ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan is undefeated and facing a top-10 road test this weekend at Penn State, but the eyes of the college football world are focused off the field, as questions surround Jim Harbaugh and the sign-stealing scandal.
I joined Christy McDonald on the Daily+ Live to talk about where the investigation stands right now. You can watch that segment in the video above.
The Wolverines took down Purdue over the weekend to improve to 9-0, but hardly anyone cared. Everyone just wants to know whether Harbaugh will face a suspension as his team enters the most critical stretch of the season.
Reports surfaced over the weekend that the Big Ten might suspend Harbaugh over allegations that the Michigan football program engaged in illegal sign-stealing tactics. Those allegations stem from former staffer Connor Stalions buying tickets to several games involving future Michigan opponents.
Conference rivals say the people who sat in the seats purchased by Stalions were caught holding up cellphones and apparently recording opposing sidelines. This would violation the NCAA’s rule against in-person scouting.
What we know
It seems pretty clear Michigan broke some rules -- and definitely acted in bad faith by trying to find loopholes to violate the spirit of the scouting regulations. What’s not clear: Who was involved and what is the scope of the operation?
We know that so far, there hasn’t been any concrete evidence linking Harbaugh or any other staff members to the scandal. While it seems very unlikely that Stalions would act completely on his own without anyone else in the program’s knowledge, the information that’s been leaked to this point hasn’t been enough for the NCAA or Big Ten to hand down punishment.
That could change in the coming days, but then, Michigan would also get a chance to respond. Big Ten coaches are apparently outraged and want the conference to take action, but are they willing to let Michigan share its side of the story publicly, and perhaps unearth some damaging findings of its own?
Right now, this feels like a standoff. University of Michigan President Santa Ono sent a letter to Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti that essentially said, ‘If you’re going to issue punishment, do so using the proper protocols that have been put in place.’
“The reputation and livelihoods of coaches, students, and programs cannot be sacrificed in a rush to judgment, no matter how many and how loudly people protest otherwise,” Ono wrote. “Due process matters.”
So, for now, we wait. The timing of the Big Ten’s next move could be just as important as the substance of that move, as the Michigan-Penn State game is just five days away.
What we don’t know
There are dozens of questions we don’t yet have answers to. Here are just a few:
How and why was the information being leaked? It was released very strategically, in a way that painted Michigan in a bad light, and meanwhile, the university wasn’t able to respond. That will surely be a point Michigan brings up, if need be.
Is there any additional evidence that hasn’t come out? It sure feels like if there was any damning evidence against Harbaugh or the Michigan program, it probably would have been leaked to one of the many national reporters who have been all-too-happy to pile on with daily updates highlighting every tiny detail.
If Harbaugh is suspended, does Michigan have an avenue to halt that punishment until the investigation plays out? This is where college football and the legal world intersect, and I only feel qualified to comment on the former.
Whatever the Big Ten -- and eventually, the NCAA -- decide certainly won’t be good for Michigan. Even if Stalions was operating without Harbaugh’s knowledge, it still happened on his watch, which is grounds for some level of punishment (on top of settling the still-unresolved NCAA case from before).
But how serious are we talking? A suspension? A ban? Vacated wins? Forcing Michigan to let Brutus film every remaining game and practice from the sideline?
We simply don’t know, but I’m sure there’ll be a fresh new angle by the morning. Buckle up.
