Michigan's Silence on Sign-Stealing Scandal Only Adds to Speculation

As the unbeaten Wolverines enter the homestretch, the school’s lack of public comment on the ongoing sign-stealing investigation is not making the scrutiny subside.

Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football, where the whole state of Oregon refuses to kick important (and easy) field goals:

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After a week in which most of the involved parties in the Michigan espionage scandal laid low and stayed quiet, that should no longer be an option. An open date took the Wolverines off-radar, but now they’re back and it’s time to address a situation that looms over the entire sport.

Michigan staffer Connor Stalions (1) was suspended by the school with pay on Oct. 20. Since Oct. 24, the following events have transpired:

The Washington Post reported that an outside investigative firm delivered evidence from Michigan’s own computer drives of Stalions’ impermissible scouting scheme to the NCAA, triggering the investigation.

ESPN reported that NCAA Enforcement received video evidence of at least one alleged associate of Stalions impermissibly scouting a game.

Sports Illustrated reported that Stalions claimed relationships with many Michigan staffers and allegedly wrote a “Michigan Manifesto” that could be construed as just a tad obsessive.

NCAA investigators visited the Ann Arbor campus and began reviewing electronics belonging to Michigan staffers, per the Detroit News.

An unnamed former Division III coach told ESPN that he was paid by Stalions to perform impermissible scouting.

A MIchigan spokesman said the school cannot comment due to the ongoing investigation.

Thus we appear to have moved past the theoretical, if-he-did-it stage of this saga to the be-accountable stage. If NCAA preliminary findings have been shared with Michigan that prove Stalions did what he’s accused of doing, the school and the Big Ten should step up. The current season is affected.

Harbaugh and Michigan have rolled to an undefeated start, yet face crucial off-field issues :: Kirthmon F. Dozier/USA TODAY NETWORK

Michigan plays Purdue Saturday. Jim Harbaugh (2) has a regularly scheduled Monday press conference. It figures to be heavily attended. The head coach of the Wolverines has not been directly tied to the Stalions scheme up to this point, according to sources, and several people around the program staunchly insist that Harbaugh was in the dark.

Harbaugh is almost certain to try to no-comment his way through the press conference Monday, citing the NCAA’s confidentiality dictates during an ongoing investigation. That’s fine. But it seems appropriate for athletic director Warde Manuel—or even president Santa Ono—to step to the lectern Monday and address this.

If the school has seen enough to know that rules have been broken by a football staffer in a widespread and brazen scheme, it doesn’t have to wait for the NCAA investigative process to unspool over the course of months to take action. At the least, it would seem that Stalions should move from suspended to fired in short order. Michigan also should have some initial inkling about what other staff members knew about his scheme, if any.

Obviously, Michigan has an extreme self-interest in not doing anything that jeopardizes this dominant team’s national championship chances. In that respect, the school is probably just fine with an NCAA case timeline that would stretch well into 2024, if not further. But this is also where the “commitment to integrity” rubber theoretically hits the road: Are there institutional sanctions to be placed on a team that fits the description of a rogue program? There are three ongoing investigations: Harbaugh was suspended three games for the impermissible recruiting case, with the potential for more punishment ahead; former offensive coordinator Matt Weiss remains under FBI and university police investigation for an alleged computer access crime that got him fired last January; and now the Michigan Manifesto author is on center stage.

The school is fond of its lofty reputation. Alumni embrace its famous fight song lyrics that declare themselves “the leaders and best.” Any interest in leading here, Michigan?

The true imperative here rests with the Big Ten (3), which has one member allegedly perpetrating a cheating scheme to the detriment of its other 13 schools. The league has been deathly silent, and seemingly has asked The Spied Upon 13 to avoid public comment on this as well. Some insight into what the league is doing is in order.

A Big Ten spokesman told SI last week that it “does not have a mechanism within our rules to protest the outcome of a game.” So it’s unclear what official recourse schools would have to challenge Michigan’s five conference wins this season (not to mention last year’s 10). But certainly commissioner Tony Petitti (4)—six months into his tenure—is hearing from a lot of unhappy schools.

Under Big Ten protocol, Petitti could propose penalties to an executive committee comprised of administrators from conference members. The committee would have the power to approve those penalties, lessen them or dismiss them.

With one month left in the regular season and Michigan churning toward a third straight Big Ten title, the league office shouldn’t have a non-speaking part in this melodrama. There is a disincentive to nuke its own leading playoff contender (Fox execs would have a stroke at the very thought), but there also is an obligation to fair play and sportsmanship.

That’s especially true given the fact that Michigan’s alleged scouting, sign stealing and other in-game shenanigans have been an open secret in the league for at least a season and a half. Suspicions have been aired and shared among rival coaching staffs.

Multiple sources from one Big Ten school told SI that a coach at a different school called them before playing Michigan to warn them about Wolverines ball boys on their sideline listening to play calls and communicating information to the Michigan sideline—holding the football up in one hand to indicate an expected pass, and in the other hand to indicate a run, for instance. (Sources at the school that was warned said they experienced nothing in the game to implicate the Michigan ball boys.)

A Michigan spokesman said the school could not comment due to ongoing investigation.

Then there is the College Football Playoff selection committee (5), which meets for the first time this week and will have to figure out how to handle its own maize-and-blue hot potato. Three former selection committee members gave varying responses to SI last week about how the Wolverines should be assessed while playing under this cloud.

One said that the situation is unprecedented and there is nothing that he knew of within the CFP bylaws for appraising a team under investigation differently than the rest of the teams. A second said he anticipates that CFP executive director Bill Hancock will instruct the committee to judge Michigan on its on-field merits only. A third said he thinks the controversy could come into play as “a tiebreaker” if the committee is trying to decide between No. 1 and No. 2, or—perhaps more controversially—No. 4 and No. 5.

The first CFP Top 25 will be released Tuesday night.

Eventually, the NCAA (6) needs to provide clarity on this saga, including a clear understanding of its investigative process and potential Committee on Infractions deliberations. The association has taken steps to demystify its infamously opaque processes already, but this case will be screaming for additional clarity and context when all is said and done. That should include at least a general explanation about where the information on Stalions originated. Motive for blowing the whistle matters less than facts, but it could be pertinent to the process here.

Marvin Harrison Jr. had 123 receiving yards and two scores in Ohio State’s 24–10 win over Wisconsin :: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK

Four for the Playoff

Each week, The Dash selects and seeds the four-team College Football Playoff bracket as if today were Selection Sunday. With the first committee ranks due out Tuesday, it’s time to scrub the resumes a little harder.

Rose Bowl: top seed Ohio State (7) vs. fourth seed Georgia (8).

The Buckeyes (8–0) backed up their beating of Penn State with another workmanlike victory, this time at Wisconsin. The return of top running back TreVeyon Henderson (162 rushing yards and 207 from scrimmage), plus the continued excellence of Marvin Harrison Jr. (123 receiving yards and two touchdowns) offset Kyle McCord’s first two interceptions since the season opener. But mostly, Ryan Day’s team is leaning on a defense that refuses to easily surrender points and yards. Next up for Ohio State: at Rutgers, in what could be a root canal game.

The two-time champion Bulldogs (8–0) have been doubted twice this season, before playing Kentucky and Florida. Combined scores of those two games: 94–33. Dash theory: Georgia looks like a slightly bored team that needs motivation. When they have it, look out. Quarterback Carson Beck shined even without injured starting tight end Brock Bowers, throwing for 315 yards and two touchdowns—having wideout Ladd McConkey (135 receiving yards) healthy certainly helped. Georgia’s defense also got back to its disruptive roots, with season highs of four sacks, eight tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Next up for Georgia: No. 14 Missouri in a big one between the hedges.

Sugar Bowl: second seed Florida State (9) vs. third seed Michigan (10).

The Seminoles (8–0) have done absolutely nothing wrong, but The Dash dropped them from the No. 1 spot because of the continuing devaluation of their win at Clemson. With the Tigers a pedestrian 4–4, the Florida State body of work lacks the overall strength of Ohio State’s at this point. Quarterback Jordan Travis was excellent in a wipeout of Wake Forest Saturday, throwing for 359 yards and three touchdowns and adding another score on the ground. FSU’s nation-best streak of games scoring at least 31 points now stands at 14, as does its winning streak. Next up for Florida State: at Pittsburgh.

The Wolverines (8–0) only face questions off the field, not on it. Coming off an open date, Michigan still leads the nation in scoring margin (34.7 points), scoring defense (5.9) and total defense (226.8 yards per game), among other things. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy has risen to second nationally in pass efficiency (199.13), trailing only LSU’s Jayden Daniels. Next up for Michigan: Purdue.

Also considered: Washington, Oregon, Texas, Alabama.