Ben Maller Show Best of the Week

September 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Big Ten Bailout and the NFL's Opening Night Meltdown

Ben Maller opens with a college football controversy that he insists will fuel conspiracy theories for years. On Saturday, Michigan—a 27.5-point favorite at home—needed a Hail Mary to beat Western Michigan 13-12. The problem: the game should have already been over. The stadium clock hit 0:00, Western Michigan players began celebrating what would have been the biggest win in program history, and then the Big Ten replay booth in Chicago intervened. They added a second to the clock, giving Michigan one more play. Quarterback Bryce Underwood connected with J.J. Buchanan on a 47-yard touchdown pass. Michigan won. Maller calls it "a pure unfiltered carnival of stupidity."

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What you'll learn

1 (03:25) **The Big Ten Bailout: Michigan vs. Western Michigan** - Ben Maller introduces the central controversy of the week: a game-winning Hail Mary for Michigan that was made possible by a disputed extra second added to the clock.
2 (10:42) **The "Make-A-Wish" Big Ten Replay Center** - Maller continues to mock the officiating, calling it "Mario Kart officiating" where Michigan hit a question box for an extra life.
3 (12:19) **Kyle Whittingham's "Near Death Experience"** - Maller discusses the new Michigan head coach's debut, arguing he did not win, but merely survived.
4 (17:05) **The Quarterback Problem** - Maller pivots to the main issue for Michigan's season: quarterback Bryce Underwood's terrible performance.
5 (18:27) **Kirk Herbstreit's Dog Merch Store** - Maller shifts to a second major topic: ABC's Kirk Herbstreit launching a traveling pop-up merchandise store for his golden retriever, Peter.
6 (27:17) **NFL Season Opener: Seahawks vs. Patriots** - Maller introduces the NFL's opening game, a "Hump Day Special" in Seattle, focusing on the losing locker room as the better story.
7 (30:56) **Drake Maye's "Ivy Drip of Suck"** - Maller delivers a blistering critique of Drake Maye's game, calling it an "ivy drip of suck" that turned him from an MVP runner-up into a disaster.

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Guests on this episode

Ben Maller

Show Notes

Big Ben talks about Michigan getting gifted an extra second of game time by the officials in order to complete a game-winning Hail Mary against Western Michigan, Drake Maye and the Patriots choking away the game against the Seahawks and a backup QB, Maller's Mountain of Money: Patsy Cline Edition, and more!

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