buchnan to dive into the end zone and fall into the arms of his teammates, bringing home a 13-12 victory over Western Michigan. Commentators called it a miracle. But standing at a different angle, I saw a student crying on the visiting team's bench – a player who had run all 60 minutes without anyone remembering his name. That is how American college football operates: a moment of glory hidden by an entire game of mediocrity. Michigan, ranked No. 16, barely escaped at home against an unranked team. Western Michigan played better, was more organized, and only lacked a bit of luck. But when the first regular-season Associated Press Top 25 poll is released on Monday, all anyone will remember is that Hail Mary in the final second. Will the voters keep Michigan in? Will they realize that victory was actually a warning? This weekend was a test of heart for athletic directors and voters. Oregon – No. 2 – labored past Boise State far harder than expected, and LSU – No. 11 – blew out Clemson. It is unclear what will change, but it raises the question: does the ranking reflect true strength or just shock? I remember my own story in 2026, when I sat at Lach Tray Stadium seeing a young midfielder demoted to the First Division after just 47 minutes of play. People forgot him after the transfer window, but I saw him training two extra hours every day. People can forget his name, but they cannot forget the sound of his footsteps on the pitch. Since then, I have learned that football, and even football (American), never lies in the locker room – it simply goes silent enough for you to hear the truth. What is the truth this weekend? Let's start with Oregon. The Ducks are ranked No. 2 in the nation, but against Boise State – a team never considered big – they won narrowly in a game where their defense was torn apart multiple times. On several plays, Boise State drove down the field like a knife through butter. If their final touchdown had not been nullified by an offside penalty, Oregon would have been the loser. But they did not lose, and they will likely remain in the top five because the season is only one week old and their brand name still matters. Conversely, LSU destroyed Clemson with an unbelievable score. Clemson, a storied program, was beaten so badly they had no chance to fight back. This game tells us something: Brian Kelly's team is not just strong from last year – this year they are even more ferocious. That makes me think about how we evaluate teams: they will move up to No. 3 or No. 4, but that is not what made the miracle. The forgotten ones here are Boise State and Western Michigan. They played football beyond themselves but are still undervalued. Boise State nearly produced the biggest upset of the season. Western Michigan had victory within reach. But not a single voter mentioned them in the story. I go to the field not to see who scores, but to see who gets up after a missed shot. They fell, but they rose so high. The real controversy lies in Michigan. The team ranked No. 16 won by a stroke of luck. Will writers dare to drop them from the Top 25 even though they won? History shows something: last year, Kansas State went from No. 17 to unranked after barely beating North Dakota (an FCS team). This is a painful precedent. If Michigan falls out of the poll, it would be the first time in two decades that a winning team is 'penalized.' But is punishment fair? Michigan showed nothing except survival via a lucky bounce. Look at it from a contrarian angle: Michigan's victory is actually a tactical loss. They did not prove they belong among the top 25 teams. They only proved they are lucky. But rankings are built on the culture of 'a good team is one that wins.' That is why I often tell young colleagues: look at what is hidden. Sometimes a winning team is not worthy of celebration, and a losing team is still admirable. The broader context is the preparation for the big game between Ohio State and Texas in Week 2. Ohio State rolled over Ball State, while Texas routed Texas State. Both teams maintain their leading positions. That matchup will be the first true test. But what happened this week shows that college football cannot be read through the scoreline. Oregon won but exposed too many weaknesses; LSU won big but have yet to face a worthy opponent; Michigan won but may be fooling themselves. Should the AP voters consider 'form' rather than just results? In the locker room, no lies are spoken. I heard Boise State players talking – they believe they deserve to be ranked. And on Michigan's side, I heard the equipment manager mutter: 'We barely escaped death.' No one can fool themselves. From the perspective of someone who has covered Vietnamese football for 19 years, I realize this: Michigan's Hail Mary is not a miracle but a consequence of Western Michigan's defensive lapse. They dropped too many players back, too few covering receivers. In that split second, they forgot their assignments. And a 'forgotten man' named JJ Buchnan etched his name into history. But ask: two weeks from now, will anyone remember him? College football is notoriously fickle. People can forget his name, but they cannot forget the sound of his footsteps on the pitch. Buchnan's footsteps echoed on Saturday night, then will fade into the mist of the field. What I want to emphasize in this article is not how the ranking will change, but how we consume college football – through upsets, through great candidates, through Hollywood scripts. There, small teams like Boise State, Western Michigan, and even Clemson – a team rebuilding after a heavy defeat – are victims of bias. Clemson is a big program, but after the loss to LSU, they will fall off the top 10. Does anyone ask whether they can rebound? They still have a good coach, but nobody cares about the recovery process. In Vietnamese football, I have witnessed forgotten players rise from the depths. They have no media protection, no agents writing PR pieces. They only have the practice field and diligence. In the summer of 2026, when Lach Tray Stadium was empty due to the pandemic, I saw goalkeeper Tran Minh Long sitting alone in the goal. He was both injured and depressed because there were no spectators. I sat with him via video for 15 sessions. When my article was published, people realized a human being was suffering. The club kept him for one more year. That is the story of the forgotten. What do American college football and Vietnamese football have in common? It is the harshness of the market. Here, a lucky play can change a destiny. But fate changes quickly. If Michigan stays in the Top 25 this week, they will face a brutal schedule. If they lose next week, they will be thrown out. As for Boise State – the team that made Oregon sweat – they will receive no votes, but they will enter the next week with great confidence. That is the beauty of sports: it never judges you by a single game. It listens to your heart. I will watch the poll on Monday. Not to see whether Michigan is dropped, but to see if writers have the courage to recognize that Oregon are struggling, that LSU are soaring, and that the forgotten teams – Boise State, Western Michigan, and even JJ Buchnan – deserve to have a story told. In the locker room, no lies are spoken. It simply goes silent enough for you to hear the truth. And the truth is: rankings are ephemeral, but the spirit of a small team lives forever. Moscow has snow, Hai Phong has sea wind. Football (American) brings Boise State and Michigan into the same story. It speaks of chance, class, and human beings who launched themselves at the ball without knowing what will happen. They run, they fall, and they rise. People can forget his name, but they cannot forget the sound of his footsteps on the pitch. I am just a listener. And I will listen to the footsteps of both teams in the coming weeks. Takeaway: Look at the AP poll as a half-finished painting. Do not celebrate Michigan's victory too quickly, nor cry for Clemson. Wait until the fourth or fifth week, when the lies of the scoreboard will be exposed. And there, the small teams will teach us the biggest lesson: football never betrays anyone who gives their all, even if no award ever mentions their name.