Buckeyes Now

Ohio State Buckeyes Warned TCU About Michigan Sign-Stealing Before College Football Playoff

The Ohio State Buckeyes may have helped the TCU Horned Frogs beat the Michigan Wolverines.

Matt Galatzan

In this story:

The TCU Horned Frogs beat the Michigan Wolverines in the 2022 College Football Playoff semi-finals in a tight 51-45 matchup, sending the Big 12 champions to their first national title game in the CFP era.

And, were it not for the Ohio State Buckeyes, they have not have been able to reach that milestone. 

Per Yahoo! Sports Reporter Ross Dellenger, the Buckeyes were one of a handful of teams that reached out to the Horned Frogs to warn them of Michigan's elaborate sign-stealing scheme. 

Wrote Dellenger:

Not long after the CFP unveiled the 2022 semifinal matchups — Georgia vs. Ohio State and TCU vs. Michigan — the Horned Frogs staff began receiving phone calls from coaches across the country about what was a well-known fact in the Big Ten coaching community: that Michigan had an elaborate sign-stealing system.

Many of those on the TCU staff were unaware before the calls. Coaches from several Big Ten schools, including Ohio State, informed TCU coaches of the scheme.

“Literally everybody we talked to knew,” said one TCU coach. “They’d say, ‘Just so you know, they steal your signals and they’re going to have everything so you better change them.’”

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) walks off the field after the Wolverines lost 51-45 to TCU at the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022.
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) walks off the field after the Wolverines lost 51-45 to TCU at the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022 / Junfu Han-USA TODAY NETWORK

As a result of Ohio State's warning, the Horned Frogs changed their signs from the sidelines and were able to outduel the Wolverines head-to-head.

The Horned Frogs then ran into Georgia - who took down the Buckeyes 42-41 in their semi-final game - in the national title game, losing 65-7 in Los Angeles.

The Buckeyes had front-row seats to Michigan's scheme in 2022, with photos and videos emerging of the perpetrator of the scheme, Connor Stalions, assisting coaches and coordinators during the matchup with Ohio State.

The Wolverines went on the win that game 45-23 and win the Big Ten championship. 

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and the Managing Editor of BuckeyesNow.com and TheGroveReport.com He is also the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com

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