Big Ten Coach Calls Out Spartans' Rival Michigan
The Michigan State Spartans and Nebraska Cornhuskers will not share the field in 2024. However, they do share one thing in common.
Grievances against Michigan for their sign-stealing scandal. Nebraska's has resurfaced more recently. Coach Matt Rhule seemed to call out both the Wolverines and the NCAA in an attempt to get another year of eligibility for defensive back DeShon Singleton, who was injured against the Wolverines.
"In an effort to secure Singleton an additional year of eligibility, Rhule appealed to the NCAA, arguing that the Michigan game might eventually be stricken from the record books due to the controversy," Tanner Johnson of Nebraska On SI wrote. "If that were to happen, Singleton’s total games played would drop to four, making him eligible for a redshirt year. However, the NCAA rejected Rhule’s argument."
Rhule recently explained his thought process.
"What happened with DeShon is obviously he went to junior college and then came here and played four games, and then one play against Michigan," Rhule said. "I petitioned to the NCAA because obviously, everything that happened against Michigan last year seems like there is some cloak of whatever. He got cracked on a run play. Did they know it was a run play? Or is that game going to count in a couple of years? So I thought he shouldn’t have gotten penalized for one play in a game that, in my mind, that’s not even a real game. The NCAA disagreed, so he did not get that year back."
Rhule mentioned he thought that Singleton would have gone to the NFL regardless of the eligibility issues.
"I think DeShon would probably have that year and say, ‘Coach, thanks a lot, I’m going to take my talents to the next level’ because I think he’s doing a really good job," he said." But I wanted him to do that. Academically, he could use that year to finish his degree, so I thought he deserved that, but the NCAA disagreed."
Still, it is all noteworthy. The Wolverines' cheating scandal had far-reaching implications and still does, with the ongoing NCAA investigation hanging over Ann Arbor.
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